"Not a single Rohingya wants to go back without their demands (for safety and citizenship) being met," Bangladesh refugee commissioner Abul Kalam told reporters.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled across the border to Bangladesh after Myanmar's military began a harsh counterinsurgency campaign against them two years ago, a campaign that involved mass rapes, killings and the burning of homes.

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar released a new report on Thursday concluding rapes of Rohingya by Myanmar's security forces were systemic and demonstrated the intent to commit genocide.

The report said the discrimination Myanmar practiced against the Rohingya in peacetime aggravated the sexual violence toward them during times of conflict.

The Buddhist-majority nation refused to recognise Rohingya as citizens or even as one of its ethnic groups, rendering them stateless, and vulnerable to state-sanctioned discrimination.

Myanmar had declared more than 3,000 refugees eligible for repatriation and said the operation to return them would begin Thursday.

However, none of the 295 families interviewed by the Bangladesh government and the UN refugee agency had agreed to return to Myanmar.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government will not force the refugees to return and the repatriation will only happen if they are willing.

The UNHCR said in a statement on Thursday that many Rohingya interviewed actually want to go home if they could be sure of security, citizenship status and freedom of movement.

Many refugees have said they want to go back under direct UN supervision, not under the Myanmar government.

Australian Associated Press