The gradual repatriation of more than 650,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees back to Burma from Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, has been postponed amid widespread fears that refugees would be forced to return, a Bangladeshi official has said. The Rohingya Muslims have long been treated as outsiders in largely Buddhist Burma, derided as "Bengalis", illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though generations of Rohingya have lived in Burma. Most Rohingya lived in poverty in Burma’s Rakhine state, near the Bangladesh border. In early January, following up on their November 2017 agreement, Bangladesh and Burma signed a deal to begin sending back the refugees starting on Tuesday. Officials have said they expect some 1,500 refugees to go back each week, though only refugees with identity documents - which most Rohingya lack - will be allowed into Burma.

Source: Evening echo January 22, 2018 09:00 UTC