<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

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced rising global pressure Tuesday to solve the crisis for her nation&#39;s displaced Rohingya Muslim minority, meeting the UN chief and America&#39;s top diplomat in the Philippines.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Nobel laureate that hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims who had fled to Bangladesh should be allowed to return to their homes in 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.

Guterres&#39; comments came hours before Suu Kyi sat down with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila.

Washington has been cautious in its statements on the situation in Rakhine and has avoided outright criticism of Suu Kyi.

Supporters say she must navigate a path between outrage abroad and popular feeling in a majority Buddhist country where most people believe the Rohingya are interlopers.

At a photo opportunity at the top of her meeting with Tillerson, Suu Kyi ignored a journalist who asked if the Rohingya were citizens of Myanmar.

At a later appearance after the meeting, Tillerson-who is headed to Myanmar on Wednesday-was asked by reporters if he &quot;had a message for Burmese leaders&quot;.

He apparently ignored the question, replying only: &quot;Thank you&quot;, according to a pool report of the encounter.

A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar&#39;s powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return.

The official did not comment on whether Tillerson would raise the threat of military sanctions, which US lawmakers have pushed for.&nbsp;

Canada&#39;s Justin Trudeau said he had spoken to Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader.

&quot;I had an extended conversation with... Aung San Suu Kyi, about the plight of the Muslim refugees in Rakhine state,&quot; he told a press conference.

&quot;This is of tremendous concern to Canada and many, many other countries around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;We are always looking at... how we can help, how we can move forward in a way that reduces violence, that emphasises the rule of law and that ensures protection for all citizens,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;&#39;Ethnic cleansing&#39;

More than 600,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since late August, and now live in the squalor of the world&#39;s biggest refugee camp.

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.

The UN says the Myanmar military is engaged in a &quot;coordinated and systematic&quot; attempt to purge the region of Rohingya in what amounts to a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The stream of desperate refugees who escape across the riverine border bring with them stories of rape, murder and the torching of villages by soldiers and Buddhist mobs.

The Burmese government insists military action in Rakhine is a proportionate response to violence by militants.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

However, it heavily restricts access to the region by independent journalists and aid groups, and verification of events on the ground is virtually impossible.

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.

Musician and campaigner Bob Geldof on Monday slammed Suu Kyi as a &quot;murderer&quot; and a &quot;handmaiden to genocide&quot;, becoming the latest in a growing line of global figures to disavow the one-time darling of the human rights community.

Supporters say she does not have the power to stop the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

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 radicalisation .

A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar's powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced rising global pressure Tuesday to solve the crisis for her nation's displaced Rohingya Muslim minority, meeting the UN chief and America's top diplomat in the Philippines. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Nobel laureate that hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims who had fled to Bangladesh should be allowed to return to their homes in 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. Guterres' comments came hours before Suu Kyi sat down with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila. Washington has been cautious in its statements on the situation in Rakhine and has avoided outright criticism of Suu Kyi. Supporters say she must navigate a path between outrage abroad and popular feeling in a majority Buddhist country where most people believe the Rohingya are interlopers. At a photo opportunity at the top of her meeting with Tillerson, Suu Kyi ignored a journalist who asked if the Rohingya were citizens of Myanmar. At a later appearance after the meeting, Tillerson-who is headed to Myanmar on Wednesday-was asked by reporters if he "had a message for Burmese leaders". He apparently ignored the question, replying only: "Thank you", according to a pool report of the encounter. A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar's powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return. The official did not comment on whether Tillerson would raise the threat of military sanctions, which US lawmakers have pushed for. Canada's Justin Trudeau said he had spoken to Myanmar's de facto leader. "I had an extended conversation with... Aung San Suu Kyi, about the plight of the Muslim refugees in Rakhine state," he told a press conference. "This is of tremendous concern to Canada and many, many other countries around the world. "We are always looking at... how we can help, how we can move forward in a way that reduces violence, that emphasises the rule of law and that ensures protection for all citizens," he said. 'Ethnic cleansing' More than 600,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since late August, and now live in the squalor of the world's biggest refugee camp. 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. The UN says the Myanmar military is engaged in a "coordinated and systematic" attempt to purge the region of Rohingya in what amounts to a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The stream of desperate refugees who escape across the riverine border bring with them stories of rape, murder and the torching of villages by soldiers and Buddhist mobs. The Burmese government insists military action in Rakhine is a proportionate response to violence by militants. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. However, it heavily restricts access to the region by independent journalists and aid groups, and verification of events on the ground is virtually impossible. 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. Musician and campaigner Bob Geldof on Monday slammed Suu Kyi as a "murderer" and a "handmaiden to genocide", becoming the latest in a growing line of global figures to disavow the one-time darling of the human rights community. Supporters say she does not have the power to stop the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. 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 radicalisation .

Myanmar's Suu Kyi meets Tillerson in Manila

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

Myanmar&#39;s army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, having days earlier replaced the general in charge of the operation that drove 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 Muslims</a> to flee to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-group-urges-bangladesh-to-pressure-myanmar-on-return-to-ancestral-land-12444" target="_blank">Bangladesh</a>.

No reason was given for Major General Maung Maung Soe being transferred from his post as the head of Western Command in Rakhine state, where Myanmar&#39;s military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a sweeping counter-insurgency operation in August.

&quot;I don&#39;t know the reason why he was transferred,&quot; Major General Aye Lwin, deputy director of the psychological warfare and public relation department at the Ministry of Defence, told Reuters. &quot;He wasn&#39;t moved into any position at present. He has been put in reserve.&quot;

A senior UN official, who had toured the refugee camps in Bangladesh, on Sunday accused <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-urges-myanmar-to-stop-excessive-military-force-23625" target="_blank">Myanmar&#39;s military</a> of conducting organised mass rape and other crimes against humanity.

The Myanmar military said its own internal investigation had exonerated security forces of all accusations of atrocities. The investigators&#39; findings were posted on the Facebook page of the military&#39;s commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The developments came ahead of a visit on Wednesday by <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tillerson-to-deliver-warning-in-myanmar-over-rohingya-crisis-24063" target="_blank">US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson</a>. He is expected to deliver a stern message to Myanmar&#39;s generals, over whom national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has little control.

A spokeswoman for the US State Department, Katina Adams, said the United States was aware of reports of the general&#39;s replacement and added:

&quot;We remain gravely concerned by continuing reports of violence and human rights abuses committed by Burmese security forces and vigilantes. Those responsible for abuses must be held accountable.&quot;

Lawmakers in Washington are pressing to pass legislation imposing economic and travel sanctions targeting the military and its business interests.

In an op-ed in Britain&#39;s Guardian newspaper on Monday, Republican Representative Steve Chabot and Democratic Representative Joseph Crowley said it was time to &quot;expeditiously&quot; impose sanctions.

&quot;The US needs to send a clear message that there is no excuse for a cruel, extensive and grossly disproportionate crackdown on civilians,&quot; they said.

The government in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Leaders of Asian nations meeting in Manila on Monday skirted around the exodus of the Rohingya, disappointing human rights groups who were hoping for a tough stand.

Maung Maung Soe&#39;s transfer was ordered on Friday and Brigadier General Soe Tint Naing, formerly a director in logistics, was appointed as the new head of Western Command.

Made up of three divisions, Western Command is overseen by the Bureau of Special Operations, which reports to the office of Min Aung Hlaing.

A senior UN official, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein, has described the army&#39;s actions in Rakhine as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar says the clearance operation was necessary for national security after Rohingya militants attacked 30 security posts and an army base in the state on August 25. The internal investigation put the number of fighters involved in the attacks at over 10,000, more than doubling an earlier official estimate.

Alleged atrocities

Speaking in Dhaka, Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said she would raise accusations against the Myanmar military with the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

&quot;When I return to New York, I will brief and raise the issue with the prosecutor and president of the ICC whether they (Myanmar&#39;s military) can be held responsible for these atrocities,&quot; Patten said.

&quot;Sexual violence is being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar, otherwise known as the Tatmadaw,&quot; Patten said following a three-day tour of the Rohingya refugee camps in the Cox&#39;s Bazar region of Bangladesh.

&quot;Rape is an act and a weapon of genocide,&quot; she said.

Refugees have accused Myanmar soldiers and Buddhist vigilantes of torching their villages, murdering their families and raping women.

Patten said brutal acts of sexual violence had occurred in the context of collective persecution that included the killing of adults and children, torture, mutilation and the burning and looting of villages.

&quot;The forms of sexual violence we consistently heard about from survivors include gang-rape by multiple soldiers, forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity. One survivor was in captivity for 45 days by the Myanmar army,&quot; Patten said.

Internal probe

The Myanmar military&#39;s internal probe said that according to 2,817 people interviewed from 54 Rohingya villages soldiers did not fire on &quot;innocent villagers&quot;, rape or commit sexual violence against women.

Nor were there any killings or beating of villagers, and the security forces did not carry out any looting or set fire to Rohingya mosques, it said.

The report also concluded that security forces only used small arms in clashes with Rohingya militants and there were no findings to suggest the use of &quot;excessive force&quot;.

It also blamed the militants for setting fire to the villages and frightening and coercing people to leave their homes.

Myanmar is refusing entry to a UN panel that was tasked with investigating allegations of abuses after a smaller military counteroffensive launched in October 2016.

The country is in the early stages of a fragile transition to democracy after being ruled by a junta for 49 years, and the generals have retained their autonomy on matters of defence, security and border issues under a 2008 constitution. Three generals are members of the cabinet.

Suu Kyi has said that any alleged atrocities should be substantiated and investigated, while her government is working to stabilise Rakhine in order for the Rohingya to return.

For now, though, the flow is one way. The International Rescue Committee, a New York-based aid agency, reckons that around two-thirds of an estimated 300,000 Rohingya remaining in Myanmar could head across the border in the coming months.

Myanmar's army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, having days earlier replaced the general in charge of the operation that drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh

Myanmar's army released a report on Monday denying all allegations of rape and killings by security forces, having days earlier replaced the general in charge of the operation that drove more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. No reason was given for Major General Maung Maung Soe being transferred from his post as the head of Western Command in Rakhine state, where Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a sweeping counter-insurgency operation in August. "I don't know the reason why he was transferred," Major General Aye Lwin, deputy director of the psychological warfare and public relation department at the Ministry of Defence, told Reuters. "He wasn't moved into any position at present. He has been put in reserve." A senior UN official, who had toured the refugee camps in Bangladesh, on Sunday accused Myanmar's military of conducting organised mass rape and other crimes against humanity. The Myanmar military said its own internal investigation had exonerated security forces of all accusations of atrocities. The investigators' findings were posted on the Facebook page of the military's commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. The developments came ahead of a visit on Wednesday by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He is expected to deliver a stern message to Myanmar's generals, over whom national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has little control. A spokeswoman for the US State Department, Katina Adams, said the United States was aware of reports of the general's replacement and added: "We remain gravely concerned by continuing reports of violence and human rights abuses committed by Burmese security forces and vigilantes. Those responsible for abuses must be held accountable." Lawmakers in Washington are pressing to pass legislation imposing economic and travel sanctions targeting the military and its business interests. In an op-ed in Britain's Guardian newspaper on Monday, Republican Representative Steve Chabot and Democratic Representative Joseph Crowley said it was time to "expeditiously" impose sanctions. "The US needs to send a clear message that there is no excuse for a cruel, extensive and grossly disproportionate crackdown on civilians," they said. The government in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Leaders of Asian nations meeting in Manila on Monday skirted around the exodus of the Rohingya, disappointing human rights groups who were hoping for a tough stand. Maung Maung Soe's transfer was ordered on Friday and Brigadier General Soe Tint Naing, formerly a director in logistics, was appointed as the new head of Western Command. Made up of three divisions, Western Command is overseen by the Bureau of Special Operations, which reports to the office of Min Aung Hlaing. A senior UN official, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, has described the army's actions in Rakhine as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar says the clearance operation was necessary for national security after Rohingya militants attacked 30 security posts and an army base in the state on August 25. The internal investigation put the number of fighters involved in the attacks at over 10,000, more than doubling an earlier official estimate. Alleged atrocities Speaking in Dhaka, Pramila Patten, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said she would raise accusations against the Myanmar military with the International Criminal Court in the Hague. "When I return to New York, I will brief and raise the issue with the prosecutor and president of the ICC whether they (Myanmar's military) can be held responsible for these atrocities," Patten said. "Sexual violence is being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Myanmar, otherwise known as the Tatmadaw," Patten said following a three-day tour of the Rohingya refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh. "Rape is an act and a weapon of genocide," she said. Refugees have accused Myanmar soldiers and Buddhist vigilantes of torching their villages, murdering their families and raping women. Patten said brutal acts of sexual violence had occurred in the context of collective persecution that included the killing of adults and children, torture, mutilation and the burning and looting of villages. "The forms of sexual violence we consistently heard about from survivors include gang-rape by multiple soldiers, forced public nudity and humiliation, and sexual slavery in military captivity. One survivor was in captivity for 45 days by the Myanmar army," Patten said. Internal probe The Myanmar military's internal probe said that according to 2,817 people interviewed from 54 Rohingya villages soldiers did not fire on "innocent villagers", rape or commit sexual violence against women. Nor were there any killings or beating of villagers, and the security forces did not carry out any looting or set fire to Rohingya mosques, it said. The report also concluded that security forces only used small arms in clashes with Rohingya militants and there were no findings to suggest the use of "excessive force". It also blamed the militants for setting fire to the villages and frightening and coercing people to leave their homes. Myanmar is refusing entry to a UN panel that was tasked with investigating allegations of abuses after a smaller military counteroffensive launched in October 2016. The country is in the early stages of a fragile transition to democracy after being ruled by a junta for 49 years, and the generals have retained their autonomy on matters of defence, security and border issues under a 2008 constitution. Three generals are members of the cabinet. Suu Kyi has said that any alleged atrocities should be substantiated and investigated, while her government is working to stabilise Rakhine in order for the Rohingya to return. For now, though, the flow is one way. The International Rescue Committee, a New York-based aid agency, reckons that around two-thirds of an estimated 300,000 Rohingya remaining in Myanmar could head across the border in the coming months.

Myanmar military denies atrocities against Rohingyas, replaces general

In the face of widespread &quot;atrocities&quot; against ethnic Rohingya people in Myanmar, the United States has been cautiously stepping up pressure on that country&#39;s army, while taking care to avoid endangering the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

As the US takes a more active role in the region-several American delegations have passed through in recent weeks-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi, the nation&#39;s leader, as well as army chief General Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar is the country formerly known as Burma.

Tillerson is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed &quot;responsible&quot; for the crisis facing the Rohingya, an embattled Muslim minority that has seen more than 600,000 of its members flee to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

In the name of putting down a supposed Rohingya rebellion, the army has since late August waged a sweeping military campaign in the western state of Rakhine, burning villages and sending thousands into what has become the largest exodus in today&#39;s world.

The United Nations has denounced the campaign, including allegations of killings and mass rape, as &quot;ethnic cleansing.&quot;

Recently returned from Myanmar and the overflowing refugee camps in Bangladesh, Simon Henshaw, the State Department official responsible for refugee and migration issues, said the scene in the camps was &quot;shocking.&quot;

&quot;The scale of the refugee crisis is immense,&quot; he said, adding: &quot;The conditions are tough. People are suffering.&quot;

&quot;Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them,&quot; Henshaw said.

&quot;The world can&#39;t just stand by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in that area,&quot; Tillerson said last month.

But it is unclear what steps the United States might take. Up to now, the State Department has merely strengthened a few punitive measures aimed at Myanmar&#39;s army.

The initial condemnations were &quot;important,&quot; Sarah Margon of the organisation Human Rights Watch told AFP, &quot;but they stopped and there has been very little concrete action since then.&quot;

She called for targeted economic sanctions meant to bring an end to &quot;some of the most brutal and horrific atrocities that have been seen in years.&quot;

In the absence of more determined action from the White House or State Department, several members of the US Congress are calling for sanctions to limit military cooperation with Myanmar and ban its army members from US soil. A draft bill would also ban the importation of rubies or jade from the country.

&quot;The bill is an important, although belated, first step in pushing the Myanmar military to end the violence in Rakhine state,&quot; said Joshua Kurlantzick of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

Now, he said, other parts of the government &quot;should take action as well.&quot;

The State Department has not ruled out supporting further sanctions.

But the United States has been careful not to place blame on Aung San Suu Kyi, drawing a line between the military and the civilian government led by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi. He is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed 'responsible' for the crisis facing the Rohingya

In the face of widespread "atrocities" against ethnic Rohingya people in Myanmar, the United States has been cautiously stepping up pressure on that country's army, while taking care to avoid endangering the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. As the US takes a more active role in the region-several American delegations have passed through in recent weeks-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi, the nation's leader, as well as army chief General Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar is the country formerly known as Burma. Tillerson is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed "responsible" for the crisis facing the Rohingya, an embattled Muslim minority that has seen more than 600,000 of its members flee to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. In the name of putting down a supposed Rohingya rebellion, the army has since late August waged a sweeping military campaign in the western state of Rakhine, burning villages and sending thousands into what has become the largest exodus in today's world. The United Nations has denounced the campaign, including allegations of killings and mass rape, as "ethnic cleansing." Recently returned from Myanmar and the overflowing refugee camps in Bangladesh, Simon Henshaw, the State Department official responsible for refugee and migration issues, said the scene in the camps was "shocking." "The scale of the refugee crisis is immense," he said, adding: "The conditions are tough. People are suffering." "Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them," Henshaw said. "The world can't just stand by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in that area," Tillerson said last month. But it is unclear what steps the United States might take. Up to now, the State Department has merely strengthened a few punitive measures aimed at Myanmar's army. The initial condemnations were "important," Sarah Margon of the organisation Human Rights Watch told AFP, "but they stopped and there has been very little concrete action since then." She called for targeted economic sanctions meant to bring an end to "some of the most brutal and horrific atrocities that have been seen in years." In the absence of more determined action from the White House or State Department, several members of the US Congress are calling for sanctions to limit military cooperation with Myanmar and ban its army members from US soil. A draft bill would also ban the importation of rubies or jade from the country. "The bill is an important, although belated, first step in pushing the Myanmar military to end the violence in Rakhine state," said Joshua Kurlantzick of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. Now, he said, other parts of the government "should take action as well." The State Department has not ruled out supporting further sanctions. But the United States has been careful not to place blame on Aung San Suu Kyi, drawing a line between the military and the civilian government led by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Tillerson to deliver warning in Myanmar over Rohingya crisis

Bangladesh has assured India that compensation will be paid to those&nbsp;Hindus whose houses were torched&nbsp;over rumours that an offensive Facebook status was posted allegedly by a youth from the minority community.

Bangladeshi authorities have also assured adequate security to the affected persons, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday.

Swaraj&rsquo;s remarks came after her attention was drawn to reports that a mob of protesters in Bangladesh set on fire at least 30 houses of Hindus following rumours that a youth from the minority community posted an offensive Facebook status.

She had said that the matter would be taken up by the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka with the Bangladeshi government.

&ldquo;We have received a detailed report of Indian high commission in Dhaka. Bangladesh authorities have assured him that compensation will be paid to affected persons to rebuild their houses and adequate security will be provided,&rdquo; she tweeted.

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We have received a detailed report of Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Bangladesh authorities have assured him that compensation will be paid to affected persons to rebuild their houses and adequate security will be provided. <a href="https://t.co/GTlH7FTTga">https://t.co/GTlH7FTTga</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/929670889775382528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday, one person was killed when police opened fire to disperse the crowd that launched the arson attack on the houses of Hindus.

The incident took place in Rangpur district&rsquo;s Thakurpara village, about 300 km from Dhaka.

The protesters claimed that they were infuriated by a defamatory status posted from the Facebook account of a person who hails from the Thakurbari village a few days ago.

A mob in Bangladesh set on fire at least 30 houses of Hindus following rumours that a youth from the minority community posted an offensive Facebook status.

Bangladesh has assured India that compensation will be paid to those Hindus whose houses were torched over rumours that an offensive Facebook status was posted allegedly by a youth from the minority community. Bangladeshi authorities have also assured adequate security to the affected persons, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday. Swaraj’s remarks came after her attention was drawn to reports that a mob of protesters in Bangladesh set on fire at least 30 houses of Hindus following rumours that a youth from the minority community posted an offensive Facebook status. She had said that the matter would be taken up by the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka with the Bangladeshi government. “We have received a detailed report of Indian high commission in Dhaka. Bangladesh authorities have assured him that compensation will be paid to affected persons to rebuild their houses and adequate security will be provided,” she tweeted. We have received a detailed report of Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Bangladesh authorities have assured him that compensation will be paid to affected persons to rebuild their houses and adequate security will be provided. https://t.co/GTlH7FTTga — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 12, 2017 × According to Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday, one person was killed when police opened fire to disperse the crowd that launched the arson attack on the houses of Hindus. The incident took place in Rangpur district’s Thakurpara village, about 300 km from Dhaka. The protesters claimed that they were infuriated by a defamatory status posted from the Facebook account of a person who hails from the Thakurbari village a few days ago.

Hindus affected in arson attack to get compensation, Bangladesh assures India

Bangladesh&#39;s first Hindu Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, facing graft and money laundering allegations, has resigned a month after he went on leave abroad amid a row with the government over a crucial Supreme Court judgement, a senior official said today.

Sinha assumed office on January 17, 2015 as the country&#39;s 21st Chief Justice. He is scheduled to retire on January 31 next.

&quot;His&nbsp;resignation letter has reached Bangabhaban (presidential palace),&quot; President&#39;s press secretary Joynal Abedin said&nbsp;without elaborating, but legal experts said this confirmation meant that Sinha has quit his office.

Officials familiar with the development said, Sinha submitted his resignation letter to Bangladesh Embassy in Singapore on the last day of his month-long leave yesterday, where he had gone for medical checkups.

On October 13, he had left Dhaka for Australia on a private tour amid reports that the government was upset with him over his decision to scrap parliament&#39;s authority in impeaching Supreme Court (SC) judges.

Before his departure, Sinha had said that he was &#39;embarrassed&#39;&nbsp;over the controversy surrounding his July ruling.

&quot;I am the guardian of the judiciary, in the interest of the judiciary, I am leaving temporarily so that its image does not get hurt. I will return,&quot; he briefly told newsmen before leaving Dhaka.

Row with the government and the higher judiciary started in July this year when the apex court declared as void the 16th constitutional amendment, scrapping Parliament&#39;s authority in impeaching SC judges.

The dispute grew in the subsequent weeks as many ministers attacked Sinha for slamming the government for reactions over the verdict, and cited Pakistan&#39;s example where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was stripped of the premiership following an apex court ruling.

Before leaving home, Sinha said he &#39;firmly believes&#39;&nbsp;that his stance over the verdict was misinterpreted to the government, upsetting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but expected her to realise soon the fact.

A day after his departure, the Supreme Court issued a statement saying that other judges of the apex court had decided not to sit in the bench with Sinha over allegations of &#39;grave&#39;&nbsp;graft and moral lapses, brought to their notice by President Abdul Hamid.

&quot;This written statement&nbsp; is misleading,&quot; a Supreme Court statement said, adding that President Hamid on September 30, invited all the five apex court judges to Bangabhaban, barring the chief justice, and handed over to them &#39;evidences of 11 specific allegations&#39;&nbsp;against Sinha.

It said the allegations included some grave charges like money laundering, financial irregularities, corruption and moral lapses.

In unitary Bangladesh, the Supreme Court has two wings, the High Court Division and the apex Appellate Division.

According to the SC statement, all the five apex court judges held a meeting on the next day and subsequently met Sinha and sought his explanation about the allegations but &#39;didn&#39;t get any acceptable explanation or reply&#39;.

&quot;So all of them&nbsp;clearly conveyed to him that until the disposal of those charges it will not be possible for them to share the bench with him to deliver justice,&quot; the statement said.

Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia-led main opposition outside parliament, BNP had put their weight behind Sinha while its standing Committee Member and former law minister Moudud Ahmed blamed the government for &quot;forcing&quot; him to quit.

&quot;Sinha&#39;s resignation day will be marked as a black chapter,&quot; he said accusing the government of &#39;smashing independence&#39;&nbsp;in the judiciary.

The President had appointed senior most judge of the apex court Abdul Wahhab Miah as the acting chief justice.&nbsp;

According to Bangladesh Constitution, if the chief justice&#39;s office becomes vacant, the next senior most judge of the Appellate Division will perform his duties.

Sinha belonged to ethnic minority Tripura community and since his appointment in 2015 he chaired the apex court in upholding death penalties of several leading perpetrators of 1971 war crimes.

Bangladesh's first Hindu Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha has been facing graft and money laundering allegations

Bangladesh's first Hindu Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, facing graft and money laundering allegations, has resigned a month after he went on leave abroad amid a row with the government over a crucial Supreme Court judgement, a senior official said today. Sinha assumed office on January 17, 2015 as the country's 21st Chief Justice. He is scheduled to retire on January 31 next. "His resignation letter has reached Bangabhaban (presidential palace)," President's press secretary Joynal Abedin said without elaborating, but legal experts said this confirmation meant that Sinha has quit his office. Officials familiar with the development said, Sinha submitted his resignation letter to Bangladesh Embassy in Singapore on the last day of his month-long leave yesterday, where he had gone for medical checkups. On October 13, he had left Dhaka for Australia on a private tour amid reports that the government was upset with him over his decision to scrap parliament's authority in impeaching Supreme Court (SC) judges. Before his departure, Sinha had said that he was 'embarrassed' over the controversy surrounding his July ruling. "I am the guardian of the judiciary, in the interest of the judiciary, I am leaving temporarily so that its image does not get hurt. I will return," he briefly told newsmen before leaving Dhaka. Row with the government and the higher judiciary started in July this year when the apex court declared as void the 16th constitutional amendment, scrapping Parliament's authority in impeaching SC judges. The dispute grew in the subsequent weeks as many ministers attacked Sinha for slamming the government for reactions over the verdict, and cited Pakistan's example where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was stripped of the premiership following an apex court ruling. Before leaving home, Sinha said he 'firmly believes' that his stance over the verdict was misinterpreted to the government, upsetting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but expected her to realise soon the fact. A day after his departure, the Supreme Court issued a statement saying that other judges of the apex court had decided not to sit in the bench with Sinha over allegations of 'grave' graft and moral lapses, brought to their notice by President Abdul Hamid. "This written statement is misleading," a Supreme Court statement said, adding that President Hamid on September 30, invited all the five apex court judges to Bangabhaban, barring the chief justice, and handed over to them 'evidences of 11 specific allegations' against Sinha. It said the allegations included some grave charges like money laundering, financial irregularities, corruption and moral lapses. In unitary Bangladesh, the Supreme Court has two wings, the High Court Division and the apex Appellate Division. According to the SC statement, all the five apex court judges held a meeting on the next day and subsequently met Sinha and sought his explanation about the allegations but 'didn't get any acceptable explanation or reply'. "So all of them clearly conveyed to him that until the disposal of those charges it will not be possible for them to share the bench with him to deliver justice," the statement said. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia-led main opposition outside parliament, BNP had put their weight behind Sinha while its standing Committee Member and former law minister Moudud Ahmed blamed the government for "forcing" him to quit. "Sinha's resignation day will be marked as a black chapter," he said accusing the government of 'smashing independence' in the judiciary. The President had appointed senior most judge of the apex court Abdul Wahhab Miah as the acting chief justice. According to Bangladesh Constitution, if the chief justice's office becomes vacant, the next senior most judge of the Appellate Division will perform his duties. Sinha belonged to ethnic minority Tripura community and since his appointment in 2015 he chaired the apex court in upholding death penalties of several leading perpetrators of 1971 war crimes.

Bangladesh chief justice resigns amid controversy

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar&rsquo;s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar&rsquo;s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as &ldquo;ethnic cleansing&rdquo;.

The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines.

Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar&rsquo;s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam&rsquo;s central seaside resort of Danang.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do.

After Friday&rsquo;s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital.

Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea&rsquo;s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference.

<h3>OUTCRY</h3>

&ldquo;World leaders shouldn&rsquo;t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,&rdquo; Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name.

Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials.

U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions.

The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution.

China has publicly supported the Myanmar government&rsquo;s efforts to &ldquo;maintain stability&rdquo; in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits&rsquo; final communiques.

&ldquo;On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,&rdquo; an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

&nbsp;

<figure tabindex="-1">&nbsp;</figure>

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar’s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as “ethnic cleansing”. The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar’s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam’s central seaside resort of Danang. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do. After Friday’s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital. Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea’s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference. OUTCRY “World leaders shouldn’t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,” Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name. Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials. U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions. The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution. China has publicly supported the Myanmar government’s efforts to “maintain stability” in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits’ final communiques. “On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,” an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

Rohingya row to Bangladesh as Myanmar's Suu Kyi runs summit gauntlet

A new passenger train service between Kolkata and Bangladesh&#39;s southwestern industrial city of Khulna was today flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and the West Bengal chief minister.The three leaders launched the train through video conference. 
A fully air-conditioned weekly passenger train service &#39;Bandhan Express&#39; will run every Thursday from both Kolkata and Khulna.

 
On the occasion, Modi said the ties of friendship between India and Bangladesh have further strengthened. 
Modi said in Bengali, &#39;Aaj ei shubho uplokkhe dui desh bashider amar abhinandan janai. Aaj amader moitreyee, bandhon aro sudriro holo&#39; (I congratulate the people of the two countries on this auspicious occasion. Our ties of friendship got more strengthened today.)

 
They also inaugurated two bridges over the rivers Meghna and Titas in Bangladesh. Hasina said, &quot;Today is a great day for relations between the two countries with the inauguration of the train services and the two bridges. This train service is a dream come true for people on both sides of the border.&quot;

 
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the launch as a remarkable day for India and Bangladesh. 
&quot;The relations between the two countries will strengthen in the future,&quot; she said. 
Immigration and customs facilities were also inaugurated at Kolkata station.

&nbsp;

A new passenger train service between Kolkata and Bangladesh's southwestern industrial city of Khulna was today flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and the West Bengal chief minister.

A new passenger train service between Kolkata and Bangladesh's southwestern industrial city of Khulna was today flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and the West Bengal chief minister.The three leaders launched the train through video conference. A fully air-conditioned weekly passenger train service 'Bandhan Express' will run every Thursday from both Kolkata and Khulna. On the occasion, Modi said the ties of friendship between India and Bangladesh have further strengthened. Modi said in Bengali, 'Aaj ei shubho uplokkhe dui desh bashider amar abhinandan janai. Aaj amader moitreyee, bandhon aro sudriro holo' (I congratulate the people of the two countries on this auspicious occasion. Our ties of friendship got more strengthened today.) They also inaugurated two bridges over the rivers Meghna and Titas in Bangladesh. Hasina said, "Today is a great day for relations between the two countries with the inauguration of the train services and the two bridges. This train service is a dream come true for people on both sides of the border." Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the launch as a remarkable day for India and Bangladesh. "The relations between the two countries will strengthen in the future," she said. Immigration and customs facilities were also inaugurated at Kolkata station.

Kolkata-Khulna train service flagged off

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-urges-myanmar-to-stop-excessive-military-force-23625" target="_blank">The scale of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is &quot;immense&quot; </a>and while the host nation has been &quot;generous&quot; in its efforts, the situation requires a lot more work, a top US official who recently visited Bangladesh has said.

&quot;What we saw in the camps was shocking. The scale of the refugee crisis is immense,&quot; Simon Henshaw, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration told reporters at a news conference yesterday.

Henshaw led a US delegation to Bangladesh, from October 29 to November 4, during which the team also visited the refugee camps near Cox&#39;s Bazar.

&quot;The conditions are tough. People are suffering. Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them,&quot; said Henshaw.

&quot;It was tough to take. Some recall being shot as they fled,&quot; he said.

Despite the trauma, many expressed a strong desire to return to their homes in Burma, provided their safety, security, and rights could be guaranteed, Henshaw said.

Responding to a question, Henshaw said he saw evidence of atrocities during the visit to these camps.

&quot;I&#39;m not an expert, but what I saw was shocking. I saw evidence of atrocities,&quot; he said.

Asked if the atrocities rose up to the level of ethnic cleansing, Henshaw was non-committal, saying the State Department would review his reports and that of the others to make any such determination.

Despite the conditions in the relief camps, Henshaw praised Bangladesh&#39;s government, its people, and other organisations that are supporting the refugees.

&quot;However, more is needed. The US remains committed to addressing the needs of those impacted by the crisis, and calls on others, including in the region, to join us in our response,&quot; Henshaw said.

According to Henshaw, the Burmese government &quot;appears to be committed&quot; to start a repatriation programme which is in its early stages.

&quot;It&#39;s very important to us that the programme not only creates safe conditions so that refugees will want to return voluntarily, but also assure that refugees go back to their villages and land, that their houses be restored in the areas where the villages were burned, and that political reconciliation take place,&quot; he said.

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert, who accompanied Henshaw during the visit to Bangladesh, applauded the government of Bangladesh for taking &quot;an extraordinary step to open its heart and doors&quot; for their neighbors in distress.

&quot;They&#39;ve opened their hearts; they&#39;ve opened their wallets. Imagine more than 600,000 to cross their borders, putting them in camps. It&#39;s not where these people want to be of course in their camps; they&#39;d rather be home. But at least they&#39;re safe for now,&quot; she said.

More than 600,000 people from the Muslim minority group have fled violence in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine state since August, according to UN estimates.

Bangladesh accused Myanmar of spearheading a violent depopulation campaign to eliminate Rohingyas by branding them as so-called &quot;Islamist terrorists&quot;

Despite the conditions in the relief camps, Henshaw praised Bangladesh's government, its people, and other organisations that are supporting the refugees

The scale of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is "immense" and while the host nation has been "generous" in its efforts, the situation requires a lot more work, a top US official who recently visited Bangladesh has said. "What we saw in the camps was shocking. The scale of the refugee crisis is immense," Simon Henshaw, the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration told reporters at a news conference yesterday. Henshaw led a US delegation to Bangladesh, from October 29 to November 4, during which the team also visited the refugee camps near Cox's Bazar. "The conditions are tough. People are suffering. Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them," said Henshaw. "It was tough to take. Some recall being shot as they fled," he said. Despite the trauma, many expressed a strong desire to return to their homes in Burma, provided their safety, security, and rights could be guaranteed, Henshaw said. Responding to a question, Henshaw said he saw evidence of atrocities during the visit to these camps. "I'm not an expert, but what I saw was shocking. I saw evidence of atrocities," he said. Asked if the atrocities rose up to the level of ethnic cleansing, Henshaw was non-committal, saying the State Department would review his reports and that of the others to make any such determination. Despite the conditions in the relief camps, Henshaw praised Bangladesh's government, its people, and other organisations that are supporting the refugees. "However, more is needed. The US remains committed to addressing the needs of those impacted by the crisis, and calls on others, including in the region, to join us in our response," Henshaw said. According to Henshaw, the Burmese government "appears to be committed" to start a repatriation programme which is in its early stages. "It's very important to us that the programme not only creates safe conditions so that refugees will want to return voluntarily, but also assure that refugees go back to their villages and land, that their houses be restored in the areas where the villages were burned, and that political reconciliation take place," he said. State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert, who accompanied Henshaw during the visit to Bangladesh, applauded the government of Bangladesh for taking "an extraordinary step to open its heart and doors" for their neighbors in distress. "They've opened their hearts; they've opened their wallets. Imagine more than 600,000 to cross their borders, putting them in camps. It's not where these people want to be of course in their camps; they'd rather be home. But at least they're safe for now," she said. More than 600,000 people from the Muslim minority group have fled violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state since August, according to UN estimates. Bangladesh accused Myanmar of spearheading a violent depopulation campaign to eliminate Rohingyas by branding them as so-called "Islamist terrorists"

'Tough conditions for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh': US official

A two-year-and-11-month-old boy from Bangladesh, who was suffering from acute liver failure, got a new lease of life after undergoing a liver transplant at a private hospital here.

Aman Jawad Uddin was detected with jaundice at the end of August which progressively worsened leading to vomiting and irritability. He was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka on September 11.

The boy was diagnosed with acute liver failure due to Hepatitis A. His condition deteriorated to such an extent that he developed coagulopathy (prothrombin time increased to 70 seconds while normal is 13 seconds) and went into coma.

The family was told that the child needed an urgent liver transplant.

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi was contacted and the boy was flown to Delhi on September 20, a hospital official said, adding after assessment, a decision to conduct emergency liver transplant was taken.

&quot;Treatment was initiated to protect the boy&#39;s brain from cerebral edema. His mother Tanjim Raha&#39;s liver was found to be appropriate for donation and 36 hours after arrival, the child underwent a liver transplant,&quot; said Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group said.

The liver transplant was successful and by the fifth day after the surgery, his encephalopathy had improved. The boy started speaking, the doctor said.

&quot;It was a very critical case because the child was already in stage three Hepatic Encephalopathy.This meant that his liver was not removing the toxins from his body which were damaging his brain function,&quot; Dr Sibal said.

Dr. Neerav Goyal, a&nbsp;Senior Liver Transplant Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said &quot;A liver transplant in a child with acute liver failure is more demanding than a standard liver transplant.

Aman&#39;s clotting was severely damaged and that was an extra challenge.&quot;

&quot;With his condition deteriorating fast, an emergency liver transplantation was the only treatment to save the life of the boy. We were very happy that Aman made a remarkable recovery and he was discharged in three weeks,&quot; Dr. Sibal said.&nbsp;

Aman Jawad Uddin was detected with jaundice at the end of August which progressively worsened leading to vomiting and irritability. He was admitted to a hospital in Delhi on September 20

A two-year-and-11-month-old boy from Bangladesh, who was suffering from acute liver failure, got a new lease of life after undergoing a liver transplant at a private hospital here. Aman Jawad Uddin was detected with jaundice at the end of August which progressively worsened leading to vomiting and irritability. He was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka on September 11. The boy was diagnosed with acute liver failure due to Hepatitis A. His condition deteriorated to such an extent that he developed coagulopathy (prothrombin time increased to 70 seconds while normal is 13 seconds) and went into coma. The family was told that the child needed an urgent liver transplant. Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi was contacted and the boy was flown to Delhi on September 20, a hospital official said, adding after assessment, a decision to conduct emergency liver transplant was taken. "Treatment was initiated to protect the boy's brain from cerebral edema. His mother Tanjim Raha's liver was found to be appropriate for donation and 36 hours after arrival, the child underwent a liver transplant," said Dr Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director of Apollo Hospitals Group said. The liver transplant was successful and by the fifth day after the surgery, his encephalopathy had improved. The boy started speaking, the doctor said. "It was a very critical case because the child was already in stage three Hepatic Encephalopathy.This meant that his liver was not removing the toxins from his body which were damaging his brain function," Dr Sibal said. Dr. Neerav Goyal, a Senior Liver Transplant Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, said "A liver transplant in a child with acute liver failure is more demanding than a standard liver transplant. Aman's clotting was severely damaged and that was an extra challenge." "With his condition deteriorating fast, an emergency liver transplantation was the only treatment to save the life of the boy. We were very happy that Aman made a remarkable recovery and he was discharged in three weeks," Dr. Sibal said.

Bangladeshi boy with acute liver failure gets new lease of life in Delhi hospital

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could &quot;seriously harm&quot; its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to &quot;ensure no further excessive use of military force&quot; and expressed &quot;grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State&quot;.

Responding, Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement.

&quot;Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously,&quot; Suu Kyi&#39;s office said in a statement.

In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali &quot;appreciated the recent statement of the UN&nbsp;Security Council&quot; during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister&#39;s visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November&nbsp;20 and November&nbsp;21.

The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution.&nbsp;

A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time.

&quot;For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain,&quot; the official told Reuters. &quot;This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN&rsquo;s involvement in the process is a must.&quot;

A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money.

Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries&#39;&nbsp;parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar.

&quot;I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest,&quot; she said.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November&nbsp;15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests.

In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries.

To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement.

The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar.

Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants&#39;&nbsp;synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25.

Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees&#39;&nbsp;have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated.

Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats.

On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox&#39;s Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military.

Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality.

She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State".

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could "seriously harm" its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown. In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State". Responding, Myanmar's de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement. "Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously," Suu Kyi's office said in a statement. In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali "appreciated the recent statement of the UN Security Council" during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh. The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister's visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November 20 and November 21. The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution. A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time. "For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain," the official told Reuters. "This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN’s involvement in the process is a must." A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi's spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money. Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries' parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar. "I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest," she said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November 15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests. In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries. To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement. The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar. Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants' synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25. Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees' have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated. Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats. On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters. On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox's Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military. Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality. She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

Myanmar warns UN scolding could harm talks with Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis

The United Nations Security Council urged the Myanmar government on Monday to &quot;ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine state,&quot; where violence has forced more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee the Buddhist-majority Asian country.

The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing.

To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement.

The council expressed &quot;grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State, including by the Myanmar security forces, in particular against persons belonging to the Rohingya community.&quot;

&quot;The Security Council calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine State, to restore civilian administration and apply the rule of law, and to take immediate steps in accordance with their obligations and commitments to respect human rights,&quot; it said.

Myanmar has been stung by international criticism for the way its security forces responded to attacks by Rohingya militants on 30 security posts. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Aug. 25.

&quot;The Security Council stresses the primary responsibility of the Government of Myanmar to protect its population including through respect for the rule of law and the respect, promotion and protection of human rights,&quot; the statement said.

It stressed the importance of transparent investigations into allegations of human rights abuses and &quot;in this regard, the Security Council calls upon the Government of Myanmar to cooperate with all relevant United Nations bodies, mechanisms and instruments.&quot;

Myanmar has refused entry to a UN&nbsp;panel that was tasked with investigating allegations of abuses after a smaller military counteroffensive launched in October 2016.

Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has pledged accountability for rights abuses and says Myanmar will accept back refugees who can prove they were residents of Myanmar.

The Security Council said it was alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Rakhine state and warned that the increasing number of refugees &quot;has a destabilizing impact in the region.&quot;

The council demanded that the Myanmar government allow immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid and media access. It asked UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back in 30 days on the situation.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar in the past 10 weeks

The United Nations Security Council urged the Myanmar government on Monday to "ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine state," where violence has forced more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee the Buddhist-majority Asian country. The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing. To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement. The council expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State, including by the Myanmar security forces, in particular against persons belonging to the Rohingya community." "The Security Council calls upon the Government of Myanmar to ensure no further excessive use of military force in Rakhine State, to restore civilian administration and apply the rule of law, and to take immediate steps in accordance with their obligations and commitments to respect human rights," it said. Myanmar has been stung by international criticism for the way its security forces responded to attacks by Rohingya militants on 30 security posts. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Aug. 25. "The Security Council stresses the primary responsibility of the Government of Myanmar to protect its population including through respect for the rule of law and the respect, promotion and protection of human rights," the statement said. It stressed the importance of transparent investigations into allegations of human rights abuses and "in this regard, the Security Council calls upon the Government of Myanmar to cooperate with all relevant United Nations bodies, mechanisms and instruments." Myanmar has refused entry to a UN panel that was tasked with investigating allegations of abuses after a smaller military counteroffensive launched in October 2016. Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has pledged accountability for rights abuses and says Myanmar will accept back refugees who can prove they were residents of Myanmar. The Security Council said it was alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Rakhine state and warned that the increasing number of refugees "has a destabilizing impact in the region." The council demanded that the Myanmar government allow immediate, safe and unhindered humanitarian aid and media access. It asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report back in 30 days on the situation.

UN Security Council urges Myanmar to 'ensure no further excessive use of military force'

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Commonwealth countries to force Myanmar to stop the persecution and take the Rohingya refugees back.

&quot;I would like to request you all to discuss the Rohingya issue with utmost importance and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop persecution of Rohingyas&nbsp;and take them back at the earliest,&quot; The Daily Star quoted Hasina as saying.

Hasina was speaking at the inauguration of the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) on Sunday.

The Bangladesh prime minister emphasised that the forceful expulsion of Rohingyas from their homeland has created instability in the region and beyond.

Hasina mentioned that over 6,22,000 Myanmar nationals fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution.

&quot;We&#39;ve given temporary shelter to this huge number of people on humanitarian grounds,&quot; she said.

Nearly half a million Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh due to violence in the Rakhine state.

The Myanmar troops launched a crackdown in the state in response to the attacks on three border posts last year that killed nine police officers. Since then, many Rohingya Muslims have tried to move into Bangladesh illegally.&nbsp;

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Commonwealth countries to force Myanmar to stop the persecution and take the Rohingya refugees back.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Commonwealth countries to force Myanmar to stop the persecution and take the Rohingya refugees back. "I would like to request you all to discuss the Rohingya issue with utmost importance and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop persecution of Rohingyas and take them back at the earliest," The Daily Star quoted Hasina as saying. Hasina was speaking at the inauguration of the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) on Sunday. The Bangladesh prime minister emphasised that the forceful expulsion of Rohingyas from their homeland has created instability in the region and beyond. Hasina mentioned that over 6,22,000 Myanmar nationals fled to Bangladesh to escape persecution. "We've given temporary shelter to this huge number of people on humanitarian grounds," she said. Nearly half a million Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh due to violence in the Rakhine state. The Myanmar troops launched a crackdown in the state in response to the attacks on three border posts last year that killed nine police officers. Since then, many Rohingya Muslims have tried to move into Bangladesh illegally.

Bangladesh requests Commonwealth countries to press Myanmar to take back Rohingyas

A Delhi court has sought the response of Tihar Jail authorities on a sexual harassment complaint of a British national inside the prison where he is lodged for allegedly recruiting youths for al-Qaeda to carry out terror activities.

27-year-old Shamiun Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested in September for his alleged involvement in recruiting Rohingya Muslims for the terror outfit and train them to fight against the Myanmarese army.

In his application moved before Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma, he alleged that he was sexually harassed by Tihar Jail security personnel and inhuman behaviour was meted out to him by the prison authorities.

The court directed the jail authorities to file response on the application moved by advocate M S Khan by November 8.

The accused alleged that he was forced to live in inhuman conditions inside the jail and it lacks basic facilities such as proper food, drinking water, sanitation and medical aid.

The Special Cell of Delhi police had alleged that the process of radicalisation of Rahman alias Raju Bhai began in a jail in London where he was lodged on charges of rash driving.

During this period, he stayed at various madrassas in Kishanganj (Bihar), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), NCR and other places.He had plans to set up base in Mizoram or Manipur to train radicalised youth.

An FIR was filed by the special cell after his arrest under various provisions relating to the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, and Passport Act.

27-year-old Shamiun Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested in September for his alleged involvement in recruiting Rohingya Muslims for the terror outfit and train them to fight against the Myanmarese army

A Delhi court has sought the response of Tihar Jail authorities on a sexual harassment complaint of a British national inside the prison where he is lodged for allegedly recruiting youths for al-Qaeda to carry out terror activities. 27-year-old Shamiun Rahman, a British national of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested in September for his alleged involvement in recruiting Rohingya Muslims for the terror outfit and train them to fight against the Myanmarese army. In his application moved before Additional Sessions Judge Siddharth Sharma, he alleged that he was sexually harassed by Tihar Jail security personnel and inhuman behaviour was meted out to him by the prison authorities. The court directed the jail authorities to file response on the application moved by advocate M S Khan by November 8. The accused alleged that he was forced to live in inhuman conditions inside the jail and it lacks basic facilities such as proper food, drinking water, sanitation and medical aid. The Special Cell of Delhi police had alleged that the process of radicalisation of Rahman alias Raju Bhai began in a jail in London where he was lodged on charges of rash driving. During this period, he stayed at various madrassas in Kishanganj (Bihar), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), NCR and other places.He had plans to set up base in Mizoram or Manipur to train radicalised youth. An FIR was filed by the special cell after his arrest under various provisions relating to the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, and Passport Act.

Al-Qaeda suspect alleges sexual harassment in Tihar Jail

Life-threatening levels of malnutrition have risen dramatically among Rohingya refugee children who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, the United Nations warned Friday.

The UN children&#39;s agency said preliminary data indicated a full 7.5 per cent of the children crammed into one of the camps in Bangladesh&#39;s Cox&#39;s Bazar district were at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state since late August during military operations that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing and the world&#39;s most acute refugee crisis.

Around half of them are children.

&quot;It&#39;s very worrying to see the condition of children who keep arriving,&quot; UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told reporters in Geneva after a recent trip to the camps.

The agency and its partners are already treating more than 2,000 acutely malnourished children at 15 treatment centres, and are in the process of setting up six additional centres.

UNICEF said its preliminary findings were based on a nutrition assessment conducted last week of children under the age of five in 405 households in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox&#39;s Bazar.

&quot;The Rohingya children in the camp, who have survived horrors in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine State and a dangerous journey here, are already caught up in a catastrophe,&quot; UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder said in a statement.

&quot;Those with severe malnutrition are now at risk of dying from an entirely preventable and treatable cause,&quot; he warned.

Malnutrition rates among children in northern Rakhine were already above emergency thresholds before the latest crisis erupted.

&quot;The condition of these children has further deteriorated due to the long journey across the border and the conditions in the camps,&quot; the UNICEF statement said.

Some 26,000 people now live in the Kutupalong camp, where they are faced with an acute shortage of food and water, unsanitary conditions and high rates of diarrhoea and respiratory infections, the agency said.

UNICEF said it was planning two additional assessments in other sites in Cox&#39;s Bazar this month, including at a makeshift settlement, to help determine if the numbers found in Kutupalong might apply to the entire area.

&quot;We need far more attention to the crisis, and far more resources for the response,&quot; Beigbeder said, stressing that &quot;these children need help right now.&quot;&nbsp;

The UN children's agency said preliminary data indicated a full 7.5 per cent of the children crammed into one of the camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district were at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition

Life-threatening levels of malnutrition have risen dramatically among Rohingya refugee children who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, the United Nations warned Friday. The UN children's agency said preliminary data indicated a full 7.5 per cent of the children crammed into one of the camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district were at risk of dying from severe acute malnutrition. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since late August during military operations that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing and the world's most acute refugee crisis. Around half of them are children. "It's very worrying to see the condition of children who keep arriving," UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told reporters in Geneva after a recent trip to the camps. The agency and its partners are already treating more than 2,000 acutely malnourished children at 15 treatment centres, and are in the process of setting up six additional centres. UNICEF said its preliminary findings were based on a nutrition assessment conducted last week of children under the age of five in 405 households in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. "The Rohingya children in the camp, who have survived horrors in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State and a dangerous journey here, are already caught up in a catastrophe," UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder said in a statement. "Those with severe malnutrition are now at risk of dying from an entirely preventable and treatable cause," he warned. Malnutrition rates among children in northern Rakhine were already above emergency thresholds before the latest crisis erupted. "The condition of these children has further deteriorated due to the long journey across the border and the conditions in the camps," the UNICEF statement said. Some 26,000 people now live in the Kutupalong camp, where they are faced with an acute shortage of food and water, unsanitary conditions and high rates of diarrhoea and respiratory infections, the agency said. UNICEF said it was planning two additional assessments in other sites in Cox's Bazar this month, including at a makeshift settlement, to help determine if the numbers found in Kutupalong might apply to the entire area. "We need far more attention to the crisis, and far more resources for the response," Beigbeder said, stressing that "these children need help right now."

Malnutrition soaring among Rohingya children in Bangladesh: UN

India slipped 21 places on the World Economic Forum&#39;s Global Gender Gap index to a lowly 108, behind neighbours China and Bangladesh, primarily due to less participation of women in the economy and low wages.

Moreover, India&#39;s latest ranking is 10 notches lower than its reading in 2006 when the WEF started measuring the gender gap.

According to the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2017, India has closed 67 per cent of its gender gap, less than many of its international peers, and some of its neighbours like Bangladesh ranked 47th while China was placed at 100th.

Globally also, this year&#39;s story is a bleak one. For the first time since the WEF began measuring the gap across four pillars -- health, education, the workplace and political representation&nbsp;the global gap has actually widened.

&quot;A decade of slow but steady progress on improving parity between the sexes came to a halt in 2017, with the global gender gap widening for the first time since the WEF&#39;s Global Gender Gap Report was first published in 2006,&quot; it said.

The findings in this year&#39;s report, published today, showed that an overall 68 per cent of the global gender gap has been closed. This is a slight deterioration from 2016 when the gap closed was 68.3 per cent. 
At the current rate of progress, the global gender gap will take 100 years to bridge, compared to 83 last year.

The case is worse in terms of workplace gender divide, which the report estimates will take 217 years to close. On a positive note, however, a number of countries are bucking the dismal global trend as over one-half of all 144 countries measured this year have seen their score improve in the past 12 months, the report noted.

At the top of the Global Gender Gap Index is Iceland. The country has closed nearly 88 per cent of its gap. It has been the world&#39;s most gender-equal country for nine years. 
Others in the top 10 include Norway (2nd), Finland (3rd), Rwanda (4) and Sweden (5), Nicaragua (6) and Slovenia (7), Ireland (8), New Zealand (9) and the Philippines (10).

India&#39;s greatest challenges lie in the economic participation and opportunity pillar where the country is ranked 139 as well as health and survival pillar where the country is ranked 141, the WEF said.

The report attributed much of India&#39;s decline in position on the overall Global Gender Gap Index to a widening of its gender gaps in political empowerment as well as healthy life expectancy and basic literacy. 
&quot;With more than 50 years having passed since the inauguration of the nation&#39;s first female prime minister in 1966, maintaining its global top 20 ranking on the political empowerment sub-index will require India to make progress on this dimension with a new generation of female political leadership,&quot; the report said.

Moreover, the scale of India&#39;s gender gap in women&#39;s share among legislators, senior officials and managers as well as professional and technical workers highlights that continued efforts will be needed to achieve parity in economic opportunity and participation.

In India, the workplace gender gap is reinforced by extremely low participation of women in the economy (136 out of the total 144 countries covered) and low wages for those who work (136th ranking for estimated earned income), the WEF said, adding that &quot;on average, 66 per cent of women&#39;s work in India is unpaid, compared to 12 per cent of men&#39;s&quot;.

On a positive note, India succeeded in fully closing its primary and secondary education enrolment gender gaps for the second year running and for the first time has nearly closed its tertiary education gender gap. However, it continues to rank fourth-lowest in the world on health and survival, remaining the world&#39;s least-improved country on this sub-index over the past decade, the WEF stated.

&quot;Competitiveness on a national and on a business level will be decided more than ever before by the innovative capacity of a country or a company. Those will succeed best who understand to integrate women as an important force into their talent pool,&quot; said Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum (WEF).

India moved behind neighbours China and Bangladesh, primarily due to less participation of women in the economy and low wages

India slipped 21 places on the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap index to a lowly 108, behind neighbours China and Bangladesh, primarily due to less participation of women in the economy and low wages. Moreover, India's latest ranking is 10 notches lower than its reading in 2006 when the WEF started measuring the gender gap. According to the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2017, India has closed 67 per cent of its gender gap, less than many of its international peers, and some of its neighbours like Bangladesh ranked 47th while China was placed at 100th. Globally also, this year's story is a bleak one. For the first time since the WEF began measuring the gap across four pillars -- health, education, the workplace and political representation the global gap has actually widened. "A decade of slow but steady progress on improving parity between the sexes came to a halt in 2017, with the global gender gap widening for the first time since the WEF's Global Gender Gap Report was first published in 2006," it said. The findings in this year's report, published today, showed that an overall 68 per cent of the global gender gap has been closed. This is a slight deterioration from 2016 when the gap closed was 68.3 per cent. At the current rate of progress, the global gender gap will take 100 years to bridge, compared to 83 last year. The case is worse in terms of workplace gender divide, which the report estimates will take 217 years to close. On a positive note, however, a number of countries are bucking the dismal global trend as over one-half of all 144 countries measured this year have seen their score improve in the past 12 months, the report noted. At the top of the Global Gender Gap Index is Iceland. The country has closed nearly 88 per cent of its gap. It has been the world's most gender-equal country for nine years. Others in the top 10 include Norway (2nd), Finland (3rd), Rwanda (4) and Sweden (5), Nicaragua (6) and Slovenia (7), Ireland (8), New Zealand (9) and the Philippines (10). India's greatest challenges lie in the economic participation and opportunity pillar where the country is ranked 139 as well as health and survival pillar where the country is ranked 141, the WEF said. The report attributed much of India's decline in position on the overall Global Gender Gap Index to a widening of its gender gaps in political empowerment as well as healthy life expectancy and basic literacy. "With more than 50 years having passed since the inauguration of the nation's first female prime minister in 1966, maintaining its global top 20 ranking on the political empowerment sub-index will require India to make progress on this dimension with a new generation of female political leadership," the report said. Moreover, the scale of India's gender gap in women's share among legislators, senior officials and managers as well as professional and technical workers highlights that continued efforts will be needed to achieve parity in economic opportunity and participation. In India, the workplace gender gap is reinforced by extremely low participation of women in the economy (136 out of the total 144 countries covered) and low wages for those who work (136th ranking for estimated earned income), the WEF said, adding that "on average, 66 per cent of women's work in India is unpaid, compared to 12 per cent of men's". On a positive note, India succeeded in fully closing its primary and secondary education enrolment gender gaps for the second year running and for the first time has nearly closed its tertiary education gender gap. However, it continues to rank fourth-lowest in the world on health and survival, remaining the world's least-improved country on this sub-index over the past decade, the WEF stated. "Competitiveness on a national and on a business level will be decided more than ever before by the innovative capacity of a country or a company. Those will succeed best who understand to integrate women as an important force into their talent pool," said Klaus Schwab, founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum (WEF).

India slips 21 slots on World Economic Forum Gender Gap index

US secretary of state<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-secretary-of-state-expresses-reported-atrocities-against-rohingya-muslims-to-myanmars-army-chief-22998"> Rex Tillerson will visit&nbsp;Myanmar next week,</a> the State Department today to address the Rohingya crisis.

Tillerson&#39;s spokeswoman said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/considering-sanctions-on-myanmar-over-treatment-of-rohingyas-us-22787">he would visit Naypyidaw on November 15 for talks on</a> &quot;humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State and US support for Burma&#39;s democratic transition.&quot;

Tillerson had spoken to Myanmar&#39;s army chief last week and had expressed concern over reported atrocities against Rohingyas in Rakhine state.

Tillerson urged the army chief, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, to support the Myanmar government in ending the violence and allowing the safe return of ethnic Rohingya who has fled the area.

During his phone call with Min Aung Hlaing, Tillerson had urged the Myanmar military to facilitate humanitarian aid for displaced people, allow media access and cooperate with a U.N. investigation into allegations of human rights abuses

There were reports of the US State Department considering formally declaring the crackdown on Rohingyas&nbsp;as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, a move which was earlier made by the UN.

Pressure has mounted for a tougher US response to the Rohingya crisis ahead of President Donald Trump&rsquo;s maiden visit to Asia next month when he will attend a summit of Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, in Manila.

Meanwhile, Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi today visited areas hit by conflict in the western state of Rakhine for the first time since attacks by militants from the Rohingya Muslim minority two months ago sparked a refugee crisis.

Spokesman Zaw Htay said that she was visiting the troubled border district of Maungdaw, where more than 600,000 members of the stateless Rohingya group have crossed into Bangladesh since August&nbsp;25th.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tillerson had spoken to Myanmar's army chief last week and had expressed concern over reported atrocities against Rohingyas in Rakhine state.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson will visit Myanmar next week, the State Department today to address the Rohingya crisis. Tillerson's spokeswoman said he would visit Naypyidaw on November 15 for talks on "humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State and US support for Burma's democratic transition." Tillerson had spoken to Myanmar's army chief last week and had expressed concern over reported atrocities against Rohingyas in Rakhine state. Tillerson urged the army chief, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, to support the Myanmar government in ending the violence and allowing the safe return of ethnic Rohingya who has fled the area. During his phone call with Min Aung Hlaing, Tillerson had urged the Myanmar military to facilitate humanitarian aid for displaced people, allow media access and cooperate with a U.N. investigation into allegations of human rights abuses There were reports of the US State Department considering formally declaring the crackdown on Rohingyas as "ethnic cleansing", a move which was earlier made by the UN. Pressure has mounted for a tougher US response to the Rohingya crisis ahead of President Donald Trump’s maiden visit to Asia next month when he will attend a summit of Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, in Manila. Meanwhile, Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi today visited areas hit by conflict in the western state of Rakhine for the first time since attacks by militants from the Rohingya Muslim minority two months ago sparked a refugee crisis. Spokesman Zaw Htay said that she was visiting the troubled border district of Maungdaw, where more than 600,000 members of the stateless Rohingya group have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25th.

Rohingya crisis: Tillerson to visit?Myanmar next week

Recently, concluded first plenum of 19th Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) helped in consolidating Chinese President Xi Jinping position as a core leader, included his thought in the constitution of the party as Xi Jinping thought of Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era along with his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative(BRI); and finally his emphasis on Chinese military modernisation, where army must be controlled by the communist party of China.

Now, one needs to carefully analyse the implications of these developments for Indian strategic and security interests in particular and foreign policy in general. Indeed, Chinese President Xi Jinping is the third most influential political leader after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in Chinese political history. China has world&rsquo;s second largest GDP in nominal terms $11,199,145 and hence, no short of money for Chinese military modernisation.

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<h5>As a chairman of Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping has reiterated &lsquo;basic mechanisation&rsquo; by 2020, &lsquo;complete modernisation&rsquo; by 2035; and finally having &lsquo;world-class military&rsquo; by 2050.</h5>
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China has increased their military spending 118 per cent between 2007 and 2016 along with biggest military spender in Asia and Oceania. As the chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated &lsquo;basic mechanisation&rsquo; by 2020, &lsquo;complete modernisation&rsquo; by 2035&nbsp;and finally having &lsquo;world-class military&rsquo; by 2050. He also asked the people&rsquo;s liberation army (PLA) to be prepared for not just fight but win a war at any time.

In this background, it would be important to observe profiles of some important diplomats and military leaders. To begin with, one of the top diplomats, Yang Jiechi who is a state councillor; and special representative of India-China Border Dispute Talk Mechanism has been retained as a politburo and central committee (CC) member of the CPC.

The Central Committee (204 members) is the third largest decision-making body after Politburo Standing Committee (7-members PBSC) and Politburo (25 members including PBSC) of the CPC. It is also presumed that current foreign minister; Wang Yi will replace Yang Jiechi as a new state councillor and special representative in upcoming next plenum of 19th Congress of CPC in March-2018.

The head of Western Command of PLA in Sichuan, General Zhao Zongqi has been promoted as a central committee member. He is in-charge of India-China boundary disputes on the ground and played a very crucial role during 73-days long Doklam faceoff recently. General Xu Qiliang has been retained as a vice-chairman CMC of the CPC. The names of newly elected vice-chairman Zhang Youxia, and members of CMC are Wei Fenghe, Li Zuocheng, Miao Hua, Zhang Shengmini. It is to be noted that Chinese infrastructure development and logistics are in much better condition than Indian side of the border. China is also working on hi-speed train projects to these border areas with central parts of China.

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<h5>Xi Jinping tries to build his legacy in next 30 years with the help of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a grand strategy of China.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Xi Jinping tries to build his legacy in next 30 years with the help of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a grand strategy of China.">&nbsp;</a></div>
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One can say that Chinese President Xi Jinping tries to build his legacy in next 30 years with the help of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a grand strategy of China. The Chinese official argument behind BRI is that to build a world community of shared destiny based on the sovereignty and national interests of every country in the world.

But what we notice in the case of their sensitivities towards &lsquo;Indian sovereignty and national interests&rsquo; that despite Indian government repetitive protests, China is already involved in infrastructure development projects like construction of motorways, railways, bridges, tunnel and dams in the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan. In fact, China started building Karakoram highways in 1957 to increase their strategic influence in this disputed PoK region. No doubt, China-Pakistan Military Nexus is a strategic reality, which has been done against India. Today, both Chinese and Pakistani armies do joint patrolling in the disputed PoK region.

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<h5>With the help of BRI, China wants to increase their strategic influence in South Asia and Indian Ocean region.</h5>
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With the help of BRI, China wants to increase their strategic influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. China is giving loans to India&rsquo;s neighbouring countries, such as Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan. China&rsquo;s new assertiveness towards South Asia and the Indian Ocean region is a manifestation of asymmetric military and economic capabilities between China and India.

One can witness this assertiveness and strategic signalling in the tone and tenor of psychological warfare and threatening and immature words used against India during the recent 73-days long Doklam faceoff. In fact, Doklam faceoff was an ad-hoc diplomatic victory because even Chinese PLA Major General Qiao Liang justified withdrawal of troops in order to secure strategic position and to host BRICS Xiament Summit 2017 between 3rd and 5th Sep-2017; and 19th congress of Chinese communist party between 18th and 25th Oct-2017.

These South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan are already raising the concerns about repayment of Chinese loans and debts. There are some questions which need to be answered in this context. What if these south small Asian countries default on their repayment of Chinese loan and its high-interest rates?

If China is serious about building a world community of shared destiny based on the sovereignty and national interests then, why it did not consult all the participating countries before unilaterally setting the agendas for BRI forum at Beijing on 14-15 May 2017?

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<h5>BRI is a Chinese initiative launched for safeguarding the Chinese strategic and national interests.</h5>
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No doubt, BRI is a Chinese initiative launched for safeguarding the Chinese strategic and national interests. In the foreseeable future, one cannot discount the possibilities of another India-China boundary disputes because, in Chinese power calculus, India is considered as a junior power merely due to asymmetry in economic and military capabilities of both countries.

Chinese initiative for safeguarding the Chinese strategic and national interests seem alarming for India

Recently, concluded first plenum of 19th Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) helped in consolidating Chinese President Xi Jinping position as a core leader, included his thought in the constitution of the party as Xi Jinping thought of Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era along with his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative(BRI); and finally his emphasis on Chinese military modernisation, where army must be controlled by the communist party of China. Now, one needs to carefully analyse the implications of these developments for Indian strategic and security interests in particular and foreign policy in general. Indeed, Chinese President Xi Jinping is the third most influential political leader after Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in Chinese political history. China has world’s second largest GDP in nominal terms $11,199,145 and hence, no short of money for Chinese military modernisation. As a chairman of Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping has reiterated ‘basic mechanisation’ by 2020, ‘complete modernisation’ by 2035; and finally having ‘world-class military’ by 2050. × China has increased their military spending 118 per cent between 2007 and 2016 along with biggest military spender in Asia and Oceania. As the chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated ‘basic mechanisation’ by 2020, ‘complete modernisation’ by 2035 and finally having ‘world-class military’ by 2050. He also asked the people’s liberation army (PLA) to be prepared for not just fight but win a war at any time. In this background, it would be important to observe profiles of some important diplomats and military leaders. To begin with, one of the top diplomats, Yang Jiechi who is a state councillor; and special representative of India-China Border Dispute Talk Mechanism has been retained as a politburo and central committee (CC) member of the CPC. The Central Committee (204 members) is the third largest decision-making body after Politburo Standing Committee (7-members PBSC) and Politburo (25 members including PBSC) of the CPC. It is also presumed that current foreign minister; Wang Yi will replace Yang Jiechi as a new state councillor and special representative in upcoming next plenum of 19th Congress of CPC in March-2018. The head of Western Command of PLA in Sichuan, General Zhao Zongqi has been promoted as a central committee member. He is in-charge of India-China boundary disputes on the ground and played a very crucial role during 73-days long Doklam faceoff recently. General Xu Qiliang has been retained as a vice-chairman CMC of the CPC. The names of newly elected vice-chairman Zhang Youxia, and members of CMC are Wei Fenghe, Li Zuocheng, Miao Hua, Zhang Shengmini. It is to be noted that Chinese infrastructure development and logistics are in much better condition than Indian side of the border. China is also working on hi-speed train projects to these border areas with central parts of China. Xi Jinping tries to build his legacy in next 30 years with the help of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a grand strategy of China. × One can say that Chinese President Xi Jinping tries to build his legacy in next 30 years with the help of his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a grand strategy of China. The Chinese official argument behind BRI is that to build a world community of shared destiny based on the sovereignty and national interests of every country in the world. But what we notice in the case of their sensitivities towards ‘Indian sovereignty and national interests’ that despite Indian government repetitive protests, China is already involved in infrastructure development projects like construction of motorways, railways, bridges, tunnel and dams in the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan. In fact, China started building Karakoram highways in 1957 to increase their strategic influence in this disputed PoK region. No doubt, China-Pakistan Military Nexus is a strategic reality, which has been done against India. Today, both Chinese and Pakistani armies do joint patrolling in the disputed PoK region. With the help of BRI, China wants to increase their strategic influence in South Asia and Indian Ocean region. × With the help of BRI, China wants to increase their strategic influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. China is giving loans to India’s neighbouring countries, such as Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan. China’s new assertiveness towards South Asia and the Indian Ocean region is a manifestation of asymmetric military and economic capabilities between China and India. One can witness this assertiveness and strategic signalling in the tone and tenor of psychological warfare and threatening and immature words used against India during the recent 73-days long Doklam faceoff. In fact, Doklam faceoff was an ad-hoc diplomatic victory because even Chinese PLA Major General Qiao Liang justified withdrawal of troops in order to secure strategic position and to host BRICS Xiament Summit 2017 between 3rd and 5th Sep-2017; and 19th congress of Chinese communist party between 18th and 25th Oct-2017. These South Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan are already raising the concerns about repayment of Chinese loans and debts. There are some questions which need to be answered in this context. What if these south small Asian countries default on their repayment of Chinese loan and its high-interest rates? If China is serious about building a world community of shared destiny based on the sovereignty and national interests then, why it did not consult all the participating countries before unilaterally setting the agendas for BRI forum at Beijing on 14-15 May 2017? BRI is a Chinese initiative launched for safeguarding the Chinese strategic and national interests. × No doubt, BRI is a Chinese initiative launched for safeguarding the Chinese strategic and national interests. In the foreseeable future, one cannot discount the possibilities of another India-China boundary disputes because, in Chinese power calculus, India is considered as a junior power merely due to asymmetry in economic and military capabilities of both countries.

China's growing strategic influence in Asia is a threat to India

A pilot with the Bangladesh national carrier Bangladesh Biman was arrested on Wednesday suspected of terrorism offences, including plotting to keep passengers hostage and flying a plane into the houses of top government leaders, police said.

Sabbir Enam, 31, was detained on Tuesday and formally arrested on Wednesday, a senior police official said.

Rapid Action Battalion, the special security force of Bangladesh police, arrested him and three others, including his mother, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, a director of the RAB responsible for the legal and media wing of the force.

He told Reuters that Sabbir had close links with the militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and was planning to fly a plane into the residences of top government leaders.

&quot;He also had plans to take a flight, keeping passengers as hostage, and heading&nbsp;to some Middle Eastern country,&rdquo; Mufti said.

No further details of the plans, or if or when they were ever to be carried out, were immediately available. The arrested pilot was not available for comment.

JMB is an Islamic militant organisation which in 2005, detonated 500 bombs at 300 locations across the country. Its aim is to set up an Islamic state.

Sabbir Enam, 31, was detained on Tuesday and formally arrested on Wednesday, a senior police official said.

A pilot with the Bangladesh national carrier Bangladesh Biman was arrested on Wednesday suspected of terrorism offences, including plotting to keep passengers hostage and flying a plane into the houses of top government leaders, police said. Sabbir Enam, 31, was detained on Tuesday and formally arrested on Wednesday, a senior police official said. Rapid Action Battalion, the special security force of Bangladesh police, arrested him and three others, including his mother, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, a director of the RAB responsible for the legal and media wing of the force. He told Reuters that Sabbir had close links with the militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and was planning to fly a plane into the residences of top government leaders. "He also had plans to take a flight, keeping passengers as hostage, and heading to some Middle Eastern country,” Mufti said. No further details of the plans, or if or when they were ever to be carried out, were immediately available. The arrested pilot was not available for comment. JMB is an Islamic militant organisation which in 2005, detonated 500 bombs at 300 locations across the country. Its aim is to set up an Islamic state.

Bangladesh police arrests pilot suspected of air attack plot

Four Rohingya Muslims, a man, woman and two children, drowned when a small wooden fishing boat carrying dozens of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmars-rohingya-crisis-spinning-out-of-control-aid-officials-23017" target="_blank">refugees fleeing ethnic violence in Myanmar </a>capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Tuesday, police said.

People living in the coastal strip south of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-eyes-sterilisation-to-curb-rohingya-population-23059" target="_blank">Bangladesh port of Cox&#39;s Bazar </a>fished 37 survivors out of the water and 11 have been admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Mohammad Abul Khair, the officer in charge at Ukhiya police station, said.

The boat had keeled over in choppy seas as rain fell. According to survivors, they had paid 50,000 kyats ($37) to be taken to Bangladesh. They had abandoned their homes in Buthidaung, in the strife-torn north of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since the military in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants in late August.

United Nations officials have described the Myanmar military&#39;s action as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, an accusation that Myanmar denies.

Many of the Rohingya refugees have made the precarious sea and river crossing to reach the safety of predominately Muslim Bangladesh, though dozens have drowned making the attempt.

People living in the coastal strip south of the Bangladesh port of Cox's Bazar fished 37 survivors out of the water and 11 have been admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Mohammad Abul Khair, the officer in charge at Ukhiya police station, said

Four Rohingya Muslims, a man, woman and two children, drowned when a small wooden fishing boat carrying dozens of refugees fleeing ethnic violence in Myanmar capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Tuesday, police said. People living in the coastal strip south of the Bangladesh port of Cox's Bazar fished 37 survivors out of the water and 11 have been admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Mohammad Abul Khair, the officer in charge at Ukhiya police station, said. The boat had keeled over in choppy seas as rain fell. According to survivors, they had paid 50,000 kyats ($37) to be taken to Bangladesh. They had abandoned their homes in Buthidaung, in the strife-torn north of Myanmar's Rakhine State. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since the military in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants in late August. United Nations officials have described the Myanmar military's action as "ethnic cleansing", an accusation that Myanmar denies. Many of the Rohingya refugees have made the precarious sea and river crossing to reach the safety of predominately Muslim Bangladesh, though dozens have drowned making the attempt.

Rohingyas drown as refugee boat capsizes off Bangladesh

Four Rohingya Muslims, a man, woman and two children, drowned when a small wooden fishing boat carrying dozens of refugees fleeing ethnic violence in Myanmar capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Tuesday, police said.

People living in the coastal strip south of the Bangladesh port of Cox&#39;s Bazar fished 37 survivors out of the water and 11 have been admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Mohammad Abul Khair, the officer in charge at Ukhiya police station, said.

The boat had keeled over in choppy seas as rain fell. According to survivors they had paid 50,000 kyat ($37) to be taken to Bangladesh. They had abandoned their homes in Buthidaung, in the strife-torn north of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since the military in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants in late August.

United Nations officials have described the Myanmar military&#39;s action as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;, an accusation that Myanmar denies.

Many of the Rohingya refugees have made the precarious sea and river crossing to reach the safety of predominately Muslim Bangladesh, though dozens have drowned making the attempt.

($1 = 1,364.0000 kyat)

The boat had keeled over in choppy seas as rain fell

Four Rohingya Muslims, a man, woman and two children, drowned when a small wooden fishing boat carrying dozens of refugees fleeing ethnic violence in Myanmar capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Tuesday, police said. People living in the coastal strip south of the Bangladesh port of Cox's Bazar fished 37 survivors out of the water and 11 have been admitted to hospital in a critical condition, Mohammad Abul Khair, the officer in charge at Ukhiya police station, said. The boat had keeled over in choppy seas as rain fell. According to survivors they had paid 50,000 kyat ($37) to be taken to Bangladesh. They had abandoned their homes in Buthidaung, in the strife-torn north of Myanmar's Rakhine State. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since the military in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants in late August. United Nations officials have described the Myanmar military's action as "ethnic cleansing", an accusation that Myanmar denies. Many of the Rohingya refugees have made the precarious sea and river crossing to reach the safety of predominately Muslim Bangladesh, though dozens have drowned making the attempt. ($1 = 1,364.0000 kyat)

Four Rohingya drown as refugee boat capsizes off Bangladesh

Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build a 1,000km long tunnel, the world&rsquo;s longest, to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region, a media report said on Monday.

The move, that is expected to &ldquo;turn Xinjiang into California&rdquo;, has raised concerns among environmentalists about its likely impact on the Himalayan region, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world&rsquo;s highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water to China&rsquo;s largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands.

The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo river in southern Tibet, which turns into the Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang. China&rsquo;s longest tunnel is the 85km Dahuofang water project in Liaoning province, while the world&rsquo;s longest tunnel is the 137km main water supply pipe beneath the city of New York.

India, a riparian state, has already flagged its concerns to Beijing about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra. Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh, which is also a recipient of water from the river, that its dams were of the run of river projects and not designed to storing water. Wang Wei, a researcher who helped draft the latest Tibet-Xinjiang water tunnel proposal, which was submitted to the central government in March, said more than 100 scientists formed different teams for the nationwide research effort.

He was part of the team which was led by China&rsquo;s top tunnelling expert, Wang Mengshu. The team, according to the report, suggested to drain the Brahmaputra at Sangri county in southern Tibet, close to Arunachal Pradesh. &ldquo;Sangri county featured a large, relatively flat valley that was ideal for the engineering project. An artificial island would be built in the middle of the river to create rapid turbulence, which could filter out sediment, and direct water to a well. The well could control the amount of water flowing into the tunnel,&rdquo; the report said.

The Chinese government started building a tunnel in the centre of Yunnan province in August that will be more than 600km long. Researchers said building the Yunnan tunnel would be a &ldquo;rehearsal&rdquo; of the new technology, engineering methods and equipment needed for the Tibet-Xinjiang tunnel, which would divert the Brahmaputra to the Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang, it said.

Chinese engineers say the Tibetan Plateau, often referred to as &ldquo;the roof of the world&rdquo;, stops the monsoon from the Indian Ocean reaching Xinjiang, leaving the Gobi desert in the north and the Taklimakan desert in the south unsuitable for human settlement. In recent decades, Chinese government departments, including the ministry of water resources, have come up with engineering blueprints involving huge dams, pumps and tunnels, the report said.

The project&rsquo;s enormous cost, engineering challenges, possible environmental impact and the likelihood of protests by neighbouring countries have meant it has never left the drawing board. But Zhang Chuanqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences&rsquo; Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics in Wuhan, Hubei province, said China was now taking a quiet, step-by-step approach to bring it to life. &ldquo;The water diversion project in central Yunnan is a demonstration project,&rdquo; said Zhang, who has played a key role in many major Chinese water tunnel projects, including the one in Yunnan.

&ldquo;It is to show we have the brains, muscle and tools to build super-long tunnels in hazardous terrains, and the cost does not break the bank,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying by the Post. The construction of the tunnel on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the country&rsquo;s second-highest, would make political leaders more confident about the Tibet-Xinjiang project and more likely to approve it, he said

Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build a 1,000km long tunnel the world?s longest to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region.

Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build a 1,000km long tunnel, the world’s longest, to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region, a media report said on Monday. The move, that is expected to “turn Xinjiang into California”, has raised concerns among environmentalists about its likely impact on the Himalayan region, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world’s highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water to China’s largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands. The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo river in southern Tibet, which turns into the Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang. China’s longest tunnel is the 85km Dahuofang water project in Liaoning province, while the world’s longest tunnel is the 137km main water supply pipe beneath the city of New York. India, a riparian state, has already flagged its concerns to Beijing about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra. Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh, which is also a recipient of water from the river, that its dams were of the run of river projects and not designed to storing water. Wang Wei, a researcher who helped draft the latest Tibet-Xinjiang water tunnel proposal, which was submitted to the central government in March, said more than 100 scientists formed different teams for the nationwide research effort. He was part of the team which was led by China’s top tunnelling expert, Wang Mengshu. The team, according to the report, suggested to drain the Brahmaputra at Sangri county in southern Tibet, close to Arunachal Pradesh. “Sangri county featured a large, relatively flat valley that was ideal for the engineering project. An artificial island would be built in the middle of the river to create rapid turbulence, which could filter out sediment, and direct water to a well. The well could control the amount of water flowing into the tunnel,” the report said. The Chinese government started building a tunnel in the centre of Yunnan province in August that will be more than 600km long. Researchers said building the Yunnan tunnel would be a “rehearsal” of the new technology, engineering methods and equipment needed for the Tibet-Xinjiang tunnel, which would divert the Brahmaputra to the Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang, it said. Chinese engineers say the Tibetan Plateau, often referred to as “the roof of the world”, stops the monsoon from the Indian Ocean reaching Xinjiang, leaving the Gobi desert in the north and the Taklimakan desert in the south unsuitable for human settlement. In recent decades, Chinese government departments, including the ministry of water resources, have come up with engineering blueprints involving huge dams, pumps and tunnels, the report said. The project’s enormous cost, engineering challenges, possible environmental impact and the likelihood of protests by neighbouring countries have meant it has never left the drawing board. But Zhang Chuanqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics in Wuhan, Hubei province, said China was now taking a quiet, step-by-step approach to bring it to life. “The water diversion project in central Yunnan is a demonstration project,” said Zhang, who has played a key role in many major Chinese water tunnel projects, including the one in Yunnan. “It is to show we have the brains, muscle and tools to build super-long tunnels in hazardous terrains, and the cost does not break the bank,” he was quoted as saying by the Post. The construction of the tunnel on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the country’s second-highest, would make political leaders more confident about the Tibet-Xinjiang project and more likely to approve it, he said

China wants to 'turn Xinjiang into California', plans 1,000km tunnel to divert Brahmaputra water

A Bangladeshi court today sentenced 11 people to 20 years imprisonment for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 28 years ago at her family residence, media reports said.

The Dhaka court also handed down life imprisonment to the accused of blasting bombs on the same day in 1989 at the house of Hasina, Dhaka Tribune reported.

The court imposed a fine of 20,000 taka ($USD 240) each on the convicts&#39; members of the Bangladesh Freedom Party (BFP) which was behind the killing of Bangladesh&rsquo;s first president and the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, the report said.

Judge Mohamed Zahidul Kabir of Dhaka Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge&rsquo;s Court delivered the verdict, the report said.

One of the accused, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Abdur Rashid, had previously been sentenced to death for the murder of Bangabandhu, father of Hasina, 70.

The convicts were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each in two separate charges, a total of 20 years, the report said.

One accused was acquitted as the charges brought against him were not proved.

According to the case, seven or eight armed members of the BFP came to the residence of Bangabandhu in Dhanmondi arwa on August 11, 1989 on two three-wheelers, the report said.

Bangabandhu, the Father of the nation and first president of Bangladesh, was assassinated in 1975. He is considered to be the driving force behind the independence of Bangladesh.

Forcing into the residence, they hurled grenades and opened fire at the building where Hasina was present, it said.

In retaliation, police officials stationed at the premises opened fire at the attackers but they fled the spot, the report said.

Two cases were lodged and charge sheets naming 16 people filed in February 1997. In July 2009, charges were framed against the accused.

Leaders of the ruling Awami League have in the past said that assailants have made attempts on Hasina&rsquo;s life at least 19 times since the killing of Bangabandhu.

In August, 10 people were sentenced to death in one of the Hasina assassination bid cases.

A Bangladesh court sentenced the 11 to 20 years imprisonment

A Bangladeshi court today sentenced 11 people to 20 years imprisonment for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 28 years ago at her family residence, media reports said. The Dhaka court also handed down life imprisonment to the accused of blasting bombs on the same day in 1989 at the house of Hasina, Dhaka Tribune reported. The court imposed a fine of 20,000 taka ($USD 240) each on the convicts' members of the Bangladesh Freedom Party (BFP) which was behind the killing of Bangladesh’s first president and the Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975, the report said. Judge Mohamed Zahidul Kabir of Dhaka Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict, the report said. One of the accused, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Abdur Rashid, had previously been sentenced to death for the murder of Bangabandhu, father of Hasina, 70. The convicts were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each in two separate charges, a total of 20 years, the report said. One accused was acquitted as the charges brought against him were not proved. According to the case, seven or eight armed members of the BFP came to the residence of Bangabandhu in Dhanmondi arwa on August 11, 1989 on two three-wheelers, the report said. Bangabandhu, the Father of the nation and first president of Bangladesh, was assassinated in 1975. He is considered to be the driving force behind the independence of Bangladesh. Forcing into the residence, they hurled grenades and opened fire at the building where Hasina was present, it said. In retaliation, police officials stationed at the premises opened fire at the attackers but they fled the spot, the report said. Two cases were lodged and charge sheets naming 16 people filed in February 1997. In July 2009, charges were framed against the accused. Leaders of the ruling Awami League have in the past said that assailants have made attempts on Hasina’s life at least 19 times since the killing of Bangabandhu. In August, 10 people were sentenced to death in one of the Hasina assassination bid cases.

Bangladesh: 11 jailed for assassination attempt on PM Hasina 28 years ago

Myanmar&#39;s government began harvesting rice from farmland abandoned by Rohingya in northern Rakhine on Saturday, officials said, a move likely to raise concerns about the prospect of return for more than half a million refugees who have fled communal violence in the area.

The border region has been emptied of most of its Muslim residents since late August when Myanmar&#39;s military launched a crackdown on Rohingya rebels that the UN says likely amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Hundreds of villages have been burned to the ground, with more than 600,000 Rohingya, a stateless group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, fleeing across the border for sanctuary in Bangladesh.

Under intense global pressure, Myanmar has agreed to repatriate &quot;scrutinised&quot; refugees who can prove their residence in Rakhine.

But details of the plan remain thin, seeding concern about who will be allowed back, what they will return to and how they will live in a region where anti-Rohingya hatred remains sky-high.&nbsp;

On Saturday the government began harvesting 71,000 acres of rice paddy in Maungdaw, the Rohingya-majority area hardest-hit by the violence, according to state media and a local official.&nbsp;

&quot;We started harvesting today in Myo Thu Gyi village tract,&quot; Thein Wai, the head of Maungdaw&#39;s Agricultural Department, told AFP.

&quot;We are going to harvest some paddy fields of Bengalis who fled to Bangladesh,&quot; he said using a pejorative term for the Rohingya commonly used in Myanmar.

&quot;We do not know when those Bengalis who fled to other side will come back. That&#39;s why we have to harvest,&quot; he said, adding that he did not know what government would do with the paddies in the future.&nbsp;

Workers were bused in from other parts of the country to assist with the harvest, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar.

&#39;Deeply disturbed&#39;

Myanmar has denied charges of ethnic cleansing and defended its military campaign as a counter offensive targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen.

But media, rights groups, and the UN have documented consistent accounts from Rohingya refugees of atrocities at the hands of Myanmar security officers, who are accused of killing civilians, raping women and torching homes.&nbsp;

On Friday UN rights experts said they were &quot;deeply disturbed&quot; after speaking to refugees in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The accounts they heard &quot;point to a consistent, methodical pattern of actions resulting in gross human rights violations affecting hundreds of thousands of people,&quot; said Marzuki Darusman, who chairs the fact-finding mission.

Myanmar&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi,&nbsp;who has no control over the powerful army, recently created a committee to oversee resettlement in Rakhine, where tens of thousands of other minority groups were also internally displaced by the violence.&nbsp;

The construction of homes for minorities such as the Mro has begun, according to state media, while Suu Kyi&#39;s government has enticed business tycoons to donate to the rebuilding effort.&nbsp;

But fear abounds that the rehabilitation will sideline the Rohingya -- a group that has suffered under decades of state-backed discrimination.

Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct minority, rendering the 1.1-million strong group stateless.&nbsp;

The army has spread the view that they are foreign &quot;Bengalis&quot; from Bangladesh, despite many having lived in Myanmar for generations.

On Saturday the government began harvesting 71,000 acres of rice paddy in Maungdaw, the Rohingya-majority area hardest-hit by the violence

Myanmar's government began harvesting rice from farmland abandoned by Rohingya in northern Rakhine on Saturday, officials said, a move likely to raise concerns about the prospect of return for more than half a million refugees who have fled communal violence in the area. The border region has been emptied of most of its Muslim residents since late August when Myanmar's military launched a crackdown on Rohingya rebels that the UN says likely amounts to ethnic cleansing. Hundreds of villages have been burned to the ground, with more than 600,000 Rohingya, a stateless group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, fleeing across the border for sanctuary in Bangladesh. Under intense global pressure, Myanmar has agreed to repatriate "scrutinised" refugees who can prove their residence in Rakhine. But details of the plan remain thin, seeding concern about who will be allowed back, what they will return to and how they will live in a region where anti-Rohingya hatred remains sky-high. On Saturday the government began harvesting 71,000 acres of rice paddy in Maungdaw, the Rohingya-majority area hardest-hit by the violence, according to state media and a local official. "We started harvesting today in Myo Thu Gyi village tract," Thein Wai, the head of Maungdaw's Agricultural Department, told AFP. "We are going to harvest some paddy fields of Bengalis who fled to Bangladesh," he said using a pejorative term for the Rohingya commonly used in Myanmar. "We do not know when those Bengalis who fled to other side will come back. That's why we have to harvest," he said, adding that he did not know what government would do with the paddies in the future. Workers were bused in from other parts of the country to assist with the harvest, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar. 'Deeply disturbed' Myanmar has denied charges of ethnic cleansing and defended its military campaign as a counter offensive targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen. But media, rights groups, and the UN have documented consistent accounts from Rohingya refugees of atrocities at the hands of Myanmar security officers, who are accused of killing civilians, raping women and torching homes. On Friday UN rights experts said they were "deeply disturbed" after speaking to refugees in Bangladesh. The accounts they heard "point to a consistent, methodical pattern of actions resulting in gross human rights violations affecting hundreds of thousands of people," said Marzuki Darusman, who chairs the fact-finding mission. Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has no control over the powerful army, recently created a committee to oversee resettlement in Rakhine, where tens of thousands of other minority groups were also internally displaced by the violence. The construction of homes for minorities such as the Mro has begun, according to state media, while Suu Kyi's government has enticed business tycoons to donate to the rebuilding effort. But fear abounds that the rehabilitation will sideline the Rohingya -- a group that has suffered under decades of state-backed discrimination. Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct minority, rendering the 1.1-million strong group stateless. The army has spread the view that they are foreign "Bengalis" from Bangladesh, despite many having lived in Myanmar for generations.

Myanmar govt harvests abandoned Rohingya fields, raising fears over refugees' return

Bangladesh is planning to introduce voluntary sterilisation in its overcrowded Rohingya camps, where nearly a million refugees are fighting for space, after efforts to encourage birth control failed.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar in August triggered an exodus, straining resources in the impoverished country.

The latest arrivals have joined hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled in earlier waves from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, where the stateless Muslim minority has endured decades of persecution.

Most live in desperate conditions with limited access to food, sanitation or health facilities and local officials fear a lack of family planning could stretch resources even further.

Pintu Kanti Bhattacharjee, who heads the family planning service in the district of Cox&#39;s Bazar where the camps are based, said there was little awareness of birth control among the Rohingya.

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<h5>District family planning authorities have launched a drive to provide contraception, but say they have so far managed to distribute just 549 packets of condoms among the refugees, who are reluctant to use them</h5>
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&quot;The whole community has been deliberately left behind,&quot; he told AFP, citing a lack of education in Myanmar, where the Rohingya are viewed as illegal immigrants and denied access to many services.

Bhattacharjee said large families were the norm in the camps, where some parents had up to 19 children and many Rohingya men have more than one wife.

District family planning authorities have launched a drive to provide contraception, but say they have so far managed to distribute just 549 packets of condoms among the refugees, who are reluctant to use them.

They have asked the government to approve a plan to launch vasectomies for Rohingya men and tubectomies for women, Bhattacharjee told AFP.

But they are likely to face an uphill struggle.

Many of the refugees told AFP they believed a large family would help them survive in the camps, where access to food and water remains a daily battle and children are often sent out to fetch and carry supplies.

Others had been told contraception was against the tenets of Islam.

Farhana Sultana, a family planning volunteer who works with Rohingya refugees in the camps, said many of the women she spoke to believed birth control was a sin.

&quot;In Rakhine they did not go to family planning clinics, fearing the Myanmar authorities would give medicine that harms them or their children,&quot; Sultana said.

Volunteers said they struggled to sell the benefits of birth control to Rohingya women, most of whom came to them for advice on pregnancy complications or help with newborns.

Sabura, a mother of seven, said her husband believed the couple could support a large family.

&quot;I spoke to my husband about birth control measures. But he is not convinced. He was given two condoms but he did not use them,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;My husband said we need more children as we have land and property (in Rakhine). We don&#39;t have to worry to feed them,&quot; she said.

Bangladesh has for years run a successful domestic sterilisation programme, offering 2,300 taka ($28) and a traditional lungi garment to each man who agrees to undergo the procedure.

Every month 250 people undergo sterilisation in the border town of Cox&#39;s Bazar.

But performing the permanent procedure on non-Bangladeshi nationals requires final approval from a committee headed by the health minister.

The idea is particularly contentious given the sensitivity of the issue in Myanmar. The widespread perception that the Rohingya population is mushrooming is a key source of the tensions that have spiralled in recent months.

No official data is available on birth rates among the Rohingya, who are excluded from the census in Myanmar.

But many of the ethnic Rakhine Buddhists accused of taking part in attacks on Rohingya villages that have driven hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh say they fear being displaced by the Muslim minority.

The Rohingya face official restrictions on the number of children they can have in Myanmar, although this has not been widely enforced.

Rights activists working in the camps in Bangladesh said some believed pregnancy provided protection against rape or other attacks in Myanmar, where the military has been accused of sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls.

&quot;Some of them told us that if a woman was pregnant, she had less chance of being targeted by the military or attackers.&quot;

Bangladesh officials say some 20,000 Rohingya women are pregnant and 600 have given birth since arriving in Bangladesh, though this may be an underestimate as many births take place with no formal medical help.

&quot;Sterilisation of the males is the best way to control the population,&quot; said Bhattacharjee.

&quot;If a man is sterilised, he cannot father a child even if he marries four or five times.&quot;

Bangladesh is planning to introduce voluntary sterilisation in its overcrowded Rohingya camps, where nearly a million refugees are fighting for space

Bangladesh is planning to introduce voluntary sterilisation in its overcrowded Rohingya camps, where nearly a million refugees are fighting for space, after efforts to encourage birth control failed. More than 600,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar in August triggered an exodus, straining resources in the impoverished country. The latest arrivals have joined hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled in earlier waves from Myanmar's Rakhine state, where the stateless Muslim minority has endured decades of persecution. Most live in desperate conditions with limited access to food, sanitation or health facilities and local officials fear a lack of family planning could stretch resources even further. Pintu Kanti Bhattacharjee, who heads the family planning service in the district of Cox's Bazar where the camps are based, said there was little awareness of birth control among the Rohingya. District family planning authorities have launched a drive to provide contraception, but say they have so far managed to distribute just 549 packets of condoms among the refugees, who are reluctant to use them × "The whole community has been deliberately left behind," he told AFP, citing a lack of education in Myanmar, where the Rohingya are viewed as illegal immigrants and denied access to many services. Bhattacharjee said large families were the norm in the camps, where some parents had up to 19 children and many Rohingya men have more than one wife. District family planning authorities have launched a drive to provide contraception, but say they have so far managed to distribute just 549 packets of condoms among the refugees, who are reluctant to use them. They have asked the government to approve a plan to launch vasectomies for Rohingya men and tubectomies for women, Bhattacharjee told AFP. But they are likely to face an uphill struggle. Many of the refugees told AFP they believed a large family would help them survive in the camps, where access to food and water remains a daily battle and children are often sent out to fetch and carry supplies. Others had been told contraception was against the tenets of Islam. Farhana Sultana, a family planning volunteer who works with Rohingya refugees in the camps, said many of the women she spoke to believed birth control was a sin. "In Rakhine they did not go to family planning clinics, fearing the Myanmar authorities would give medicine that harms them or their children," Sultana said. Volunteers said they struggled to sell the benefits of birth control to Rohingya women, most of whom came to them for advice on pregnancy complications or help with newborns. Sabura, a mother of seven, said her husband believed the couple could support a large family. "I spoke to my husband about birth control measures. But he is not convinced. He was given two condoms but he did not use them," she told AFP. "My husband said we need more children as we have land and property (in Rakhine). We don't have to worry to feed them," she said. Bangladesh has for years run a successful domestic sterilisation programme, offering 2,300 taka ($28) and a traditional lungi garment to each man who agrees to undergo the procedure. Every month 250 people undergo sterilisation in the border town of Cox's Bazar. But performing the permanent procedure on non-Bangladeshi nationals requires final approval from a committee headed by the health minister. The idea is particularly contentious given the sensitivity of the issue in Myanmar. The widespread perception that the Rohingya population is mushrooming is a key source of the tensions that have spiralled in recent months. No official data is available on birth rates among the Rohingya, who are excluded from the census in Myanmar. But many of the ethnic Rakhine Buddhists accused of taking part in attacks on Rohingya villages that have driven hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh say they fear being displaced by the Muslim minority. The Rohingya face official restrictions on the number of children they can have in Myanmar, although this has not been widely enforced. Rights activists working in the camps in Bangladesh said some believed pregnancy provided protection against rape or other attacks in Myanmar, where the military has been accused of sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls. "Some of them told us that if a woman was pregnant, she had less chance of being targeted by the military or attackers." Bangladesh officials say some 20,000 Rohingya women are pregnant and 600 have given birth since arriving in Bangladesh, though this may be an underestimate as many births take place with no formal medical help. "Sterilisation of the males is the best way to control the population," said Bhattacharjee. "If a man is sterilised, he cannot father a child even if he marries four or five times."

Bangladesh eyes sterilisation to curb Rohingya population

The US wants Myanmar to set conditions for the return of Rohingya Muslims as it believes that this &quot;humanitarian catastrophe&quot; can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said.

Nearly 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown against militants.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

&quot;It is a very significant humanitarian and security concern. Because there are those who will use this humanitarian catastrophe as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence,&quot; the senior administration official said.

&quot;So, it&#39;s important for Myanmar to do more, to set conditions for the return of refugees,&quot; said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As such it is important for the international communities to do everything they can to alleviate the tremendous humanitarian suffering and to ensure that basic services, including education for children, are met.

Meanwhile, the US government yesterday announced to have provided nearly US $40 million in life-saving emergency assistance in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis since August 25.

This brings the total US humanitarian assistance in 2017 to the displaced in Myanmar and the region to nearly US $104 million, the State Department said.

The US assistance goes to its international organisation partners on the ground, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children&#39;s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The organisations help in providing protection, emergency shelter, food and nutritional assistance, as well as health care and psychosocial support for the more than half a million displaced refugees in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the region.

&quot;We applaud Bangladesh&#39;s government generosity in responding to this severe humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need,&quot; the department said.

Welcoming Myanmar&#39;s commitment in bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report, the department in a statement called for an immediate end to the violence in northern Rakhine State and for the Myanmar&#39;s government to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.

US believes that this 'humanitarian catastrophe' can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said

The US wants Myanmar to set conditions for the return of Rohingya Muslims as it believes that this "humanitarian catastrophe" can be used by some as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence, a senior Trump administration official has said. Nearly 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since late August to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State where the army has launched a crackdown against militants. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. "It is a very significant humanitarian and security concern. Because there are those who will use this humanitarian catastrophe as a way to foment hatred along religious lines and then violence," the senior administration official said. "So, it's important for Myanmar to do more, to set conditions for the return of refugees," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. As such it is important for the international communities to do everything they can to alleviate the tremendous humanitarian suffering and to ensure that basic services, including education for children, are met. Meanwhile, the US government yesterday announced to have provided nearly US $40 million in life-saving emergency assistance in direct response to the Rakhine State crisis since August 25. This brings the total US humanitarian assistance in 2017 to the displaced in Myanmar and the region to nearly US $104 million, the State Department said. The US assistance goes to its international organisation partners on the ground, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The organisations help in providing protection, emergency shelter, food and nutritional assistance, as well as health care and psychosocial support for the more than half a million displaced refugees in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the region. "We applaud Bangladesh's government generosity in responding to this severe humanitarian crisis and appreciate its continued efforts to ensure assistance reaches people in need," the department said. Welcoming Myanmar's commitment in bringing long-term peace and stability to Rakhine State by implementing the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report, the department in a statement called for an immediate end to the violence in northern Rakhine State and for the Myanmar's government to allow refugees to return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.

US wants Myanmar to set conditions for return of Rohingya

Bangladesh today pitched for a greater Indian role in containing the influx of Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar, saying the issue may not be directly affecting India now, but it may have an impact in future.

Bangladesh&#39;s High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said the &quot;fire in the neighbourhood&quot; has the potential to engulf the entire region and it would be prudent for India to act in &quot;mutual interest&quot;.

&quot;It is a fire in our neighbourhood and before it engulfs in the entire region it needs to be put out. They (the refugees) are vulnerable to all sorts of radicalisation and it is in our mutual advantage to work together,&quot; Ali told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents&#39; Club here.

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<h5>Ali refused to comment on India&#39;s proposal to deport around 40,000 Rohingya refugees who are settled in camps across the country, saying it was a &#39;matter of your country&#39;</h5>
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Responding to a question, he said New Delhi and Dhaka may not appear on the same page on the issue as Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State, the epicentre of the refugee exodus, does not have a common border with India.

&quot;You are safe for now but how long will that be? It is in our common interest to act together. It may burn my house today, but it may surely have an impact in your house tomorrow,&quot; he said, while applauding India&#39;s role in sending relief for the refugees housed in a number of camps in Bangladesh&#39;s Cox&#39;s Bazar area.

He refused to comment on India&#39;s proposal to deport around 40,000 Rohingya refugees who are settled in camps across the country, saying it was a &quot;matter of your country&quot;.

However, he reminded that &quot;60 per cent&quot; of the refugees who have crossed over to Bangladesh were women, children and elderly and living in &quot;unacceptable conditions&quot;.

He called the Rakhine State a breeding ground of radicalisation owing to alleged atrocities on the Rohingya community and their festering anger.

He suggested that reports of bodies of Hindu Rohingya people found in mass graves were an attempt by the Myanmar administration to &quot;intentionally&quot; drive a wedge between communities.

&quot;It is the inability of the Myanmarese authorities to recognise them (the Rohingya) as their own which is creating issues. The problem originated in Myanmar and needs to be resolved there,&quot; he said.

Referring to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj&#39;s upcoming visit to Dhaka, Ali said water sharing is one of the very few areas of common interest between the two countries which remains contentious.

&quot;The sooner we resolve the issue the better,&quot; he said.

In an oblique reference to West Bengal&#39;s position on the issue that during the lean season water availability in Teesta river was not enough to share, he said: &quot;It is like a person calling himself orphan after killing his own parents.&quot;&nbsp;

Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India said the 'fire in the neighbourhood' has the potential to engulf the entire region and it would be prudent for India to act in 'mutual interest'

Bangladesh today pitched for a greater Indian role in containing the influx of Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar, saying the issue may not be directly affecting India now, but it may have an impact in future. Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said the "fire in the neighbourhood" has the potential to engulf the entire region and it would be prudent for India to act in "mutual interest". "It is a fire in our neighbourhood and before it engulfs in the entire region it needs to be put out. They (the refugees) are vulnerable to all sorts of radicalisation and it is in our mutual advantage to work together," Ali told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club here. Ali refused to comment on India's proposal to deport around 40,000 Rohingya refugees who are settled in camps across the country, saying it was a 'matter of your country' × Responding to a question, he said New Delhi and Dhaka may not appear on the same page on the issue as Myanmar's Rakhine State, the epicentre of the refugee exodus, does not have a common border with India. "You are safe for now but how long will that be? It is in our common interest to act together. It may burn my house today, but it may surely have an impact in your house tomorrow," he said, while applauding India's role in sending relief for the refugees housed in a number of camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area. He refused to comment on India's proposal to deport around 40,000 Rohingya refugees who are settled in camps across the country, saying it was a "matter of your country". However, he reminded that "60 per cent" of the refugees who have crossed over to Bangladesh were women, children and elderly and living in "unacceptable conditions". He called the Rakhine State a breeding ground of radicalisation owing to alleged atrocities on the Rohingya community and their festering anger. He suggested that reports of bodies of Hindu Rohingya people found in mass graves were an attempt by the Myanmar administration to "intentionally" drive a wedge between communities. "It is the inability of the Myanmarese authorities to recognise them (the Rohingya) as their own which is creating issues. The problem originated in Myanmar and needs to be resolved there," he said. Referring to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's upcoming visit to Dhaka, Ali said water sharing is one of the very few areas of common interest between the two countries which remains contentious. "The sooner we resolve the issue the better," he said. In an oblique reference to West Bengal's position on the issue that during the lean season water availability in Teesta river was not enough to share, he said: "It is like a person calling himself orphan after killing his own parents."

Bangladesh for greater Indian role to contain Rohingya influx

Ten people are dead and dozens missing after another boat carrying Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh sank in the Naf river.

The Naf separates <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/as-bodies-wash-up-un-says-27000-rohingya-have-fled-myanmar-19767" target="_blank">Myanmar from Bangladesh</a>.

The boat was carrying an estimated 50 people when it went down in the estuary of the Naf river that divides the two countries, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) area commander Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Ariful Islam told AFP.

The deaths have added to the&nbsp;list of over two hundred caused by about a dozen boat sinkings.&nbsp;

Myanmar has been wracked by violence since August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in the country&#39;s western Rakhine state.

In response, Myanmar security forces&nbsp;have carried out what the United Nations recently described as a &quot;textbook case of ethnic cleansing.&quot;&nbsp;

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25 -- that is half the country&#39;s Rohingya population.&nbsp;

The Rohingya are Muslim, and are reviled in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.&nbsp;

They do not have citizenship rights and are thought of, in Myamar, as &quot;illegal immigrants&quot;&nbsp;from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

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About a dozen boat sinkings have so far claimed the lives of about 200 Rohingya

Ten people are dead and dozens missing after another boat carrying Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh sank in the Naf river. The Naf separates Myanmar from Bangladesh. The boat was carrying an estimated 50 people when it went down in the estuary of the Naf river that divides the two countries, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) area commander Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Ariful Islam told AFP. The deaths have added to the list of over two hundred caused by about a dozen boat sinkings. Myanmar has been wracked by violence since August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in the country's western Rakhine state. In response, Myanmar security forces have carried out what the United Nations recently described as a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing." More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25 -- that is half the country's Rohingya population. The Rohingya are Muslim, and are reviled in mainly Buddhist Myanmar. They do not have citizenship rights and are thought of, in Myamar, as "illegal immigrants" from Bangladesh.

Another Rohingya boat sinks: 10 dead, dozens missing

Bangladesh has tightened security along its western border with India amid concern that hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees could be pushed into its territory, officials said Sunday.

Patrols have been stepped up along the frontier with India&#39;s West Bengal state, where border guards say they have been ordered in recent weeks to steer Rohingya into Bangladesh.

Tariqul Hakim, an area commander of the Border Guard Bangladesh, said Rohingya could be seen gathering opposite the Putkhali frontier post, where just a narrow river divides the two countries.

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<h5>We have stepped up surveillance and patrols so that no Rohingya can be pushed into our territory,&#39; Lieutenant Colonel Hakim said</h5>
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&quot;We have stepped up surveillance and patrols so that no Rohingya can be pushed into our territory,&quot; Lieutenant Colonel Hakim told AFP.

There are 40,000 Rohingya in India but the Indian government wants them deported, telling a top court last month they pose a security threat.

Hakim said Rohingya communities inside India could be trying to reunite with their families in southeast Bangladesh, where more than half a million Rohingya refugees have arrived since August from Myanmar.

An estimated 536,000 refugees have crossed since August 25, fleeing violence in western Myanmar described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing.

An Indian border guard in West Bengal told AFP that patrols had previously turned over all Rohingya intercepted at the frontier to local police.

&quot;But now our directions are very clear, and that is to push all Rohingya into Bangladesh,&quot; he told AFP on condition of anonymity.

&quot;We are trying to accomplish our task with active local support&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-building-pressure-on-myanmar-to-stop-persecution-of-rohingyas-confirms-bangladesh-20243" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;India building pressure on Myanmar to stop persecution of Rohingyas, confirms Bangladesh</a>

A Bangladesh border guard official, Abdul Hossain, said villages along the frontier were on high alert, with newly-arrived refugees saying they had been encouraged by Indian guards to cross the border.

&quot;We&#39;ve been patrolling the border day and night to prevent their entry. Local villagers have also joined us in the patrols,&quot; Hossain told AFP.

Local council member Nazrul Islam said more than a dozen Rohingya who crossed at a southwestern part of the frontier Friday reported Indian guards opening a section of barbed wire to allow them to pass easily.

Bangladesh already hosts at least 800,000 Rohingya, including those who fled earlier crackdowns in Myanmar, and does not want to accept any from India.&nbsp;

It is trying to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar. But the stateless Muslim minority are reviled in the mainly Buddhist nation and considered to be illegal immigrants.

The unprecedented influx of refugees has put immense pressure on Bangladeshi authorities and charities, who have described the crisis as one of the world&#39;s most pressing humanitarian emergencies.

Also watch below:&nbsp; Nowhere men, the Rohingya of Myanmar

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Some 40,000 of the world&#39;s &#39;most persecuted minority&#39; live in India (WION)
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The country is concerned India might try to push its Rohingya into Bangladeshi territory

Bangladesh has tightened security along its western border with India amid concern that hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees could be pushed into its territory, officials said Sunday. Patrols have been stepped up along the frontier with India's West Bengal state, where border guards say they have been ordered in recent weeks to steer Rohingya into Bangladesh. Tariqul Hakim, an area commander of the Border Guard Bangladesh, said Rohingya could be seen gathering opposite the Putkhali frontier post, where just a narrow river divides the two countries. We have stepped up surveillance and patrols so that no Rohingya can be pushed into our territory,' Lieutenant Colonel Hakim said × "We have stepped up surveillance and patrols so that no Rohingya can be pushed into our territory," Lieutenant Colonel Hakim told AFP. There are 40,000 Rohingya in India but the Indian government wants them deported, telling a top court last month they pose a security threat. Hakim said Rohingya communities inside India could be trying to reunite with their families in southeast Bangladesh, where more than half a million Rohingya refugees have arrived since August from Myanmar. An estimated 536,000 refugees have crossed since August 25, fleeing violence in western Myanmar described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing. An Indian border guard in West Bengal told AFP that patrols had previously turned over all Rohingya intercepted at the frontier to local police. "But now our directions are very clear, and that is to push all Rohingya into Bangladesh," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. "We are trying to accomplish our task with active local support". Also read: India building pressure on Myanmar to stop persecution of Rohingyas, confirms Bangladesh A Bangladesh border guard official, Abdul Hossain, said villages along the frontier were on high alert, with newly-arrived refugees saying they had been encouraged by Indian guards to cross the border. "We've been patrolling the border day and night to prevent their entry. Local villagers have also joined us in the patrols," Hossain told AFP. Local council member Nazrul Islam said more than a dozen Rohingya who crossed at a southwestern part of the frontier Friday reported Indian guards opening a section of barbed wire to allow them to pass easily. Bangladesh already hosts at least 800,000 Rohingya, including those who fled earlier crackdowns in Myanmar, and does not want to accept any from India. It is trying to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar. But the stateless Muslim minority are reviled in the mainly Buddhist nation and considered to be illegal immigrants. The unprecedented influx of refugees has put immense pressure on Bangladeshi authorities and charities, who have described the crisis as one of the world's most pressing humanitarian emergencies. Also watch below: Nowhere men, the Rohingya of Myanmar Some 40,000 of the world's 'most persecuted minority' live in India (WION) ×

Bangladesh steps up security on India border over Rohingya fears

Myanmar launched on Tuesday its first bid to improve relations between followers of different religions since an eruption of deadly violence in August inflamed communal tension and triggered an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-group-urges-bangladesh-to-pressure-myanmar-on-return-to-ancestral-land-12444" target="_blank">exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh</a>.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-insurgent-ceasefire-ends-in-myanmar-with-no-report-of-attacks-21212" target="_blank">Rohingya Muslims </a>are still fleeing, more than six weeks after Rohingya insurgents attacked security forces in western Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

The United Nations has denounced a ferocious military crackdown in response to the attacks as ethnic cleansing aimed at driving out Rohingya.

A new surge of refugees has entered Bangladesh in recent days, including about 11,000 on Monday. Some have told of increasing hunger in Rakhine State as well as of more mob attacks on Muslim villagers.

Despite growing international condemnation of the refugee crisis, the military campaign is popular in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where there is little sympathy for the Rohingya, and for Muslims in general, and where Buddhist nationalism has surged in recent years.

The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

&quot;This is for peace and stability,&quot; party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters. &quot;Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide.&quot;

Traffic was jammed around the stadium as Buddhist monks had nuns packed the stands inside, along with thousands of others.

The Rohingya had pinned hopes for change on Suu Kyi&#39;s party but it has been wary of Buddhist nationalist pressure. Her party did not field a single Muslim candidate in the 2015 election that it swept.

Rohingya are not classified as an indigenous minority in Myanmar and so are denied citizenship under a law that links nationality to ethnicity.

Regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they face restrictions and discrimination and are derided by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine State, and by much of the wider population.

The militants of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) who launched the Aug. 25 attacks that triggered the latest spasm of violence are demanding full citizenship rights and recognition as an indigenous community.

Ceasefire ends

A one-month ceasefire the insurgents called in September in order, they said, to ease aid deliveries to Rakhine State, expired at midnight on Monday, but authorities said there was no sign of any new attacks.

The government rebuffed the ceasefire, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing. It says more than 500 people have been killed in the violence since late August, most of them ARSA &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Even before the government offensive, the small, lightly armed ARSA appeared only capable of hit-and-run raids and unable to mount any sort of sustained challenge to the army.

The insurgents said on Saturday they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government, even though their ceasefire was ending.

The reports of food shortages in Rakhine will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone.

Villagers said the food was running out because rice crops were not ready for harvest and authorities had shut village markets and limited food transport, apparently to cut supplies to the militants.

The government has cited worry about food as one of the reasons people have cited for leaving, but a senior state government official on Monday dismissed any suggestion of starvation.

Among those fleeing were more than 30 people on a fishing boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday evening. Twenty-five of them drowned, including 13 children, police said.

The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians

Myanmar launched on Tuesday its first bid to improve relations between followers of different religions since an eruption of deadly violence in August inflamed communal tension and triggered an exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh. Rohingya Muslims are still fleeing, more than six weeks after Rohingya insurgents attacked security forces in western Myanmar's Rakhine State. The United Nations has denounced a ferocious military crackdown in response to the attacks as ethnic cleansing aimed at driving out Rohingya. A new surge of refugees has entered Bangladesh in recent days, including about 11,000 on Monday. Some have told of increasing hunger in Rakhine State as well as of more mob attacks on Muslim villagers. Despite growing international condemnation of the refugee crisis, the military campaign is popular in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where there is little sympathy for the Rohingya, and for Muslims in general, and where Buddhist nationalism has surged in recent years. The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. "This is for peace and stability," party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters. "Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide." Traffic was jammed around the stadium as Buddhist monks had nuns packed the stands inside, along with thousands of others. The Rohingya had pinned hopes for change on Suu Kyi's party but it has been wary of Buddhist nationalist pressure. Her party did not field a single Muslim candidate in the 2015 election that it swept. Rohingya are not classified as an indigenous minority in Myanmar and so are denied citizenship under a law that links nationality to ethnicity. Regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they face restrictions and discrimination and are derided by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine State, and by much of the wider population. The militants of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) who launched the Aug. 25 attacks that triggered the latest spasm of violence are demanding full citizenship rights and recognition as an indigenous community. Ceasefire ends A one-month ceasefire the insurgents called in September in order, they said, to ease aid deliveries to Rakhine State, expired at midnight on Monday, but authorities said there was no sign of any new attacks. The government rebuffed the ceasefire, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing. It says more than 500 people have been killed in the violence since late August, most of them ARSA "terrorists". Even before the government offensive, the small, lightly armed ARSA appeared only capable of hit-and-run raids and unable to mount any sort of sustained challenge to the army. The insurgents said on Saturday they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government, even though their ceasefire was ending. The reports of food shortages in Rakhine will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone. Villagers said the food was running out because rice crops were not ready for harvest and authorities had shut village markets and limited food transport, apparently to cut supplies to the militants. The government has cited worry about food as one of the reasons people have cited for leaving, but a senior state government official on Monday dismissed any suggestion of starvation. Among those fleeing were more than 30 people on a fishing boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday evening. Twenty-five of them drowned, including 13 children, police said.

Rohingya crisis: Suu Kyi conducts inter-faith prayers in Yangon

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