Myanmar's embattled junta on Thursday invited armed groups opposed to its rule to stop fighting and start&nbsp;talks to bring peace, after three-and-a-half years of conflict.

The unexpected offer comes after the junta suffered a series of major battlefield reverses to ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy "People's Defence Forces" that rose up to oppose the military's seizure of power in 2021.

As well as battling determined resistance to its rule, the junta is also struggling with the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, which triggered major flooding that has left more than 400 dead and hundreds of thousands in need of help.

"We invite ethnic armed groups, terrorist insurgent groups, and terrorist PDF groups which are fighting against the state to give up terrorist fighting and communicate with us to solve political problems politically," the junta said in a statement.

The military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected civilian government in February 2021, triggering mass protests that were met with a brutal crackdown.

Civilians set up PDFs to fight back and ethnic minority armed groups -- many of which have fought the military for decades -- were reinvigorated, plunging the country into civil war.

Armed groups should follow "the path of party politics and elections in order to bring about lasting peace and development", the statement said.&nbsp;

"The country's human resources, basic infrastructure and many people's lives have been lost, and the country's stability and development have been blocked" by the conflict, the junta said.

Padoh Saw Taw Nee, a spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU), which has been battling the military for decades for more autonomy along the border with Thailand, said talks were only possible if the military agreed to "common political objectives."

"Number one: no military participation in future politics. Two they (the military) have to agree to a federal democratic constitution," he told AFP.

"Number three: they have to be accountable for everything they have committed... including war crimes and crimes against humanity," he said. "No impunity."

"If they don't agree with it, then nothing will happen," he added.&nbsp;

"We will keep putting pressure on them politically, militarily."

<h2>Election pledge</h2>

The junta, which justified its coup with unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the 2020 elections won by Suu Kyi's party, has long pledged to hold fresh polls when conditions permit.

Census takers are due to start collecting data in early October in preparation for possible polls in 2025.&nbsp;

The military has lost swathes of territory in border areas in the past year after a major surprise offensive led by a trio of ethnic minority armed groups.

The groups have seized control of lucrative border crossings and last month took Lashio, a city of 150,000 people -- the biggest urban centre to fall to rebels since 1962.&nbsp;

Batches of conscripts have been training after the military enforced a draft law in February -- prompting tens of thousands of eligible young people to flee the country to avoid being called up, according to rights groups.

More than 5,700 civilians have been killed and over 20,000 arrested in the military crackdown since 2021, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.&nbsp;

The United Nations warned last week that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;was plunging into a human rights "abyss", detailing shocking torture meted out by the military on people in its custody.

Detainees reported being beaten with iron poles, bamboo sticks and motorcycle chains, and being terrorised with snakes and insects.

Pope Francis has offered refuge on Vatican territory to Suu Kyi, Italian media said on Tuesday.

The 79-year-old Nobel peace laureate is serving a 27-year prison sentence on charges ranging from corruption to not respecting Covid pandemic restrictions.

Rights groups say her closed-door trial was a sham designed to remove her from the political scene.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Myanmar's embattled junta on Thursday invited armed groups opposed to its rule to stop fighting and start talks to bring peace, after three-and-a-half years of conflict.

Myanmar's embattled junta on Thursday invited armed groups opposed to its rule to stop fighting and start talks to bring peace, after three-and-a-half years of conflict. The unexpected offer comes after the junta suffered a series of major battlefield reverses to ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy "People's Defence Forces" that rose up to oppose the military's seizure of power in 2021. As well as battling determined resistance to its rule, the junta is also struggling with the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, which triggered major flooding that has left more than 400 dead and hundreds of thousands in need of help. "We invite ethnic armed groups, terrorist insurgent groups, and terrorist PDF groups which are fighting against the state to give up terrorist fighting and communicate with us to solve political problems politically," the junta said in a statement. The military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected civilian government in February 2021, triggering mass protests that were met with a brutal crackdown. Civilians set up PDFs to fight back and ethnic minority armed groups -- many of which have fought the military for decades -- were reinvigorated, plunging the country into civil war. Armed groups should follow "the path of party politics and elections in order to bring about lasting peace and development", the statement said. "The country's human resources, basic infrastructure and many people's lives have been lost, and the country's stability and development have been blocked" by the conflict, the junta said. Padoh Saw Taw Nee, a spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU), which has been battling the military for decades for more autonomy along the border with Thailand, said talks were only possible if the military agreed to "common political objectives." "Number one: no military participation in future politics. Two they (the military) have to agree to a federal democratic constitution," he told AFP. "Number three: they have to be accountable for everything they have committed... including war crimes and crimes against humanity," he said. "No impunity." "If they don't agree with it, then nothing will happen," he added. "We will keep putting pressure on them politically, militarily." Election pledge The junta, which justified its coup with unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the 2020 elections won by Suu Kyi's party, has long pledged to hold fresh polls when conditions permit. Census takers are due to start collecting data in early October in preparation for possible polls in 2025. The military has lost swathes of territory in border areas in the past year after a major surprise offensive led by a trio of ethnic minority armed groups. The groups have seized control of lucrative border crossings and last month took Lashio, a city of 150,000 people -- the biggest urban centre to fall to rebels since 1962. Batches of conscripts have been training after the military enforced a draft law in February -- prompting tens of thousands of eligible young people to flee the country to avoid being called up, according to rights groups. More than 5,700 civilians have been killed and over 20,000 arrested in the military crackdown since 2021, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group. The United Nations warned last week that Myanmar was plunging into a human rights "abyss", detailing shocking torture meted out by the military on people in its custody. Detainees reported being beaten with iron poles, bamboo sticks and motorcycle chains, and being terrorised with snakes and insects. Pope Francis has offered refuge on Vatican territory to Suu Kyi, Italian media said on Tuesday. The 79-year-old Nobel peace laureate is serving a 27-year prison sentence on charges ranging from corruption to not respecting Covid pandemic restrictions. Rights groups say her closed-door trial was a sham designed to remove her from the political scene. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Communicate with us: Myanmar junta invites armed groups to stop fighting, start talks to bring peace

A group of&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;junta troops that retreated from their base in the frontier town of Myawaddy to a bridge along the Thai border were attacked by resistance groups using drones on Friday (April 12), according to local media reports.

Video showed Thai armed forces patrolling in Mae Sot, near the border with&nbsp;Myanmar, after the incident.

Myawaddy, a strategically key trading outpost, was wrested from military control by anti-junta forces led by the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group on Thursday (April 11).

Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara told reporters earlier on Friday that no request had been received from the group of fewer than 200 junta soldiers who had retreated to the border to cross over into Thailand.

A group of Myanmar junta troops that retreated from their base in the frontier town of Myawaddy to a bridge along the Thai border were attacked by resistance groups using drones on Friday (April 12), according to local media reports.

A group of Myanmar junta troops that retreated from their base in the frontier town of Myawaddy to a bridge along the Thai border were attacked by resistance groups using drones on Friday (April 12), according to local media reports. Video showed Thai armed forces patrolling in Mae Sot, near the border with Myanmar, after the incident. Myawaddy, a strategically key trading outpost, was wrested from military control by anti-junta forces led by the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group on Thursday (April 11). Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara told reporters earlier on Friday that no request had been received from the group of fewer than 200 junta soldiers who had retreated to the border to cross over into Thailand.

Myanmar junta troops attacked by rebel drones at Thai border

About 200&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military personnel withdrew to a bridge to Thailand on Thursday after a days-long assault by the anti-junta resistance, which declared it had won control of the critical border town of Myawaddy, the latest in a string of rebel wins.

Myanmar's military-run government is battling insurgencies on several fronts and has suffered a series of defeats in frontier areas since last October, when rebel groups launched a coordinated offensive near the Chinese border.

The impoverished Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil after the military deposed an elected civilian government in a 2021 coup, sparking a nationwide armed resistance that is now operating alongside some long-established ethnic rebel groups.

"Today KNU-led joint resistance forces captured the remaining military base in Myawaddy," Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for&nbsp;Myanmar's National Unity Government, told Reuters.

The body is a shadow administration of ousted lawmakers and anti-junta groups.

"This is a crucial victory for our revolution since Myawaddy is an important border town for the junta, one of the main (sources of) income from border trade," he added.

A spokesperson for the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;junta did not respond to telephone calls to seek comment.

The retreat of junta troops in Myawaddy, adjacent to the Thai town of Mae Sot, signals the potential loss of another key border trading outpost with direct highway access to parts of central&nbsp;Myanmar.

On Thursday, about 200 fleeing&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;soldiers gathered at a border crossing into Thailand, said Saw Taw Nee, spokesperson for the Karen National Union (KNU), an anti-junta group leading the assault on Myawaddy.

News outlet Khit Thit said Thai authorities were in talks with the soldiers to decide whether to grant them refuge.

<h2>Border crossings</h2>

The assault on Myawaddy began last week after the KNU said it had attacked a junta camp near the town, forcing some 500 security personnel to surrender, along with their families.

The military has already lost control of areas along&nbsp;Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh, China and India, while suffering a significant loss of manpower that has pushed it to introduce a draft for the first time.

"Next the resistance forces might go after major towns across&nbsp;Myanmar," said political analyst Than Soe Naing, adding that&nbsp;Myanmar's resistance forces control almost all border trading posts after the latest takeover in Myawaddy.

Border crossings in the area were open for civilians who were arriving in Thailand from&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;in large numbers, said police official Borwornphop Soontornlekha, the immigration superintendent in Tak, the province where Mae Sot is located.

"Usually there are about 2,000 people who cross into Mae Sot from Myawaddy each day but the last three days the number was almost 4,000 a day," Borwornphop told Reuters.

Families with children were among the long queues at one border crossing near Mae Sot on Thursday, as Thai soldiers checked the bags and belongings of those going across.

Thailand's military has stepped up security on its side of the border, using army vehicles equipped with roof-mounted machine guns.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who earlier told Reuters the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;junta was "losing strength" and pushed to open talks with the regime, said on Thursday the recent fighting should not spill into his country's airspace.

Thailand remains neutral in the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;conflict and is able to accept up to 100,000 people displaced by the turmoil, its foreign minister has said.

At least 2,000 people have been displaced within&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

About 200 Myanmar military personnel withdrew to a bridge to Thailand on Thursday after a days-long assault by the anti-junta resistance, which declared it had won control of the critical border town of Myawaddy, the latest in a string of rebel wins.

About 200 Myanmar military personnel withdrew to a bridge to Thailand on Thursday after a days-long assault by the anti-junta resistance, which declared it had won control of the critical border town of Myawaddy, the latest in a string of rebel wins. Myanmar's military-run government is battling insurgencies on several fronts and has suffered a series of defeats in frontier areas since last October, when rebel groups launched a coordinated offensive near the Chinese border. The impoverished Southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil after the military deposed an elected civilian government in a 2021 coup, sparking a nationwide armed resistance that is now operating alongside some long-established ethnic rebel groups. "Today KNU-led joint resistance forces captured the remaining military base in Myawaddy," Kyaw Zaw, a spokesperson for Myanmar's National Unity Government, told Reuters. The body is a shadow administration of ousted lawmakers and anti-junta groups. "This is a crucial victory for our revolution since Myawaddy is an important border town for the junta, one of the main (sources of) income from border trade," he added. A spokesperson for the Myanmar junta did not respond to telephone calls to seek comment. The retreat of junta troops in Myawaddy, adjacent to the Thai town of Mae Sot, signals the potential loss of another key border trading outpost with direct highway access to parts of central Myanmar. On Thursday, about 200 fleeing Myanmar soldiers gathered at a border crossing into Thailand, said Saw Taw Nee, spokesperson for the Karen National Union (KNU), an anti-junta group leading the assault on Myawaddy. News outlet Khit Thit said Thai authorities were in talks with the soldiers to decide whether to grant them refuge. Border crossings The assault on Myawaddy began last week after the KNU said it had attacked a junta camp near the town, forcing some 500 security personnel to surrender, along with their families. The military has already lost control of areas along Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh, China and India, while suffering a significant loss of manpower that has pushed it to introduce a draft for the first time. "Next the resistance forces might go after major towns across Myanmar," said political analyst Than Soe Naing, adding that Myanmar's resistance forces control almost all border trading posts after the latest takeover in Myawaddy. Border crossings in the area were open for civilians who were arriving in Thailand from Myanmar in large numbers, said police official Borwornphop Soontornlekha, the immigration superintendent in Tak, the province where Mae Sot is located. "Usually there are about 2,000 people who cross into Mae Sot from Myawaddy each day but the last three days the number was almost 4,000 a day," Borwornphop told Reuters. Families with children were among the long queues at one border crossing near Mae Sot on Thursday, as Thai soldiers checked the bags and belongings of those going across. Thailand's military has stepped up security on its side of the border, using army vehicles equipped with roof-mounted machine guns. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who earlier told Reuters the Myanmar junta was "losing strength" and pushed to open talks with the regime, said on Thursday the recent fighting should not spill into his country's airspace. Thailand remains neutral in the Myanmar conflict and is able to accept up to 100,000 people displaced by the turmoil, its foreign minister has said. At least 2,000 people have been displaced within Myanmar by the latest round of fighting between the rebels and the military, according to civil society group Karen Peace Support Network.

Myanmar troops retreat as rebels declare control over key border town

An ethnic minority armed group in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;has seized control&nbsp;from the country's ruling junta of a lucrative border crossing to China, local media and a security source said Sunday.

Clashes have raged across&nbsp;Myanmar's northern Shan state, close to the Chinese border, after an armed alliance of three ethnic minority groups launched an offensive against the military in October.

The groups have seized dozens of military positions and a town important for trade with China, choking commerce routes for the cash-strapped junta.

An offensive by the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) -- one of the three allied groups -- captured the Kyin San Kyawt border gate, a local media outlet affiliated with the group said.

"MNDAA also reported they seized one more border trade gate, which is called Kyin San Kyawt, in Mongko area, Muse district this morning," the Kokang news reported Sunday.

It added that the alliance -- including the Arakan Army (AA) and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) -- had taken&nbsp;other positions in the border trade zone after the assault began on Friday.

MNDAA had raised its flag at the border trade zone at Kyin San Kyawt, a security source told AFP.

The gate was re-opened in 2022 after the pandemic, and is a major trading point along the&nbsp;Myanmar-China border.

Earlier in the week, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state media that roughly 120 trucks, parked near the border crossing, had gone up in flames and blamed armed groups.

The uptick in fighting has battered&nbsp;Myanmar's already struggling economy, damaging vital cross-border commerce and denying the military much-needed taxes and foreign exchange.

Local reports say goods that pass through the Kyin San Kyawt crossing include machinery, electrical appliances, agricultural tractors and consumer items.

An ethnic minority armed group in Myanmar has seized control from the country's ruling junta of a lucrative border crossing to China, local media and a security source said Sunday.

An ethnic minority armed group in Myanmar has seized control from the country's ruling junta of a lucrative border crossing to China, local media and a security source said Sunday. Clashes have raged across Myanmar's northern Shan state, close to the Chinese border, after an armed alliance of three ethnic minority groups launched an offensive against the military in October. The groups have seized dozens of military positions and a town important for trade with China, choking commerce routes for the cash-strapped junta. An offensive by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) -- one of the three allied groups -- captured the Kyin San Kyawt border gate, a local media outlet affiliated with the group said. "MNDAA also reported they seized one more border trade gate, which is called Kyin San Kyawt, in Mongko area, Muse district this morning," the Kokang news reported Sunday. It added that the alliance -- including the Arakan Army (AA) and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) -- had taken other positions in the border trade zone after the assault began on Friday. MNDAA had raised its flag at the border trade zone at Kyin San Kyawt, a security source told AFP. The gate was re-opened in 2022 after the pandemic, and is a major trading point along the Myanmar-China border. Earlier in the week, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state media that roughly 120 trucks, parked near the border crossing, had gone up in flames and blamed armed groups. The uptick in fighting has battered Myanmar's already struggling economy, damaging vital cross-border commerce and denying the military much-needed taxes and foreign exchange. Local reports say goods that pass through the Kyin San Kyawt crossing include machinery, electrical appliances, agricultural tractors and consumer items.

Myanmar armed group seizes China-Myanmar border crossing

Myanmar's military junta said that a major offensive in the country's northeast by an alliance of rebel groups was funded in part from profits earned by one of the groups from the region's lucrative drug trade.

Myanmar's military junta said that a major offensive in the country's northeast by an alliance of rebel groups was funded in part from profits earned by one of the groups from the region's lucrative drug trade. During a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council on Wednesday, junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing said that the current problem in the Shan state was triggered by "narcotic drug problems," the news agency Associated Press reported on Friday (Nov 10) citing local media. “Earnings from narcotic drugs were spent on seizing power through the armed struggle. Such a plan was covered by drug production and trafficking,” General Hlaing added. Hlaing accused the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), one of the rebel groups, of drug trafficking. The MNDAA denied this allegation. Since October 27, the MNDAA, the Arakan Army (AA) and other ethnic groups launched a military operation against the junta. The fiercest fighting has been reported near Myanmar's border with China in Shan where the rebel groups' offensive has taken multiple towns and military outposts in recent weeks. Drug trade funding rebel groups The Associated Press reported that the drug trade in Myanmar has been attributed to various ethnic minority groups for funding their armed movement. Army personnel, especially those at the regional level, have also been accused of involvement. Also read: Northern Myanmar fighting displaces almost 50,000 civilians, says UN Meanwhile, during Wednesday's defence and security council meeting, Acting President Myint Swe warned that Myanmar was in critical condition and could be torn apart if the military did not take action against the groups which carried out the offensive. Around 50,000 displaced in Shan state On Friday, the United Nations said that around 50,000 people had been displaced in Shan, where artillery shelling and airstrikes were continuing, and some crossed into China. The ongoing offensive has put further pressure on the junta which is already facing economic sanctions, a shortage of foreign exchange and a corruption crisis. Myanmar's neighbour China is alarmed by the deteriorating situation and urged all parties in Myanmar to stop fighting immediately. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday that Beijing would ensure security and stability at its border with Myanmar. "China is highly concerned about the conflict in northern Myanmar and urges all parties concerned in Myanmar to immediately cease fire and stop fighting, pay practical attention to China's security concerns, and work with China to maintain the safety of China-Myanmar co-operation projects and business personnel," foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar: Military junta says offensive by rebel groups funded by drug trade

Myanmar said on Friday a visiting US official would not be allowed to go to a region where violence has triggered an exodus of nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims that the United Nations has branded a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The Rohingya have fled from western Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that has raised questions about Myanmar&#39;s transition to civilian rule under the leadership of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington&#39;s concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers, the State Department said.

Myanmar officials said he would meet government leaders in the capital, Naypyitaw, and attend an address to the nation by Suu Kyi on Tuesday.

He would also visit Sittwe, the state capital, and meet the governor of Rakhine, the state government secretary, Tin Maung Swe, told Reuters, but the north of the state, where the conflict erupted on August 25 would be off limits.

&quot;Not allowed,&quot; Tin Maung Swe said, when asked if Murphy would be going to Maungdaw district, at the heart of the strife that began when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people.

While nearly 400,000 refugees have poured across the border into Bangladesh, fears have also been growing of a humanitarian crisis on the Myanmar side, but access for aid workers and reporters has been severely restricted.

Myanmar insisted on Friday it was not barring aid workers but a government spokesman said authorities on the ground might have concerns over security.

Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have mounted a campaign of arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population.

A Reuters photographer on the Bangladesh side of the border said he could see huge banks of dark smoke billowing up over Myanmar territory on Friday, while international aid organisations said the refugees kept coming.

&quot;There&rsquo;s really no sign that this flow of people is going to dry up,&quot; Chris Lom of the International Organisation for Migration, said from the Bangladeshi border district of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar.

&quot;There are still, we believe, thousands of people waiting to take boats across to Cox&#39;s Bazar.&rdquo;

&#39;Scorched Earth&#39;&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have urged Myanmar to end the violence, which he said was best described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects the accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the Aug. 25 attacks and similar, though smaller, attacks in October.

Russia&#39;s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday that while Moscow was concerned &quot;we cannot discard the fact that it was triggered by terrorist activities.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;re talking to the Myanmar government, of course,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We are concerned with what is happening. ... We are looking forward to an early cessation of the violence and to elevating the humanitarian situation of the population.&quot;

The government has declared Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians.

Ethnic cleansing is not recognised as a separate crime under international law but allegations of ethnic cleansing as part of wider, systematic human rights violations have been heard in international courts.

Rights group Amnesty International said evidence pointed to a &quot;mass-scale scorched-earth campaign&quot; across the north of Rakhine that was unmistakably ethnic cleansing.

&quot;The evidence is irrefutable &ndash; the Myanmar security forces are setting northern Rakhine state ablaze in a targeted campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar,&quot; said Tirana Hassan, the group&#39;s crisis response director.

The group said it had detected 80 big fires in Rohingya areas since Aug. 25. While the extent of damage could not be verified, due to access restrictions by the government, &quot;they are likely to have burned down whole villages&quot;.

It said it also had credible reports of Rohingya militants burning the homes of ethnic Rakhine and other minorities. About 30,000 non-Muslims have also been displaced.

US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday he had spoken with Suu Kyi and that she said she was working to get aid to areas in Myanmar affected by violence.

The generals still control national security policy but nevertheless, Suu Kyi has been widely criticised abroad for not stopping or condemning the violence. The campaign against the Muslim insurgents is popular at home.

The UN refugee agency said the Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh were suffering &quot;real hardship, and some of the most difficult conditions seen in any current refugee situation&quot;.

&quot;With the influx increasing daily, UNHCR is appealing for an initial amount of $30 million for the emergency humanitarian response in Bangladesh until the end of year,&quot; an agency spokesman said in Geneva.

Bangladesh says all refugees must go home and has called for safe areas in Myanmar. Myanmar has ruled that out and says it will accept anyone who can verify their citizenship. Most Rohingya are stateless.

Thousands of people demonstrated after Friday prayers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to denounce the treatment of the Rohingya.

One protest leader said they were demanding a UN peacekeeping force and that Myanmar face charges in an international court.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington's concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers

Myanmar said on Friday a visiting US official would not be allowed to go to a region where violence has triggered an exodus of nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims that the United Nations has branded a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The Rohingya have fled from western Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that has raised questions about Myanmar's transition to civilian rule under the leadership of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington's concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers, the State Department said. Myanmar officials said he would meet government leaders in the capital, Naypyitaw, and attend an address to the nation by Suu Kyi on Tuesday. He would also visit Sittwe, the state capital, and meet the governor of Rakhine, the state government secretary, Tin Maung Swe, told Reuters, but the north of the state, where the conflict erupted on August 25 would be off limits. "Not allowed," Tin Maung Swe said, when asked if Murphy would be going to Maungdaw district, at the heart of the strife that began when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people. While nearly 400,000 refugees have poured across the border into Bangladesh, fears have also been growing of a humanitarian crisis on the Myanmar side, but access for aid workers and reporters has been severely restricted. Myanmar insisted on Friday it was not barring aid workers but a government spokesman said authorities on the ground might have concerns over security. Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have mounted a campaign of arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population. A Reuters photographer on the Bangladesh side of the border said he could see huge banks of dark smoke billowing up over Myanmar territory on Friday, while international aid organisations said the refugees kept coming. "There’s really no sign that this flow of people is going to dry up," Chris Lom of the International Organisation for Migration, said from the Bangladeshi border district of Cox’s Bazar. "There are still, we believe, thousands of people waiting to take boats across to Cox's Bazar.” 'Scorched Earth' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have urged Myanmar to end the violence, which he said was best described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects the accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the Aug. 25 attacks and similar, though smaller, attacks in October. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday that while Moscow was concerned "we cannot discard the fact that it was triggered by terrorist activities." "We're talking to the Myanmar government, of course," he told reporters. "We are concerned with what is happening. ... We are looking forward to an early cessation of the violence and to elevating the humanitarian situation of the population." The government has declared Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians. Ethnic cleansing is not recognised as a separate crime under international law but allegations of ethnic cleansing as part of wider, systematic human rights violations have been heard in international courts. Rights group Amnesty International said evidence pointed to a "mass-scale scorched-earth campaign" across the north of Rakhine that was unmistakably ethnic cleansing. "The evidence is irrefutable – the Myanmar security forces are setting northern Rakhine state ablaze in a targeted campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar," said Tirana Hassan, the group's crisis response director. The group said it had detected 80 big fires in Rohingya areas since Aug. 25. While the extent of damage could not be verified, due to access restrictions by the government, "they are likely to have burned down whole villages". It said it also had credible reports of Rohingya militants burning the homes of ethnic Rakhine and other minorities. About 30,000 non-Muslims have also been displaced. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday he had spoken with Suu Kyi and that she said she was working to get aid to areas in Myanmar affected by violence. The generals still control national security policy but nevertheless, Suu Kyi has been widely criticised abroad for not stopping or condemning the violence. The campaign against the Muslim insurgents is popular at home. The UN refugee agency said the Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh were suffering "real hardship, and some of the most difficult conditions seen in any current refugee situation". "With the influx increasing daily, UNHCR is appealing for an initial amount of $30 million for the emergency humanitarian response in Bangladesh until the end of year," an agency spokesman said in Geneva. Bangladesh says all refugees must go home and has called for safe areas in Myanmar. Myanmar has ruled that out and says it will accept anyone who can verify their citizenship. Most Rohingya are stateless. Thousands of people demonstrated after Friday prayers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to denounce the treatment of the Rohingya. One protest leader said they were demanding a UN peacekeeping force and that Myanmar face charges in an international court.

Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi today said that the government in Myanmar is responding to the delicate &#39;conflict&#39; in the troubled northern state of Rakhine under rule of law, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Referring to the conflict that has faced its worst violence since 2012 during her Japan visit, she said: &quot;The problem in Rakhine state is extremely delicate and care is needed in responding,&quot; Suu Kyi was quoted as saying.

&nbsp;

&quot;The Myanmar government is responding to the issue of Rakhine state based on the principles of the rule of law.&quot;

&nbsp;

During the Japan visit, that included a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she also met foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who said violence could not be permitted in dealing with the crisis, a foreign ministry statement said, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government&#39;s handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians.

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a Reuters report said that Myanmar police will begin arming and training non-Muslim residents in the troubled north of Rakhine state.&nbsp;

According to officials, militants from the Rohingya Muslim group pose a growing security threat, police and civilian officials said.

&nbsp;

Human rights monitors and a leader of the mostly stateless Rohingya told Reuters the move risked sharpening intercommunal tensions in the region.&nbsp;

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Responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 in which nine police officers were killed, soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area along Myanmar&#39;s frontier with Bangladesh.&nbsp;

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Rakhine State police chief Colonel Sein Lwin told Reuters his force had started recruiting new &quot;regional police&quot; from among the ethnic Rakhine and other non-Muslim ethnic minorities living in Maungdaw.&nbsp;

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(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region of Rakhine

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi today said that the government in Myanmar is responding to the delicate 'conflict' in the troubled northern state of Rakhine under rule of law, Reuters reported. Referring to the conflict that has faced its worst violence since 2012 during her Japan visit, she said: "The problem in Rakhine state is extremely delicate and care is needed in responding," Suu Kyi was quoted as saying. "The Myanmar government is responding to the issue of Rakhine state based on the principles of the rule of law." During the Japan visit, that included a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she also met foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who said violence could not be permitted in dealing with the crisis, a foreign ministry statement said, Reuters reported. Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians. Meanwhile, a Reuters report said that Myanmar police will begin arming and training non-Muslim residents in the troubled north of Rakhine state. According to officials, militants from the Rohingya Muslim group pose a growing security threat, police and civilian officials said. Human rights monitors and a leader of the mostly stateless Rohingya told Reuters the move risked sharpening intercommunal tensions in the region. Responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 in which nine police officers were killed, soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh. Rakhine State police chief Colonel Sein Lwin told Reuters his force had started recruiting new "regional police" from among the ethnic Rakhine and other non-Muslim ethnic minorities living in Maungdaw. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Myanmar arms non-Muslims in Rakhine, Suu Kyi says state responding 'under rule of law'