Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh mark anniversary of Myanmar exodus as conference opens

COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar living in dozens of camps in Bangladesh marked the eighth anniversary of their mass exodus, demanding safe return to their previous home in Rakhine state.

The refugees gathered Monday in an open field at a camp in Kutupalong, in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh, carrying banners and festoons reading “No more refugee life” and “Repatriation the ultimate solution.”

The day was marked as “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.”

A separate three-day conference began Sunday in Cox’s Bazar. International dignitaries, United Nations representatives, diplomats and Bangladesh’s interim government are set to discuss supporting refugees with food and other amenities and how to speed up the repatriation process.

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