Posted: 2023-02-10 04:43:39

The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh is pressing Australia to take more Rohingyas languishing in camps as officials from across the region gather in Adelaide to discuss people smuggling and the growing number of refugees dying at sea. 

Representatives from dozens of Asia-Pacific countries are holding the talks under the Bali Process — a forum established by Australia and Indonesia in 2002 to deal with human trafficking.

Human rights groups are demanding that officials and politicians kickstart a new regional response to the latest wave of Rohingya refugees.

Almost 350 people died or went missing at sea in 2022 while fleeing civil conflict in Myanmar or refugee camps across the border in Bangladesh.

The United Nations believes more than 1 million members of the ethnic minority have fled to the camps after being driven out by a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar over the last six years.

AK Abdul Momen speaks during a meeting.
AK Abdul Momen says he would like to see Australia take more Rohingyas in.(Reuters: Evan Vucci/Pool)

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told the ABC that many countries had substantially increased the number of Rohingya refugees they had taken, and he would like to see Australia take more people in.

"If they can do it, why not Australia? Australia is relatively more resourceful, so I think it's high time Australia come forward and resettle some more of those distressed people," he said.

"They can start a larger program of resettling and reallocating some of these people from Myanmar.

"Australia has the capacity, it has the resources — there's only a need for a political mindset. And if they have that mindset they can help us."

Dr Momen also said he wanted Australia to plough more energy into regional diplomatic efforts to press the military junta in Myanmar to allow Rohingyas to return home.

Australia provided 'substantial' assistance, Wong says

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia acknowledged that Bangladesh had carried a "heavy burden" with the Rohingya refugee crisis, but the government had already made substantial contributions to help.

"We have provided substantial additional humanitarian assistance to Myanmar and Bangladesh since 2017 — I think it is over $350 million since that time," she said.

Penny Wong looks at notes.
Penny Wong says Australia has already provided humanitarian assistance.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)

"And after we came to government in our first budget I announced $135 million as a contribution to both Myanmar and Bangladesh for the current financial year in recognition of what is occurring."

Senator Wong did not make any fresh commitments on refugee resettlement but said Australia's program was "generous" by global standards.

"There are many more people who want to come to Australia than we have places for, and that is a reality of the world in which we live."

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