From WN

The United Nations said they were still waiting for “effective access” to the Rakhine state in Myanmar on Tuesday after more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced from their homes during a brutal army crackdown, according to Reuters.

The UN said even though Myanmar agreed to work with the international organization to aid the return of refugees, the agencies for development and refugees, the UNDP and UNCHR, have not been allowed to send staff to visit the conflict area.

The UNDP and UNHCR signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar’s government leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in June which would allow the Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh an option to return home.

But officials said they have experienced a number of delays and authorities only offered access to a limited area of the state, according to Knut Ostby, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Myanmar.

Ostby said the UN declined an offer from Myanmar to work in a limited number of villages and said they would not be sending in experts until a better deal was negotiated.

“They’re standing ready to go when we have effective access,” he said. “We need to have the possibility to do a proper job.”

Suu Kyi on Tuesday claimed Myanmar “granted access” to the UN for 23 villages in the Rakhine state as part of a “pilot assessment program.”

Ostby said he did not know how the specific villages were selected in the Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships but the UN wanted to begin with “quick impact projects” to benefit the population, including cash-for-work programs and small-scale infrastructure projects.

He also said the UN wanted to work in villages next to one another to avoid “inequality among neighboring villages.”

Myanmar’s government spokesman Zaw Htay said the UN could work within the selected areas and then expand its operations.

“As far as I understand, UNDP is to implement pilot project within the allowed villages and extend afterwards,” Zaw Htay said. “If UNDP does not think it’s enough, they would have to discuss with the government.”

The UN and many other organizations and journalists have been barred from entering the Rakhine State since last August when the crackdown began.

Myanmar also accused UN agencies of supplying food to Rohingya militants.

The Rohingya face widespread discrimination across Myanmar due to their status as a religious minority who are denied citizenship, even though many regard themselves as native to the Rakhine State.

The June deal between the UN and Myanmar was not made public, but human rights groups and refugee leaders have said it failed to assure returning refugees would be given citizenship and freedom of movement in Myanmar.

Ostby said the UN advocated for releasing the document.

“We have proposed to the government that it would be a good idea to make it public,” he said. “Having said that, we recognize that such agreements are not normally publicized in other countries.”

–WN.com, Maureen Foody

For more on this story and video go to: https://article.wn.com/view/2018/08/21/UN_Says_Myanmar_Denying_Effective_Access_To_Rakhine_State_Af/