In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations.

NSCN (K) is Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and a designated terror group in India.&nbsp;

The groups had planned attacks against India's connectivity projects in the east like the Kaladan multi-modal project.

The project is vital for the connectivity of north-east India with the ASEAN countries and&nbsp;is also important for India's act east policy.

Arakan Army had set up bases along the India-Myanmar border especially around the Mizoram state. Myanmar terror group Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had been training the Arakan Army along the China Myanmar border in northern Myanmar's Kachin state.

In the first phase operation was launched against the camps bordering Mizoram while in the second phase NSCN (K) HQ in Taga was targetted. It is being reported in local papers that the Myanmar army has taken many leaders of NSCN (K) after the operation at their base at Taga in Sagaing division of Myanmar.

Sagaing division is an administrative region of Myanmar and located in the north-western part of the country bordering India.

The development comes even as India launched strikes against the camps of the United Nations listed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in February.&nbsp;

In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations.

In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations. NSCN (K) is Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and a designated terror group in India. The groups had planned attacks against India's connectivity projects in the east like the Kaladan multi-modal project. The project is vital for the connectivity of north-east India with the ASEAN countries and is also important for India's act east policy. Arakan Army had set up bases along the India-Myanmar border especially around the Mizoram state. Myanmar terror group Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had been training the Arakan Army along the China Myanmar border in northern Myanmar's Kachin state. In the first phase operation was launched against the camps bordering Mizoram while in the second phase NSCN (K) HQ in Taga was targetted. It is being reported in local papers that the Myanmar army has taken many leaders of NSCN (K) after the operation at their base at Taga in Sagaing division of Myanmar. Sagaing division is an administrative region of Myanmar and located in the north-western part of the country bordering India. The development comes even as India launched strikes against the camps of the United Nations listed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in February.

Joint India, Myanmar operation targets Rohingya insurgents and Naga terror groups

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-militants-condemn-violence-in-refugee-camps-amid-reports-of-killings-203082">Rohingyas</a> from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy.

Shelters and floodwalls have been constructed on Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only rose from the Bay of Bengal in 2006, in the hope of shifting 100,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/individuals-responsible-for-rohingya-atrocities-will-face-justice-international-criminal-court-202950">Rohingya refugees</a> there.

Bangladesh has been talking about the island for years and the plan to relocate some of the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living along its border with Myanmar has stalled many times.

The proposal to uproot the refugees remains unpopular among the Rohingya community and critics have raised concerns about the island's ability to withstand violent storms during the monsoon.

But Mozammel Huq, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, said the relocation would proceed as planned.

"We plan to start the process next month, as construction at Bhashan Char is now complete," he told AFP.

Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the vast Rohingya camps are located, told AFP they were "preparing a list of refugees who would voluntarily go to the island".

'New crisis'

The island is one hour by boat from the nearest land and experts said it was too risky to house the refugees on the island as it is prone to flooding during storm surge.&nbsp;

Hundreds of thousands have died in Bangladesh from cyclones in the last 50 years, mostly in coastal areas.

Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre (nine-feet) high embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone.

But a top UN rights expert in January warned moving the refugees there could spark a "new crisis" for the persecuted minority.

Huq said the UN "should concentrate on the welfare of the Rohingya instead".

"It is up to Bangladesh to decide where we will keep the refugees," he said.

Aid groups have warned the refugees crammed into the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar are at risk of landslides, disease and floods.

The Rohingya fled Myanmar by droves in 2017 into Bangladesh, escaping a military-led crackdown the UN has said could amount to genocide.

An official from the International Criminal Court who visited the Rohingya camps this week said those responsible for their persecution would be held to account, despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the Hague-based court.

US ambassador Earl Miller met with Bangladesh government officials on Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar to "learn more" about the island relocation.

"He welcomed assurances that any movements to the island will be fully voluntary, based on informed consent, and those who choose to go will have free movement off the island to maintain connections with the rest of the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar," a statement from the US embassy said.

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of Rohingyas from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy.

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of Rohingyas from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy. Shelters and floodwalls have been constructed on Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only rose from the Bay of Bengal in 2006, in the hope of shifting 100,000 Rohingya refugees there. Bangladesh has been talking about the island for years and the plan to relocate some of the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living along its border with Myanmar has stalled many times. The proposal to uproot the refugees remains unpopular among the Rohingya community and critics have raised concerns about the island's ability to withstand violent storms during the monsoon. But Mozammel Huq, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, said the relocation would proceed as planned. "We plan to start the process next month, as construction at Bhashan Char is now complete," he told AFP. Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the vast Rohingya camps are located, told AFP they were "preparing a list of refugees who would voluntarily go to the island". 'New crisis' The island is one hour by boat from the nearest land and experts said it was too risky to house the refugees on the island as it is prone to flooding during storm surge. Hundreds of thousands have died in Bangladesh from cyclones in the last 50 years, mostly in coastal areas. Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre (nine-feet) high embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone. But a top UN rights expert in January warned moving the refugees there could spark a "new crisis" for the persecuted minority. Huq said the UN "should concentrate on the welfare of the Rohingya instead". "It is up to Bangladesh to decide where we will keep the refugees," he said. Aid groups have warned the refugees crammed into the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar are at risk of landslides, disease and floods. The Rohingya fled Myanmar by droves in 2017 into Bangladesh, escaping a military-led crackdown the UN has said could amount to genocide. An official from the International Criminal Court who visited the Rohingya camps this week said those responsible for their persecution would be held to account, despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the Hague-based court. US ambassador Earl Miller met with Bangladesh government officials on Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar to "learn more" about the island relocation. "He welcomed assurances that any movements to the island will be fully voluntary, based on informed consent, and those who choose to go will have free movement off the island to maintain connections with the rest of the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar," a statement from the US embassy said.

Bangladesh to move Rohingya to island next month: Minister

Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict.

A bloody military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators have said warrants the prosecution of top generals for genocide and crimes against humanity.

But the armed forces are now waging a war against a militant group claiming to represent the state’s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, a population that also stands accused of aiding soldiers in their expulsion of the Rohingya.

The Arakan Army (AA) has in recent months mounted several attacks on security forces and officials in its struggle for more autonomy and rights for Rakhine people.

The latest attack occurred late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe.

“Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing,” a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named.

A leaked police report said weapons were also taken from the police station.

No group has yet claimed responsibility and the AA could not immediately be reached for comment.

A local administrator confirmed investigations are underway.

Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of carefully government-chaperoned trips and the information is difficult to verify independently.

But swathes of the state’s north are once again engulfed in conflict.

The military has brought in thousands of reinforcements and is bombarding AA positions with heavy artillery.

Several thousand people have been forced from their homes by the violence.

Yet there is widespread support for the AA’s cause across much of Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, where many feel they have suffered decades of discrimination by the state.

Some 100 local administrators submitted their resignation en masse this month calling for the release of four colleagues reportedly arrested for having links with the AA.

The verdict in a treason trial against a popular Rakhine politician is also expected in the coming days and could prove to be a further flashpoint.

Aye Maung stands accused of treason after allegedly inciting Rakhine people in a speech last year to take arms and rise up against the country’s ethnic-Bamar (Burmese) majority.

The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits.

The group ramped up operations at the end of last year, but it was a deadly attack on four police posts on Independence Day early January that focused the country’s attention and triggered the military’s swift retaliation.

Thirteen police officers were killed in the brazen attack and in an unprecedented move, the civilian government instructed the military to crack down on the insurgents.

Violence in strife-torn Rakhine was glossed over by Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a recent investment forum where she touted the state’s "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems.

Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict.

Nine policemen have been killed in a militant attack in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, police said on Sunday, as tensions ratchet up in a state riven by ethnic and religious conflict. A bloody military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators have said warrants the prosecution of top generals for genocide and crimes against humanity. But the armed forces are now waging a war against a militant group claiming to represent the state’s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, a population that also stands accused of aiding soldiers in their expulsion of the Rohingya. The Arakan Army (AA) has in recent months mounted several attacks on security forces and officials in its struggle for more autonomy and rights for Rakhine people. The latest attack occurred late Saturday took place in Yoetayoke village, just an hour north of Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe. “Nine police were killed, one was injured and another one is missing,” a senior police officer told AFP, not wanting to be named. A leaked police report said weapons were also taken from the police station. No group has yet claimed responsibility and the AA could not immediately be reached for comment. A local administrator confirmed investigations are underway. Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of carefully government-chaperoned trips and the information is difficult to verify independently. But swathes of the state’s north are once again engulfed in conflict. The military has brought in thousands of reinforcements and is bombarding AA positions with heavy artillery. Several thousand people have been forced from their homes by the violence. Yet there is widespread support for the AA’s cause across much of Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, where many feel they have suffered decades of discrimination by the state. Some 100 local administrators submitted their resignation en masse this month calling for the release of four colleagues reportedly arrested for having links with the AA. The verdict in a treason trial against a popular Rakhine politician is also expected in the coming days and could prove to be a further flashpoint. Aye Maung stands accused of treason after allegedly inciting Rakhine people in a speech last year to take arms and rise up against the country’s ethnic-Bamar (Burmese) majority. The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits. The group ramped up operations at the end of last year, but it was a deadly attack on four police posts on Independence Day early January that focused the country’s attention and triggered the military’s swift retaliation. Thirteen police officers were killed in the brazen attack and in an unprecedented move, the civilian government instructed the military to crack down on the insurgents. Violence in strife-torn Rakhine was glossed over by Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a recent investment forum where she touted the state’s "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems.

Nine policemen killed in militant attack in Myanmar’s Rakhine

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims. 730000 of these hapless people have fled Myanmar. The United Nation’s suggestion is a prudent one and can be an effective tool to ensure that human rights are not abrogated by states, not only with respect to Myanmar but also in general terms.

Human rights accrue to people by virtue of being human. These are an intrinsic good which must not only be protected but also promoted. But, in practice, what is observed is that there is tension between human rights, states and sovereignty thereof. &nbsp;Overlaying these countervailing forces to human rights is geopolitics which does not attach much import and significance to these. Often times, states, even in the developed world, are in breach of human rights in one form or the other. Consider the United States whose self-perception is that of a liberal democracy wherein the individual rules the roost, so to speak. But, in practice, besides obvious structural and institutional issues with African Americans, access to justice is prohibitively expensive making, in the process, a mockery of individual and human rights. 
 
In the less developed world, especially in conflict zones, there is a deep and visceral tension between human rights and state(s). Owing to the precedence of state interests or raison d’etat, and other prosaic matters, states abrogating and violating human rights do so almost with impunity, usually behind the shield of state sovereignty. 
 
This is a reality that can be observed with empirical precision as far as the killing fields of Syria, Myanmar, and other places. The international state system and the foreign policies of states, oriented as they are toward state interests have proven to be woefully inadequate in protecting and promoting human rights. Where then can relief be found?

In markets. Perhaps. 
&nbsp; 
While much has been made of “de-globalisation” and allied trends, the fact is that even though the large megatrend of globalisation might have slowed down, but it has not disappeared. Globalisation is real and while its momentum might have dissipated, it is a historical reality that can neither be wished away nor be made to disappear. The relevance of globalisation to human rights and to the thematic issue dwelt upon in this essay is that counterintuitively perhaps, the propelling forces of the idea and its practice can be used to protect human rights. The reference here is to markets. 
 
In a globalised world where autarky or self-sufficiency is passé and where interdependence is the norm, markets can be employed to discipline states. Capital flows, both portfolio and foreign direct investment, the quest for the Rate of Return and yield, among other things, constitute the sine qua non of economic growth, in this day and age. And, economic growth not only is essential for obvious reasons but it also accords legitimacy to regimes and governments. Stop the tap, so to speak, a given nation-state can be brought to its knees. Obiter dictum, while financial economists can debate the extent of the correlation between financial markets and the real economy, that there is a link is almost indubitable. If markets take a tumble, the real economy is impinged upon, pretty drastically at times, as was demonstrated all too eloquently in and during the 2008 financial crisis.

The key here lies with investors who, as an assorted and a diverse class, can choose to punish and discipline a given state that is killing, maiming, and persecuting its own people. Minds of the policy and political elite of the “target country” can then be concentrated with such poignancy and alacrity that no sanctions or reproach by other states or non-state organisations can do. The United Nations, as an international body, is hamstrung by issues of a structural nature, the most potent of which is state sovereignty and the shield it accords to states who can do whatever they live within their respective jurisdictions. The states constituting the international system are too caught up by raison d’etat to do anything substantive about human rights. It might, however, be markets that can constitute a robust disciplinary force that not only protect but promote human rights.

It is here that the United Nations’ suggestion to investors, with respect to Myanmar, becomes relevant. Let foreign investors see Myanmar as a test case and let it be the starting point for and of markets to be used for good.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims.

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims. 730000 of these hapless people have fled Myanmar. The United Nation’s suggestion is a prudent one and can be an effective tool to ensure that human rights are not abrogated by states, not only with respect to Myanmar but also in general terms. Human rights accrue to people by virtue of being human. These are an intrinsic good which must not only be protected but also promoted. But, in practice, what is observed is that there is tension between human rights, states and sovereignty thereof. Overlaying these countervailing forces to human rights is geopolitics which does not attach much import and significance to these. Often times, states, even in the developed world, are in breach of human rights in one form or the other. Consider the United States whose self-perception is that of a liberal democracy wherein the individual rules the roost, so to speak. But, in practice, besides obvious structural and institutional issues with African Americans, access to justice is prohibitively expensive making, in the process, a mockery of individual and human rights. In the less developed world, especially in conflict zones, there is a deep and visceral tension between human rights and state(s). Owing to the precedence of state interests or raison d’etat, and other prosaic matters, states abrogating and violating human rights do so almost with impunity, usually behind the shield of state sovereignty. This is a reality that can be observed with empirical precision as far as the killing fields of Syria, Myanmar, and other places. The international state system and the foreign policies of states, oriented as they are toward state interests have proven to be woefully inadequate in protecting and promoting human rights. Where then can relief be found? In markets. Perhaps. While much has been made of “de-globalisation” and allied trends, the fact is that even though the large megatrend of globalisation might have slowed down, but it has not disappeared. Globalisation is real and while its momentum might have dissipated, it is a historical reality that can neither be wished away nor be made to disappear. The relevance of globalisation to human rights and to the thematic issue dwelt upon in this essay is that counterintuitively perhaps, the propelling forces of the idea and its practice can be used to protect human rights. The reference here is to markets. In a globalised world where autarky or self-sufficiency is passé and where interdependence is the norm, markets can be employed to discipline states. Capital flows, both portfolio and foreign direct investment, the quest for the Rate of Return and yield, among other things, constitute the sine qua non of economic growth, in this day and age. And, economic growth not only is essential for obvious reasons but it also accords legitimacy to regimes and governments. Stop the tap, so to speak, a given nation-state can be brought to its knees. Obiter dictum, while financial economists can debate the extent of the correlation between financial markets and the real economy, that there is a link is almost indubitable. If markets take a tumble, the real economy is impinged upon, pretty drastically at times, as was demonstrated all too eloquently in and during the 2008 financial crisis. The key here lies with investors who, as an assorted and a diverse class, can choose to punish and discipline a given state that is killing, maiming, and persecuting its own people. Minds of the policy and political elite of the “target country” can then be concentrated with such poignancy and alacrity that no sanctions or reproach by other states or non-state organisations can do. The United Nations, as an international body, is hamstrung by issues of a structural nature, the most potent of which is state sovereignty and the shield it accords to states who can do whatever they live within their respective jurisdictions. The states constituting the international system are too caught up by raison d’etat to do anything substantive about human rights. It might, however, be markets that can constitute a robust disciplinary force that not only protect but promote human rights. It is here that the United Nations’ suggestion to investors, with respect to Myanmar, becomes relevant. Let foreign investors see Myanmar as a test case and let it be the starting point for and of markets to be used for good. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Myanmar crisis: In conflict zones, there exists a deep conflict between human rights and states

A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/frenchman-jailed-for-one-month-for-flying-drone-in-myanmar-200248">French tourist arrested in Myanmar</a> for flying a drone near parliament has avoided a lengthy prison sentence and will be deported after being released from jail Wednesday.

Arthur Desclaux, 27, was detained on February 7 in the capital Naypyidaw and was sentenced to a month in prison under an import-export law forbidding the use of banned goods brought in from abroad without a licence.

The Frenchman denied any knowledge of Myanmar's strict regulations for the use of drones around religious and government sites.

On his release on Wednesday, Desclaux was charged again under the immigration and aircraft laws -- the former holding a possible sentence of up to three years.

But the judge chose to hand out two fines totalling 150,000 kyat ($100) instead of sending Desclaux back to prison.

"He is a foreigner, not familiar with the laws in Myanmar and he has also already been sentenced under the import-export law," Judge Sulab Yadanar Oo told the court.

"That's why he will only receive a light sentence under these charges."&nbsp; 
It remains unclear why he was flying the drone.

Desclaux was later taken to the immigration department before his expected deportation from the country.

In 2017 a crew making a documentary for Turkish broadcaster TRT was also detained after flying a drone outside the vast parliamentary complex.

They confessed, expecting to receive a fine, but were sentenced to two months in prison under the aircraft act.&nbsp;

A French tourist arrested in Myanmar for flying a drone near parliament has avoided a lengthy prison sentence and will be deported after being released from jail Wednesday.

A French tourist arrested in Myanmar for flying a drone near parliament has avoided a lengthy prison sentence and will be deported after being released from jail Wednesday. Arthur Desclaux, 27, was detained on February 7 in the capital Naypyidaw and was sentenced to a month in prison under an import-export law forbidding the use of banned goods brought in from abroad without a licence. The Frenchman denied any knowledge of Myanmar's strict regulations for the use of drones around religious and government sites. On his release on Wednesday, Desclaux was charged again under the immigration and aircraft laws -- the former holding a possible sentence of up to three years. But the judge chose to hand out two fines totalling 150,000 kyat ($100) instead of sending Desclaux back to prison. "He is a foreigner, not familiar with the laws in Myanmar and he has also already been sentenced under the import-export law," Judge Sulab Yadanar Oo told the court. "That's why he will only receive a light sentence under these charges." It remains unclear why he was flying the drone. Desclaux was later taken to the immigration department before his expected deportation from the country. In 2017 a crew making a documentary for Turkish broadcaster TRT was also detained after flying a drone outside the vast parliamentary complex. They confessed, expecting to receive a fine, but were sentenced to two months in prison under the aircraft act.

Drone-flying Frenchman released from Myanmar jail

Facebook, Twitter and foreign investors need to do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, the UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said in a report published on Tuesday.

"Public institutions linked to the military, its supporters, extremist religious groups, and members of the government continue to proliferate hate speech and misinformation on Facebook," Lee wrote in the report, which also examined the role of military-run conglomerates in Myanmar's mining sector.

Facebook, Twitter and foreign investors need to do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, the UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said in a report published on Tuesday.

Facebook, Twitter and foreign investors need to do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, the UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said in a report published on Tuesday. "Public institutions linked to the military, its supporters, extremist religious groups, and members of the government continue to proliferate hate speech and misinformation on Facebook," Lee wrote in the report, which also examined the role of military-run conglomerates in Myanmar's mining sector.

UN Myanmar expert wants tighter checks by Facebook and investors

Thirty-five people, believed to be <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-plans-to-raise-920-million-in-aid-for-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-197622">Rohingyas&nbsp;</a>abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea.

In recent months, dozens of Rohingya in Myanmar and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-tells-un-it-will-no-longer-take-in-myanmar-refugees-200371">Bangladesh</a> have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, raising worries of a fresh wave of dangerous sea voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers.

Nine children were among the 35 migrants found stranded on a beach in the northern state of Perlis on Friday, Malaysian police said. The group had been lowered from a fishing boat offshore in the early hours of the morning, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad said.

"They were released in the middle of the ocean so that they could reach the shore during low tide."

All of those rescued were found to be in good health and have been transferred to immigration authorities, he said.

The group will be held at the state's interior affairs headquarters for further investigation, Malaysia's Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud told Reuters.

More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN agencies.

Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine since violence swept the area in 2012.

Officials were not able to say whether the migrants found on Friday had arrived from Myanmar or Bangladesh.

Chris Lewa, the director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said two boats were reported to have left Bangladesh in recent weeks.

"Many refugees are desperate to leave the precarity, insecurity and hopelessness in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in particular, those with relatives in Malaysia. And they have no other way to do so other than undertaking risky journeys by boat, and this, in spite of the vigilance by Bangladesh security forces," she said.

The latest departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriations on Nov. 15, despite widespread opposition from Rohingya, who say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012. That exodus peaked in 2015 when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

Thirty-five people, believed to be Rohingyas abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea.

Thirty-five people, believed to be Rohingyas abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea. In recent months, dozens of Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, raising worries of a fresh wave of dangerous sea voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers. Nine children were among the 35 migrants found stranded on a beach in the northern state of Perlis on Friday, Malaysian police said. The group had been lowered from a fishing boat offshore in the early hours of the morning, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad said. "They were released in the middle of the ocean so that they could reach the shore during low tide." All of those rescued were found to be in good health and have been transferred to immigration authorities, he said. The group will be held at the state's interior affairs headquarters for further investigation, Malaysia's Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud told Reuters. More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN agencies. Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine since violence swept the area in 2012. Officials were not able to say whether the migrants found on Friday had arrived from Myanmar or Bangladesh. Chris Lewa, the director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said two boats were reported to have left Bangladesh in recent weeks. "Many refugees are desperate to leave the precarity, insecurity and hopelessness in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in particular, those with relatives in Malaysia. And they have no other way to do so other than undertaking risky journeys by boat, and this, in spite of the vigilance by Bangladesh security forces," she said. The latest departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriations on Nov. 15, despite widespread opposition from Rohingya, who say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012. That exodus peaked in 2015 when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

Dozens of Rohingyas found on Malaysian beach: Officials

Thousands of people rallied in Myanmar`s commercial capital on Wednesday in support of constitutional reform, amid mounting tension between the ruling party and the military over changes to the charter that enshrines the army’s role in politics.

Protesters gathered in the center of Yangon to hear speeches by veteran democracy activists while singers led the crowd in chants of “take a rest, military dictatorship”, in the second demonstration in the city in a week.

Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party launched a surprise bid in January to change the charter, pushing through parliament a proposal to form a committee to devise amendments despite objections from military-aligned lawmakers.&nbsp;

The proposal was Suu Kyi’s biggest challenge to the army’s power in nearly three years, and sparked a protest in the legislature from green-clad military appointees, who stood in silence for several minutes to show their opposition.

It was later approved by parliament, where the ruling NLD commands a large majority.

“We are demonstrating to support the constitutional amendments committee,” Yin Htwe, one of the organizers of Wednesday’s protest, told Reuters. “We are on the side of the people.”

In a press conference on Saturday, a spokesman for the army accused the NLD of using the “wrong procedure” to amend the 2008 charter, which it drafted during military rule.

“Forming the joint committee to amend the constitution is not in line with the constitution,” said Major-General Tun Tun Nyi.

He added, however, that army lawmakers would participate in the exercise.

Under the charter, the military is guaranteed a quarter of seats in parliament and any change requires a vote of more than 75 percent of members, giving the army an effective veto.

It also blocks Suu Kyi from becoming president, with a prohibition on presidential candidates with foreign spouses or children. Suu Kyi had two sons with her late husband Michael Aris, a British academic.

For nearly three years, she has ruled from “above the president” by creating a new position of state counselor.&nbsp;

The charter also gives the military control of ministries responsible for security, including defense and home affairs.

The NLD has not said what provisions of the constitution it might seek to reform. In the past, some members of the party have called for change to Article 436, which gives the military an effective veto over constitutional reform.

“I want to change all the sections which disturb the current government`s work,” said Thein Tun, a 73-year-old man who stood among the crowd on Wednesday hand-in-hand with his wife, Khin Khin Win.&nbsp;

“It is important for the good of the country,” Khin Khin Win added.

Thousands of people rallied in Myanmar`s commercial capital on Wednesday in support of constitutional reform, amid mounting tension between the ruling party and the military over changes to the charter that enshrines the army’s role in politics.

Thousands of people rallied in Myanmar`s commercial capital on Wednesday in support of constitutional reform, amid mounting tension between the ruling party and the military over changes to the charter that enshrines the army’s role in politics. Protesters gathered in the center of Yangon to hear speeches by veteran democracy activists while singers led the crowd in chants of “take a rest, military dictatorship”, in the second demonstration in the city in a week. Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party launched a surprise bid in January to change the charter, pushing through parliament a proposal to form a committee to devise amendments despite objections from military-aligned lawmakers. The proposal was Suu Kyi’s biggest challenge to the army’s power in nearly three years, and sparked a protest in the legislature from green-clad military appointees, who stood in silence for several minutes to show their opposition. It was later approved by parliament, where the ruling NLD commands a large majority. “We are demonstrating to support the constitutional amendments committee,” Yin Htwe, one of the organizers of Wednesday’s protest, told Reuters. “We are on the side of the people.” In a press conference on Saturday, a spokesman for the army accused the NLD of using the “wrong procedure” to amend the 2008 charter, which it drafted during military rule. “Forming the joint committee to amend the constitution is not in line with the constitution,” said Major-General Tun Tun Nyi. He added, however, that army lawmakers would participate in the exercise. Under the charter, the military is guaranteed a quarter of seats in parliament and any change requires a vote of more than 75 percent of members, giving the army an effective veto. It also blocks Suu Kyi from becoming president, with a prohibition on presidential candidates with foreign spouses or children. Suu Kyi had two sons with her late husband Michael Aris, a British academic. For nearly three years, she has ruled from “above the president” by creating a new position of state counselor. The charter also gives the military control of ministries responsible for security, including defense and home affairs. The NLD has not said what provisions of the constitution it might seek to reform. In the past, some members of the party have called for change to Article 436, which gives the military an effective veto over constitutional reform. “I want to change all the sections which disturb the current government`s work,” said Thein Tun, a 73-year-old man who stood among the crowd on Wednesday hand-in-hand with his wife, Khin Khin Win. “It is important for the good of the country,” Khin Khin Win added.

Thousands rally in Myanmar's biggest city to change army-drafted constitution

Myanmar will be represented by a government minister at a UN conference in Geneva next week, and not by the country`s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the latest agenda for the meeting on Thursday.

Earlier on Thursday, an agenda for the Conference on Disarmament seen by Reuters showed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-united-nations-in-geneva-in-next-week-198796">Suu Kyi</a>, who has been criticised by the West over the government`s treatment of Rohingya Muslims and other human rights concerns, was scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Two officials confirmed she was expected, raising the prospect of a possible meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is due to speak at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday and the disarmament forum on Tuesday.&nbsp;

But an agenda posted on the conference`s website later in the day listed Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation, as the speaker from Myanmar. UN officials said they did not have any information about Suu Kyi coming to Geneva.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not respond to calls seeking comment and diplomats at Myanmar`s mission in Geneva were unavailable throughout the day.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi is a former political prisoner who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but her reputation has suffered badly in recent years.

Her government`s relations with the United Nations are tense following the Rohingya crisis. About 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar`s Rakhine State into Bangladesh since a military crackdown in 2017 after Rohingya insurgents attacked security posts.

Myanmar has banned the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, from coming to the country and Suu Kyi`s administration has opposed raising the profile of the UN resident coordinator in Myanmar.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has largely shunned travel to the West since the Rohingya crisis broke but she and senior officials in her administration travel regularly within Asia.

A UN mandated fact-finding mission said that Myanmar`s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and called for generals to be prosecuted. Myanmar rejected the findings.

Last year Suu Kyi visited Australia, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Nepal. She travelled to Switzerland in 2012, visiting the Swiss government in Bern and the UN and the International Labour Organization in Geneva.

Myanmar will be represented by a government minister at a UN conference in Geneva next week, and not by the country`s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the latest agenda for the meeting on Thursday.

Myanmar will be represented by a government minister at a UN conference in Geneva next week, and not by the country`s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the latest agenda for the meeting on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, an agenda for the Conference on Disarmament seen by Reuters showed Suu Kyi, who has been criticised by the West over the government`s treatment of Rohingya Muslims and other human rights concerns, was scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Two officials confirmed she was expected, raising the prospect of a possible meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is due to speak at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday and the disarmament forum on Tuesday. But an agenda posted on the conference`s website later in the day listed Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation, as the speaker from Myanmar. UN officials said they did not have any information about Suu Kyi coming to Geneva. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not respond to calls seeking comment and diplomats at Myanmar`s mission in Geneva were unavailable throughout the day. Suu Kyi is a former political prisoner who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but her reputation has suffered badly in recent years. Her government`s relations with the United Nations are tense following the Rohingya crisis. About 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar`s Rakhine State into Bangladesh since a military crackdown in 2017 after Rohingya insurgents attacked security posts. Myanmar has banned the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, from coming to the country and Suu Kyi`s administration has opposed raising the profile of the UN resident coordinator in Myanmar. Suu Kyi has largely shunned travel to the West since the Rohingya crisis broke but she and senior officials in her administration travel regularly within Asia. A UN mandated fact-finding mission said that Myanmar`s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and called for generals to be prosecuted. Myanmar rejected the findings. Last year Suu Kyi visited Australia, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Nepal. She travelled to Switzerland in 2012, visiting the Swiss government in Bern and the UN and the International Labour Organization in Geneva.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi drops off UN agenda in Geneva next week

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017.

On a rare visit to Rakhine, Suu Kyi emphasised responsible business practices as she addressed an investment fair sponsored by Japan in the coastal state`s tourist hotspot of Ngapali beach.

But she made only a brief reference to the conflicts that have roiled areas several hundred kilometres to the north and did not mention the Rohingya. As well as those stuck in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and other Muslims remain trapped in camps and villages in Rakhine, where their movements and access to services are restricted.

"For too long the international community`s attention has been focused narrowly on negative aspects related to problems in north Rakhine rather than on the larger picture that shows the immense potential of this state for peace and development," Suu Kyi said.

Her government recognised the "grave challenges" it faced in Rakhine and was doing its utmost to address them, she said.

The Nobel laureate has pledged to make Myanmar more investment-friendly as her government attempts to reverse a drop in foreign investment and tourism from the West since the Rohingya exodus sparked global outrage.

A UN fact-finding mission last year said the 2017 military campaign that pushed out the Rohingya was orchestrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back.

The investment fair was attended by Myanmar officials, UN staff and investors and diplomats mostly from Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia.&nbsp;

Domestic and foreign investment could play a crucial role in the state, Suu Kyi said but warned against irresponsible investments like "unchecked expansion of commercial fishery projects" that could damage Rakhine's coastal mangrove forests.

Some experts warn a focus on economic solutions to Rakhine`s problems could cement the marginalisation of the mostly stateless Rohingya.&nbsp;

A Reuters special report in December revealed that officials had built new homes for Buddhists where the Rohingya once lived, making the return of many refugees to their original homes impossible.

Myanmar says it has been ready to accept returning refugees since January and denies discriminating against Muslims who remain in Rakhine. 
&nbsp;

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017. On a rare visit to Rakhine, Suu Kyi emphasised responsible business practices as she addressed an investment fair sponsored by Japan in the coastal state`s tourist hotspot of Ngapali beach. But she made only a brief reference to the conflicts that have roiled areas several hundred kilometres to the north and did not mention the Rohingya. As well as those stuck in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and other Muslims remain trapped in camps and villages in Rakhine, where their movements and access to services are restricted. "For too long the international community`s attention has been focused narrowly on negative aspects related to problems in north Rakhine rather than on the larger picture that shows the immense potential of this state for peace and development," Suu Kyi said. Her government recognised the "grave challenges" it faced in Rakhine and was doing its utmost to address them, she said. The Nobel laureate has pledged to make Myanmar more investment-friendly as her government attempts to reverse a drop in foreign investment and tourism from the West since the Rohingya exodus sparked global outrage. A UN fact-finding mission last year said the 2017 military campaign that pushed out the Rohingya was orchestrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back. The investment fair was attended by Myanmar officials, UN staff and investors and diplomats mostly from Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia. Domestic and foreign investment could play a crucial role in the state, Suu Kyi said but warned against irresponsible investments like "unchecked expansion of commercial fishery projects" that could damage Rakhine's coastal mangrove forests. Some experts warn a focus on economic solutions to Rakhine`s problems could cement the marginalisation of the mostly stateless Rohingya. A Reuters special report in December revealed that officials had built new homes for Buddhists where the Rohingya once lived, making the return of many refugees to their original homes impossible. Myanmar says it has been ready to accept returning refugees since January and denies discriminating against Muslims who remain in Rakhine.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi woos investors to crisis-hit Rakhine, decries 'negative' focus

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday.

The meeting requested for next week would be to hear a report from UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener who last month paid a 12-day visit to Myanmar to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has agreed to take back some of the refugees in a deal reached with Bangladesh, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized as "too slow" Myanmar's efforts to address the Rohingya crisis and described the lack of progress as a source of "enormous frustration."

Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, has made four visits to Myanmar since her appointment in April but appears to have returned empty-handed each time. 
Belgium, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic joined the three veto-holding powers to push the council to turn its attention to Myanmar.

Diplomats said China was expected to raise objections but it remained unclear whether it would seek to block the meeting with a procedural vote.&nbsp;

Nine votes are required in the 15-member council to hold a meeting, and vetoes do not apply.

The Chinese mission at the United Nations did not respond to a request from AFP for comment.

In October, China failed to win enough support at the council to block a report from the head of UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar.

China, which has close ties with Myanmar's military, has argued that the crisis in Rakhine is linked to poverty and has opposed any step to put pressure on the authorities.

Myanmar's military has denied any wrongdoing in Rakhine and argues that its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following attacks on police posts.

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday.

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday. The meeting requested for next week would be to hear a report from UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener who last month paid a 12-day visit to Myanmar to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has agreed to take back some of the refugees in a deal reached with Bangladesh, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized as "too slow" Myanmar's efforts to address the Rohingya crisis and described the lack of progress as a source of "enormous frustration." Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, has made four visits to Myanmar since her appointment in April but appears to have returned empty-handed each time. Belgium, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic joined the three veto-holding powers to push the council to turn its attention to Myanmar. Diplomats said China was expected to raise objections but it remained unclear whether it would seek to block the meeting with a procedural vote. Nine votes are required in the 15-member council to hold a meeting, and vetoes do not apply. The Chinese mission at the United Nations did not respond to a request from AFP for comment. In October, China failed to win enough support at the council to block a report from the head of UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar. China, which has close ties with Myanmar's military, has argued that the crisis in Rakhine is linked to poverty and has opposed any step to put pressure on the authorities. Myanmar's military has denied any wrongdoing in Rakhine and argues that its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following attacks on police posts.

Nine countries at United Nation seek to override China to raise Myanmar

Mobs of stick-wielding church-goers in Myanmar's northeast used to descend on dealers and addicts in a desperate effort to save their communities from a meth-induced health crisis sweeping the country.

But anonymous death threats brought the vigilante operations to a halt.

"It simply became too dangerous for us," says Zau Man, leader of the local Baptist church in Kutkai, a town in Shan State scarred by addiction.

Myanmar is the second-biggest producer of opium in the world after Afghanistan and is now believed to be the largest source of methamphetamine.

The multi-billion dollar industry outstrips rivals in Latin America to feed lucrative markets as far away as Sydney, Tokyo and Seoul.

Shan is the epicentre of production in Myanmar, with a network of local armed groups linking up with transnational trafficking gangs.

Kutkai sits between Mandalay and the militia-riddled town of Muse on the China border, a key entry point for precursor chemicals heading to Myanmar's illegal meth labs.

Trucks carrying illicit goods roar through the town in both directions, past a Chinese temple and streetside restaurants with signs in Mandarin.

Heroin and meth use here are rampant. Zau Man says nearly every household has at least one drug user, dealers work out in the open and often violent meth addicts have turned parts of Kutkai into no-go zones.

"In some areas, you can only get food until 10 pm, but you can get drugs 24/7," he says.

'Smart and ruthless'&nbsp; 
Myanmar is facing a "public health disaster" because of meth and few villages in the country are left unscathed, Jeremy Douglas, a regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, tells AFP.

But the crisis is at its most acute in the poppy-covered hills of Shan State, where a landscape overrun with armed rebel groups, militias and security forces is an ideal breeding ground for meth labs.

Accurate figures of production of high-quality crystal meth, or "ice", and low-grade meth, known in Southeast Asia as "yaba", are unavailable.

In January 2018, Kutkai police seized 30 million yaba pills, 1,750kg of crystal meth and 500kg of heroin with a domestic value of some $54 million in the country's largest-ever drug bust.

But huge raids leave street prices unaltered, suggesting they are only a small slice of production, according to the International Crisis Group, which says the business now "dwarfs" Shan's formal economy.

Crystal meth is smuggled via sophisticated trafficking networks to more developed markets like Australia, where it can fetch a wholesale value of more than $180 million per tonne.

Yaba is distributed to Myanmar's neighbours, particularly Thailand and Bangladesh.

But the pink pills are increasingly being dumped at rock-bottom prices on a domestic market in what Douglas called a "smart and ruthless" strategy to build demand.

"It's a nasty business and they're really pushing it out into the population," he says.

Users and health workers in three different towns in Shan state -- Lashio, Kutkai and Muse -- told AFP pills go for just 500 kyat for three, or around 10 cents each.&nbsp;

As the price falls, so does the user age, with reports of children as young as nine taking yaba.

Many miners, long-distance drivers and shift workers mix narcotics -- smoking meth to keep them awake, and injecting heroin to bring them down.

Ashamed to go home&nbsp; 
Arr San, a gaunt 27-year-old with matted hair, rummages round his roadside shack in Muse and pulls out a bong crafted from a plastic bottle he uses to smoke yaba.&nbsp;

He has been hooked since he was 18 and now consumes around five pills a day.&nbsp;

For Arr San, like many others in the region, there are few opportunities to avoid the cycle of poverty and violence -- two years ago he fled his home in a nearby town for fear of being forced into an ethnic armed group.

Narcotics can provide an escape from the often grim reality of life in Shan.

"I take drugs because I get depressed and they help stabilise my mind," he says.

Arr San is one of 300 heading daily to the local hospital for methadone, a powerful opioid used to wean people off heroin.

But the problem is not limited to the poor.

Among Myanmar's urban elite, addiction to high grade crystal meth is already taking root.

Usually in powder or crystal form, "ice" is commonly snorted or smoked. It can also be injected, which increases the threat of disease transmission through needle-sharing.

A UNODC-backed policy launched in February 2018 champions depenalising users and treating drugs as a health issue while tackling the trade's kingpins.

But the law has yet to catch up —- anyone caught with even one yaba pill still faces a minimum of five years behind bars.

It is estimated that around half of Myanmar’s prison inmates are jailed for minor drug offences and arrests of drug users are rising.

A lack of funding for prevention work and treatment means Myanmar’s meth problem may only get worse.

Arr says: "I want to go back home and see my mother’s face, but I just can’t."

He added: "I don’t want to trouble her as I’m so sick."

Mobs of stick-wielding church-goers in Myanmar's northeast used to descend on dealers and addicts in a desperate effort to save their communities from a meth-induced health crisis sweeping the country.

Mobs of stick-wielding church-goers in Myanmar's northeast used to descend on dealers and addicts in a desperate effort to save their communities from a meth-induced health crisis sweeping the country. But anonymous death threats brought the vigilante operations to a halt. "It simply became too dangerous for us," says Zau Man, leader of the local Baptist church in Kutkai, a town in Shan State scarred by addiction. Myanmar is the second-biggest producer of opium in the world after Afghanistan and is now believed to be the largest source of methamphetamine. The multi-billion dollar industry outstrips rivals in Latin America to feed lucrative markets as far away as Sydney, Tokyo and Seoul. Shan is the epicentre of production in Myanmar, with a network of local armed groups linking up with transnational trafficking gangs. Kutkai sits between Mandalay and the militia-riddled town of Muse on the China border, a key entry point for precursor chemicals heading to Myanmar's illegal meth labs. Trucks carrying illicit goods roar through the town in both directions, past a Chinese temple and streetside restaurants with signs in Mandarin. Heroin and meth use here are rampant. Zau Man says nearly every household has at least one drug user, dealers work out in the open and often violent meth addicts have turned parts of Kutkai into no-go zones. "In some areas, you can only get food until 10 pm, but you can get drugs 24/7," he says. 'Smart and ruthless' Myanmar is facing a "public health disaster" because of meth and few villages in the country are left unscathed, Jeremy Douglas, a regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, tells AFP. But the crisis is at its most acute in the poppy-covered hills of Shan State, where a landscape overrun with armed rebel groups, militias and security forces is an ideal breeding ground for meth labs. Accurate figures of production of high-quality crystal meth, or "ice", and low-grade meth, known in Southeast Asia as "yaba", are unavailable. In January 2018, Kutkai police seized 30 million yaba pills, 1,750kg of crystal meth and 500kg of heroin with a domestic value of some $54 million in the country's largest-ever drug bust. But huge raids leave street prices unaltered, suggesting they are only a small slice of production, according to the International Crisis Group, which says the business now "dwarfs" Shan's formal economy. Crystal meth is smuggled via sophisticated trafficking networks to more developed markets like Australia, where it can fetch a wholesale value of more than $180 million per tonne. Yaba is distributed to Myanmar's neighbours, particularly Thailand and Bangladesh. But the pink pills are increasingly being dumped at rock-bottom prices on a domestic market in what Douglas called a "smart and ruthless" strategy to build demand. "It's a nasty business and they're really pushing it out into the population," he says. Users and health workers in three different towns in Shan state -- Lashio, Kutkai and Muse -- told AFP pills go for just 500 kyat for three, or around 10 cents each. As the price falls, so does the user age, with reports of children as young as nine taking yaba. Many miners, long-distance drivers and shift workers mix narcotics -- smoking meth to keep them awake, and injecting heroin to bring them down. Ashamed to go home Arr San, a gaunt 27-year-old with matted hair, rummages round his roadside shack in Muse and pulls out a bong crafted from a plastic bottle he uses to smoke yaba. He has been hooked since he was 18 and now consumes around five pills a day. For Arr San, like many others in the region, there are few opportunities to avoid the cycle of poverty and violence -- two years ago he fled his home in a nearby town for fear of being forced into an ethnic armed group. Narcotics can provide an escape from the often grim reality of life in Shan. "I take drugs because I get depressed and they help stabilise my mind," he says. Arr San is one of 300 heading daily to the local hospital for methadone, a powerful opioid used to wean people off heroin. But the problem is not limited to the poor. Among Myanmar's urban elite, addiction to high grade crystal meth is already taking root. Usually in powder or crystal form, "ice" is commonly snorted or smoked. It can also be injected, which increases the threat of disease transmission through needle-sharing. A UNODC-backed policy launched in February 2018 champions depenalising users and treating drugs as a health issue while tackling the trade's kingpins. But the law has yet to catch up —- anyone caught with even one yaba pill still faces a minimum of five years behind bars. It is estimated that around half of Myanmar’s prison inmates are jailed for minor drug offences and arrests of drug users are rising. A lack of funding for prevention work and treatment means Myanmar’s meth problem may only get worse. Arr says: "I want to go back home and see my mother’s face, but I just can’t." He added: "I don’t want to trouble her as I’m so sick."

Ruthless meth networks get ill-prepared Myanmar hooked

Myanmar's famed Inle Lake has enchanted tourists for decades with its floating gardens and the graceful leg-rowing style of its fisherman, but experts warn the lake is drying up and urgent action is needed to avoid disaster.

Each year around 200,000 foreigners and one million locals visit Inle -- a vast, serene body of water surrounded by verdant hills.

Many criss-cross the lake on small wooden boats to visit stilted villages of the Intha ethnic minority.

Others glide soundlessly overhead in hot-air balloons as farmers tend to drifting fields of tomatoes below, grown on the water on layers of decomposing vegetation.

Fishermen elegantly propel their boats with their leg curled round a large oar.

But there is a "darker side" to this seemingly bucolic idyll, says Martin Michalon, a researcher into the impact of development on the lake.

As farmers race to produce higher yields, pesticides and fertilisers are slowly poisoning the water.

Inle is also shrinking at an alarming rate.

"One century ago, it was six metres (nearly 20 feet) deep in rainy season... now it is never more than three metres deep," explains Michalon.

Deforestation to clear land for development and slash-and-burn farming is thought to be largely to blame, with silt flowing into the lake from surrounding hillsides.

But water extraction for irrigation and increased numbers of tourists could also be putting undue strain on the water table.

If conditions at the lake deteriorate, then tourism -- the area's most powerful economic driver -- will also likely be affected.

Urgent action is needed to avoid Inle experiencing this "double disaster" in the next few years, warns Michalon.

Political will to help save Inle Lake has so far not been translated into action.

"There is very loud commitment, but on the ground very little changes," he added.

Myanmar's famed Inle Lake has enchanted tourists for decades with its floating gardens and the graceful leg-rowing style of its fisherman, but experts warn the lake is drying up and urgent action is needed to avoid disaster.

Myanmar's famed Inle Lake has enchanted tourists for decades with its floating gardens and the graceful leg-rowing style of its fisherman, but experts warn the lake is drying up and urgent action is needed to avoid disaster. Each year around 200,000 foreigners and one million locals visit Inle -- a vast, serene body of water surrounded by verdant hills. Many criss-cross the lake on small wooden boats to visit stilted villages of the Intha ethnic minority. Others glide soundlessly overhead in hot-air balloons as farmers tend to drifting fields of tomatoes below, grown on the water on layers of decomposing vegetation. Fishermen elegantly propel their boats with their leg curled round a large oar. But there is a "darker side" to this seemingly bucolic idyll, says Martin Michalon, a researcher into the impact of development on the lake. As farmers race to produce higher yields, pesticides and fertilisers are slowly poisoning the water. Inle is also shrinking at an alarming rate. "One century ago, it was six metres (nearly 20 feet) deep in rainy season... now it is never more than three metres deep," explains Michalon. Deforestation to clear land for development and slash-and-burn farming is thought to be largely to blame, with silt flowing into the lake from surrounding hillsides. But water extraction for irrigation and increased numbers of tourists could also be putting undue strain on the water table. If conditions at the lake deteriorate, then tourism -- the area's most powerful economic driver -- will also likely be affected. Urgent action is needed to avoid Inle experiencing this "double disaster" in the next few years, warns Michalon. Political will to help save Inle Lake has so far not been translated into action. "There is very loud commitment, but on the ground very little changes," he added.

The race to save Myanmar's Inle Lake

Myanmar set up a committee to discuss reforming the country's military-drafted constitution on Tuesday, pitting Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government openly against the powerful armed forces for the first time over the incendiary issue.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide in 2015 elections, but was forced into an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the armed forces.

Under a 2008 charter it drafted, the military controls all security ministries and is gifted a quarter of parliamentary seats.

That hands the army an effective veto over any constitutional change. Suu Kyi's party has promised to reform the controversial document.

With 2020 polls looming, parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to form a cross-party committee to debate reforms of the charter.

The main purpose of the "all-inclusive" panel will be to "write a bill to change the 2008 constitution", deputy speaker and committee chair Tun Tun Hein, an NLD lawmaker, told parliament.

The NLD will be allocated 18 out of 45 seats on the panel, the military will have eight and the remainder will be divided between other parties.

There has so far been no detail about the specific reforms the discussions would focus on, or the steps ahead once the panel makes its recommendations.

But its formation threatens a political showdown with the army, whose bloc of MPs stood up in protest early February when the committee's formation was first mooted.

However, the army chief struck a more conciliatory tone in a rare interview with foreign media last week.

"We accept that the constitution needs amendments," he told Japanese paper Asahi Shimbun.

"But the important point is that no amendment should harm (its) essence."&nbsp;

The move by parliament came just a few days after a court handed death sentences to the killers behind the 2017 murder of Muslim lawyer and Suu Kyi advisor Ko Ni.

He was leading the charge on constitutional reform when he was shot dead in cold blood while cradling his grandson.

Ko Ni is also credited with Suu Kyi's circumnavigation of a clause banning anyone married to a foreigner from becoming president.

Suu Kyi, whose late husband was British academic Michael Aris, created her current post of state counsellor above the president's office.

Forming the cross-party committee is "very significant", analyst Khin Zaw Win, director of Yangon-based Tampadipa Institute, told AFP, adding there could be a "reckoning of sorts" approaching between the NLD and army.

"It will need a lot of ingenuity and creativity from everyone."

Myanmar set up a committee to discuss reforming the country's military-drafted constitution on Tuesday, pitting Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government openly against the powerful armed forces for the first time over the incendiary issue.

Myanmar set up a committee to discuss reforming the country's military-drafted constitution on Tuesday, pitting Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government openly against the powerful armed forces for the first time over the incendiary issue. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide in 2015 elections, but was forced into an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the armed forces. Under a 2008 charter it drafted, the military controls all security ministries and is gifted a quarter of parliamentary seats. That hands the army an effective veto over any constitutional change. Suu Kyi's party has promised to reform the controversial document. With 2020 polls looming, parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to form a cross-party committee to debate reforms of the charter. The main purpose of the "all-inclusive" panel will be to "write a bill to change the 2008 constitution", deputy speaker and committee chair Tun Tun Hein, an NLD lawmaker, told parliament. The NLD will be allocated 18 out of 45 seats on the panel, the military will have eight and the remainder will be divided between other parties. There has so far been no detail about the specific reforms the discussions would focus on, or the steps ahead once the panel makes its recommendations. But its formation threatens a political showdown with the army, whose bloc of MPs stood up in protest early February when the committee's formation was first mooted. However, the army chief struck a more conciliatory tone in a rare interview with foreign media last week. "We accept that the constitution needs amendments," he told Japanese paper Asahi Shimbun. "But the important point is that no amendment should harm (its) essence." The move by parliament came just a few days after a court handed death sentences to the killers behind the 2017 murder of Muslim lawyer and Suu Kyi advisor Ko Ni. He was leading the charge on constitutional reform when he was shot dead in cold blood while cradling his grandson. Ko Ni is also credited with Suu Kyi's circumnavigation of a clause banning anyone married to a foreigner from becoming president. Suu Kyi, whose late husband was British academic Michael Aris, created her current post of state counsellor above the president's office. Forming the cross-party committee is "very significant", analyst Khin Zaw Win, director of Yangon-based Tampadipa Institute, told AFP, adding there could be a "reckoning of sorts" approaching between the NLD and army. "It will need a lot of ingenuity and creativity from everyone."

Myanmar picks panel to reform army-scripted constitution

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday.

A statement by the Geneva-based nonprofit warned that 82 per cent of these refugees - 574,000 out of a total of 700,000 - live in homes built with bamboo and shredded plastic that is now battered, putting them at great risk during the approaching cyclone season, that will be accompanied by heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures.

"Housing conditions in these camps are basic. However, after 18 months, they have dramatically deteriorated, leaving people worryingly exposed," head of the IFRC country office in Bangladesh, Azmat Ulla, said in the statement.

"The aid community in Cox's Bazar needs to prioritize repairing and replacing these battered shelters, so that people have some protection against the elements, and are provided with at least some basic comfort and dignity," he added.

Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to help the 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh.

Over half the money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, will be used to meet basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees, who escaped to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Since August 2017, Myanmar's Rakhine state has seen the exodus of more than 745,000 members of the mostly Muslim ethnic minority group, after the army launched a military offensive following attacks by Rohingya rebels on government posts in the region.

An additional 200,000 Rohingyas - one of the most persecuted communities in the world - had fled to Bangladesh before the 2017 crisis erupted.

Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, making it the world's largest refugee camp.

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants limiting their movements within the country.

In November 2017, Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed an agreement for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, although it is yet to be implemented. 
&nbsp;

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday.

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday. A statement by the Geneva-based nonprofit warned that 82 per cent of these refugees - 574,000 out of a total of 700,000 - live in homes built with bamboo and shredded plastic that is now battered, putting them at great risk during the approaching cyclone season, that will be accompanied by heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures. "Housing conditions in these camps are basic. However, after 18 months, they have dramatically deteriorated, leaving people worryingly exposed," head of the IFRC country office in Bangladesh, Azmat Ulla, said in the statement. "The aid community in Cox's Bazar needs to prioritize repairing and replacing these battered shelters, so that people have some protection against the elements, and are provided with at least some basic comfort and dignity," he added. Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to help the 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Over half the money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, will be used to meet basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees, who escaped to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state. Since August 2017, Myanmar's Rakhine state has seen the exodus of more than 745,000 members of the mostly Muslim ethnic minority group, after the army launched a military offensive following attacks by Rohingya rebels on government posts in the region. An additional 200,000 Rohingyas - one of the most persecuted communities in the world - had fled to Bangladesh before the 2017 crisis erupted. Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, making it the world's largest refugee camp. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants limiting their movements within the country. In November 2017, Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed an agreement for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, although it is yet to be implemented.

Rohingya refugees at risk as cyclone season nears: Red Cross

The United Nations refugee agency on Friday said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to aid 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh.

Over half of the solicited money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, is needed to meet the basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees who have fled from Myanmar to the neighboring country since 2017.

The rest of the fund will be utilized to finance programs related to education, health and the protection of women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"Our humanitarian imperative today is to stabilize the situation of stateless Rohingya refugees and their Bangladesh hosts. We are hoping for timely, predictable and flexible contributions in order to meet the goals of this year's appeal," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

The UNHCR in a statement said that the 2019 Joint Response Plan sets out a comprehensive humanitarian effort shaped around three strategic objectives.

"By bringing together 132 partners - UN agencies, international and national NGOs and government bodies in a collective effort - the plan aims to deliver protection to refugee women, men, girls and boys, provide life-saving assistance and foster social cohesion," it said.

IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino said that the UN agencies were reiterating "our commitment to meeting the dire needs of this population and urge the international community to support these efforts".

More than 745,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 2017, while 200,000 members of the community had earlier escaped to Bangladesh.

Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, which has become the biggest refugee camp in the world.

"I repeat my call to Myanmar to take urgent action to address the root causes of this crisis which have persisted for decades, so that people are no longer forced to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity," Grandi said.

Last year, the Joint Response Plan could raise just $655 million against a target of $950 million.

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim minority, as its citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants, although Dhaka has also treated them as foreigners.

The United Nations refugee agency on Friday said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to aid 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Over half of the solicited money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, is needed to meet the basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees who have fled from Myanmar to the neighboring country since 2017.

The United Nations refugee agency on Friday said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to aid 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Over half of the solicited money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, is needed to meet the basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees who have fled from Myanmar to the neighboring country since 2017. The rest of the fund will be utilized to finance programs related to education, health and the protection of women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). "Our humanitarian imperative today is to stabilize the situation of stateless Rohingya refugees and their Bangladesh hosts. We are hoping for timely, predictable and flexible contributions in order to meet the goals of this year's appeal," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. The UNHCR in a statement said that the 2019 Joint Response Plan sets out a comprehensive humanitarian effort shaped around three strategic objectives. "By bringing together 132 partners - UN agencies, international and national NGOs and government bodies in a collective effort - the plan aims to deliver protection to refugee women, men, girls and boys, provide life-saving assistance and foster social cohesion," it said. IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino said that the UN agencies were reiterating "our commitment to meeting the dire needs of this population and urge the international community to support these efforts". More than 745,000 Rohingya refugees have fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 2017, while 200,000 members of the community had earlier escaped to Bangladesh. Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, which has become the biggest refugee camp in the world. "I repeat my call to Myanmar to take urgent action to address the root causes of this crisis which have persisted for decades, so that people are no longer forced to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity," Grandi said. Last year, the Joint Response Plan could raise just $655 million against a target of $950 million. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim minority, as its citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants, although Dhaka has also treated them as foreigners.

UN plans to raise $920 million in aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

New political groups are emerging to contest<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-villagers-flee-fresh-rakhine-state-fighting-enter-bangladesh-195963"> Myanmar</a>'s next election in 2020, aiming to challenge the hegemony of national civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she has been weakened by escalating <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/amnesty-says-myanmar-army-shelling-villages-blocking-aid-in-rakhine-196623">ethnic conflicts </a>and slowing economic growth.

Those factors were blamed by party officials for the poor performance of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in by-elections in November when it won only seven of the 13 seats up for grabs as regional and army-linked parties made gains.

"Now that ethnic parties have allied with one another and prepared, we can't fully rely on the power of the party. We must try harder than before to win the trust of the people," said Dashi La Seng, an NLD lawmaker from the northern state of Kachin, where the party lost a seat in November.

At stake is the future of Myanmar's transition to democracy. The NLD swept to power in a landslide in 2015, winning a comfortable majority in parliament despite 25 per cent of the seats being reserved for the army.

While the NLD is still expected to do better than other parties in 2020, its majority could suffer severe losses, say analysts.

"It's questionable whether the NLD will win enough seats to form the government. If they don't, they'll have to form a coalition or negotiate with other parties," said Ye Myo Hein, an analyst at the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies.

Suu Kyi has responded to recent setbacks with a flurry of activity.

The Nobel laureate has faced criticism from ethnic leaders that her government is high-handed and lacks understanding of the political demands of the country's myriad minorities, while investors have long complained about the slow pace of reform.

In the space of one week in January the Nobel laureate - often seen as aloof in style - popped into a school in a Muslim neighbourhood of Yangon and launched an investment conference in the commercial capital touting the country's plentiful resources and youthful population, while her party floated changes to the military-drafted constitution.

POLITICAL RIVALS COME OUT

The burst of activity was interpreted as an attempt by Suu Kyi to more actively push the government's message to constituents and investors. But rivals have been busy, too.

Former junta No. 3 Shwe Mann, the influential former lower house speaker who has been Suu Kyi's ally, last week announced the formation of a new political force, the Union Betterment Party.

Shwe Mann was ousted as the head of the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party in 2015 and has surrounded himself with moderates from the previous regime.

Ko Ko Gyi, one of the legendary leaders of the student protests in 1988 against junta rule, has also started a party called the People's Party. He has tempted other groups, including ethnic parties, to launch a joint bid for power.

"Even if one party can't win, we can combine in parliament as an alliance. We can stand as one and avoid having our votes split," said Ko Ko Gyi.

Nowhere are the headaches for the NLD bigger than in the western state of Rakhine, where it is dealing with the fallout from an army offensive that in 2017 forced around 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

The European Union is considering trade sanctions on the country over the crisis, potentially stripping it of tariff-free access to the world's largest trading bloc.

The measures could include Myanmar's lucrative textile industry and potentially put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk - many in the areas that overwhelmingly voted NLD in 2015, such as Yangon and Mandalay.

Suu Kyi is also facing a fresh threat from the Arakan Army, a Rakhine rebel group that wants greater autonomy for the state, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority.

The International Crisis Group said in a report from January that the fighting signified "a dangerous shift from politics to the insurgency as the means of addressing ethnic Rakhine grievances".

The Rakhine ethnic party, Arakan National Party, had a strong showing in the 2015 polls, but it has been denied major roles in the local administration, fuelling resentment against the NLD government in the state.

Oo Aung Than, who runs Thazin Community Development Institute, an organization that works on equal rights and development in Rakhine, has complained that the NLD ignored the political will of the Rakhine people in 2015.

"We, ethnic people, can see how they value ethnic people," said Oo Aung Than. "The landslide victory will not happen again in 2020."

New political groups are emerging to contest Myanmar's next election in 2020, aiming to challenge the hegemony of national civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she has been weakened by escalating ethnic conflicts and slowing economic growth.

New political groups are emerging to contest Myanmar's next election in 2020, aiming to challenge the hegemony of national civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she has been weakened by escalating ethnic conflicts and slowing economic growth. Those factors were blamed by party officials for the poor performance of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in by-elections in November when it won only seven of the 13 seats up for grabs as regional and army-linked parties made gains. "Now that ethnic parties have allied with one another and prepared, we can't fully rely on the power of the party. We must try harder than before to win the trust of the people," said Dashi La Seng, an NLD lawmaker from the northern state of Kachin, where the party lost a seat in November. At stake is the future of Myanmar's transition to democracy. The NLD swept to power in a landslide in 2015, winning a comfortable majority in parliament despite 25 per cent of the seats being reserved for the army. While the NLD is still expected to do better than other parties in 2020, its majority could suffer severe losses, say analysts. "It's questionable whether the NLD will win enough seats to form the government. If they don't, they'll have to form a coalition or negotiate with other parties," said Ye Myo Hein, an analyst at the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies. Suu Kyi has responded to recent setbacks with a flurry of activity. The Nobel laureate has faced criticism from ethnic leaders that her government is high-handed and lacks understanding of the political demands of the country's myriad minorities, while investors have long complained about the slow pace of reform. In the space of one week in January the Nobel laureate - often seen as aloof in style - popped into a school in a Muslim neighbourhood of Yangon and launched an investment conference in the commercial capital touting the country's plentiful resources and youthful population, while her party floated changes to the military-drafted constitution. POLITICAL RIVALS COME OUT The burst of activity was interpreted as an attempt by Suu Kyi to more actively push the government's message to constituents and investors. But rivals have been busy, too. Former junta No. 3 Shwe Mann, the influential former lower house speaker who has been Suu Kyi's ally, last week announced the formation of a new political force, the Union Betterment Party. Shwe Mann was ousted as the head of the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party in 2015 and has surrounded himself with moderates from the previous regime. Ko Ko Gyi, one of the legendary leaders of the student protests in 1988 against junta rule, has also started a party called the People's Party. He has tempted other groups, including ethnic parties, to launch a joint bid for power. "Even if one party can't win, we can combine in parliament as an alliance. We can stand as one and avoid having our votes split," said Ko Ko Gyi. Nowhere are the headaches for the NLD bigger than in the western state of Rakhine, where it is dealing with the fallout from an army offensive that in 2017 forced around 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. The European Union is considering trade sanctions on the country over the crisis, potentially stripping it of tariff-free access to the world's largest trading bloc. The measures could include Myanmar's lucrative textile industry and potentially put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk - many in the areas that overwhelmingly voted NLD in 2015, such as Yangon and Mandalay. Suu Kyi is also facing a fresh threat from the Arakan Army, a Rakhine rebel group that wants greater autonomy for the state, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority. The International Crisis Group said in a report from January that the fighting signified "a dangerous shift from politics to the insurgency as the means of addressing ethnic Rakhine grievances". The Rakhine ethnic party, Arakan National Party, had a strong showing in the 2015 polls, but it has been denied major roles in the local administration, fuelling resentment against the NLD government in the state. Oo Aung Than, who runs Thazin Community Development Institute, an organization that works on equal rights and development in Rakhine, has complained that the NLD ignored the political will of the Rakhine people in 2015. "We, ethnic people, can see how they value ethnic people," said Oo Aung Than. "The landslide victory will not happen again in 2020."

In Myanmar, new parties challenge Suu Kyi's grip on power

Myanmar will drop charges against dozens of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-police-fire-rubber-bullets-tear-gas-to-scatter-ethnic-minority-protest-196896"> ethnic minority protesters </a>who demonstrated against a statue of independence hero General Aung San and will hold talks with them, state media said on Wednesday, offering a rare concession.

The surprise climbdown comes as Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the ruling National League for Democracy and the general's daughter, faces rising dissatisfaction in ethnic minority areas ahead of elections set for next year.

On Tuesday, police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd of 3,000 protesters in Loikaw, capital of the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni.

Aung San brokered a 1947 pact among some of Myanmar's ethnic groups that is marked by an annual holiday on February 12, but the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-activists-charged-after-protesting-independence-hero-statue-196112">Karenni protesters</a> say its promises were not implemented after the general's assassination that year.

On Wednesday, the official Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said state officials had negotiated with protesters the previous day and agreed to revoke the charges against them.

In turn, the activists agreed to suspend their protests, it said, adding negotiations would take place within a month, covering issues such as an inscription on the statue's pedestal.

The statue may be moved from its prominent position in a Loikaw park, the paper added.

"The protest group dispersed after we got that agreement," said Khun Thomas, one of the Loikaw protest leaders.

He said the activists expected the charges of unlawful assembly, incitement and defamation filed against more than 50 people to be formally dropped when they went to court on Wednesday.

Officials unveiled the statue in Loikaw this month, triggering the latest in a spate of protests begun when plans for the monument were first announced in mid-2018.

Ethnic minority activists pushing for a federal system of government in Myanmar oppose the statue and other monuments to a leader from the country’s Burman majority.

On taking power in 2016, Suu Kyi set her top priority as securing peace with ethnic armed groups, but progress has been slow.

Myanmar will drop charges against dozens of ethnic minority protesters who demonstrated against a statue of independence hero General Aung San and will hold talks with them, state media said on Wednesday, offering a rare concession.

Myanmar will drop charges against dozens of ethnic minority protesters who demonstrated against a statue of independence hero General Aung San and will hold talks with them, state media said on Wednesday, offering a rare concession. The surprise climbdown comes as Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the ruling National League for Democracy and the general's daughter, faces rising dissatisfaction in ethnic minority areas ahead of elections set for next year. On Tuesday, police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd of 3,000 protesters in Loikaw, capital of the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni. Aung San brokered a 1947 pact among some of Myanmar's ethnic groups that is marked by an annual holiday on February 12, but the Karenni protesters say its promises were not implemented after the general's assassination that year. On Wednesday, the official Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said state officials had negotiated with protesters the previous day and agreed to revoke the charges against them. In turn, the activists agreed to suspend their protests, it said, adding negotiations would take place within a month, covering issues such as an inscription on the statue's pedestal. The statue may be moved from its prominent position in a Loikaw park, the paper added. "The protest group dispersed after we got that agreement," said Khun Thomas, one of the Loikaw protest leaders. He said the activists expected the charges of unlawful assembly, incitement and defamation filed against more than 50 people to be formally dropped when they went to court on Wednesday. Officials unveiled the statue in Loikaw this month, triggering the latest in a spate of protests begun when plans for the monument were first announced in mid-2018. Ethnic minority activists pushing for a federal system of government in Myanmar oppose the statue and other monuments to a leader from the country’s Burman majority. On taking power in 2016, Suu Kyi set her top priority as securing peace with ethnic armed groups, but progress has been slow.

Myanmar to drop charges against ethnic minority protesters in statue dispute

Seven <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-police-fire-rubber-bullets-tear-gas-to-scatter-ethnic-minority-protest-196896">Myanmar</a> students were sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour for burning portraits of officials in protest over campus safety, a student activist said Wednesday, the latest draconian response to rippling discontent with authorities.&nbsp;

Those jailed were among dozens enacting a mock funeral on December 28 calling for more security at a Mandalay university in central<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-activists-charged-after-protesting-independence-hero-statue-196112"> Myanmar </a>after a student's murder near its campus.&nbsp;

They burned paper coffins and portraits of the city's chief minister, Myanmar's security and home affairs ministers, and the head of the university, calling for increased security around the students' compound.

Three people were arrested during the protest and four others were detained a few days later when they rallied for their peers' release.&nbsp;

The seven students were each sentenced to a total of three months in prison with hard labour for protesting without permission and arson, student leader Ei Mon Khin told AFP by phone from the court.&nbsp;

"They will be taken to Obo prison in Mandalay later," she said.&nbsp;

Time served will be deducted from their sentences, meaning they face a further one and a half months in jail.

This is one of several recent examples of a heavy-handed response to protests by authorities.

On Tuesday police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand in eastern Kayah state, the latest in a string of rallies against a statue of Aung San, father of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

He is widely revered by the majority ethnic Bamar (Burmese) population as an independence hero but is viewed critically among many ethnic minority groups, who see him as a symbol of Bamar domination.

Police agreed Tuesday evening to release dozens of arrested protesters in return for a suspension of the rallies while talks take place, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported, a development welcomed by rights groups.

"The Myanmar authorities have a long history of using excessive and lethal force against peaceful protesters," said Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith.&nbsp;

"The government needs to break the trend now."

Seven Myanmar students were sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour for burning portraits of officials in protest over campus safety, a student activist said Wednesday, the latest draconian response to rippling discontent with authorities.

Seven Myanmar students were sentenced to three months in jail with hard labour for burning portraits of officials in protest over campus safety, a student activist said Wednesday, the latest draconian response to rippling discontent with authorities. Those jailed were among dozens enacting a mock funeral on December 28 calling for more security at a Mandalay university in central Myanmar after a student's murder near its campus. They burned paper coffins and portraits of the city's chief minister, Myanmar's security and home affairs ministers, and the head of the university, calling for increased security around the students' compound. Three people were arrested during the protest and four others were detained a few days later when they rallied for their peers' release. The seven students were each sentenced to a total of three months in prison with hard labour for protesting without permission and arson, student leader Ei Mon Khin told AFP by phone from the court. "They will be taken to Obo prison in Mandalay later," she said. Time served will be deducted from their sentences, meaning they face a further one and a half months in jail. This is one of several recent examples of a heavy-handed response to protests by authorities. On Tuesday police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand in eastern Kayah state, the latest in a string of rallies against a statue of Aung San, father of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. He is widely revered by the majority ethnic Bamar (Burmese) population as an independence hero but is viewed critically among many ethnic minority groups, who see him as a symbol of Bamar domination. Police agreed Tuesday evening to release dozens of arrested protesters in return for a suspension of the rallies while talks take place, state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported, a development welcomed by rights groups. "The Myanmar authorities have a long history of using excessive and lethal force against peaceful protesters," said Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith. "The government needs to break the trend now."

Myanmar students sentenced to hard labour over protest demanding campus safety

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse a <a href="http://13.232.42.114/south-asia/myanmar-activists-charged-after-protesting-independence-hero-statue-196112">protest over a statue of independence hero General Aung San</a> that is opposed by members of the Karenni ethnic minority, police and a protest leader said.

Organisers said at least 3,000 people had gathered on the Union Day holiday in Loikaw, the capital of the mountainous eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni, despite being denied permission for the demonstration.

"We are not objecting to the general's statue itself - we are demanding to implement his promises first," Khun Thomas, a leader of the Karenni State Youth Force, said at the protest, broadcast live on Facebook using smartphones.

"We are going to continue our protest."

The father of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Aung San was the architect of a February 12, 1947 pact among some ethnic groups which is marked by the annual holiday, but which, minorities say, was never realised after his assassination that year.

On taking power in 2016, after decades of military-led governments, Suu Kyi set her top priority as securing peace with ethnic armed groups, but slow progress and rising dissatisfaction with her party in minority areas pose a challenge for elections set for next year.

Participants in Tuesday's protest, the largest in a series that began in the state in mid-2018 after officials announced plans to install the statue, demanded that its top official and finance minister resign for failing to negotiate with them.

More than 10 people suffered minor injuries in the police effort to scatter the protest, Khun Thomas told Reuters by telephone. Images posted on social media showed circular wounds on the faces and torsos of young men wearing traditional tunics.

The police tactics were meant only to intimidate protesters with noise, police chief Win Htay said.

"The situation is stable now," he added. "The kids are just showing their opinion."

This month's unveiling of the Loikaw statue, depicting the general in gold atop a horse, has revived the trend of protests, in which a total of 54 people have been charged since last year with unlawful assembly, incitement and defamation.

On Facebook, youth activists said they planned a separate protest in the commercial capital of Yangon on Tuesday to show support for the Loikaw demonstrators.

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse a protest over a statue of independence hero General Aung San that is opposed by members of the Karenni ethnic minority, police and a protest leader said.

Myanmar police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse a protest over a statue of independence hero General Aung San that is opposed by members of the Karenni ethnic minority, police and a protest leader said. Organisers said at least 3,000 people had gathered on the Union Day holiday in Loikaw, the capital of the mountainous eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni, despite being denied permission for the demonstration. "We are not objecting to the general's statue itself - we are demanding to implement his promises first," Khun Thomas, a leader of the Karenni State Youth Force, said at the protest, broadcast live on Facebook using smartphones. "We are going to continue our protest." The father of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Aung San was the architect of a February 12, 1947 pact among some ethnic groups which is marked by the annual holiday, but which, minorities say, was never realised after his assassination that year. On taking power in 2016, after decades of military-led governments, Suu Kyi set her top priority as securing peace with ethnic armed groups, but slow progress and rising dissatisfaction with her party in minority areas pose a challenge for elections set for next year. Participants in Tuesday's protest, the largest in a series that began in the state in mid-2018 after officials announced plans to install the statue, demanded that its top official and finance minister resign for failing to negotiate with them. More than 10 people suffered minor injuries in the police effort to scatter the protest, Khun Thomas told Reuters by telephone. Images posted on social media showed circular wounds on the faces and torsos of young men wearing traditional tunics. The police tactics were meant only to intimidate protesters with noise, police chief Win Htay said. "The situation is stable now," he added. "The kids are just showing their opinion." This month's unveiling of the Loikaw statue, depicting the general in gold atop a horse, has revived the trend of protests, in which a total of 54 people have been charged since last year with unlawful assembly, incitement and defamation. On Facebook, youth activists said they planned a separate protest in the commercial capital of Yangon on Tuesday to show support for the Loikaw demonstrators.

Myanmar police fire rubber bullets, tear gas to scatter ethnic minority protest

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-kills-13-in-counterattacks-on-rakhine-rebels-191279">security forces in Myanmar </a>have bombed villages and are blocking civilians from accessing food and humanitarian assistance amid a crackdown targeting rebels in the troubled<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-villagers-flee-fresh-rakhine-state-fighting-enter-bangladesh-195963"> Rakhine State</a>, the Amnesty International said on Monday.

The nonprofit in its latest report citing villagers and local activists said soldiers were also using vague and repressive laws to detain civilians as part of the offensive that began on January 4 when Arakan Army guerrillas raided police stations and killed 13 policemen.

At least 5,200 people, according to the United Nations, have been displaced by the fighting after the army launched the operation to annihilate insurgents, described as terrorists by the government.

"These latest operations are yet another reminder that the Myanmar military operates without any regard for human rights. Shelling inhabited villages and withholding food supplies are unjustifiable under any circumstances," said Tirana Hassan, Director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International.

Hassan accused the Myanmar authorities of "deliberately playing with the lives and livelihoods of civilians".

"As we've seen time and again, the military's priority is not to protect people in the crossfire, but rather to hide their abuses from the international community."

Amnesty reported said that artillery or mortar shells have forced people out of their homes and they return to find their properties looted and damaged.

Authorities have established restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid from international agencies, except the Red Cross and the UN's World Food Program, to five districts where clashes are ongoing, according to the rights group.

A witness told Amnesty that the army was also imposing restrictions on the purchase and sale of commodities such as rice leading to a lack of supply in some areas.

Citing local activists and media reports, Amnesty said the army was also making arbitrary arrests and at<a href="http://13.232.42.114/south-asia/myanmar-activists-charged-after-protesting-independence-hero-statue-196112"> least 26 people have been arrested</a> for violating the law of illegal association with the Arakan Army, a crime punishable by harsh prison sentences.

The Arakan Army, formed in 2009 to achieve greater autonomy for the Buddhist minority Rakhine, is one of the various rebel groups that have taken up arms in the complex web of conflicts plaguing the country.

Rakhine is home to the Rohingyas, a Muslim-majority community, who have been denied citizenship as the government calls them illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

More than 723,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since August 2017 following an army offensive, which the UN described as an ethnic cleansing and intentional genocide.

The army has denied the accusations and insisted that the operation was in response to an attack by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a guerrilla group, targeting some 30 police posts on August 25, 2017.

Rakhine, which occupies a long coastal strip in western Myanmar, is an area with rich natural resources and a key geostrategic location, but with also one of the highest rates of poverty in the country.

The security forces in Myanmar have bombed villages and are blocking civilians from accessing food and humanitarian assistance amid a crackdown targeting rebels in the troubled Rakhine State, the Amnesty International said on Monday.

The security forces in Myanmar have bombed villages and are blocking civilians from accessing food and humanitarian assistance amid a crackdown targeting rebels in the troubled Rakhine State, the Amnesty International said on Monday. The nonprofit in its latest report citing villagers and local activists said soldiers were also using vague and repressive laws to detain civilians as part of the offensive that began on January 4 when Arakan Army guerrillas raided police stations and killed 13 policemen. At least 5,200 people, according to the United Nations, have been displaced by the fighting after the army launched the operation to annihilate insurgents, described as terrorists by the government. "These latest operations are yet another reminder that the Myanmar military operates without any regard for human rights. Shelling inhabited villages and withholding food supplies are unjustifiable under any circumstances," said Tirana Hassan, Director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International. Hassan accused the Myanmar authorities of "deliberately playing with the lives and livelihoods of civilians". "As we've seen time and again, the military's priority is not to protect people in the crossfire, but rather to hide their abuses from the international community." Amnesty reported said that artillery or mortar shells have forced people out of their homes and they return to find their properties looted and damaged. Authorities have established restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid from international agencies, except the Red Cross and the UN's World Food Program, to five districts where clashes are ongoing, according to the rights group. A witness told Amnesty that the army was also imposing restrictions on the purchase and sale of commodities such as rice leading to a lack of supply in some areas. Citing local activists and media reports, Amnesty said the army was also making arbitrary arrests and at least 26 people have been arrested for violating the law of illegal association with the Arakan Army, a crime punishable by harsh prison sentences. The Arakan Army, formed in 2009 to achieve greater autonomy for the Buddhist minority Rakhine, is one of the various rebel groups that have taken up arms in the complex web of conflicts plaguing the country. Rakhine is home to the Rohingyas, a Muslim-majority community, who have been denied citizenship as the government calls them illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. More than 723,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since August 2017 following an army offensive, which the UN described as an ethnic cleansing and intentional genocide. The army has denied the accusations and insisted that the operation was in response to an attack by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a guerrilla group, targeting some 30 police posts on August 25, 2017. Rakhine, which occupies a long coastal strip in western Myanmar, is an area with rich natural resources and a key geostrategic location, but with also one of the highest rates of poverty in the country.

Amnesty says Myanmar army shelling villages, blocking aid in Rakhine

Bangladesh security forces stopped 22 Rohingya Muslims from being smuggled to Malaysia by boat, officials said Monday, the second group in three days prevented from leaving squalid refugee camps.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces found 11 women, 10 children and a man at a village on the Bay of Bengal coast, near the border with Myanmar, on Sunday.

The 22 had paid traffickers up to $1,200 each to get a place on a small boat for the dangerous journey, a BGB officer said. The people smugglers fled before security forces arrived.

About 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled Myanmar for Bangladesh after a military clampdown in the Buddhist-majority nation in August 2017.&nbsp;

There were already 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh where they are largely confined to the overflowing camps.

"The traffickers took whatever they could from the refugees," Lieutenant Colonel Asadud Zaman Chowdhury, BGB chief for the town of Teknaf, told AFP.

He added that it was possible many of the young women would have ended up in "forced prostitution".

It is the fourth time since November that Rohingya have been intercepted attempting to get a boat to Muslim-majority Malaysia.

On Friday, border guards stopped 30 Rohingya from boarding a boat and sent them back to their camps.

Authorities fear that more Rohingya will try to take boats to Malaysia while the Bay of Bengal is calm up until the end of March.&nbsp;

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said "an internationally organised racket" was preying on desperation in the Rohingya camps.

"The refugees are lured by false promises. They simply don't have any idea how dangerous these sea journeys can be," he told AFP.

People smugglers sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from the camps to Malaysia before Bangladesh launched a crackdown in 2015.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bangladesh security forces stopped 22 Rohingya Muslims from being smuggled to Malaysia by boat, officials said Monday, the second group in three days prevented from leaving squalid refugee camps.

Bangladesh security forces stopped 22 Rohingya Muslims from being smuggled to Malaysia by boat, officials said Monday, the second group in three days prevented from leaving squalid refugee camps. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces found 11 women, 10 children and a man at a village on the Bay of Bengal coast, near the border with Myanmar, on Sunday. The 22 had paid traffickers up to $1,200 each to get a place on a small boat for the dangerous journey, a BGB officer said. The people smugglers fled before security forces arrived. About 740,000 of the Muslim minority fled Myanmar for Bangladesh after a military clampdown in the Buddhist-majority nation in August 2017. There were already 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh where they are largely confined to the overflowing camps. "The traffickers took whatever they could from the refugees," Lieutenant Colonel Asadud Zaman Chowdhury, BGB chief for the town of Teknaf, told AFP. He added that it was possible many of the young women would have ended up in "forced prostitution". It is the fourth time since November that Rohingya have been intercepted attempting to get a boat to Muslim-majority Malaysia. On Friday, border guards stopped 30 Rohingya from boarding a boat and sent them back to their camps. Authorities fear that more Rohingya will try to take boats to Malaysia while the Bay of Bengal is calm up until the end of March. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said "an internationally organised racket" was preying on desperation in the Rohingya camps. "The refugees are lured by false promises. They simply don't have any idea how dangerous these sea journeys can be," he told AFP. People smugglers sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from the camps to Malaysia before Bangladesh launched a crackdown in 2015.

Bangladesh stops more Rohingya taking risky trip to Malaysia

A Singaporean woman who abused her Myanmar maid by forcing her to pour hot water on herself, pulling her hair out and hitting her was jailed for three years on Monday.

Singapore is home to almost 250,000 maids, mostly from other parts of Southeast Asia, who head to the tiny but wealthy city-state to earn far higher salaries.

Beauty parlour manager Linda Seah, 39, was convicted last month for the abuse inflicted on Phyu Phyu Mar in 2016.

The mistreatment detailed in six charges included two instances when the maid was forced to pour hot water onto her left shoulder, leaving her with burn marks and blisters.&nbsp;

Seah also forced her to drink "water adulterated with floor cleaner", according to the charges.&nbsp;

On one occasion she shook the maid by the hair until some of it came out, and on another, hit her repeatedly in the head with a mobile phone.

The Singapore court heard that Seah was unhappy as she felt her employee was slow in completing her chores.

But handing down the jail sentence, District Judge Olivia Low said that Seah's "unhappiness with the victim’s work should not justify any form of violence against" her.

She said the victim suffered "psychological harm" and had been left with a scar on her shoulder.

As well as the jail term, Seah was fined Sg$9,000 ($6,630).

The judge said aggravating factors for the sentence included that the maid was denied food, leading her to become malnourished, and her salary was not paid.

The woman's husband Lim Toon Leng, 44, was jailed for six weeks on one charge of punching the maid on the forehead.

The abuses came to light after the maid accompanied Seah to the salon she managed, where one of the employees alerted the police.

Abuse of domestic workers is not as common in tightly-regulated Singapore as other parts of Asia, but some cases have made headlines.&nbsp;

In 2017, a Singapore couple were jailed for starving their Philippine maid until she weighed just 29 kilograms (64 pounds).

A Singaporean woman who abused her Myanmar maid by forcing her to pour hot water on herself, pulling her hair out and hitting her was jailed for three years on Monday.

A Singaporean woman who abused her Myanmar maid by forcing her to pour hot water on herself, pulling her hair out and hitting her was jailed for three years on Monday. Singapore is home to almost 250,000 maids, mostly from other parts of Southeast Asia, who head to the tiny but wealthy city-state to earn far higher salaries. Beauty parlour manager Linda Seah, 39, was convicted last month for the abuse inflicted on Phyu Phyu Mar in 2016. The mistreatment detailed in six charges included two instances when the maid was forced to pour hot water onto her left shoulder, leaving her with burn marks and blisters. Seah also forced her to drink "water adulterated with floor cleaner", according to the charges. On one occasion she shook the maid by the hair until some of it came out, and on another, hit her repeatedly in the head with a mobile phone. The Singapore court heard that Seah was unhappy as she felt her employee was slow in completing her chores. But handing down the jail sentence, District Judge Olivia Low said that Seah's "unhappiness with the victim’s work should not justify any form of violence against" her. She said the victim suffered "psychological harm" and had been left with a scar on her shoulder. As well as the jail term, Seah was fined Sg$9,000 ($6,630). The judge said aggravating factors for the sentence included that the maid was denied food, leading her to become malnourished, and her salary was not paid. The woman's husband Lim Toon Leng, 44, was jailed for six weeks on one charge of punching the maid on the forehead. The abuses came to light after the maid accompanied Seah to the salon she managed, where one of the employees alerted the police. Abuse of domestic workers is not as common in tightly-regulated Singapore as other parts of Asia, but some cases have made headlines. In 2017, a Singapore couple were jailed for starving their Philippine maid until she weighed just 29 kilograms (64 pounds).

Singaporean salon manager jailed for abusing Myanmar maid

Scores of ethnic minority villagers have crossed from western Myanmar into Bangladesh in recent days amid fighting between the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-bangladesh-to-seek-indian-support-195630"> Myanmar military </a>and ethnic Rakhine rebels, Bangladesh border guards and an activist said on Thursday.

Members of 38 families said they fled their homes <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bangladesh-foreign-ministers-maiden-india-visit-to-focus-on-rohingya-crisis-five-mous-expected-to-be-signed-195653">fearing attack from military</a> helicopters, said Colonel Zahirul Haque Khan, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) commander in Bandarban district where the group of 136 people are now living in shelters.

Clashes between Myanmar's military and the insurgent Arakan Army, which mainly recruits from the Rakhine ethnic group, have displaced more than 5,000 people in parts of Rakhine and Chin states since early December.

Myanmar's leaders have vowed to crush the rebels, who are fighting for autonomy for Rakhine State, and blocked most aid agencies from reaching the area, raising fears of more civilian suffering in an area long scarred by complex ethnic divisions.

While Rakhine State is majority Buddhist, in 2017 attacks on security posts by insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority provoked a military crackdown that forced 730,000 people from their homes and into camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, according to U.N. agencies.

Win Thein, a member of the nongovernmental Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, said he had visited the refugees, who are members of the Khumi, Cho and Rakhine ethnic groups, in their remote jungle camp.

They had crossed into Bangladesh on Sunday and Monday after fleeing from two villages in Chin state's rugged Paletwa township after they heard gunfire and saw helicopters nearby, he said.

Some villagers said they later witnessed Myanmar soldiers looting and setting fire to homes, he said.

Win Thein said some of the refugee children were seriously ill and had no access to medical care.

"There are no blankets at all and it is very cold," he said.

State media in Myanmar said on Friday the Arakan Army had "taken about 200 Rakhine and other ethnic nationals including 38 schoolchildren to Bangladesh territory".

An announcement carried in official newspapers said the government was providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people, and said the insurgents may have taken the people into Bangladesh to "create misunderstanding between the two neighbours".

Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said the armed group had helped the displaced villagers to reach the border, but did so because the villagers feared being detained by the military.

The government was using "fake news" to cover up military abuses, he said.

Bangladesh summoned Myanmar's ambassador on Tuesday to protest over the new arrivals, according to a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official.

Bangladesh had beefed up security near the border to prevent more refugee arrivals, Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters on Thursday.

Scores of ethnic minority villagers have crossed from western Myanmar into Bangladesh in recent days amid fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine rebels, Bangladesh border guards and an activist said on Thursday.

Scores of ethnic minority villagers have crossed from western Myanmar into Bangladesh in recent days amid fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic Rakhine rebels, Bangladesh border guards and an activist said on Thursday. Members of 38 families said they fled their homes fearing attack from military helicopters, said Colonel Zahirul Haque Khan, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) commander in Bandarban district where the group of 136 people are now living in shelters. Clashes between Myanmar's military and the insurgent Arakan Army, which mainly recruits from the Rakhine ethnic group, have displaced more than 5,000 people in parts of Rakhine and Chin states since early December. Myanmar's leaders have vowed to crush the rebels, who are fighting for autonomy for Rakhine State, and blocked most aid agencies from reaching the area, raising fears of more civilian suffering in an area long scarred by complex ethnic divisions. While Rakhine State is majority Buddhist, in 2017 attacks on security posts by insurgents from the Muslim Rohingya minority provoked a military crackdown that forced 730,000 people from their homes and into camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, according to U.N. agencies. Win Thein, a member of the nongovernmental Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, said he had visited the refugees, who are members of the Khumi, Cho and Rakhine ethnic groups, in their remote jungle camp. They had crossed into Bangladesh on Sunday and Monday after fleeing from two villages in Chin state's rugged Paletwa township after they heard gunfire and saw helicopters nearby, he said. Some villagers said they later witnessed Myanmar soldiers looting and setting fire to homes, he said. Win Thein said some of the refugee children were seriously ill and had no access to medical care. "There are no blankets at all and it is very cold," he said. State media in Myanmar said on Friday the Arakan Army had "taken about 200 Rakhine and other ethnic nationals including 38 schoolchildren to Bangladesh territory". An announcement carried in official newspapers said the government was providing humanitarian assistance to displaced people, and said the insurgents may have taken the people into Bangladesh to "create misunderstanding between the two neighbours". Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said the armed group had helped the displaced villagers to reach the border, but did so because the villagers feared being detained by the military. The government was using "fake news" to cover up military abuses, he said. Bangladesh summoned Myanmar's ambassador on Tuesday to protest over the new arrivals, according to a senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official. Bangladesh had beefed up security near the border to prevent more refugee arrivals, Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters on Thursday.

Myanmar villagers flee fresh Rakhine State fighting, enter Bangladesh

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee.

Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said.

A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song.

The video could not be verified independently by Reuters.

An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted.

The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month.

Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority.

Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved.

His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military.

She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy.

A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di.

If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail.

Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said.

The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said.

"We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said.

Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters.

"No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee. Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said. A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song. The video could not be verified independently by Reuters. An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted. The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month. Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority. Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved. His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military. She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy. A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di. If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail. Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said. The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said. "We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said. Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters. "No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Myanmar activists charged after protesting independence hero statue

India has assured Bangladesh of its continued support with respect to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Both the countries have called for safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees.&nbsp;

Bangladesh's&nbsp;foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is in Delhi on a 4-day visit and took part in the fifth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission. The meeting was co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday.&nbsp;

The joint press release noted, "External Affairs Minister expressed appreciation for the humanitarian gesture of Bangladesh in supporting a large number of displaced persons from the Rakhine region of Myanmar" and "assured the Foreign Minister of India’s continued support for safe, speedy and sustainable return of the displaced persons to Myanmar".

Bangladesh's foreign minister conveyed his country's gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided by India in four tranches since September 2017 to help meet the requirements of the displaced persons from Myanmar.

This is the first high-level visit from PM Hasina's government after her electoral victory in December 2018.

The release added, the two ministers agreed on the need to "expedite, safe and sustainable repatriation" of the displaced people from the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

India has been calling on Myanmar to implement the Rohingya repatriation accord that it signed with Bangladesh. The agreement involves the return of the refugees to Myanmar.

India started 'Operation Insaniyat' to help Rohingya refugees in September 2017. In December 2018, India began the 4th tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees camping in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar.&nbsp;

Bangladeshi foreign minister Momen had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during which the Rohingya issue was also raised. PM Modi assured India's support to the neighbouring country.

 
&nbsp;

India has assured Bangladesh of its continued support with respect to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Both the countries have called for safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees.

India has assured Bangladesh of its continued support with respect to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Both the countries have called for safe and sustainable repatriation of the refugees. Bangladesh's foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen is in Delhi on a 4-day visit and took part in the fifth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission. The meeting was co-chaired by India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday. The joint press release noted, "External Affairs Minister expressed appreciation for the humanitarian gesture of Bangladesh in supporting a large number of displaced persons from the Rakhine region of Myanmar" and "assured the Foreign Minister of India’s continued support for safe, speedy and sustainable return of the displaced persons to Myanmar". Bangladesh's foreign minister conveyed his country's gratitude for the humanitarian assistance provided by India in four tranches since September 2017 to help meet the requirements of the displaced persons from Myanmar. This is the first high-level visit from PM Hasina's government after her electoral victory in December 2018. The release added, the two ministers agreed on the need to "expedite, safe and sustainable repatriation" of the displaced people from the Rakhine state of Myanmar. India has been calling on Myanmar to implement the Rohingya repatriation accord that it signed with Bangladesh. The agreement involves the return of the refugees to Myanmar. India started 'Operation Insaniyat' to help Rohingya refugees in September 2017. In December 2018, India began the 4th tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees camping in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. Bangladeshi foreign minister Momen had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday during which the Rohingya issue was also raised. PM Modi assured India's support to the neighbouring country.

India, Bangladesh call for safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees

Bangladesh has sealed off its border with Myanmar amid fresh influx of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-protests-to-myanmar-over-new-arrivals-from-rakhine-state-195564">refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state</a> following reported military clampdown, this time against the ethnic majority Buddhists and Hindus being the victims, Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said Wednesday.&nbsp;

Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing from Rakhine state in neighbouring Myanmar to evade atrocities, which the UN called "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing", following the action by the military in August 2017.

"We can't take any more of them (Myanmar refugees). The border with Myanmar is almost sealed off," he told reporters before departing for New Delhi.

Momen is visiting India on his maiden overseas tour since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed the government for the third consecutive terms after winning the December 30 general elections.

He said that Bangladesh has opened its border and allowed enough of the influx of refugees opening the border "now it is better if others (other countries) open their frontiers for them (refugees)".

Meanwhile, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said they sent a detachment to enforce a vigil in its remote frontiers with Myanmar in bordering Bandndarban's Ruma area.

Police said about 150 Myanmar nationals, including 38 Buddhist families, crossed the border.

"We have sent a detachment to Ruma frontiers to enforce a stringent vigil against fresh influx. The borders with Myanmar remained sealed off while only legal movement is underway through the Ukhia and Teknaf frontiers," BGB's region commander Brigadier General Ainul Morshed Khan said.

Police chief of the bordering Bandarban district Mohammad Kamruzzaman said 38, mostly Buddhist, families sneaked into Bangladesh overnight in view of the "internal conflict" in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Reports suggest fighting between the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army forced hundreds to flee their home to take refuge in Bangladesh and India.

Acknowledging the report, the foreign minister said, "We have heard that different ethnic and religious groups including Buddhists and Hindus, this time apart from (Rohingya) Muslims, are trying to enter Bangladesh amid fresh violence in Myanmar."

Earlier in the day, Momen met with special UN envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener and Hollywood superstar and a special UNHCR envoy Angelina Jolie who spent as a special UNHCR envoy two days in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar where over a million Rohingya Muslims have been taking refuge after fleeing a brutal military crackdown at their homeland.

The 43-year-old Hollywood actor arrived here yesterday and visited a refugee camp in Teknaf near the Myanmar border.

Momen said he told the UN envoy that Bangladesh was upset seeing that instead of mounting pressures, some big countries still kept "all kinds of bilateral relations including trade with Myanmar".&nbsp;

Bangladesh has sealed off its border with Myanmar amid fresh influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state following reported military clampdown, this time against the ethnic majority Buddhists and Hindus being the victims, Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said Wednesday.

Bangladesh has sealed off its border with Myanmar amid fresh influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state following reported military clampdown, this time against the ethnic majority Buddhists and Hindus being the victims, Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said Wednesday. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing from Rakhine state in neighbouring Myanmar to evade atrocities, which the UN called "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing", following the action by the military in August 2017. "We can't take any more of them (Myanmar refugees). The border with Myanmar is almost sealed off," he told reporters before departing for New Delhi. Momen is visiting India on his maiden overseas tour since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed the government for the third consecutive terms after winning the December 30 general elections. He said that Bangladesh has opened its border and allowed enough of the influx of refugees opening the border "now it is better if others (other countries) open their frontiers for them (refugees)". Meanwhile, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said they sent a detachment to enforce a vigil in its remote frontiers with Myanmar in bordering Bandndarban's Ruma area. Police said about 150 Myanmar nationals, including 38 Buddhist families, crossed the border. "We have sent a detachment to Ruma frontiers to enforce a stringent vigil against fresh influx. The borders with Myanmar remained sealed off while only legal movement is underway through the Ukhia and Teknaf frontiers," BGB's region commander Brigadier General Ainul Morshed Khan said. Police chief of the bordering Bandarban district Mohammad Kamruzzaman said 38, mostly Buddhist, families sneaked into Bangladesh overnight in view of the "internal conflict" in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Reports suggest fighting between the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army forced hundreds to flee their home to take refuge in Bangladesh and India. Acknowledging the report, the foreign minister said, "We have heard that different ethnic and religious groups including Buddhists and Hindus, this time apart from (Rohingya) Muslims, are trying to enter Bangladesh amid fresh violence in Myanmar." Earlier in the day, Momen met with special UN envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener and Hollywood superstar and a special UNHCR envoy Angelina Jolie who spent as a special UNHCR envoy two days in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar where over a million Rohingya Muslims have been taking refuge after fleeing a brutal military crackdown at their homeland. The 43-year-old Hollywood actor arrived here yesterday and visited a refugee camp in Teknaf near the Myanmar border. Momen said he told the UN envoy that Bangladesh was upset seeing that instead of mounting pressures, some big countries still kept "all kinds of bilateral relations including trade with Myanmar".

Bangladesh virtually seals off border with Myanmar amid fresh influx of refugees

Bangladesh has protested to Myanmar over a new influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state after clashes between security forces and an insurgent group, an official said Wednesday.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador late Tuesday to protest over the arrivals from Rakhine, already notorious following a military clampdown on Muslim Rohingya in August 2017 which sent more than 700,000 people across the border.

The new arrivals are from Rakhine Buddhist and other tribal groups, a senior foreign ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity, without giving a figure.

"The number is increasing. Some people are already waiting on the border and they may also enter. We have asked them (Myanmar) to take effective and urgent steps so that violence is stopped," the official said.

A Bangladesh border guard official said the refugees had crossed in a remote hill area of Bandarban district in the southeast of the country.

Bangladesh is already struggling to cope with the 740,000 Rohingya Muslims who arrived after August 2017 adding to 300,000 who had fled earlier violence in Rakhine.

Now Rakhine's ethnic majority, who are Buddhist, are in conflict with the army they helped to drive out the Rohingya just 18 months ago.

On January 4 the Arakan Army (AA), a militant group calling for greater autonomy for Rakhine, killed 13 people in raids on police border posts. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The army says 13 militants have been killed in reprisal attacks while the United Nations says at least 5,200 people have been displaced by the violence.

An accurate death toll has been impossible to ascertain because the zone is under a near-blanket lockdown.

The fighting has added a new, complex dimension to the troubles in Rakhine that since 2012 have seen religious and communal riots, the mass exodus of Rohingya and killings across all ethnic lines.

The Bangladesh protest came after Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie said Tuesday that Myanmar must "show genuine commitment" to end violence that has driven the Rohingya into Bangladesh.

The UN is preparing to launch a new international appeal for nearly one billion dollars to look after the Rohingya.

Bangladesh has protested to Myanmar over a new influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state after clashes between security forces and an insurgent group, an official said Wednesday.

Bangladesh has protested to Myanmar over a new influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state after clashes between security forces and an insurgent group, an official said Wednesday. Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador late Tuesday to protest over the arrivals from Rakhine, already notorious following a military clampdown on Muslim Rohingya in August 2017 which sent more than 700,000 people across the border. The new arrivals are from Rakhine Buddhist and other tribal groups, a senior foreign ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity, without giving a figure. "The number is increasing. Some people are already waiting on the border and they may also enter. We have asked them (Myanmar) to take effective and urgent steps so that violence is stopped," the official said. A Bangladesh border guard official said the refugees had crossed in a remote hill area of Bandarban district in the southeast of the country. Bangladesh is already struggling to cope with the 740,000 Rohingya Muslims who arrived after August 2017 adding to 300,000 who had fled earlier violence in Rakhine. Now Rakhine's ethnic majority, who are Buddhist, are in conflict with the army they helped to drive out the Rohingya just 18 months ago. On January 4 the Arakan Army (AA), a militant group calling for greater autonomy for Rakhine, killed 13 people in raids on police border posts. The army says 13 militants have been killed in reprisal attacks while the United Nations says at least 5,200 people have been displaced by the violence. An accurate death toll has been impossible to ascertain because the zone is under a near-blanket lockdown. The fighting has added a new, complex dimension to the troubles in Rakhine that since 2012 have seen religious and communal riots, the mass exodus of Rohingya and killings across all ethnic lines. The Bangladesh protest came after Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie said Tuesday that Myanmar must "show genuine commitment" to end violence that has driven the Rohingya into Bangladesh. The UN is preparing to launch a new international appeal for nearly one billion dollars to look after the Rohingya.

Bangladesh protests to Myanmar over new arrivals from Rakhine state

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/angelina-jolie-visits-rohingya-camp-in-bangladesh-195095">Angelina Jolie said Tuesday</a> that Myanmar must "show genuine commitment" to end violence that has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The superstar envoy for the UN refugee agency made the comments on the second day of emotional meetings with Rohingya, including rape survivors, in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district where some 740,000 Rohingya have taken refuge since August 2017.

There were already about 300,000 in camps before the exodus, which has strained Bangladesh's resources to the limit.

The visit came ahead of a new UN appeal to raise nearly one billion dollars for the one million Rohingya now in the camps around the town of Cox's Bazar.&nbsp;

"It was deeply upsetting to meet the families who have only known persecution and statelessness their whole lives, who speak of being 'treated like cattle'," Jolie told reporters.&nbsp;

"The Rohingya families I have met are no different from other refugees in one crucial respect: they want to be able to return home," she said.

The latest wave of refugees arrived after a military clampdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Jolie insisted that the refugees should return home "only when they feel safe enough to do so voluntarily and they know that their rights will be respected."

"I met a woman yesterday, a survivor of rape in Myanmar, and she told me, 'You would have to shoot me where I stand before I go back without my rights'," the 43-year-old said.

"The responsibility to ensure those rights and make it possible for the Rohingya people to return to Rakhine state lies squarely with the government and the authorities in Myanmar," she added.

She called for an end to violence in Rakhine, which UN officials have compared to genocide, and demanded action against the perpetrators.&nbsp;

"I urge the Myanmar authorities to show the genuine commitment needed to end the cycle of violence and displacement and improve the conditions for all communities in Rakhine state," she said.

Jolie has previously met with displaced Rohingya while in Myanmar in July 2015 and in India in 2006.

She will conclude her visit on Wednesday by meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, and other senior officials in Dhaka, a UN statement said.

The talks will focus on how the UN's refugee agency can help Bangladesh's efforts for the Rohingya and "sustainable solutions" to settle the persecuted minority, the statement added.

Angelina Jolie said Tuesday that Myanmar must "show genuine commitment" to end violence that has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Angelina Jolie said Tuesday that Myanmar must "show genuine commitment" to end violence that has driven hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh. The superstar envoy for the UN refugee agency made the comments on the second day of emotional meetings with Rohingya, including rape survivors, in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district where some 740,000 Rohingya have taken refuge since August 2017. There were already about 300,000 in camps before the exodus, which has strained Bangladesh's resources to the limit. The visit came ahead of a new UN appeal to raise nearly one billion dollars for the one million Rohingya now in the camps around the town of Cox's Bazar. "It was deeply upsetting to meet the families who have only known persecution and statelessness their whole lives, who speak of being 'treated like cattle'," Jolie told reporters. "The Rohingya families I have met are no different from other refugees in one crucial respect: they want to be able to return home," she said. The latest wave of refugees arrived after a military clampdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Jolie insisted that the refugees should return home "only when they feel safe enough to do so voluntarily and they know that their rights will be respected." "I met a woman yesterday, a survivor of rape in Myanmar, and she told me, 'You would have to shoot me where I stand before I go back without my rights'," the 43-year-old said. "The responsibility to ensure those rights and make it possible for the Rohingya people to return to Rakhine state lies squarely with the government and the authorities in Myanmar," she added. She called for an end to violence in Rakhine, which UN officials have compared to genocide, and demanded action against the perpetrators. "I urge the Myanmar authorities to show the genuine commitment needed to end the cycle of violence and displacement and improve the conditions for all communities in Rakhine state," she said. Jolie has previously met with displaced Rohingya while in Myanmar in July 2015 and in India in 2006. She will conclude her visit on Wednesday by meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, and other senior officials in Dhaka, a UN statement said. The talks will focus on how the UN's refugee agency can help Bangladesh's efforts for the Rohingya and "sustainable solutions" to settle the persecuted minority, the statement added.

Angelina Jolie demands 'genuine commitment' from Myanmar to ending anti-Rohingya violence

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations".

The US-based social media giant says it has removed hundreds of accounts, pages and groups for links to Myanmar's military, or misrepresentation, since last August.

The action came after Facebook was criticized for not doing enough to prevent violent and hate-filled content spreading on its platform, which grew hugely popular in Myanmar just as conflicts in the country escalated.

The Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Kachin Independence Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army were banned, Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday, adding it would remove "praise, support and representation" of the groups.

"In an effort to prevent and disrupt offline harm, we do not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in violence to have a presence on Facebook," the company said.

The bans targeted only some of the ethnic minority insurgent groups in Myanmar that have battled for autonomy in conflicts that have raged on and off since shortly after Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948.

The four groups named by Facebook have not signed a government-led ceasefire agreement and have frequently clashed with the armed forces in recent years.

One group, the Kachin Independence Army, is one the strongest of the country's insurgent groups and occupies territory in the north.

Another, the Arakan Army, has been engaged in fighting in the west since December that has displaced more than 5,000. It launched attacks last month that killed 13 Myanmar border police.

ATTACKING CIVILIANS?

Facebook said there was "clear evidence that these organizations have been responsible for attacks against civilians and have engaged in violence in Myanmar, and we want to prevent them from using our services to further inflame tensions on the ground".

Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said his group "never attacked civilians".

Speaking via a messaging service, he questioned whether Facebook was siding with Myanmar's government rather than "standing on the side of minorities".

Mong Aik Kyaw, a spokesman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, confirmed the group's page was down, but declined to comment on Facebook's reasoning.

The removal would restrict the group's ability to "inform the public" about its activities, he said.

The other two groups were not immediately available for comment.

Some accounts related to Myanmar's armed forces were first removed last August after a UN fact-finding mission called for top Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for what it said was a campaign of mass killings and gang rape against the Rohingya Muslim minority carried out with "genocidal intent".

In 2017, the military led a crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 730,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies.

A Reuters special report in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fuelling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya.

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations".

Facebook has banned four insurgent groups fighting against Myanmar's military from its social network, the company said on Tuesday, saying it wanted to prevent offline harm by removing groups it branded "dangerous organisations". The US-based social media giant says it has removed hundreds of accounts, pages and groups for links to Myanmar's military, or misrepresentation, since last August. The action came after Facebook was criticized for not doing enough to prevent violent and hate-filled content spreading on its platform, which grew hugely popular in Myanmar just as conflicts in the country escalated. The Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Kachin Independence Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army were banned, Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday, adding it would remove "praise, support and representation" of the groups. "In an effort to prevent and disrupt offline harm, we do not allow organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in violence to have a presence on Facebook," the company said. The bans targeted only some of the ethnic minority insurgent groups in Myanmar that have battled for autonomy in conflicts that have raged on and off since shortly after Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948. The four groups named by Facebook have not signed a government-led ceasefire agreement and have frequently clashed with the armed forces in recent years. One group, the Kachin Independence Army, is one the strongest of the country's insurgent groups and occupies territory in the north. Another, the Arakan Army, has been engaged in fighting in the west since December that has displaced more than 5,000. It launched attacks last month that killed 13 Myanmar border police. ATTACKING CIVILIANS? Facebook said there was "clear evidence that these organizations have been responsible for attacks against civilians and have engaged in violence in Myanmar, and we want to prevent them from using our services to further inflame tensions on the ground". Khine Thu Kha, an Arakan Army spokesman based outside Myanmar, said his group "never attacked civilians". Speaking via a messaging service, he questioned whether Facebook was siding with Myanmar's government rather than "standing on the side of minorities". Mong Aik Kyaw, a spokesman for the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, confirmed the group's page was down, but declined to comment on Facebook's reasoning. The removal would restrict the group's ability to "inform the public" about its activities, he said. The other two groups were not immediately available for comment. Some accounts related to Myanmar's armed forces were first removed last August after a UN fact-finding mission called for top Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for what it said was a campaign of mass killings and gang rape against the Rohingya Muslim minority carried out with "genocidal intent". In 2017, the military led a crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 730,000 Rohingya to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies. A Reuters special report in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fuelling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya.

Facebook targets 'dangerous' armed groups in latest Myanmar bans

Fields of purple opium poppy stretch across the pastures and peaks of mountainous eastern Myanmar, with many farmers reluctant to give up the profitable cash crop in spite of incentives offered.

Myanmar is the second biggest source of opium in the world after Afghanistan, with Shan state its main production hub.

AFP hiked up the steep mountainside towering over the small town of Hopong, just a few dozen kilometres from tourist hotspot Inle Lake.&nbsp;

The farmland closest to the town boasts fields of coffee, potatoes and corn, and provides a lifeline for the scattered villages.

But scale the ridge and the far side exposes a blanket of purple reaching up to an altitude of some 2,400 metres (8,000 feet).&nbsp;

Each day men and women from the surrounding villages, home to the Pa-O and other Shan ethnic minority groups, take to the fields of the illegal flower.

They harvest its addictive sap into cans that can fetch up to $100 each, sums that far exceed the profits possible from other produce.

The fight has been on for decades to eradicate the drug's production, with a mixture of "carrot-and-stick" tactics.

Anti-drugs police destroyed more than 600 hectares (1500 acres) of poppy fields in Hopong in the last year.

Meanwhile, the government and NGOs have offered Myanmar farmers incentives to switch to other cash crops -- with some success.

In 2018, the area of opium poppy cultivation in the country dropped by 10 per cent to 37,300 hectares from the previous year, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.&nbsp;

The agency acknowledges, however, that this is partly due to a "strong shift" by drug gangs toward synthetic drugs, especially methamphetamine.&nbsp;

For many farmers -- among Myanmar's poorest people -- their crop choice simply comes down to money.

After trying to cultivate coffee, one farm worker, preferring not to be named, said he switched back to growing opium three years ago.

"We know that it's not good for our country," &nbsp;he said, looking up from the opium poppy in his hand to survey the purple-shrouded mountainsides around him.&nbsp;

"But we have no choice because it's very difficult to make a living from other crops."&nbsp;

Fields of purple opium poppy stretch across the pastures and peaks of mountainous eastern Myanmar, with many farmers reluctant to give up the profitable cash crop in spite of incentives offered.

Fields of purple opium poppy stretch across the pastures and peaks of mountainous eastern Myanmar, with many farmers reluctant to give up the profitable cash crop in spite of incentives offered. Myanmar is the second biggest source of opium in the world after Afghanistan, with Shan state its main production hub. AFP hiked up the steep mountainside towering over the small town of Hopong, just a few dozen kilometres from tourist hotspot Inle Lake. The farmland closest to the town boasts fields of coffee, potatoes and corn, and provides a lifeline for the scattered villages. But scale the ridge and the far side exposes a blanket of purple reaching up to an altitude of some 2,400 metres (8,000 feet). Each day men and women from the surrounding villages, home to the Pa-O and other Shan ethnic minority groups, take to the fields of the illegal flower. They harvest its addictive sap into cans that can fetch up to $100 each, sums that far exceed the profits possible from other produce. The fight has been on for decades to eradicate the drug's production, with a mixture of "carrot-and-stick" tactics. Anti-drugs police destroyed more than 600 hectares (1500 acres) of poppy fields in Hopong in the last year. Meanwhile, the government and NGOs have offered Myanmar farmers incentives to switch to other cash crops -- with some success. In 2018, the area of opium poppy cultivation in the country dropped by 10 per cent to 37,300 hectares from the previous year, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The agency acknowledges, however, that this is partly due to a "strong shift" by drug gangs toward synthetic drugs, especially methamphetamine. For many farmers -- among Myanmar's poorest people -- their crop choice simply comes down to money. After trying to cultivate coffee, one farm worker, preferring not to be named, said he switched back to growing opium three years ago. "We know that it's not good for our country," he said, looking up from the opium poppy in his hand to survey the purple-shrouded mountainsides around him. "But we have no choice because it's very difficult to make a living from other crops."

Myanmar's opium farmers cling on to lucrative crop

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