Two armed ethnic groups will sign on to a ceasefire in Myanmar today in a ceremony the government hopes will showcase a significant victory for a peace process derided as &quot;broken&quot; by critics.

World attention has recently focused on the desperate plight of the some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims forced over the border into Bangladesh in western Myanmar by a violent military campaign.

But this is just one of some two dozen conflicts festering around the country&#39;s restive fringes, where ethnic minorities have been locked in decades-long battles with the state for more autonomy.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi announced that securing peace was her top priority when her civilian administration took office in 2016, ending five decades of military domination.

But there has been little to show for the effort, with swathes of the borderlands still embroiled in often drug-fuelled unrest that has displaced tens of thousands of people.

On Tuesday the government can claim a symbolic victory after the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) ink the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in Naypyidaw, joining eight other militias who had signed onto the pact before Suu Kyi took office.

The two groups have not actively clashed with the army for some time but were part of a bloc of powerful rebel armies that resisted signing the NCA under the former military-backed government.

&quot;We believe in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but we&#39;ll have to see what happens on the road ahead because the government and the military are not very united,&quot; LDU chairman Kya Khun Sar told AFP ahead of the signing.

Myanmar&#39;s powerful army has stepped down from junta rule but still controls the key home affairs, borders and defence ministries as well as a quarter of parliamentary seats.

This effectively gives it carte blanche to conduct whatever military operations it wants around the country.

Many are therefore sceptical of success for Suu Kyi&#39;s &quot;21st Century Panglong&quot; peace talks, named after the agreement signed by her independence hero father that promised autonomy to major ethnic groups ahead of the country&#39;s independence from Britain in 1948.

&quot;Regardless of the theatre and pageantry of the NCA signing for the Mon and Lahu, the peace process is broken and only the state counsellor&#39;s office seems unaware of this reality,&quot; political analyst David Mathieson told AFP, saying that the military has been the &quot;main actor derailing the peace process&quot;.

Mai Win Htoo, a Taaung National Party MP, said peace negotiations have yet bear fruit in his community in restive northern Shan state.

&quot;Since it started, there has been more fighting in my area. People have had to run away. They lose their jobs, their homes. It has brought war on our area.&quot;

Myanmar&#39;s diverse patchwork of ethnic groups make up around a third of the population, but the government and military have long been dominated by the majority Bamar ethnicity, to which Suu Kyi belong

World attention has recently focused on the desperate plight of the some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims forced over the border into Bangladesh in western Myanmar by a violent military campaign

Two armed ethnic groups will sign on to a ceasefire in Myanmar today in a ceremony the government hopes will showcase a significant victory for a peace process derided as "broken" by critics. World attention has recently focused on the desperate plight of the some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims forced over the border into Bangladesh in western Myanmar by a violent military campaign. But this is just one of some two dozen conflicts festering around the country's restive fringes, where ethnic minorities have been locked in decades-long battles with the state for more autonomy. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi announced that securing peace was her top priority when her civilian administration took office in 2016, ending five decades of military domination. But there has been little to show for the effort, with swathes of the borderlands still embroiled in often drug-fuelled unrest that has displaced tens of thousands of people. On Tuesday the government can claim a symbolic victory after the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and Lahu Democratic Union (LDU) ink the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in Naypyidaw, joining eight other militias who had signed onto the pact before Suu Kyi took office. The two groups have not actively clashed with the army for some time but were part of a bloc of powerful rebel armies that resisted signing the NCA under the former military-backed government. "We believe in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi but we'll have to see what happens on the road ahead because the government and the military are not very united," LDU chairman Kya Khun Sar told AFP ahead of the signing. Myanmar's powerful army has stepped down from junta rule but still controls the key home affairs, borders and defence ministries as well as a quarter of parliamentary seats. This effectively gives it carte blanche to conduct whatever military operations it wants around the country. Many are therefore sceptical of success for Suu Kyi's "21st Century Panglong" peace talks, named after the agreement signed by her independence hero father that promised autonomy to major ethnic groups ahead of the country's independence from Britain in 1948. "Regardless of the theatre and pageantry of the NCA signing for the Mon and Lahu, the peace process is broken and only the state counsellor's office seems unaware of this reality," political analyst David Mathieson told AFP, saying that the military has been the "main actor derailing the peace process". Mai Win Htoo, a Taaung National Party MP, said peace negotiations have yet bear fruit in his community in restive northern Shan state. "Since it started, there has been more fighting in my area. People have had to run away. They lose their jobs, their homes. It has brought war on our area." Myanmar's diverse patchwork of ethnic groups make up around a third of the population, but the government and military have long been dominated by the majority Bamar ethnicity, to which Suu Kyi belong

Two ethnic groups sign up to Myanmar's 'broken' peace process

Veteran US&nbsp;diplomat Bill Richardson has resigned from an international panel set up by Myanmar to advise on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a &quot;whitewash&quot; and accusing the country&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking &quot;moral leadership&quot;.

Richardson, a former Clinton administration cabinet member, quit as the 10-member advisory board was making its first visit to western Rakhine State, from where nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled in recent months.

&quot;The main reason I am resigning is that this advisory board is a whitewash,&quot; Richardson told Reuters in an interview, adding he did not want to be part of &quot;a cheerleading squad for the government&quot;.

Richardson said he got into an argument with Suu Kyi during a meeting on Monday with other members of the board, when he brought up the case of two Reuters reporters who are on trial accused of breaching the country&#39;s Officials Secrets Act.

He said Suu Kyi&#39;s response was &quot;furious&quot;, saying the case of the reporters &quot;was not part of the work of the advisory board&quot;. The argument continued at a dinner later that evening, the former New Mexico governor said.

Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman, Zaw Htay, told Reuters on Thursday that the Advisory Board was meeting about the &quot;Rakhine issue&quot;.

&quot;(Richardson) talked on a topic outside the agenda of the meetings and went beyond the framework,&quot; Zaw Htay said. &quot;We feel sorry for his resignation due to the misunderstanding.&quot; Reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of the crisis in Rakhine, from where 688,000 Rohingya have fled an army crackdown on insurgents since late August, according to estimates by the United Nations.

They were detained on December&nbsp;12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. The government has cited police as saying they were arrested for possessing secret documents relating to the security situation in Rakhine.

&#39;Good faith efforts&#39;

US&nbsp;State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called Richardson&#39;s decision to resign from the board and his reasons for doing so &quot;cause for concern&quot;, but noted he had been acting as a private citizen in joining the board and visiting Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

&quot;Ultimately, the Burmese government and military have the authority to determine whether the Advisory Board will succeed,&quot; Nauert said. &quot;The United States has made clear that we are willing to support good faith efforts to implement the Annan Commission recommendations.&rdquo;

The Advisory Board for the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State was set up by Myanmar last year, to advise on enacting the findings of an earlier commission headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The armed forces have been accused by Rohingya witnesses and human rights activists of carrying out killings, rapes and arson in a campaign senior officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that label and has denied nearly all the allegations.

Richardson said he was also &quot;taken aback by the vigour with which the media, the United Nations, human rights groups and in general the international community were disparaged&quot; during the last three days of meetings the board held with Myanmar officials.

&quot;She&#39;s not getting good advice from her team,&quot; Richardson said of Suu Kyi, whom he said he has known since the 1980s. &quot;I like her enormously and respect her. But she has not shown moral leadership on the Rakhine issue and the allegations made, and I regret that.&quot;

Suu Kyi&#39;s national security adviser, Thaung Tun, told Reuters he had escorted the other board members on a trip to Rakhine on Wednesday, but that Richardson had not taken part.

&quot;He said he was unhappy about the situation but I am not sure what he was unhappy about,&quot; he said. &quot;This is just the initial stage, this is the start of a whole year of business so I don&#39;t know what happened to make him feel like that.&quot;

Panel chairman slammed&nbsp;

Before Richardson quit the advisory board had 10 members, including five from overseas, chaired by former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart.

The board chairman, he said, was not &quot;genuinely committed&quot; to implementing recommendations regarding the issues of Rohingya safety, citizenship, peace, stability and development.

&quot;He parroted the dangerous and untrue notion that international NGOs employ radicals and that humanitarian agencies are providing material support to ARSA,&quot; Richardson said, referring to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants.

Surakiart was travelling with other members of the board in Rakhine and did not respond to requests for comment.

Another board member, former South African Defence Minister Roelof Meyer, told Reuters the visit to Rakhine had been &quot;very constructive&quot;.

&quot;If anybody would say that we are just a rubber stamp or a voice on behalf of the government that would be completely untrue, unfair,&quot; he said. &quot;We haven&#39;t done any recommendations so far.&quot;

Other members of the board, which also includes British doctor and politician Lord Darzi of Denham and speaker of the Swedish parliament Urban Ahlin, were not immediately available for comment.

Richardson said he declined to join the advisory board&#39;s tour of a new repatriation camp in Rakhine State on Wednesday, instead of travelling to Yangon.

Mass grave

Myanmar&#39;s military said earlier this month its soldiers had taken part in the killings of 10 captured Muslim &quot;terrorists&quot; during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug.

It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing during its operations in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which said legal action would be taken against members of the security forces who violated their rules of engagement and the villagers involved.

Richardson said he has asked the board to recommend that the Myanmar government set up an independent investigation into &quot;the mass grave issue, especially as it pertained to ... the involvement of the military&quot;. He did not say how the board had responded.

The Rohingya crisis erupted after ARSA attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered a fierce military response. Myanmar says its troops were engaged in legitimate counterinsurgency operations.

The UN&nbsp;on Wednesday called on Myanmar to give aid agencies unhindered access to camps it has built for tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees after agreeing to a deal with Bangladesh on their return.

Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart

Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson has resigned from an international panel set up by Myanmar to advise on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a "whitewash" and accusing the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking "moral leadership". Richardson, a former Clinton administration cabinet member, quit as the 10-member advisory board was making its first visit to western Rakhine State, from where nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled in recent months. "The main reason I am resigning is that this advisory board is a whitewash," Richardson told Reuters in an interview, adding he did not want to be part of "a cheerleading squad for the government". Richardson said he got into an argument with Suu Kyi during a meeting on Monday with other members of the board, when he brought up the case of two Reuters reporters who are on trial accused of breaching the country's Officials Secrets Act. He said Suu Kyi's response was "furious", saying the case of the reporters "was not part of the work of the advisory board". The argument continued at a dinner later that evening, the former New Mexico governor said. Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, told Reuters on Thursday that the Advisory Board was meeting about the "Rakhine issue". "(Richardson) talked on a topic outside the agenda of the meetings and went beyond the framework," Zaw Htay said. "We feel sorry for his resignation due to the misunderstanding." Reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of the crisis in Rakhine, from where 688,000 Rohingya have fled an army crackdown on insurgents since late August, according to estimates by the United Nations. They were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. The government has cited police as saying they were arrested for possessing secret documents relating to the security situation in Rakhine. 'Good faith efforts' US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called Richardson's decision to resign from the board and his reasons for doing so "cause for concern", but noted he had been acting as a private citizen in joining the board and visiting Myanmar, which is also known as Burma. "Ultimately, the Burmese government and military have the authority to determine whether the Advisory Board will succeed," Nauert said. "The United States has made clear that we are willing to support good faith efforts to implement the Annan Commission recommendations.” The Advisory Board for the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State was set up by Myanmar last year, to advise on enacting the findings of an earlier commission headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The armed forces have been accused by Rohingya witnesses and human rights activists of carrying out killings, rapes and arson in a campaign senior officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that label and has denied nearly all the allegations. Richardson said he was also "taken aback by the vigour with which the media, the United Nations, human rights groups and in general the international community were disparaged" during the last three days of meetings the board held with Myanmar officials. "She's not getting good advice from her team," Richardson said of Suu Kyi, whom he said he has known since the 1980s. "I like her enormously and respect her. But she has not shown moral leadership on the Rakhine issue and the allegations made, and I regret that." Suu Kyi's national security adviser, Thaung Tun, told Reuters he had escorted the other board members on a trip to Rakhine on Wednesday, but that Richardson had not taken part. "He said he was unhappy about the situation but I am not sure what he was unhappy about," he said. "This is just the initial stage, this is the start of a whole year of business so I don't know what happened to make him feel like that." Panel chairman slammed Before Richardson quit the advisory board had 10 members, including five from overseas, chaired by former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai. Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart. The board chairman, he said, was not "genuinely committed" to implementing recommendations regarding the issues of Rohingya safety, citizenship, peace, stability and development. "He parroted the dangerous and untrue notion that international NGOs employ radicals and that humanitarian agencies are providing material support to ARSA," Richardson said, referring to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants. Surakiart was travelling with other members of the board in Rakhine and did not respond to requests for comment. Another board member, former South African Defence Minister Roelof Meyer, told Reuters the visit to Rakhine had been "very constructive". "If anybody would say that we are just a rubber stamp or a voice on behalf of the government that would be completely untrue, unfair," he said. "We haven't done any recommendations so far." Other members of the board, which also includes British doctor and politician Lord Darzi of Denham and speaker of the Swedish parliament Urban Ahlin, were not immediately available for comment. Richardson said he declined to join the advisory board's tour of a new repatriation camp in Rakhine State on Wednesday, instead of travelling to Yangon. Mass grave Myanmar's military said earlier this month its soldiers had taken part in the killings of 10 captured Muslim "terrorists" during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug. It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing during its operations in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which said legal action would be taken against members of the security forces who violated their rules of engagement and the villagers involved. Richardson said he has asked the board to recommend that the Myanmar government set up an independent investigation into "the mass grave issue, especially as it pertained to ... the involvement of the military". He did not say how the board had responded. The Rohingya crisis erupted after ARSA attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered a fierce military response. Myanmar says its troops were engaged in legitimate counterinsurgency operations. The UN on Wednesday called on Myanmar to give aid agencies unhindered access to camps it has built for tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees after agreeing to a deal with Bangladesh on their return.

US diplomat quits Rohingya panel, accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking 'moral leadership'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-to-address-plenary-session-of-india-asean-commemorative-summit-today-30707">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/south-asian-leaders-arrive-in-india-for-indo-asean-summit-30685">biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders</a> at the Republic Day parade that showcases India&#39;s military might and cultural diversity.

Under its &#39;Act East&#39; policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc.

In talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, PM Modi discussed trade and investment, defence and security, education, and people-to-people cooperation.

&quot;An agreement to facilitate investment was signed,&quot; External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter.

India-Philippines bilateral trade stood at nearly $2 billion in 2016-17. In 2016-17, India&#39;s exports amounted to $1.487 billion and imports totaled $494 million.

The Philippines also showed interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-philippines-shows-interest-in-aadhaar-30741">inspired by India&rsquo;s Aadhaar</a> and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the Philippines has sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details.

Modi visited the Philippines in November last year to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. It was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that southeast Asian nation in 36 years since the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. During that visit, the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement, including in the area of off-shore patrol vehicles. The Filipino defence minister is expected to visit India soon for further talks.

Modi and Duterte agreed to encourage their private sectors to collaborate as part of India&#39;s &#39;Act East&#39; policy and the Philippines&#39;s Build-Build-Build programme.

Prior to his meeting with Duterte, Modi held bilateral meetings with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. &quot;The two leaders had a productive discussion on intensifying bilateral cooperation, including follow up on key decisions taken during Prime Minister&#39;s visit to Myanmar in September 2017,&quot; External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the exodus of Rohingya refugees from the Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh since August last year.

Modi also met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. After the meeting, India and Vietnam signed agreements in the areas of information and broadcasting, and space cooperation.

According to Kumar, Modi and Phuc &quot;discussed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, maritime and other areas&quot;.

During Modi&#39;s visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the India-Vietnam relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which Hanoi only has with Moscow and Beijing. India also plans to share the BrahMos missile system with Vietnam.

India and the Southeast Asia nations have stressed the need for freedom of navigation and open seas and India already has strong naval ties with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

But several Southeast Asian countries locked in territorial disputes with China have sought even greater Indian engagement in the region, experts say.

&quot;China&#39;s distinctly hegemonic moves in the last few years in the South China Sea and its growing assertiveness have made ASEAN look towards India as a partner for equilibrium,&quot; said Arvind Gupta, former Indian deputy national security adviser who now heads the influential Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi with close ties to the ruling government.

The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Under its 'Act East' policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries who have gathered in New Delhi to join him in the Republic Day celebrations. This will be the biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the Republic Day parade that showcases India's military might and cultural diversity. Under its 'Act East' policy, New Delhi is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc. In talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, PM Modi discussed trade and investment, defence and security, education, and people-to-people cooperation. "An agreement to facilitate investment was signed," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter. India-Philippines bilateral trade stood at nearly $2 billion in 2016-17. In 2016-17, India's exports amounted to $1.487 billion and imports totaled $494 million. The Philippines also showed interest in studying and implementing a digital identity system inspired by India’s Aadhaar and the software stack built around it. According to sources, the Philippines has sent queries for details to know about the Aadhaar details. Modi visited the Philippines in November last year to attend the ASEAN-India Summit. It was the first prime ministerial visit from India to that southeast Asian nation in 36 years since the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. During that visit, the two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement, including in the area of off-shore patrol vehicles. The Filipino defence minister is expected to visit India soon for further talks. Modi and Duterte agreed to encourage their private sectors to collaborate as part of India's 'Act East' policy and the Philippines's Build-Build-Build programme. Prior to his meeting with Duterte, Modi held bilateral meetings with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. "The two leaders had a productive discussion on intensifying bilateral cooperation, including follow up on key decisions taken during Prime Minister's visit to Myanmar in September 2017," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the exodus of Rohingya refugees from the Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh since August last year. Modi also met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. After the meeting, India and Vietnam signed agreements in the areas of information and broadcasting, and space cooperation. According to Kumar, Modi and Phuc "discussed cooperation in trade and investment, defence, maritime and other areas". During Modi's visit to Vietnam in September 2016, the India-Vietnam relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which Hanoi only has with Moscow and Beijing. India also plans to share the BrahMos missile system with Vietnam. India and the Southeast Asia nations have stressed the need for freedom of navigation and open seas and India already has strong naval ties with countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. But several Southeast Asian countries locked in territorial disputes with China have sought even greater Indian engagement in the region, experts say. "China's distinctly hegemonic moves in the last few years in the South China Sea and its growing assertiveness have made ASEAN look towards India as a partner for equilibrium," said Arvind Gupta, former Indian deputy national security adviser who now heads the influential Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi with close ties to the ruling government. The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

From Aadhaar to trade and commerce: Here's what PM Modi discussed with ASEAN leaders

UN report said today that over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indonesia-president-called-for-quick-peaceful-solution-to-rohingya-crises-31066">100,000 Rohingyas huddled in</a> various relief camps in Bangladesh are in grave danger due to landslide threat predicted in monsoons this year.

&quot;Landslide and flood <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-shames-suu-kyi-govt-20818">risk hazard mapping reveals that</a> at least 100,000 people are in grave danger from these risks and require relocation to new areas or within the neighborhoods that they live in,&quot; the UN report said.

There are over 900,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled from Bangladesh after allegedly being persecuted by the army since August 25th last year. The UN had called the atrocities &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; and had ordered the Myanmar government to put a stop to it.

The &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; issue was further pushed by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson after he said it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state &quot;constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas.&quot;

The Myanmar army, however, denies ethnic cleansing has taken place in the country.

&quot;The lack of space remains the main challenge for the sector as sites are highly congested leading to extremely hard living conditions with no space for service provisions and facilities,&quot; the report added.

A recent engineering assessment said all roads in the camp would be inaccessible for trucks, and the World Food Programme is considering using porters to distribute food, minutes of a Jan. 24 meeting of aid agencies involved in logistics said, Reuters reported.

&quot;Humanitarian partners are now building necessary infrastructure in challenging conditions, with extremely limited space,&quot; the U.N. report said.

&quot;A high percentage of the land is unsuitable for human settlement as risks of flooding and landslides are high and are further aggravated by the congestion and extensive terracing of the hills,&quot; the UN report observed.

&quot;The anticipated flooding and landslides in the upcoming monsoon season will make a bad situation much worse.&quot;

A recent engineering assessment said all roads in the camp would be inaccessible for trucks

UN report said today that over 100,000 Rohingyas huddled in various relief camps in Bangladesh are in grave danger due to landslide threat predicted in monsoons this year. "Landslide and flood risk hazard mapping reveals that at least 100,000 people are in grave danger from these risks and require relocation to new areas or within the neighborhoods that they live in," the UN report said. There are over 900,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled from Bangladesh after allegedly being persecuted by the army since August 25th last year. The UN had called the atrocities "ethnic cleansing" and had ordered the Myanmar government to put a stop to it. The "ethnic cleansing" issue was further pushed by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson after he said it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state "constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas." The Myanmar army, however, denies ethnic cleansing has taken place in the country. "The lack of space remains the main challenge for the sector as sites are highly congested leading to extremely hard living conditions with no space for service provisions and facilities," the report added. A recent engineering assessment said all roads in the camp would be inaccessible for trucks, and the World Food Programme is considering using porters to distribute food, minutes of a Jan. 24 meeting of aid agencies involved in logistics said, Reuters reported. "Humanitarian partners are now building necessary infrastructure in challenging conditions, with extremely limited space," the U.N. report said. "A high percentage of the land is unsuitable for human settlement as risks of flooding and landslides are high and are further aggravated by the congestion and extensive terracing of the hills," the UN report observed. "The anticipated flooding and landslides in the upcoming monsoon season will make a bad situation much worse."

At least 100,000 Rohingyas at risk due to landslide threat: UN

Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred.

The incident unfurled as around 5,000 Buddhists gathered late Tuesday for a nationalist ceremony in Mrauk U, a town that has so far remained unscathed by the military&#39;s crackdown on the region&#39;s minority Rohingya Muslim community.

It was not immediately clear why the rally descended into violence.&nbsp;

But ethnic Rakhine, many of whom are poor and marginalised, have a long-standing enmity with the Myanmar state which is dominated by ethnic Bamar.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank">Who </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank">are</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank"> Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine?</a>&nbsp;

The clashes came on the same day that a repatriation agreement was signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to start the return of some 655,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from squalid camps over the border.

Rakhine say the Rohingya are illegal &quot;Bengali&quot; immigrants to a Buddhist land.

A police spokesman blamed the crowd for &quot;starting the violence&quot; by throwing stones and barging into a district administrative office and hoisting the Rakhine State flag.

&quot;Security forces asked them to disperse and fired warning shots with rubber bullets... but they didn&#39;t stop, so police had to use real bullets,&quot; spokesman Colonel Myo Soe told AFP.

&quot;Seven people were killed and 13 injured,&quot; he said adding more than 20 police were wounded by the crowd, who were calling for the &quot;sovereignty of Rakhine state&quot;.

Photographs showed bodies laid out on the floor of a makeshift mortuary in Mrauk U on Wednesday, the clothes of the victims stained with blood.&nbsp;

The shootings further raise the temperature in an already combustible area of Myanmar.

&quot;It&#39;s not forgivable that they used guns,&quot; Mrauk U lawmaker Oo Hla Saw of the Arakan National Party said, confirming the death toll and labelling the police action &quot;a crime&quot;.

Witness Nyi Nyi Khant, 29, said the clashes could have been prevented if the police had intervened earlier.

&quot;The police had time to prepare to stop the crowd before they reached the office,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;They could have blocked the street but they did not do that.&quot;

Communal hatreds 
Mrauk U, home to an ancient Buddhist complex of the last Rakhine kingdom, lies a few dozen kilometres from the epicentre of violence that saw Rohingya driven in their hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh since last August.

The military led a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya after militant attacks against border posts killed around a dozen police.

Rohingya say security forces, backed by hardline Rakhine mobs, torched hundreds of Rohingya villages and forced them to flee.

Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have brought with them consistent testimony of murder, rape and arson in the violence justified by the army as a legitimate response to the militant attacks.

Already shredded by communal hatreds, Rakhine state also has a Buddhist rebel group called the Arakan Army which is fighting Myanmar&#39;s army.

The clashes garner little attention in a state dominated by violence against the Rohingya and in a country where several larger ethnic insurgencies are burning.

Observers warned Tuesday&#39;s violence could open a new chapter of unrest in the febrile state.

The United Nations said it &quot;deplored&quot; the loss of life and urged an investigation into &quot;any disproportionate use of force&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The crowd was trying to seize a government office

Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred. The incident unfurled as around 5,000 Buddhists gathered late Tuesday for a nationalist ceremony in Mrauk U, a town that has so far remained unscathed by the military's crackdown on the region's minority Rohingya Muslim community. It was not immediately clear why the rally descended into violence. But ethnic Rakhine, many of whom are poor and marginalised, have a long-standing enmity with the Myanmar state which is dominated by ethnic Bamar. Also read: Who are Myanmar's Rakhine? The clashes came on the same day that a repatriation agreement was signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to start the return of some 655,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from squalid camps over the border. Rakhine say the Rohingya are illegal "Bengali" immigrants to a Buddhist land. A police spokesman blamed the crowd for "starting the violence" by throwing stones and barging into a district administrative office and hoisting the Rakhine State flag. "Security forces asked them to disperse and fired warning shots with rubber bullets... but they didn't stop, so police had to use real bullets," spokesman Colonel Myo Soe told AFP. "Seven people were killed and 13 injured," he said adding more than 20 police were wounded by the crowd, who were calling for the "sovereignty of Rakhine state". Photographs showed bodies laid out on the floor of a makeshift mortuary in Mrauk U on Wednesday, the clothes of the victims stained with blood. The shootings further raise the temperature in an already combustible area of Myanmar. "It's not forgivable that they used guns," Mrauk U lawmaker Oo Hla Saw of the Arakan National Party said, confirming the death toll and labelling the police action "a crime". Witness Nyi Nyi Khant, 29, said the clashes could have been prevented if the police had intervened earlier. "The police had time to prepare to stop the crowd before they reached the office," he told AFP. "They could have blocked the street but they did not do that." Communal hatreds Mrauk U, home to an ancient Buddhist complex of the last Rakhine kingdom, lies a few dozen kilometres from the epicentre of violence that saw Rohingya driven in their hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh since last August. The military led a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya after militant attacks against border posts killed around a dozen police. Rohingya say security forces, backed by hardline Rakhine mobs, torched hundreds of Rohingya villages and forced them to flee. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have brought with them consistent testimony of murder, rape and arson in the violence justified by the army as a legitimate response to the militant attacks. Already shredded by communal hatreds, Rakhine state also has a Buddhist rebel group called the Arakan Army which is fighting Myanmar's army. The clashes garner little attention in a state dominated by violence against the Rohingya and in a country where several larger ethnic insurgencies are burning. Observers warned Tuesday's violence could open a new chapter of unrest in the febrile state. The United Nations said it "deplored" the loss of life and urged an investigation into "any disproportionate use of force".

Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seven-rakhine-killed-as-myanmar-police-fire-on-rioters-29846" target="_blank">deaths of seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists</a> in Myanmar&#39;s north has cast fresh light on the complex swirl of religious and ethnic tensions in one of the country&#39;s poorest and most troubled regions.

Rakhine state usually makes the news because of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in an army crackdown against insurgents that has been classified as ethnic cleansing.&nbsp;

But most of the population in the state is ethnic Rakhine, a group whose grievances are a key part of the conflict but often go unheard.&nbsp;

Who are the Rakhine?&nbsp;

Like nearly 90 percent of Myanmar&#39;s population, the Rakhine people are Buddhist, but a shared faith masks deeper divides.&nbsp;

Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese).

Like other ethnic groups, they harbour longstanding grievances against the central government that date back to British colonial rule, but the 18th-century subjugation of their own kingdom by the Burmese has also not been forgotten.

A deadly riot on Tuesday in Mrauk U occurred on the anniversary of the fall of the kingdom.&nbsp;

&quot;Mrauk U is the former capital of the kingdom of Arakan so it is an area where autonomist, regionalist claims are strong,&quot; said Alexandra De Mersan, an expert from the French School of Oriental Studies.

There are around two million Rakhine -- twice as many as the Rohingya before their recent exodus.

Why are they clashing with security forces?&nbsp;

Communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslim communities has deep roots and pivots on a dispute over who belongs in the state.&nbsp;

But Rakhine antipathy towards the government and the Burmese military is also strong. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not as popular in the state as she is in the rest of the country.&nbsp;

While the world&#39;s attention has focused on attacks by Rohingya insurgents, security forces have been fighting Rakhine rebels in a nearly decade-long war that has gone largely unnoticed outside Myanmar.

An AFP tally from Myanmar media reports indicates that the Arakan Army, the main rebel group, killed scores of members of the security forces from late 2015 to late 2016.

&quot;It would not be unreasonable to speculate that AA cadres or supporters might have been involved in whipping up a protest that turned violent fairly quickly,&quot; security analyst Anthony Davis said of Tuesday&#39;s clash.

What&#39;s the impact on the Rohingya?&nbsp;

The riot occurred just days before Myanmar and Bangladesh are slated to begin repatriating some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled last year.

Observers are worried the recent violence may morph into fresh tensions between Rakhine and Rohingya -- and complicate the return process.

The repatriation deal covers more than 750,000 Rohingya who have fled over the border to Bangladesh.

&quot;Things can get mixed up,&quot; Oo Hla Saw, a lawmaker with the Arakan National Party. &quot;Hatred and incitement could increase as well,&quot; he told AFP.

Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese)

The deaths of seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Myanmar's north has cast fresh light on the complex swirl of religious and ethnic tensions in one of the country's poorest and most troubled regions. Rakhine state usually makes the news because of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in an army crackdown against insurgents that has been classified as ethnic cleansing. But most of the population in the state is ethnic Rakhine, a group whose grievances are a key part of the conflict but often go unheard. Who are the Rakhine? Like nearly 90 percent of Myanmar's population, the Rakhine people are Buddhist, but a shared faith masks deeper divides. Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese). Like other ethnic groups, they harbour longstanding grievances against the central government that date back to British colonial rule, but the 18th-century subjugation of their own kingdom by the Burmese has also not been forgotten. A deadly riot on Tuesday in Mrauk U occurred on the anniversary of the fall of the kingdom. "Mrauk U is the former capital of the kingdom of Arakan so it is an area where autonomist, regionalist claims are strong," said Alexandra De Mersan, an expert from the French School of Oriental Studies. There are around two million Rakhine -- twice as many as the Rohingya before their recent exodus. Why are they clashing with security forces? Communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslim communities has deep roots and pivots on a dispute over who belongs in the state. But Rakhine antipathy towards the government and the Burmese military is also strong. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not as popular in the state as she is in the rest of the country. While the world's attention has focused on attacks by Rohingya insurgents, security forces have been fighting Rakhine rebels in a nearly decade-long war that has gone largely unnoticed outside Myanmar. An AFP tally from Myanmar media reports indicates that the Arakan Army, the main rebel group, killed scores of members of the security forces from late 2015 to late 2016. "It would not be unreasonable to speculate that AA cadres or supporters might have been involved in whipping up a protest that turned violent fairly quickly," security analyst Anthony Davis said of Tuesday's clash. What's the impact on the Rohingya? The riot occurred just days before Myanmar and Bangladesh are slated to begin repatriating some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled last year. Observers are worried the recent violence may morph into fresh tensions between Rakhine and Rohingya -- and complicate the return process. The repatriation deal covers more than 750,000 Rohingya who have fled over the border to Bangladesh. "Things can get mixed up," Oo Hla Saw, a lawmaker with the Arakan National Party. "Hatred and incitement could increase as well," he told AFP.

Who are Myanmar's Rakine?

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono conveyed serious concern over Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslims to the country&#39;s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a meeting on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw, Japan&#39;s Kyodo news agency reported.

Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh.

Myanmar&#39;s army launched a sweeping offensive in the north of the western state of Rakhine in response to Rohingya militant attacks on Aug. 25, triggering an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono conveyed serious concern over Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims to the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a meeting on Friday in the capital Naypyidaw, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. Separately, the Japanese government announced emergency grant aid of 330 million yen ($2.97 million) to Myanmar to help members of the minority who return to Myanmar from Bangladesh. Myanmar's army launched a sweeping offensive in the north of the western state of Rakhine in response to Rohingya militant attacks on Aug. 25, triggering an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

Japan conveys concern over Rohingya to Myanmar's Suu Kyi

The United States <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/6700-rohingya-killed-in-myanmar-in-first-month-including-730-children-international-aid-group-26719">said it would like to see &quot;safe&quot; and &quot;dignified&quot;</a> return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting &quot;Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home&quot;.

However, even after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-row-elements-of-genocide-in-myanmar-says-un-chief-25936"> nearly four months, Rohingyas continue </a>to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain.

&quot;In terms of the repatriation plan, we&#39;d like to see the plan. We&#39;ve heard about it in concept, but one of the things that would be important to be in that plan is the voluntary, safe and dignified return,&quot; State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site outside Rakhine State, a newspaper said.

The military said it was investigating the site, reports said.

The US meanwhile pressed for &quot;voluntary repatriation&quot; of Rohingyas, saying: &quot;People have to feel like it&#39;s safe to go home. If they don&#39;t feel like it&#39;s safe to go home, it&#39;s probably not going to be safe to go home.&quot;

&quot;They have to have a dignified return. That means treating the people well as they decide to return home,&quot; the State Department spokesperson added.

&quot;We hope that the refugees will eventually be able to go home, to go home to Burma. More than 600,000 of them have been forced across the border since August alone, and now it&#39;s December,&quot; she said.

Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site

The United States said it would like to see "safe" and "dignified" return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting "Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home". However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain. "In terms of the repatriation plan, we'd like to see the plan. We've heard about it in concept, but one of the things that would be important to be in that plan is the voluntary, safe and dignified return," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site outside Rakhine State, a newspaper said. The military said it was investigating the site, reports said. The US meanwhile pressed for "voluntary repatriation" of Rohingyas, saying: "People have to feel like it's safe to go home. If they don't feel like it's safe to go home, it's probably not going to be safe to go home." "They have to have a dignified return. That means treating the people well as they decide to return home," the State Department spokesperson added. "We hope that the refugees will eventually be able to go home, to go home to Burma. More than 600,000 of them have been forced across the border since August alone, and now it's December," she said.

Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US

Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has authorised the police to proceed with a case against two detained Reuters reporters accused of violating the country`s colonial-era Official Secrets Act, a senior government spokesman said.

Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar`s largest city, Yangon.

&quot;The Ministry of Home Affairs has already submitted the case to the Office of the President,&quot; Zaw Htay, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi, said by phone late on Sunday. He added that the president`s office had given approval for the case to go ahead.

Zaw Htay could not be reached on Monday to clarify whether Htin Kyaw or Suu Kyi had been personally involved in the decision, or if other officials had signed off on the president`s behalf. 
Suu Kyi, head of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), is barred from the presidency under a constitution written by the military. But she effectively runs the country in the role of &quot;state counsellor&quot;.

Approval from the president`s office is needed before court proceedings can begin in a case brought under the Official Secrets Act.

Section 13 of the Act states: &quot;No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act unless upon complaint made by order of, or under authority from, the President of the Union.&quot; 
A number of governments, including the United States, Canada and Britain, and United Nations` Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler and a host of journalists` and human rights` groups have criticised the arrests as an attack on press freedom and called on Myanmar to release the two men.

Zaw Htay said the journalists` legal rights were being respected. &quot;Your reporters are protected by the rule of the law,&quot; he said. &quot;All I can say is the government can guarantee the rule of law.&quot;

Senior NLD figures join critics

But two senior figures in the NLD on Monday joined the criticism of how the two men are being treated.

Nyan Win, a member of the NLD`s central executive committee and one of Suu Kyi`s defence lawyers during her years of house arrest under junta rule, said it was &quot;unfair&quot; that the families of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were not allowed to contact them or be told where they are being held.

He said the police were being &quot;very secretive&quot; and called for &quot;openness&quot;, although said the NLD was unable to do anything about the issue as it was not being kept informed.

Although an NLD-led civilian government took office in April last year the police and home ministry, which are driving the case, remain under the control of the military.

Win Htein, another senior figure in the NLD, who was also critical of the journalists` detention, suggested they had probably been set up by the police. &quot;In my opinion this is a trap,&quot; he said.

&ldquo;They met with two policemen and then they were arrested somewhere else with the documents.&rdquo;

Asked on Mizzima Television what he would do for the detained journalists, Information Minister Pe Myint said: &quot;When I know all the facts of the current case, I will work to do what I can.&quot; 
Pe Myint is a former editor of the People`s Age in Yangon and was Wa Lone`s boss when the journalist worked at the paper in his first job as a reporter.

The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state.

The Ministry of Information said last week that they had &quot;illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media&quot;, and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs.

It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The ministry said at the same time that two policemen, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing and Police Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, had also been arrested under the same act. No details have been released on whether a case against them is also proceeding.

The authorities have not allowed the journalists any contact with their families, a lawyer or Reuters since their arrest.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on the authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the pair.

&quot;All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members,&quot; said Frederick Rawski, the ICJ`s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;

&quot;Authorities are bound to respect these rights in line with Myanmar law and the State`s international law obligations.&quot;

Police told Wa Lone`s wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon to an undisclosed location by an investigation team shortly after their arrest.

They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in &quot;two to three days at most&quot;. It is now almost six days since they were detained and there has been no further update on their whereabouts.

The authorisation was given by Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has authorised the police to proceed with a case against two detained Reuters reporters accused of violating the country`s colonial-era Official Secrets Act, a senior government spokesman said. Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar`s largest city, Yangon. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has already submitted the case to the Office of the President," Zaw Htay, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi, said by phone late on Sunday. He added that the president`s office had given approval for the case to go ahead. Zaw Htay could not be reached on Monday to clarify whether Htin Kyaw or Suu Kyi had been personally involved in the decision, or if other officials had signed off on the president`s behalf. Suu Kyi, head of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), is barred from the presidency under a constitution written by the military. But she effectively runs the country in the role of "state counsellor". Approval from the president`s office is needed before court proceedings can begin in a case brought under the Official Secrets Act. Section 13 of the Act states: "No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act unless upon complaint made by order of, or under authority from, the President of the Union." A number of governments, including the United States, Canada and Britain, and United Nations` Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler and a host of journalists` and human rights` groups have criticised the arrests as an attack on press freedom and called on Myanmar to release the two men. Zaw Htay said the journalists` legal rights were being respected. "Your reporters are protected by the rule of the law," he said. "All I can say is the government can guarantee the rule of law." Senior NLD figures join critics But two senior figures in the NLD on Monday joined the criticism of how the two men are being treated. Nyan Win, a member of the NLD`s central executive committee and one of Suu Kyi`s defence lawyers during her years of house arrest under junta rule, said it was "unfair" that the families of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were not allowed to contact them or be told where they are being held. He said the police were being "very secretive" and called for "openness", although said the NLD was unable to do anything about the issue as it was not being kept informed. Although an NLD-led civilian government took office in April last year the police and home ministry, which are driving the case, remain under the control of the military. Win Htein, another senior figure in the NLD, who was also critical of the journalists` detention, suggested they had probably been set up by the police. "In my opinion this is a trap," he said. “They met with two policemen and then they were arrested somewhere else with the documents.” Asked on Mizzima Television what he would do for the detained journalists, Information Minister Pe Myint said: "When I know all the facts of the current case, I will work to do what I can." Pe Myint is a former editor of the People`s Age in Yangon and was Wa Lone`s boss when the journalist worked at the paper in his first job as a reporter. The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state. The Ministry of Information said last week that they had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media", and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs. It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. The ministry said at the same time that two policemen, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing and Police Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, had also been arrested under the same act. No details have been released on whether a case against them is also proceeding. The authorities have not allowed the journalists any contact with their families, a lawyer or Reuters since their arrest. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on the authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the pair. "All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members," said Frederick Rawski, the ICJ`s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, in a statement on Monday. "Authorities are bound to respect these rights in line with Myanmar law and the State`s international law obligations." Police told Wa Lone`s wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon to an undisclosed location by an investigation team shortly after their arrest. They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in "two to three days at most". It is now almost six days since they were detained and there has been no further update on their whereabouts.

Myanmar government says case against Reuters journalists can proceed

Doctors Without Borders, a private charitable organization consisting of doctors and medical workers, said at least 6,700 Rohingyas have been killed in Myanmar in a month.

The aid group&nbsp;which provides assistance to people in distress across the world said: &quot;At least 6,700 Rohingya, in the most conservative estimations, are estimated to have been killed, including at least 730 children below the age of five years.&quot;

The aid group said it had released the figures based on a survey it had conducted.

The UNHCR in its report had said earlier at least 625,000 Rohingyas had arrived in Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army allegedly started atrocities against the minority Rohingyas.

Speaking at the United Nations, Pramila Patten, special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said on Wednesday that United Nations Security Council members should visit Myanmar to investigate reports of large-scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas.

&quot;Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death,&quot; Patten told the Security Council.

Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable &quot;would send an important signal.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Meanwhile, councillors in Dublin councillors on Wednesday voted to revoke an award given to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to protest against her handling of violence against Rohingyas, Irish media reported.

The vast majority of councillors backed the move to revoke the &nbsp;&quot;Freedom of the City of Dublin&quot; award, with 59 votes in favour, two against and one abstention, broadcaster RTE said.

Doctors Without Borders, a private charitable organization consisting of doctors and medical workers, said at least 6,700 Rohingyas have been killed in Myanmar in a month. The aid group which provides assistance to people in distress across the world said: "At least 6,700 Rohingya, in the most conservative estimations, are estimated to have been killed, including at least 730 children below the age of five years." The aid group said it had released the figures based on a survey it had conducted. The UNHCR in its report had said earlier at least 625,000 Rohingyas had arrived in Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army allegedly started atrocities against the minority Rohingyas. Speaking at the United Nations, Pramila Patten, special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said on Wednesday that United Nations Security Council members should visit Myanmar to investigate reports of large-scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas. "Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death," Patten told the Security Council. Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable "would send an important signal." Meanwhile, councillors in Dublin councillors on Wednesday voted to revoke an award given to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to protest against her handling of violence against Rohingyas, Irish media reported. The vast majority of councillors backed the move to revoke the "Freedom of the City of Dublin" award, with 59 votes in favour, two against and one abstention, broadcaster RTE said.

6,700 Rohingya killed in Myanmar in first month, including 730 children: International aid group

United Nations Human Rights chief<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-explains-why-he-did-not-say-rohingya-25787">&nbsp;Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said</a> today there were &quot;elements of genocide&quot; against Rohingyas in &nbsp;Myanmar.

Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of &quot;killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades, shooting at close range, stabbings, beatings to death&nbsp; 
and the burning of houses with families inside&quot;.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier said &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; was taking place in &nbsp;Myanmar.

The UN has said over 6,80,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed over to Bangladesh since August 25th allegedly due to atrocities committed by the Myanmar Army.

Last week, Pope Francis had visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to find a solution to the crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months. 
&nbsp;

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of "killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades and shooting at close range

United Nations Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said today there were "elements of genocide" against Rohingyas in Myanmar. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said there were allegations of "killing by random firing of bullets, use of grenades, shooting at close range, stabbings, beatings to death and the burning of houses with families inside". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier said "ethnic cleansing" was taking place in Myanmar. The UN has said over 6,80,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed over to Bangladesh since August 25th allegedly due to atrocities committed by the Myanmar Army. Last week, Pope Francis had visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to find a solution to the crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months.

Rohingya row: 'Elements of genocide' in Myanmar, says UN rights chief

After spending three days in Myanmar, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-addresses-myanmars-buddhist-monks-avoids-using-the-term-rohingya-again-25447">Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh today</a> to find a peaceful solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has created deep fissures between the Asian neighbours.

The Pope who has avoided <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-priest-disappearance-casts-pall-over-pope-visit-25448">using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; so far </a>during his visit to Asia, spoke of &quot;refugees from Rakhine state&quot; as he arrived in Bangladesh.

In his speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, the Pope praised Bangladesh&#39;s &quot;spirit of generosity and solidarity&quot; in helping &quot;a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis,&quot; he added.

The appealed to everyone involved in the crisis to help offer&nbsp;&quot;immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps,&quot; he said.

Francis who is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh is the first pope to visit the country in 31 years.&nbsp;

The Pope flew down from Myanmar after meeting the military chief and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi calling for calm even as the Rohingya refugees continued to pour into Bangladesh due to alleged atrocities against them in Rakhine state which has attracted worldwide condemnation.

&nbsp;

The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" so far during his visit to Asia, spoke of "refugees from Rakhine state" as he arrived in Bangladesh

After spending three days in Myanmar, Pope Francis arrived in Bangladesh today to find a peaceful solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has created deep fissures between the Asian neighbours. The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" so far during his visit to Asia, spoke of "refugees from Rakhine state" as he arrived in Bangladesh. In his speech before Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, the Pope praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state". "It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis," he added. The appealed to everyone involved in the crisis to help offer "immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs." "None of us can fail to be aware of the gravity of the situation, the immense toll of human suffering involved, and the precarious living conditions of so many of our brothers and sisters, a majority of whom are women and children, crowded in the refugee camps," he said. Francis who is on a three-day visit to Bangladesh is the first pope to visit the country in 31 years. The Pope flew down from Myanmar after meeting the military chief and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi calling for calm even as the Rohingya refugees continued to pour into Bangladesh due to alleged atrocities against them in Rakhine state which has attracted worldwide condemnation.

Pope arrives in Bangladesh, appeals for decisive action for 'refugees from Rakhine state'

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism.

The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

&quot;Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace,&quot; he said.

The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday.

The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke.

During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar&#39;s religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them.

The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar.

The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi.

(All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

In his address, the Pope drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism. The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism. "Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace," he said. The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday. The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke. During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar's religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them. The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar. The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi. (All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

Pope Francis warns Myanmar religious leaders against cultural colonialism

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the honorific freedom of Oxford, the British city where she studied and raised her children, over her &quot;inaction&quot; in the Rohingya crisis.

&quot;When Aung San Suu Kyi was given the Freedom of the City in 1997 it was because she reflected Oxford&#39;s values of tolerance and internationalism,&quot; the city council said in a statement issued late Monday.&nbsp;

&quot;Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city&#39;s highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population,&quot; added the release, which was published after a unanimous vote.

&quot;Our reputation is tarnished by honouring those who turn a blind eye to violence.&quot;

Oxford&#39;s world-renowned university removed portraits of Suu Kyi, a former student, from its walls in September.

Suu Kyi&#39;s late husband Michael Aris was a lecturer in Asian history at the university, and the couple lived and raised their two sons in the city.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner has come under fire for failing to speak up in defence of the minority Muslim community.

The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world&#39;s largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

'Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city's highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population,' said the release, which was published after a unanimous vote

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of the honorific freedom of Oxford, the British city where she studied and raised her children, over her "inaction" in the Rohingya crisis. "When Aung San Suu Kyi was given the Freedom of the City in 1997 it was because she reflected Oxford's values of tolerance and internationalism," the city council said in a statement issued late Monday. "Today we have taken the unprecedented step of stripping her of the city's highest honour because of her inaction in the face of the oppression of the minority Rohingya population," added the release, which was published after a unanimous vote. "Our reputation is tarnished by honouring those who turn a blind eye to violence." Oxford's world-renowned university removed portraits of Suu Kyi, a former student, from its walls in September. Suu Kyi's late husband Michael Aris was a lecturer in Asian history at the university, and the couple lived and raised their two sons in the city. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has come under fire for failing to speak up in defence of the minority Muslim community. The United Nations says more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since August and now live in squalor in the world's largest refugee camp after a military crackdown in Myanmar that the UN and Washington have said clearly constitutes "ethnic cleansing".

Rohingya 'inaction': Oxford strips Suu Kyi of 'Freedom of City' honour

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-warns-myanmar-religious-leaders-against-cultural-colonialism-25357">After months of wrangling over the issue</a>, Bangladesh government today approved a project to develop an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house Rohingya refugees.

A Bangladesh government <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">committee headed by PM Sheikh Hasina</a> has approved the plan to develop Bhashan Char island, considered to be flood-prone into a temporary housing area for Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar.

The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.

Bangladesh&#39;s planning minister Mustafa Kamal told Reuters the project to house the Rohingya refugees would be completed in the next two years.

&ldquo;Many people are living in dire conditions,&quot; Kamal said, adding,&quot;it is a threat to both security and the environment.&quot;

Bangladesh&#39;s decision to set up housing for Rohingyas in the remote island in the Bay of Bengal comes even as it reached an agreement with the Myanmar government on repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said last week that repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would be based on residency and that it will be &ldquo;safe and voluntary&rdquo;.

However, Myanmar&#39;s army chief had said Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until &quot;real Myanmar citizens&quot; are ready to accept them signalling their repatriation was still a long way off.&nbsp;

The army chief also said Myanmar would &quot;not allow the return of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh&quot;.

The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead.

After months of wrangling over the issue, Bangladesh government today approved a project to develop an isolated island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house Rohingya refugees. A Bangladesh government committee headed by PM Sheikh Hasina has approved the plan to develop Bhashan Char island, considered to be flood-prone into a temporary housing area for Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar. The UN estimates over 600,000 refugees have already crossed over to Bangladesh with several more expected in the months ahead. Bangladesh's planning minister Mustafa Kamal told Reuters the project to house the Rohingya refugees would be completed in the next two years. “Many people are living in dire conditions," Kamal said, adding,"it is a threat to both security and the environment." Bangladesh's decision to set up housing for Rohingyas in the remote island in the Bay of Bengal comes even as it reached an agreement with the Myanmar government on repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said last week that repatriation of the Rohingya refugees would be based on residency and that it will be “safe and voluntary”. However, Myanmar's army chief had said Rohingya refugees cannot return to Rakhine state until "real Myanmar citizens" are ready to accept them signalling their repatriation was still a long way off. The army chief also said Myanmar would "not allow the return of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh".

Bangladesh approves plan to house Rohingyas in Bay of Bengal island

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A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Hyderabad Metro project today, he also took a ride along with Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao and Governer ESL Narasimhan.

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Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298">Bali airport closed for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-authorities-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25298"> day over fears of volcano eruption</a>

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.&nbsp;

GES Live Updates: I was extremely excited to come to Hyderabad, the IT hub - Ivanka Trump US President daughter Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is leading American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad. Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term "Rohingya" during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country. Watch: PM Modi inaugurates Hyderabad Metro, CM KC Rao, Governor Narasimhan join inaugural ride Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Hyderabad Metro project today, he also took a ride along with Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao and Governer ESL Narasimhan. ICC Test rankings: Pujara climbs to 2nd spot, Kohli stays at 5th Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today. Bali airport closed for second day over fears of volcano eruption Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.

WION Evening News Brief, November 28, 2017

Ahead of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-to-meet-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-vatican-24873">Pope Francis visit to Myanmar</a> next week, the US sent out a tough message to the Myanmar government calling for &quot;accountability&quot; and a stop to &quot;horrendous atrocities&quot; against Rohingyas.

US secretary of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-willing-to-help-solve-rohingya-crisis-foreign-minister-wang-yi-24610"> state Rex Tillerson in a strongly worded</a> statement said: &quot;After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas.&quot;

Tillerson who had visited Myanmar a fortnight ago had avoided using the term &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; even as&nbsp;both the US and UN had slammed the Myanmar government over reported &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;&nbsp;in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

&quot;The United States will also pursue accountability through US&nbsp;law, including possible targeted sanctions&nbsp;against those responsible for the alleged abuses, which have driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh,&quot;&nbsp;he said.

&quot;Burma&#39;s government and security forces must respect the human rights of all persons within its borders, and hold accountable those who fail to do so,&quot; the US secretary of state said, adding, &quot;No provocation can justify the horrendous atrocities that have ensued.&quot;

According to human rights monitor over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state from Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army reportedly began to evict the ethnic Rohingyas from the country. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;These abuses by some among the Burmese military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes,&quot; Tillerson said.

The Myanmar government has been condemned by several governments in the UN including France and UK.&nbsp;

China had volunteered to solve the Rohingya crisis after foreign minister Wang Yi visited met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Bangladesh on Monday.

Chinese foreign minister said he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

&quot;Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue,&quot; China&#39;s foreign minister had said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar officials had met last week to begin the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees. De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya.&nbsp;

Amid the crisis, Pope Francis is set to travel to Myanmar and Bangladesh next week in a bid to help resolve the crisis. Pope Francis will meet the head of Myanmar&#39;s army General Min Aung Hlaing and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The Pope will meet &nbsp;Aung San Suu Kyi separately in the capital Naypyitaw.

According to human rights monitor over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state in from Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh

Ahead of Pope Francis visit to Myanmar next week, the US sent out a tough message to the Myanmar government calling for "accountability" and a stop to "horrendous atrocities" against Rohingyas. US secretary of state Rex Tillerson in a strongly worded statement said: "After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas." Tillerson who had visited Myanmar a fortnight ago had avoided using the term "ethnic cleansing" even as both the US and UN had slammed the Myanmar government over reported "ethnic cleansing" in Myanmar's Rakhine state. "The United States will also pursue accountability through US law, including possible targeted sanctions against those responsible for the alleged abuses, which have driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh," he said. "Burma's government and security forces must respect the human rights of all persons within its borders, and hold accountable those who fail to do so," the US secretary of state said, adding, "No provocation can justify the horrendous atrocities that have ensued." According to human rights monitor over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state from Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army reportedly began to evict the ethnic Rohingyas from the country. "These abuses by some among the Burmese military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes," Tillerson said. The Myanmar government has been condemned by several governments in the UN including France and UK. China had volunteered to solve the Rohingya crisis after foreign minister Wang Yi visited met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Bangladesh on Monday. Chinese foreign minister said he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between Myanmar and Bangladesh. "Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue," China's foreign minister had said. Bangladesh and Myanmar officials had met last week to begin the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees. De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi had said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya. Amid the crisis, Pope Francis is set to travel to Myanmar and Bangladesh next week in a bid to help resolve the crisis. Pope Francis will meet the head of Myanmar's army General Min Aung Hlaing and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The Pope will meet Aung San Suu Kyi separately in the capital Naypyitaw.

Rohingya crisis: US will possibly pursue targeted sanctions against Myanmar, says Tillerson

Myanmar&#39;s new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention.

Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack.

Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis&#39; trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say.

&quot;So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn&#39;t then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya,&quot; said Reuters&#39; Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar.

Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right.

The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States.

Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million.

Meanwhile, in Cox&#39;s Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar's new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention. Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack. Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis' trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say. "So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn't then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya," said Reuters' Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar. Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term "Rohingya" while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term "Rohingya" and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right. The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term "Rohingya" before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States. Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million. Meanwhile, in Cox's Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

Pope heads to Myanmar, Bangladesh

Foreign minister Wang Yi said China&nbsp;is willing<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-shames-suu-kyi-govt-20818"> to help solve the Rohingya crisis </a>between Bangladesh and Myanmar &quot;as soon as possible&quot; to avoid further massive influx of refugees into Bangladesh.

China&#39;s foreign minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-ends-military-operation-against-rohingyas-un-claims-may-be-ethnic-cleansing-12463">Wang Yi on a visit to Bangladesh </a>met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali even as the Rohingya refugee issue continued to spiral out of control.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-foreign-minister-arrives-in-bangladesh-to-discuss-rakhine-refugees-issue-24547"> Chinese foreign minister said</a>&nbsp;he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between the two Asian neighbours.

&quot;Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue,&quot; China&#39;s foreign minister said.

Wang said it has urged&nbsp;Myanmar to achieve an &quot;in situ ceasefire&quot; to immediately stop the influx of refugees into Bangladesh which has put excessive pressure on its economy as thousands have been streaming into Chittagong everyday since August 25th.

&quot;We have seen now, through the joint efforts by all parties concerned, including China, the ceasefire has been held and the tensions were visibly eased. Bangladesh and Myanmar have conducted multiple rounds of interaction and are expected to cut a deal on the repatriation of the Rohingya people. China is glad and welcomes such a development,&quot; Wang said after meeting Bangladesh&#39;s foreign minister.&nbsp;

In September, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra&rsquo;ad Zeid al-Hussein had said the situation in Myanmar was a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot; as several thousand Rohingyas fled to Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to escape reported atrocities by the Myanmar Army.&nbsp;

Later, the US too condemned the Myanmar government with US secretary of state Rex Tillerson visiting Myanmar last week to put pressure on the Myanmar government to end the crisis.

The UN said over 4,40,000 refugees had already fled to Bangladesh.

China, however, appealed to the international community to help solve the crisis.

&quot;We believe, with the help of the international community, Bangladesh and Myanmar will certainly be able to further ease the situation through dialog and consultation and find a way to fundamentally solve the issue,&quot; said Wang.

China's foreign minister said was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis

Foreign minister Wang Yi said China is willing to help solve the Rohingya crisis between Bangladesh and Myanmar "as soon as possible" to avoid further massive influx of refugees into Bangladesh. China's foreign minister Wang Yi on a visit to Bangladesh met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali even as the Rohingya refugee issue continued to spiral out of control. The Chinese foreign minister said he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between the two Asian neighbours. "Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue," China's foreign minister said. Wang said it has urged Myanmar to achieve an "in situ ceasefire" to immediately stop the influx of refugees into Bangladesh which has put excessive pressure on its economy as thousands have been streaming into Chittagong everyday since August 25th. "We have seen now, through the joint efforts by all parties concerned, including China, the ceasefire has been held and the tensions were visibly eased. Bangladesh and Myanmar have conducted multiple rounds of interaction and are expected to cut a deal on the repatriation of the Rohingya people. China is glad and welcomes such a development," Wang said after meeting Bangladesh's foreign minister. In September, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein had said the situation in Myanmar was a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" as several thousand Rohingyas fled to Myanmar's Rakhine state to escape reported atrocities by the Myanmar Army. Later, the US too condemned the Myanmar government with US secretary of state Rex Tillerson visiting Myanmar last week to put pressure on the Myanmar government to end the crisis. The UN said over 4,40,000 refugees had already fled to Bangladesh. China, however, appealed to the international community to help solve the crisis. "We believe, with the help of the international community, Bangladesh and Myanmar will certainly be able to further ease the situation through dialog and consultation and find a way to fundamentally solve the issue," said Wang.

China willing to help solve Rohingya crisis: Foreign minister Wang Yi

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories &mdash; throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution.

We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues &mdash; the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities.

Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi&rsquo;s government.

The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, a young woman said to me: &ldquo;I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.&rdquo; Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream.

The lost children

Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present &mdash; hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles.

I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones &mdash; an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps.

Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds.

At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar &mdash; just an inch taller and a year older &mdash; was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety.

Trauma trap

The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen.

After the flight to safety other terrors await:&nbsp;The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable.

Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter&rsquo;s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child&rsquo;s health.

Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts.

The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma.

Well-meaning, ill-advised

The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult.

The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job.

Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with M&eacute;decins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance.

The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps.

The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer.

The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees&nbsp;escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future.

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-myanmar-crisis-news-10010/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>

Image Credit:&nbsp;Shahidul Alam

There are close to a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in desperate need of food, shelter and medical attention

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories — throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution. We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues — the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities. Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government. The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar, a young woman said to me: “I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.” Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream. The lost children Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox’s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present — hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles. I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones — an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps. Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox’s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds. At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar — just an inch taller and a year older — was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety. Trauma trap The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen. After the flight to safety other terrors await: The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox’s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable. Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter’s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child’s health. Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts. The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma. Well-meaning, ill-advised The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult. The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job. Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with Médecins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance. The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps. The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer. The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox’s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer Image Credit: Shahidul Alam

The Rohingya: When the land you love burns

There is what has been described as a &ldquo;textbook case of ethnic cleansing&rdquo; against the approximately one million Rohingya who live in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine. As well as retaliation from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army &ndash; a militant group of Rohingyas &ndash; which has been held by the Burmese military to have attacked a number of police and army posts.

And there is also what was seen as a newly emerging democracy with a prominent international figure, Aung San Suu Kyi &ndash; the state counsellor of Myanmar and the nation&rsquo;s de facto leader &ndash; guiding the country against a backdrop of Islamophobic Buddhist nationalism.

Buddhists are often regarded in the West as a peaceful people, so to hear of this kind of public prejudice may come as a shock to many. But looking at it from a Buddhist cultural perspective, one can begin to see why this is happening.

Militant Buddhism

Suu Kyi has used her own Buddhist faith to explain her ideas in the past. But it was only in a televised speech to the Burmese nation, in mid-October 2017, that she used some standard Buddhist rhetoric for the first time in her comments on recent events. Suu Kyi evoked the Buddhist principles of &ldquo;compassion&rdquo;, &ldquo;loving-kindness&rdquo; and &ldquo;sympathetic joy&rdquo; to overcome hatred. A &ldquo;close adviser&rdquo; later briefed the media, explaining that Suu Kyi&rsquo;s speech marked an attempt to wrestle Buddhism out of the &ldquo;hands of extremists&rdquo;.

One could say that the Buddhist sentiments expressed in Suu Kyi&rsquo;s speech are in line with the modern Western understanding of Buddhism. But look deeper into modern Asia and you will see Western perceptions aren&rsquo;t wholly accurate. There is now a form of militant Buddhism, which often promotes the supremacy of Buddhism, and can be Islamophobic, ethnocentric and chauvinistic in its preaching.

This is a Buddhism alien to the romantic, pacifistic, meditative and compassionate Buddhism of popular imagination, and &ndash; one would hope &ndash; much of Buddhist history. It is a Buddhism in which the Buddhist faith should be protected against the supposed threat of other religions (primarily Islam) overrunning Buddhist Myanmar.

Led by the Mandalay-based monk Ashin Wirathu, it is a religion which campaigns to punish those who offend Buddhism. In its organised form in Myanmar, these nationalistic Buddhist ideas coalesce around a group popularly known as MaBaTha &ndash; the organisation for the protection of race and religion.

Religious core

The battle between the two emerging forms of Buddhism in modern Myanmar is linked back to two core principles of the religion.

The first is the familiar Buddhism of calm, non-attachment, and compassion. Until recently one could say this was dominant within Myanmar. Lay meditation movements were important in the revitalisation of modern Buddhism and aspects of popular mindfulness meditation originate from them. The Saffron Revolution of 2007 displayed little of the aggressive nationalism of the MaBaTha movement, with monks evoking the &ldquo;discourse on loving-kindness&rdquo; &ndash; The Metta-sutta &ndash; as a Buddhist path of compassion to overthrow military rule.

The other form of Buddhism has a more ritualised focus. At the risk of oversimplification, this practice is based on the performance of personal and state rituals in order to protect society from danger. To be a practising Buddhist is to have recited certain texts, and to have paid homage at Buddhist shrines. To be a good Buddhist is to be a good Burmese, and, as it now appears, to &ldquo;stand with Aung San Suu Kyi&rdquo;.

It would be too simplistic to argue that Buddhist teachings are irreconcilably at odds with ideas of nationalism and patriotism. However, a sense of superiority and discrimination against minority groups does appear to be indefensible from a Buddhist perspective. Could Suu Kyi&rsquo;s speech, and the idea that she wishes to use Buddhist teachings in a way at odds with Buddhist nationalism be an acknowledgement that Buddhism needs to become part of the solution in modern Myanmar, rather than an aggressive symbol used by Buddhist nationalists?

If Myanmar is to emerge from military rule and become a modern democratic state then it must save its Buddhism from descending into extremism. If Buddhist identity is focused upon a narrow and uncompromising view of what it means to be Burmese, then it seems likely that Buddhism will become a form of state-sponsored religion promoted by the military. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this type of Buddhism, but it is clearly engendering a form of nationalistic fervour, and atrocities are being committed and justified.

Can Suu Kyi see beyond the flags and slogans and use Buddhist narratives of compassion and loving-kindness? Observers expected this of her, and of the Buddhist nation, many weeks ago, yet we are still waiting.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/myanmar-and-buddhist-extremism-86125" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

There is a battle of Buddhisms taking place on the streets of Myanmar

There is what has been described as a “textbook case of ethnic cleansing” against the approximately one million Rohingya who live in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine. As well as retaliation from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army – a militant group of Rohingyas – which has been held by the Burmese military to have attacked a number of police and army posts. And there is also what was seen as a newly emerging democracy with a prominent international figure, Aung San Suu Kyi – the state counsellor of Myanmar and the nation’s de facto leader – guiding the country against a backdrop of Islamophobic Buddhist nationalism. Buddhists are often regarded in the West as a peaceful people, so to hear of this kind of public prejudice may come as a shock to many. But looking at it from a Buddhist cultural perspective, one can begin to see why this is happening. Militant Buddhism Suu Kyi has used her own Buddhist faith to explain her ideas in the past. But it was only in a televised speech to the Burmese nation, in mid-October 2017, that she used some standard Buddhist rhetoric for the first time in her comments on recent events. Suu Kyi evoked the Buddhist principles of “compassion”, “loving-kindness” and “sympathetic joy” to overcome hatred. A “close adviser” later briefed the media, explaining that Suu Kyi’s speech marked an attempt to wrestle Buddhism out of the “hands of extremists”. One could say that the Buddhist sentiments expressed in Suu Kyi’s speech are in line with the modern Western understanding of Buddhism. But look deeper into modern Asia and you will see Western perceptions aren’t wholly accurate. There is now a form of militant Buddhism, which often promotes the supremacy of Buddhism, and can be Islamophobic, ethnocentric and chauvinistic in its preaching. This is a Buddhism alien to the romantic, pacifistic, meditative and compassionate Buddhism of popular imagination, and – one would hope – much of Buddhist history. It is a Buddhism in which the Buddhist faith should be protected against the supposed threat of other religions (primarily Islam) overrunning Buddhist Myanmar. Led by the Mandalay-based monk Ashin Wirathu, it is a religion which campaigns to punish those who offend Buddhism. In its organised form in Myanmar, these nationalistic Buddhist ideas coalesce around a group popularly known as MaBaTha – the organisation for the protection of race and religion. Religious core The battle between the two emerging forms of Buddhism in modern Myanmar is linked back to two core principles of the religion. The first is the familiar Buddhism of calm, non-attachment, and compassion. Until recently one could say this was dominant within Myanmar. Lay meditation movements were important in the revitalisation of modern Buddhism and aspects of popular mindfulness meditation originate from them. The Saffron Revolution of 2007 displayed little of the aggressive nationalism of the MaBaTha movement, with monks evoking the “discourse on loving-kindness” – The Metta-sutta – as a Buddhist path of compassion to overthrow military rule. The other form of Buddhism has a more ritualised focus. At the risk of oversimplification, this practice is based on the performance of personal and state rituals in order to protect society from danger. To be a practising Buddhist is to have recited certain texts, and to have paid homage at Buddhist shrines. To be a good Buddhist is to be a good Burmese, and, as it now appears, to “stand with Aung San Suu Kyi”. It would be too simplistic to argue that Buddhist teachings are irreconcilably at odds with ideas of nationalism and patriotism. However, a sense of superiority and discrimination against minority groups does appear to be indefensible from a Buddhist perspective. Could Suu Kyi’s speech, and the idea that she wishes to use Buddhist teachings in a way at odds with Buddhist nationalism be an acknowledgement that Buddhism needs to become part of the solution in modern Myanmar, rather than an aggressive symbol used by Buddhist nationalists? If Myanmar is to emerge from military rule and become a modern democratic state then it must save its Buddhism from descending into extremism. If Buddhist identity is focused upon a narrow and uncompromising view of what it means to be Burmese, then it seems likely that Buddhism will become a form of state-sponsored religion promoted by the military. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this type of Buddhism, but it is clearly engendering a form of nationalistic fervour, and atrocities are being committed and justified. Can Suu Kyi see beyond the flags and slogans and use Buddhist narratives of compassion and loving-kindness? Observers expected this of her, and of the Buddhist nation, many weeks ago, yet we are still waiting. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Myanmar and Buddhist extremism

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-suu-kyi-meets-tillerson-in-manila-24245" target="_blank">Washington&#39;s top diplomat </a>arrived in Myanmar Wednesday to press civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country&#39;s powerful army chief over violence-torn Rakhine state, where troops are accused of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141" target="_blank">atrocities against Rohingya Muslims</a>.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson&#39;s one-day stop in the capital Naypyidaw comes as global outrage builds over an army clampdown that has driven more than 600,000 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/tough-conditions-for-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-us-official-23723" target="_blank">Rohingya</a> out of the mainly Buddhist country since late August.

While Myanmar&#39;s military insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels, refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have described chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces.

The UN has said the army campaign likely amounts to ethnic cleansing of a minority that has faced years of systematic oppression.

Tillerson&#39;s first stop in Myanmar was a closed-door meeting with army commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, who he spoke with in one of the capital&#39;s massive, marble-floored halls.

Ahead of the face-to-face, a senior US State Department official said Tillerson would urge the general to rein in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aid-group-warns-of-death-among-rohingya-in-bangladesh-20298" target="_blank"> violence</a>, make it safe for Rohingya to return and allow a &quot;credible investigation&quot; into abuses.&nbsp;

The official did not comment on whether the diplomat would raise the threat of military sanctions - which US lawmakers have pushed for back home.

&quot;We think Burma (Myanmar) has made a lot of progress in the past few years and we would not want to see that progress reversed because of an inadequate response to a crisis like this,&quot; the official said.

&nbsp;Powerless or complicit

Tillerson will later meet and hold a joint press conference with Suu Kyi, the head of Myanmar&#39;s civilian government.

While she lacks control over the army, the Nobel laureate has become a punching bag for rights groups disappointed by her failure to condemn the crackdown, publicly criticise the military or defend Rohingya against rising Islamaphobia.

Washington says Suu Kyi has a crucial role to play in tackling the crisis but has been careful to focus blame on the army, who Tillerson has previously said he holds &quot;accountable&quot; for violence.

The US was a major ally in the democratic transition that eventually led to Suu Kyi taking office in 2016 in a power-sharing arrangement with the army, ending five decades of brutal junta rule.

Under a junta-drafted constitution the military still controls key security ministries, including border and defence, and retains a de facto veto on any constitutional change.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi&#39;s defenders say she must tread lightly to avoid provoking an army that could roll back democratic gains at any time.

As anger over the plight of Rohingya mounts abroad, Myanmar&#39;s army has dug-in with its denial of abuses- while also curbing access to the conflict zone.&nbsp;

Ahead of Tillerson&#39;s arrival, the commander-in-chief published an internal probe that exonerated soldiers of all allegations, saying there was no evidence troops had killed civilians, raped women or used &quot;excessive force&quot; in Rakhine.

Rights groups blasted the report as an attempt to &quot;whitewash&quot; atrocities by a military with a long history of abuses, especially against ethnic minorities in border regions.

Suu Kyi&#39;s administration has also dismissed reports of atrocities and has refused to grant entry to UN investigators charged with probing those allegations

Earlier a senior US State Department official said Tillerson would urge the general to rein in violence, make it safe for Rohingya to return and allow a 'credible investigation' into abuses

Washington's top diplomat arrived in Myanmar Wednesday to press civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's powerful army chief over violence-torn Rakhine state, where troops are accused of atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's one-day stop in the capital Naypyidaw comes as global outrage builds over an army clampdown that has driven more than 600,000 Rohingya out of the mainly Buddhist country since late August. While Myanmar's military insists it has only targeted Rohingya rebels, refugees massing in grim Bangladeshi camps have described chilling and consistent accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson at the hands of security forces. The UN has said the army campaign likely amounts to ethnic cleansing of a minority that has faced years of systematic oppression. Tillerson's first stop in Myanmar was a closed-door meeting with army commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, who he spoke with in one of the capital's massive, marble-floored halls. Ahead of the face-to-face, a senior US State Department official said Tillerson would urge the general to rein in violence, make it safe for Rohingya to return and allow a "credible investigation" into abuses. The official did not comment on whether the diplomat would raise the threat of military sanctions - which US lawmakers have pushed for back home. "We think Burma (Myanmar) has made a lot of progress in the past few years and we would not want to see that progress reversed because of an inadequate response to a crisis like this," the official said. Powerless or complicit Tillerson will later meet and hold a joint press conference with Suu Kyi, the head of Myanmar's civilian government. While she lacks control over the army, the Nobel laureate has become a punching bag for rights groups disappointed by her failure to condemn the crackdown, publicly criticise the military or defend Rohingya against rising Islamaphobia. Washington says Suu Kyi has a crucial role to play in tackling the crisis but has been careful to focus blame on the army, who Tillerson has previously said he holds "accountable" for violence. The US was a major ally in the democratic transition that eventually led to Suu Kyi taking office in 2016 in a power-sharing arrangement with the army, ending five decades of brutal junta rule. Under a junta-drafted constitution the military still controls key security ministries, including border and defence, and retains a de facto veto on any constitutional change. Suu Kyi's defenders say she must tread lightly to avoid provoking an army that could roll back democratic gains at any time. As anger over the plight of Rohingya mounts abroad, Myanmar's army has dug-in with its denial of abuses- while also curbing access to the conflict zone. Ahead of Tillerson's arrival, the commander-in-chief published an internal probe that exonerated soldiers of all allegations, saying there was no evidence troops had killed civilians, raped women or used "excessive force" in Rakhine. Rights groups blasted the report as an attempt to "whitewash" atrocities by a military with a long history of abuses, especially against ethnic minorities in border regions. Suu Kyi's administration has also dismissed reports of atrocities and has refused to grant entry to UN investigators charged with probing those allegations

Tillerson in Myanmar to press Suu Kyi and army on Rohingya

UN chief Antonio Guterres today met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and urged her to take steps to ensure &quot;dignified&quot; return of hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees who have fled the country to Bangladesh following violence against them.

Separately on the margins of the ASEAN summit here, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also met Suu Kyi and discussed the humanitarian crisis in the Rakhine state.

In his meeting with Myanmar&#39;s State Counsellor, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the need for allowing the return of displaced Muslims who have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The Rohingya issue also figured during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump last night.

&quot;The Secretary-General and the State Counsellor discussed the situation in Rakhine State. The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; the UN said in a statement.

Over 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from predominantly Buddhist Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state since late August after large-scale violence.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Rakhine, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

Top leaders of nearly 19 countries and officials of the UN and the European Union are here to attend the summits of powerful ASEAN and East Asia groupings.

Rights groups have also slammed Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country following the humanitarian crisis.

Guterres also mentioned about the issue at an ASEAN-UN meeting. &quot;It is a worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy and a potential source of instability in the region,&quot; he said.

According to Philippine Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the Rohingya issue figured during ASEAN Plenary.

&quot;Myanmar specifically said one, they are in process of attending to Kofi Annan report. Two, they welcome humanitarian assistance. And that the process of repatriation of (Rohingya) would conclude after signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh,&quot; Roque told a press conference.

The report by former UN chief Kofi Annan recommended a series of measures including citizenship verification and ensuring rights and equality of the refugees to defuse the crisis

Antonio Guterres urged Suu Kyi to take steps to ensure the 'dignified' return of the Rohingya

UN chief Antonio Guterres today met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and urged her to take steps to ensure "dignified" return of hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees who have fled the country to Bangladesh following violence against them. Separately on the margins of the ASEAN summit here, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also met Suu Kyi and discussed the humanitarian crisis in the Rakhine state. In his meeting with Myanmar's State Counsellor, the UN Secretary-General highlighted the need for allowing the return of displaced Muslims who have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. The Rohingya issue also figured during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump last night. "The Secretary-General and the State Counsellor discussed the situation in Rakhine State. The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," the UN said in a statement. Over 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from predominantly Buddhist Myanmar's Rakhine state since late August after large-scale violence. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Rakhine, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. Top leaders of nearly 19 countries and officials of the UN and the European Union are here to attend the summits of powerful ASEAN and East Asia groupings. Rights groups have also slammed Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country following the humanitarian crisis. Guterres also mentioned about the issue at an ASEAN-UN meeting. "It is a worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy and a potential source of instability in the region," he said. According to Philippine Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the Rohingya issue figured during ASEAN Plenary. "Myanmar specifically said one, they are in process of attending to Kofi Annan report. Two, they welcome humanitarian assistance. And that the process of repatriation of (Rohingya) would conclude after signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladesh," Roque told a press conference. The report by former UN chief Kofi Annan recommended a series of measures including citizenship verification and ensuring rights and equality of the refugees to defuse the crisis

UN chief asks Suu Kyi to allow return of Rohingya refugees

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tillerson-to-deliver-warning-in-myanmar-over-rohingya-crisis-24063"> Myanmar</a> leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> to return, when they met today at a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-modi-meets-several-world-leaders-24151">summit in the Philippines</a>, his office said.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar.

&quot;The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine.

But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-morning-news-brief-november-13-2017-24142">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army&#39;s role in the conflict.

Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office.

In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya.

He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a &quot;worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy,&quot; according to the UN statement.

He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to return, when they met today at a summit in the Philippines, his office said. The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar. "The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine. But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army's role in the conflict. Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office. In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya. He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a "worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy," according to the UN statement. He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

UN chief meets Myanmar's Suu Kyi on Rohingya crisis

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