"The issue of repatriating Rohingya refugees has once again taken center stage, and it appears to be yet another farcical chapter in this ongoing saga. During a tripartite meeting mediated by China in Kunming, the latest decision emerged: by December 31 of this year, 7,176 Rohingya refugees will be returned to Rakhine State, Myanmar. The push for repatriation, even on a small scale, is being urged by China and has been met with hesitance from Bangladesh. To provide some context, in the face of the brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s military in August-September 2017, approximately 800,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh. In November of that same year, Bangladesh hastily signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar to facilitate their repatriation. Under this agreement, Bangladesh submitted a list of 829,036 Rohingyas to Myanmar. After “scrutinizing” the list, Myanmar “cleared” just 62,285 individuals, confirming their Myanmar origin. This amounted to a mere 7.51 percent of the submitted list. Astonishingly, not a single Rohingya has returned to Myanmar under this agreement in the past six years. This marks the third attempt to repatriate a small number of Rohingyas. The first attempt was made following a foreign secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Myanmar in October 2018. However, due to international opposition, citing the ongoing genocide in Myanmar, this effort was met with failure. Similarly, a second attempt in 2019 to repatriate Rohingyas cleared by Myanmar from a list of 22,000 individuals submitted by Bangladesh was unsuccessful, primarily due to objections from the Rohingyas on the list. Even if a pilot repatriation takes place, it is unlikely to benefit either Bangladesh or the Rohingyas. Myanmar stands to gain from this process, using it as a propaganda tool to demonstrate its ability to resolve the issue through bilateral or trilateral initiatives. This effort is likely to find support from China, Russia, and potentially India, all of which have, directly or indirectly, backed Myanmar despite its genocidal actions. Six years have passed with no tangible progress. The pilot repatriation process is almost certain to reveal problems, allowing Myanmar to engage in further discussions and delay tactics. Moreover, there is the matter of verification and scrutiny. It is perplexing why Bangladesh is stepping into this precarious situation. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam has emphasized that no one should obstruct the pilot repatriation. According to him, this experimental process will help identify and understand the challenges before proceeding with large-scale repatriation. However, two fundamental questions remain unanswered. Firstly, the main obstacle to Rohingya repatriation is the lack of a safe environment in Rakhine State – a responsibility that squarely lies with Myanmar and its military. Have they taken any substantial steps to ensure this safe environment? Will these issues be genuinely addressed during this experimental phase? Secondly, has there been any roadmap established for large-scale repatriation? The pilot project would have been more justifiable if such a plan had been in place from the outset. China may be pleased if repatriation begins, but international agencies and Western nations are unlikely to support these efforts. Is it truly beneficial to undermine one’s own interests merely to appease China? In the midst of this, the United States has presented an unrealistic proposal. While it is worth acknowledging that the US has provided substantial humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and has exerted pressure on Myanmar’s military junta, their proposal raises concerns. The US embassy stated that it is unsafe for Rohingyas to return to Myanmar given the current situation and proposed rehabilitating Rohingyas in various countries as an alternative solution. They noted that over the past 14 years, 13,000 Rohingyas have been rehabilitated in the US. However, when considering the number of Rohingya refugees, 13,000 over 14 years represents a minuscule fraction. During a visit to the US last year, some Rohingyas I met were running small businesses and thriving. Anyone visiting those camps will notice signs posted on storefronts and establishments: “We are hiring”. There were numerous job openings with modest wages, but an insufficient number of applicants. If the US were to accept one million Rohingyas for rehabilitation, they would swiftly fill these positions, and these individuals and their descendants would become tax-paying consumers contributing to the US economy. This would not only demonstrate the US’s commitment to the humanitarian values it upholds but also enhance its global image. Germany, a relatively smaller country, accommodated one million Syrian refugees, with 70 percent of them successfully integrated into the German economy. Germany did not suffer losses from this decision, and it significantly bolstered the nation’s reputation. However, it is unlikely that the US will pursue this course of action. Therefore, raising the expectations of the Rohingya people regarding rehabilitation in a third country may be futile. The ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis lies in their repatriation to their homeland. The US, as a friend of Bangladesh and the Rohingyas, and the world’s most powerful nation, can use its influence to ensure the creation of conditions conducive to Rohingya return. In the interim, the US and its Western allies can mobilize resources to provide minimal assistance for the survival of the Rohingyas..."