Despite UN warnings, Myanmar vows early Rohingya return

Rohingya refugees will be allowed to return to Myanmar "as soon as possible", a minister said, despite a stillborn repatriation process and UN warnings that the safety of returnees could not be guaranteed.

Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's social welfare minister, made the comments in Dhaka late Thursday after visiting one of the Bangladesh camps struggling to provide for some of the one million Rohingya Muslims who have fled the country.

"We can overcome many difficulties we are facing," he told reporters after a meeting with Bangladeshi officials. "I am very sure we can start repatriation process as soon as possible."