Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo.

Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN&nbsp;agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents.

A recent UN&nbsp;report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue. At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo. Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents. A recent UN report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japan, Myanmar reaffirm importance of independent investigation in Rakhine State

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. The status of India being a "regional superpower" grew steadily to that of an "aspiring global power". What's more, apart from being the world's fastest-growing major economy, India is already a member of the G-20 group of the world's elite economies.

So, do you expect a country like India to deport and expel a mere seven Rohingya refugees from Myanmar back to where they came from? I should think not. Especially when other Rohingyas in India fear a threat to their lives.

Apart from seven being an insignificant number in a nation of 125 crore people that already has an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas, it is important for India to see itself as a large-hearted nation, though a no-nonsense one. I am beginning to wonder if we have a method in all this. We should, if we still have any aspiration left for the UN Security Council seat in mind.

Let us take a look around. When Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan in 1979, a huge bunch of those affected by communist forces and later by the Taliban's Islamist rule found their safe haven in India. A visit to Lajpat Nagar, in the heart of Delhi, would find many Afghan Muslims who have come to India for safety. An estimated 30,000 Afghan families live in India as refugees or their offspring. Some estimates put the overall number at 60,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in India puts it at only 13,000, probably because it only lists the official "people of concern" who are listed at more than 200,000 -- about half of them Tibetans.

Over the decades, Tibetans, Afghans, Iranians, Somalia, Sri Lankans, Myanmarese and Bangladeshis have waded into India as political refugees of various kinds and compulsions. It is time to ask what has changed and what has not -- and what can be done. India has generally followed the principle of "non-refoulement' -- refusing to send refugees back to a place where they face a threat to their lives. But India is now turning against its own past as the Rohingya create a new diplomatic conundrum.&nbsp;

Though a narrative is being built to give the Rohingya refugees a colour similar to illegal immigrants in Assam, or another that sees them as a security threat in view of some Islamist connections, the fact is that there is a Buddhist majority in Myanmar which, supported by the Army, is giving hell to the Rohingya in the Rakhine province. I saw recently a documentary series on BBC World Service television by Simon Reeves that brought some chilling aspects of this crisis into focus. Across the Rakhine border, Bangladesh now has the world's largest refugee camp, that houses one million people!&nbsp;

India is understandably walking a wedge because, apart from the socio-economic fallouts of taking on a refugee burden, there are geopolitical concerns that China may get close to Myanmar's generals if India acts tough on Yangon. India signed an agreement last year to help development in the Rakhine state and pledged $25 million in aid. It is also a partner of the UN Security Council along with other neighbours. But the theme here is of a "safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons."

The Ministry of External Affairs says the seven Rohingya currently in the news are willing to go back, but if that was truly so, why would there be such a fuss? Is New Delhi trying to impress the generals in Yangon?

What should India do? I would suggest India should engage more with the European Union that has its own refugee crisis to handle. Refugees from Africa, Syria and parts of troubled West Asia have crossed into Europe even as it struggles with the adverse fallouts of liberal multiculturalism in a right-wing backlash. Nearly 1.5 million migrants have come into Europe over the past four years or so.&nbsp;

China and US are in the middle of a trade war that is worsening historical frictions over human rights as well as a rivalry to dominate the world. Under President Donald Trump, Washington is more concerned about building walls to stop migrants -- be they from Mexico to the US or across the Sahara!&nbsp;

India and Europe have been having a wide-ranging dialogue that includes a three-year project on migration and mobility that focuses mainly on Indian migration to Europe. But there is a case to expand this into a global role in which India can engage in a wide-ranging dialogue as a thought leader and traditional humanitarian supporter of political refugees. That would be a truly strategic partnership that can help India raise its voice in the UN and hopefully become a permanent member of the Security Council.

Europe needs India as a key trading partner and also as a rising technology powerhouse rich in talent. Both have shared concerns over global security. India can be a Western ally without being seen too much in the company of an unpredictable Trump administration. (Trump recently called India the "Tariff King". Seriously!)&nbsp;

India has to balance its interests not just between Beijing and Yangon but also between various global groupings. The best course for India is to seek funds from Europe to help refugees, engage as a thought leader on migrant/refugee issues and seek creative new ways to buttress its image as a positive global power built over the decades as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement and a respected figure in the UN General Assembly. 
 
India should not squander away decades of painstakingly built diplomatic advantage.

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/i-witnessed-one-superstar-molest-another-bollywood-allows-it-to-happen-2147082.html">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. The status of India being a "regional superpower" grew steadily to that of an "aspiring global power". What's more, apart from being the world's fastest-growing major economy, India is already a member of the G-20 group of the world's elite economies. So, do you expect a country like India to deport and expel a mere seven Rohingya refugees from Myanmar back to where they came from? I should think not. Especially when other Rohingyas in India fear a threat to their lives. Apart from seven being an insignificant number in a nation of 125 crore people that already has an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas, it is important for India to see itself as a large-hearted nation, though a no-nonsense one. I am beginning to wonder if we have a method in all this. We should, if we still have any aspiration left for the UN Security Council seat in mind. Let us take a look around. When Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan in 1979, a huge bunch of those affected by communist forces and later by the Taliban's Islamist rule found their safe haven in India. A visit to Lajpat Nagar, in the heart of Delhi, would find many Afghan Muslims who have come to India for safety. An estimated 30,000 Afghan families live in India as refugees or their offspring. Some estimates put the overall number at 60,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in India puts it at only 13,000, probably because it only lists the official "people of concern" who are listed at more than 200,000 -- about half of them Tibetans. Over the decades, Tibetans, Afghans, Iranians, Somalia, Sri Lankans, Myanmarese and Bangladeshis have waded into India as political refugees of various kinds and compulsions. It is time to ask what has changed and what has not -- and what can be done. India has generally followed the principle of "non-refoulement' -- refusing to send refugees back to a place where they face a threat to their lives. But India is now turning against its own past as the Rohingya create a new diplomatic conundrum. Though a narrative is being built to give the Rohingya refugees a colour similar to illegal immigrants in Assam, or another that sees them as a security threat in view of some Islamist connections, the fact is that there is a Buddhist majority in Myanmar which, supported by the Army, is giving hell to the Rohingya in the Rakhine province. I saw recently a documentary series on BBC World Service television by Simon Reeves that brought some chilling aspects of this crisis into focus. Across the Rakhine border, Bangladesh now has the world's largest refugee camp, that houses one million people! India is understandably walking a wedge because, apart from the socio-economic fallouts of taking on a refugee burden, there are geopolitical concerns that China may get close to Myanmar's generals if India acts tough on Yangon. India signed an agreement last year to help development in the Rakhine state and pledged $25 million in aid. It is also a partner of the UN Security Council along with other neighbours. But the theme here is of a "safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons." The Ministry of External Affairs says the seven Rohingya currently in the news are willing to go back, but if that was truly so, why would there be such a fuss? Is New Delhi trying to impress the generals in Yangon? What should India do? I would suggest India should engage more with the European Union that has its own refugee crisis to handle. Refugees from Africa, Syria and parts of troubled West Asia have crossed into Europe even as it struggles with the adverse fallouts of liberal multiculturalism in a right-wing backlash. Nearly 1.5 million migrants have come into Europe over the past four years or so. China and US are in the middle of a trade war that is worsening historical frictions over human rights as well as a rivalry to dominate the world. Under President Donald Trump, Washington is more concerned about building walls to stop migrants -- be they from Mexico to the US or across the Sahara! India and Europe have been having a wide-ranging dialogue that includes a three-year project on migration and mobility that focuses mainly on Indian migration to Europe. But there is a case to expand this into a global role in which India can engage in a wide-ranging dialogue as a thought leader and traditional humanitarian supporter of political refugees. That would be a truly strategic partnership that can help India raise its voice in the UN and hopefully become a permanent member of the Security Council. Europe needs India as a key trading partner and also as a rising technology powerhouse rich in talent. Both have shared concerns over global security. India can be a Western ally without being seen too much in the company of an unpredictable Trump administration. (Trump recently called India the "Tariff King". Seriously!) India has to balance its interests not just between Beijing and Yangon but also between various global groupings. The best course for India is to seek funds from Europe to help refugees, engage as a thought leader on migrant/refugee issues and seek creative new ways to buttress its image as a positive global power built over the decades as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement and a respected figure in the UN General Assembly. India should not squander away decades of painstakingly built diplomatic advantage. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India must emerge as global thought leader on refugees

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court.

A UN fact-finding mission has called for Myanmar's top brass to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that forced more than 720,000 of the beleaguered minority to flee the country to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Myanmar has dismissed the allegations, slamming the UN body as biased, and the government has set up its own committee to investigate the crimes.&nbsp;

But UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee -- who has been barred from entering the country since December -- said the government has shown little capacity for an unbiased probe into the violence, saying it has taken "limited and insufficient steps".&nbsp;

"[Myanmar] is unable and unwilling to discharge its obligation to conduct credible, prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions," Lee said in a report she published via her Twitter account on Monday.

Given Myanmar's refusal to hold itself accountable, she added, it was up to international courts to seek justice.&nbsp;

"The onus is on the international community to take action," she warned. "Any delay in instituting justice will only result in more violations."

In her conclusions, she recommended the UN should "refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court immediately".

The northern part of Rakhine has been on lockdown since the violence broke out last August, with journalists and observers only allowed to visit on short, chaperoned trips.&nbsp;

UN investigators -- who authored the explosive fact-finding report -- were not allowed into the country while Lee has been barred from entering Myanmar since December for her sharp criticisms of the government's treatment of the Rohingya.

Lee said she had asked India for permission to meet Rohingya refugees there but received no response from Delhi.

Myanmar's de facto leader Suu Kyi -- once lionised by the international community as a democracy icon -- has seen a sharp fall from grace following her refusal to speak out against the military.&nbsp;

The UN fact-finding mission has pointed out that her government's attempts to whitewash facts had worsened the situation for the embattled Rohingya.

Lee also raised alarm over declining press freedom in Myanmar after Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were jailed for seven years each after reporting on the military's role in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine.

Describing their prosecution as "spurious", she called for the pair to be released immediately.&nbsp;

The military has denied almost all accusations of genocide levelled against it, insisting that "clearance operations" were necessary to fight Rohingya militants.&nbsp;

The International Criminal Court has ruled that an investigation will go ahead as Bangladesh -- which has received the Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border -- is a signatory of the Rome statute that created the court.&nbsp;

Myanmar has not signed the statute, and a minister told the UN General Assembly that his government rejected the "dubious intervention".

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court.

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court. A UN fact-finding mission has called for Myanmar's top brass to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that forced more than 720,000 of the beleaguered minority to flee the country to Bangladesh. Myanmar has dismissed the allegations, slamming the UN body as biased, and the government has set up its own committee to investigate the crimes. But UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee -- who has been barred from entering the country since December -- said the government has shown little capacity for an unbiased probe into the violence, saying it has taken "limited and insufficient steps". "[Myanmar] is unable and unwilling to discharge its obligation to conduct credible, prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions," Lee said in a report she published via her Twitter account on Monday. Given Myanmar's refusal to hold itself accountable, she added, it was up to international courts to seek justice. "The onus is on the international community to take action," she warned. "Any delay in instituting justice will only result in more violations." In her conclusions, she recommended the UN should "refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court immediately". The northern part of Rakhine has been on lockdown since the violence broke out last August, with journalists and observers only allowed to visit on short, chaperoned trips. UN investigators -- who authored the explosive fact-finding report -- were not allowed into the country while Lee has been barred from entering Myanmar since December for her sharp criticisms of the government's treatment of the Rohingya. Lee said she had asked India for permission to meet Rohingya refugees there but received no response from Delhi. Myanmar's de facto leader Suu Kyi -- once lionised by the international community as a democracy icon -- has seen a sharp fall from grace following her refusal to speak out against the military. The UN fact-finding mission has pointed out that her government's attempts to whitewash facts had worsened the situation for the embattled Rohingya. Lee also raised alarm over declining press freedom in Myanmar after Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were jailed for seven years each after reporting on the military's role in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine. Describing their prosecution as "spurious", she called for the pair to be released immediately. The military has denied almost all accusations of genocide levelled against it, insisting that "clearance operations" were necessary to fight Rohingya militants. The International Criminal Court has ruled that an investigation will go ahead as Bangladesh -- which has received the Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border -- is a signatory of the Rome statute that created the court. Myanmar has not signed the statute, and a minister told the UN General Assembly that his government rejected the "dubious intervention".

Myanmar 'unwilling' to probe Rohingya abuse, UN must act: Rights envoy

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government.

Speaking at a conclave in Kolkata Rizvi&nbsp;said India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants living on its soil with his government.

Calling the issue as an "internal Indian discussion", he said that the Bangladeshi's share a closest and the fondest of relationship with the current government.

He also asked the Indian government to prove that the 'illegal immigrants' of Northeast India are Bangladeshis.

Rizvi said he did not find it surprising that New Delhi never broached the illegal migrant issue with Dhaka, but contested Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's statement that over 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were now staying in India.

He also added that if there were Bangladeshis illegally staying in India, Bangladesh will obviously want to take its citizens back.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government.

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government. Speaking at a conclave in Kolkata Rizvi said India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants living on its soil with his government. Calling the issue as an "internal Indian discussion", he said that the Bangladeshi's share a closest and the fondest of relationship with the current government. He also asked the Indian government to prove that the 'illegal immigrants' of Northeast India are Bangladeshis. Rizvi said he did not find it surprising that New Delhi never broached the illegal migrant issue with Dhaka, but contested Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's statement that over 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were now staying in India. He also added that if there were Bangladeshis illegally staying in India, Bangladesh will obviously want to take its citizens back. (With inputs from agencies)

India has never raised illegal migrants issue with Dhaka: Special Adviser to Bangladesh PM

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said a fact-finding mission would arrive in Myanmar soon to assess whether the highly preferential tariff arrangement Myanmar enjoys, known as "everything but arms" (EBA), should be withdrawn.

"We can not exclude this outcome and of course the reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," Malmstrom told reporters at a meeting of EU trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria.

"Our trade policy is values-based. These are not just words. We have to act when there are severe violations."

The EBA deal, giving duty-free and tariff-free access to the EU market for all products except weapons and ammunition, was reinstated for Myanmar in 2013 to support political reforms as it moved towards democracy after decades of military rule.

But Western powers and the UN have accused Myanmar's military of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship rights.

More than 700,000 members of the minority group took refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist majority Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

Malmstrom also announced the EU was taking steps to end "everything but arms" for Cambodia, where July's elections, which returned strongman Hun Sen to power, were widely criticised internationally as undemocratic.

"On Cambodia we are even one step further because we had a high level mission there this summer and there were the elections marked by harassment and intimidation and everything but fair elections," she said.

"So I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA."

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows.

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said a fact-finding mission would arrive in Myanmar soon to assess whether the highly preferential tariff arrangement Myanmar enjoys, known as "everything but arms" (EBA), should be withdrawn. "We can not exclude this outcome and of course the reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," Malmstrom told reporters at a meeting of EU trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria. "Our trade policy is values-based. These are not just words. We have to act when there are severe violations." The EBA deal, giving duty-free and tariff-free access to the EU market for all products except weapons and ammunition, was reinstated for Myanmar in 2013 to support political reforms as it moved towards democracy after decades of military rule. But Western powers and the UN have accused Myanmar's military of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship rights. More than 700,000 members of the minority group took refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist majority Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. Malmstrom also announced the EU was taking steps to end "everything but arms" for Cambodia, where July's elections, which returned strongman Hun Sen to power, were widely criticised internationally as undemocratic. "On Cambodia we are even one step further because we had a high level mission there this summer and there were the elections marked by harassment and intimidation and everything but fair elections," she said. "So I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA."

Myanmar may lose trade privileges over Rohingya abuse: EU

The European Union is sending a fact-finding mission to assess whether to impose trade sanctions on Myanmar over human rights abuses and has told Cambodia it will lose its preferential trade status, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday.

Malmstrom said the mission to Myanmar was to look into a potential withdrawal of its "Everything but Arms" (EBA) status, which allows the world's poorest countries to sell any goods tariff-free into the EU, except weapons.

"We cannot exclude this outcome. The reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," she told a news conference after a meeting of trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria.

The move confirms news Reuters reported on Wednesday that the European Union was considering sanctioning Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis.

A recent UN report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine state and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

On Cambodia, the EU said in July that it risked losing its preferential trade status after elections decried by the West as neither free nor fair returned the country's strongman to power after 30 years in office.

Malmstrom said an EU mission had already been to Cambodia. "I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA. Without clear and demonstrable improvements this will lead to suspension of trade preferences," she said.

The European Union is sending a fact-finding mission to assess whether to impose trade sanctions on Myanmar over human rights abuses and has told Cambodia it will lose its preferential trade status, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday.

The European Union is sending a fact-finding mission to assess whether to impose trade sanctions on Myanmar over human rights abuses and has told Cambodia it will lose its preferential trade status, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom said on Friday. Malmstrom said the mission to Myanmar was to look into a potential withdrawal of its "Everything but Arms" (EBA) status, which allows the world's poorest countries to sell any goods tariff-free into the EU, except weapons. "We cannot exclude this outcome. The reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," she told a news conference after a meeting of trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria. The move confirms news Reuters reported on Wednesday that the European Union was considering sanctioning Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis. A recent UN report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine state and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities. On Cambodia, the EU said in July that it risked losing its preferential trade status after elections decried by the West as neither free nor fair returned the country's strongman to power after 30 years in office. Malmstrom said an EU mission had already been to Cambodia. "I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA. Without clear and demonstrable improvements this will lead to suspension of trade preferences," she said.

EU sends fact-finding mission to Myanmar to consider trade sanctions

The UN on Friday slammed&nbsp;India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority.

The UN refugee agency said it was "greatly concerned" for the safety and security of the seven men who were returned to Myanmar from India on Thursday.

The men, who had been in detention for immigration offences since 2012, were handed over to Myanmar authorities at a border crossing in India's northeast state of Manipur.

Before their deportation, the UN had voiced concern that returning the men ignored the danger they faced in Myanmar, where for decades the Rohingya have been targeted in violent pogroms by security forces.

UNHCR voiced concern that the Indian authorities had not responded to its request that they assess the men's claims to international refugee protection in the country.

"UNHCR regrets that the agency did not receive a response to this request and was unable to secure access for a lawyer from a state legal service," agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva.

"UNHCR continues to seek clarifications from the authorities on the circumstances under which these individuals were returned to Myanmar," he said.

He said the UN agency was "concerned that they did not have access to legal counsel, were not given the chance to access asylum processing and have their claims assessed in India."&nbsp;

The UN special rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, warned India on Tuesday that it risked breaking international laws on refoulement -- the return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be harmed.

The Rohingya are despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants.

They were concentrated in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a Myanmar army offensive that over the past year has driven some 720,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh.

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents.

But a UN fact-finding mission said there was enough evidence to merit prosecution of several top Myanmar military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against Rohingya civilians.

New Delhi considers the Rohingya a security threat, pointing to intelligence which it says links the minority group to extremist organisations.

The government had ordered last year that all Rohingya inside India -- New Delhi puts the figure at 40,000 -- be deported.

The Supreme Court is considering a petition challenging the order as unconstitutional.

The UNHCR said Friday there are 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the agency in India.

The UN on Friday slammed India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority.

The UN on Friday slammed India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority. The UN refugee agency said it was "greatly concerned" for the safety and security of the seven men who were returned to Myanmar from India on Thursday. The men, who had been in detention for immigration offences since 2012, were handed over to Myanmar authorities at a border crossing in India's northeast state of Manipur. Before their deportation, the UN had voiced concern that returning the men ignored the danger they faced in Myanmar, where for decades the Rohingya have been targeted in violent pogroms by security forces. UNHCR voiced concern that the Indian authorities had not responded to its request that they assess the men's claims to international refugee protection in the country. "UNHCR regrets that the agency did not receive a response to this request and was unable to secure access for a lawyer from a state legal service," agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva. "UNHCR continues to seek clarifications from the authorities on the circumstances under which these individuals were returned to Myanmar," he said. He said the UN agency was "concerned that they did not have access to legal counsel, were not given the chance to access asylum processing and have their claims assessed in India." The UN special rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, warned India on Tuesday that it risked breaking international laws on refoulement -- the return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be harmed. The Rohingya are despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants. They were concentrated in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a Myanmar army offensive that over the past year has driven some 720,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. But a UN fact-finding mission said there was enough evidence to merit prosecution of several top Myanmar military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against Rohingya civilians. New Delhi considers the Rohingya a security threat, pointing to intelligence which it says links the minority group to extremist organisations. The government had ordered last year that all Rohingya inside India -- New Delhi puts the figure at 40,000 -- be deported. The Supreme Court is considering a petition challenging the order as unconstitutional. The UNHCR said Friday there are 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the agency in India.

UN slams India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar

A "mafia" of recruitment agents is trapping Myanmar migrants to Thailand in debt bondage despite a 2017 law meant to fight exploitation in the kingdom's notoriously shadowy job market, activists and workers say.

Migrant labour -- much of it from Myanmar -- has propped up Thailand's economy for years, with foreigners working everywhere from factories to fishing boats, part of a global chain to produce standard supermarket items such as frozen shrimps, ready meals and pet food.

After allegations of slave labour and trafficking prompted the European Union to threaten a ban on Thai products in 2015, the kingdom's ruling junta has scrambled to clean up industries reliant on a migrant workforce.

The new law that came into force in July last year was meant to crack down on a shady recruitment process, which left desperate migrants vulnerable to corrupt brokers and exploitative companies.&nbsp;

But more than a year later, foreign workers and labour experts say a lack of enforcement and government oversight means migrants are no safer, often shelling out hundreds of dollars in inflated fees to agents and ending up in debt even before they even secure a job.

Although the legislation says Myanmar migrants should pay no more than 150,000 kyat ($100) in fees to agents, many end up paying up to $800, a colossal sum for low-paid workers from one of the most impoverished countries in the world.

"The agents took advantage of us," said 40-year-old Ma Oo, who had to pay $400 for a job in an electronics factory near Bangkok and was visibly scared to speak out.

'Real mafia'

Thai firms usually hire local agents to scout workers from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, although the latter is by far the largest source for labour, with more than two million migrants working in Thailand.

But in many cases, Thai agents then auction off the jobs to the highest bidder among their Myanmar peers clamouring for business in a highly-competitive market, activists say.

The Myanmar brokers -- or their sub-agents -- scour rural villages for workers and transfer all the extra costs to them, leaving migrants trapped in "debt bondage" as they struggle to pay the exorbitant fees, says migrant labour specialist Andy Hall.

Thai and Myanmar agents collaborate as "a real mafia that makes a lot of money on the backs of migrant workers", explains Aung Kyaw, president of the Migrant Workers Rights Network in Thailand, which acts as a de facto union.

The situation is even worse, he says, for the several hundred thousand Myanmar migrants working unregistered, who are even more vulnerable.

In one ongoing case, a family -- including two children -- was trafficked into the kingdom and forced into slavery on a fishing boat, beaten, unpaid and their documents confiscated.

Finger Pointing

Thai authorities insist that they maintain strict oversight of the country's agents and threaten them with stiff penalties if they do not respect the law.

If there are problems, "they may be on the side of the Burmese recruiters", Anurak Tossarat from the Ministry of Labour told AFP.

But agents in Myanmar blame their Thai peers for stoking the illegal trade and demanding kickbacks in exchange for jobs.&nbsp;

"(We) have to fight to get job offers from Thai agencies. The more money you give them, the more offers your agency gets," an agent in Yangon told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They are bullying us."

Campaigners urge tighter scrutiny by officials in both countries and up the supply chain to the multinational buyers of Thai produce to bring an end to the exploitative practices.

Britain's biggest retailer Tesco, food giant Nestle and chocolate maker Mars -- which all source products in Thailand -- told AFP they were working with local partners to improve practices, vowing to probe any allegations of wrongdoing.

Despite the extortionate fees and the threat of debt, each month around 15,000 people from Myanmar cross into Thailand to take up jobs.

In a Yangon teashop, Kyaw Naing, 24, said he had already handed over a thick wad of cash to an agent who had promised him work.

"I had to borrow money from my family with interest but I will pay it back if my job is good," he says, adding that the agent assured him Thailand's new law means he will now be "more secure". 
&nbsp;

A "mafia" of recruitment agents is trapping Myanmar migrants to Thailand in debt bondage despite a 2017 law meant to fight exploitation in the kingdom's notoriously shadowy job market, activists and workers say.

A "mafia" of recruitment agents is trapping Myanmar migrants to Thailand in debt bondage despite a 2017 law meant to fight exploitation in the kingdom's notoriously shadowy job market, activists and workers say. Migrant labour -- much of it from Myanmar -- has propped up Thailand's economy for years, with foreigners working everywhere from factories to fishing boats, part of a global chain to produce standard supermarket items such as frozen shrimps, ready meals and pet food. After allegations of slave labour and trafficking prompted the European Union to threaten a ban on Thai products in 2015, the kingdom's ruling junta has scrambled to clean up industries reliant on a migrant workforce. The new law that came into force in July last year was meant to crack down on a shady recruitment process, which left desperate migrants vulnerable to corrupt brokers and exploitative companies. But more than a year later, foreign workers and labour experts say a lack of enforcement and government oversight means migrants are no safer, often shelling out hundreds of dollars in inflated fees to agents and ending up in debt even before they even secure a job. Although the legislation says Myanmar migrants should pay no more than 150,000 kyat ($100) in fees to agents, many end up paying up to $800, a colossal sum for low-paid workers from one of the most impoverished countries in the world. "The agents took advantage of us," said 40-year-old Ma Oo, who had to pay $400 for a job in an electronics factory near Bangkok and was visibly scared to speak out. 'Real mafia' Thai firms usually hire local agents to scout workers from neighbouring Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, although the latter is by far the largest source for labour, with more than two million migrants working in Thailand. But in many cases, Thai agents then auction off the jobs to the highest bidder among their Myanmar peers clamouring for business in a highly-competitive market, activists say. The Myanmar brokers -- or their sub-agents -- scour rural villages for workers and transfer all the extra costs to them, leaving migrants trapped in "debt bondage" as they struggle to pay the exorbitant fees, says migrant labour specialist Andy Hall. Thai and Myanmar agents collaborate as "a real mafia that makes a lot of money on the backs of migrant workers", explains Aung Kyaw, president of the Migrant Workers Rights Network in Thailand, which acts as a de facto union. The situation is even worse, he says, for the several hundred thousand Myanmar migrants working unregistered, who are even more vulnerable. In one ongoing case, a family -- including two children -- was trafficked into the kingdom and forced into slavery on a fishing boat, beaten, unpaid and their documents confiscated. Finger Pointing Thai authorities insist that they maintain strict oversight of the country's agents and threaten them with stiff penalties if they do not respect the law. If there are problems, "they may be on the side of the Burmese recruiters", Anurak Tossarat from the Ministry of Labour told AFP. But agents in Myanmar blame their Thai peers for stoking the illegal trade and demanding kickbacks in exchange for jobs. "(We) have to fight to get job offers from Thai agencies. The more money you give them, the more offers your agency gets," an agent in Yangon told AFP on condition of anonymity. "They are bullying us." Campaigners urge tighter scrutiny by officials in both countries and up the supply chain to the multinational buyers of Thai produce to bring an end to the exploitative practices. Britain's biggest retailer Tesco, food giant Nestle and chocolate maker Mars -- which all source products in Thailand -- told AFP they were working with local partners to improve practices, vowing to probe any allegations of wrongdoing. Despite the extortionate fees and the threat of debt, each month around 15,000 people from Myanmar cross into Thailand to take up jobs. In a Yangon teashop, Kyaw Naing, 24, said he had already handed over a thick wad of cash to an agent who had promised him work. "I had to borrow money from my family with interest but I will pay it back if my job is good," he says, adding that the agent assured him Thailand's new law means he will now be "more secure".

Extortion and abuse: Myanmar workers arrive debt-laden in Thailand

The government today&nbsp;deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who were&nbsp;staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-refuses-intervene-deportation-7-rohingya-refugees-myanmar-169333">Also Read:&nbsp;Supreme Court refuses to interfere in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-refuses-intervene-deportation-7-rohingya-refugees-myanmar-169333">deportation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-refuses-intervene-deportation-7-rohingya-refugees-myanmar-169333"> of 7 Rohingya refugees</a>

The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

"Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta said.

Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said.

The confirmation of the Myanmarese citizenship of the illegal immigrants came after the government of the neighbouring country verified their addresses in Rakhine State and all of them were given travel documents by Myanmar.

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Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated on Oct 3, 2018 &amp; with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar: MEA
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This is for the first time Rohingya immigrants were sent back to Myanmar from India.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya refugees seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them to Myanmar.

Allowing the deportation of the seven Rohingya Muslims, the Supreme Court said they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens.

"Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said.

"Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens," it said.

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In accordance with established procedures&amp;previous precedent&amp;with the assistance of MEA, the Embassy of Myanmar was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country: MEA
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The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingya illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act.

The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven immigrants along with one-month visa to facilitate their deportation.

The seven immigrants were apprehended on July 29, 2012, for violating the Foreigners Act.

Those who were deported include Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam and are in the age bracket of 26-32 years.

Another official said all the Rohingya immigrants were "keen" to go back to their country and thanked the Assam government for the treatment meted out to them during their incarceration.

The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India.

However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as the most persecuted minority in the world, fled their homes last year to escape an alleged crackdown by the Myanmarese military.

Human rights group Amnesty International has blamed Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's government for "burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine State".

The government today deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who were staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move. Also Read: Supreme Court refuses to interfere in deportation of 7 Rohingya refugees The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar.

The government today deported seven Rohingya immigrants, who were staying in Assam illegally, to their country of origin Myanmar, in a first such move. Also Read: Supreme Court refuses to interfere in deportation of 7 Rohingya refugees The illegal immigrants were detained in 2012 and since then they had been lodged in Cachar Central Jail in Assam's Silchar. "Seven Myanmarese nationals have been deported today. They were handed over to the authorities of Myanmar at Moreh border post in Manipur," Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar J Mahanta said. Consular access had been given to Myanmar diplomats, who confirmed the identity of the immigrants, Mahanta said. The confirmation of the Myanmarese citizenship of the illegal immigrants came after the government of the neighbouring country verified their addresses in Rakhine State and all of them were given travel documents by Myanmar. Upon reconfirming their willingness to be repatriated on Oct 3, 2018 & with the full concurrence of the Government of Myanmar, in accordance with established procedures and laws, the Government of Assam has arranged for the repatriation of these seven individuals to Myanmar: MEA — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018 × This is for the first time Rohingya immigrants were sent back to Myanmar from India. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court rejected the plea made by one of the Rohingya refugees seeking to restrain the Centre from deporting them to Myanmar. Allowing the deportation of the seven Rohingya Muslims, the Supreme Court said they were found by the competent court as illegal immigrants and have been accepted by their country of origin as citizens. "Having considered the prayer, we would not like to interfere with the decision taken. The petition is dismissed," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph said. "Even the country of their origin has accepted them as its citizens," it said. In accordance with established procedures&previous precedent&with the assistance of MEA, the Embassy of Myanmar was able to establish the identity of these individuals as residents of that country: MEA — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2018 × The Centre told the apex court that the seven Rohingya illegally migrated to India in 2012 and were convicted under the Foreigners Act. The Centre also informed the court that Myanmar has issued a certificate of identity to the seven immigrants along with one-month visa to facilitate their deportation. The seven immigrants were apprehended on July 29, 2012, for violating the Foreigners Act. Those who were deported include Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin and Md Salam and are in the age bracket of 26-32 years. Another official said all the Rohingya immigrants were "keen" to go back to their country and thanked the Assam government for the treatment meted out to them during their incarceration. The Indian government had informed Parliament last year that over 14,000 Rohingya people, registered with the UN refugee agency UNHCR, stay in India. However, aid agencies estimate there are about 40,000 Rohingya people in the country. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, described by the UN as the most persecuted minority in the world, fled their homes last year to escape an alleged crackdown by the Myanmarese military. Human rights group Amnesty International has blamed Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's government for "burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine State".

Government deports 7 Rohingya immigrants to Myanmar

By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom.

But it is her international reputation that is most in tatters.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, imprisoned for 15 years over a 21-year period in her struggle for human rights and democracy, has suffered a swift and dramatic fall from grace as a global icon. She is now widely seen as an enabler of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In just the last few days, Canada stripped Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship and the Malaysian prime minister stated publicly that she has lost his support.

Failures of Suu Kyi’s government

Suu Kyi has been the subject of much criticism since taking power 2.5 years ago, but the most recent and vociferous condemnation has centred on two events: the jailing of two Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya civilians by the military, and her government’s failure to respond to international investigations into allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In September, the two Reuters journalists were convicted of possessing official secrets, despite testimony by a policeman that they had been entrapped.

The journalists had reported on a 2017 massacre of Rohingya Muslims by security forces, which resulted in the eventual conviction of seven soldiers for murder

It is notable that it was Suu Kyi’s civilian government that prosecuted the journalists, not the military. Suu Kyi could have ordered the charges dropped, as she did for student protesters during her early days in office. Instead, before the trial was over, she commented that the reporters were guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act, and once even allegedly referred to them as “traitors”.

The second great disappointment has been the government’s response to the UN Human Rights Council’s report into the violence that drove almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh last year.

The report, released in full in September, found conclusive evidence that security forces had indeed engaged in mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya, with genocidal intent. It went on to accuse Suu Kyi and her government of contributing to the atrocities through “acts and omissions”.

The HRC recommended the UN Security Council refer the Myanmar commander-in-chief and five generals to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UN Human Rights Council also set up a body to prepare evidence for trials.

Rather than pledge to cooperate with the investigation, however, Suu Kyi has consistently defended the military action against the Rohingya and repeatedly pointed to a lack of understanding of the complexities of the situation.

Her only concession to the increasing international condemnation of her government has been this muted statement - "There are, of course, ways in which, with hindsight, we might think that the situation could have been handled better."

Limitations on Suu Kyi’s power

The military remains a very powerful force in Myanmar. It has the power to appoint its own personnel to a quarter of the seats in parliament and oversees the three powerful ministries of Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs.

The government has no power to hold the military accountable for actions against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi is therefore in a very weak position.

She has nonetheless gone out of her way to not just defend the military, but praise it. In Singapore last month, she made headlines when she declared that the three generals in her cabinet were “rather sweet”.

Suu Kyi has stressed that her government’s aim of removing the military from politics would eventually be achieved through negotiation, keeping in mind the need for national reconciliation. However, her dream of constitutional reform depends entirely on military approval.

This would appear to inhibit any ability for her to censure the military. She also has no means to compel the military to cooperate with international investigators.

A path to redemption

Suu Kyi still has considerable moral authority within Myanmar, and the military is still widely unpopular. Thus, despite the severe limitations on her power, she does have other options to lead effectively on issues like human rights, the Rohingya and press freedom.

Suu Kyi and her government should start by recommitting themselves to a belief in universal human rights. She should also express empathy with the victims of the atrocities in Rakhine state, which may begin to shift popular opinion against the actions of the military and engender more public sympathy for the Rohingya.

Further, Suu Kyi needs to pledge full cooperation with the ICC investigation into the serious allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and call for a genuinely independent domestic inquiry to pave the way towards true reconciliation.

Suu Kyi may not be able to compel military cooperation with the ICC investigation, or even unfettered access to the country for investigators. But drawing on her moral authority could go a long way to help. She could pave the way for visas and travel approval, for instance, both of which were denied to investigators by her government.

Finally, the government must develop robust, urgent repatriation plans for the Rohingya – in cooperation with Bangladesh and the UN – that guarantee their security, human rights, a pathway to full citizenship and an end to segregation in Rakhine. They need a plan for inclusive development policies in the state, and to restore both media freedoms and humanitarian access to the region.

The opportunity for such moral leadership is quickly evaporating.

Suu Kyi and her government were elected by a landslide in 2015, winning about 80 per cent of seats up for election. Polling released last week showed that only about half those surveyed believe the rights of people have improved in the 2.5 years that she has been in power and less than half the population feel there has been any political or economic improvement.

There have also been increasing complaints about the performance of the government.

With her support eroding both home and abroad, Suu Kyi appears to have a limited window to adequately address the Rohingya crisis and regain her moral authority. Otherwise, Myanmar risks slipping back into isolation and again becoming a pariah state. 
 
(Anthony Ware is Senior Lecturer in International &amp; Community Development, Deakin University; &nbsp;Costas Laoutides is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Deakin University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/aung-san-suu-kyis-extraordinary-fall-from-grace-104250">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom.

By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom. But it is her international reputation that is most in tatters. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, imprisoned for 15 years over a 21-year period in her struggle for human rights and democracy, has suffered a swift and dramatic fall from grace as a global icon. She is now widely seen as an enabler of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In just the last few days, Canada stripped Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship and the Malaysian prime minister stated publicly that she has lost his support. Failures of Suu Kyi’s government Suu Kyi has been the subject of much criticism since taking power 2.5 years ago, but the most recent and vociferous condemnation has centred on two events: the jailing of two Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya civilians by the military, and her government’s failure to respond to international investigations into allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In September, the two Reuters journalists were convicted of possessing official secrets, despite testimony by a policeman that they had been entrapped. The journalists had reported on a 2017 massacre of Rohingya Muslims by security forces, which resulted in the eventual conviction of seven soldiers for murder It is notable that it was Suu Kyi’s civilian government that prosecuted the journalists, not the military. Suu Kyi could have ordered the charges dropped, as she did for student protesters during her early days in office. Instead, before the trial was over, she commented that the reporters were guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act, and once even allegedly referred to them as “traitors”. The second great disappointment has been the government’s response to the UN Human Rights Council’s report into the violence that drove almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh last year. The report, released in full in September, found conclusive evidence that security forces had indeed engaged in mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya, with genocidal intent. It went on to accuse Suu Kyi and her government of contributing to the atrocities through “acts and omissions”. The HRC recommended the UN Security Council refer the Myanmar commander-in-chief and five generals to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UN Human Rights Council also set up a body to prepare evidence for trials. Rather than pledge to cooperate with the investigation, however, Suu Kyi has consistently defended the military action against the Rohingya and repeatedly pointed to a lack of understanding of the complexities of the situation. Her only concession to the increasing international condemnation of her government has been this muted statement - "There are, of course, ways in which, with hindsight, we might think that the situation could have been handled better." Limitations on Suu Kyi’s power The military remains a very powerful force in Myanmar. It has the power to appoint its own personnel to a quarter of the seats in parliament and oversees the three powerful ministries of Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs. The government has no power to hold the military accountable for actions against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi is therefore in a very weak position. She has nonetheless gone out of her way to not just defend the military, but praise it. In Singapore last month, she made headlines when she declared that the three generals in her cabinet were “rather sweet”. Suu Kyi has stressed that her government’s aim of removing the military from politics would eventually be achieved through negotiation, keeping in mind the need for national reconciliation. However, her dream of constitutional reform depends entirely on military approval. This would appear to inhibit any ability for her to censure the military. She also has no means to compel the military to cooperate with international investigators. A path to redemption Suu Kyi still has considerable moral authority within Myanmar, and the military is still widely unpopular. Thus, despite the severe limitations on her power, she does have other options to lead effectively on issues like human rights, the Rohingya and press freedom. Suu Kyi and her government should start by recommitting themselves to a belief in universal human rights. She should also express empathy with the victims of the atrocities in Rakhine state, which may begin to shift popular opinion against the actions of the military and engender more public sympathy for the Rohingya. Further, Suu Kyi needs to pledge full cooperation with the ICC investigation into the serious allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and call for a genuinely independent domestic inquiry to pave the way towards true reconciliation. Suu Kyi may not be able to compel military cooperation with the ICC investigation, or even unfettered access to the country for investigators. But drawing on her moral authority could go a long way to help. She could pave the way for visas and travel approval, for instance, both of which were denied to investigators by her government. Finally, the government must develop robust, urgent repatriation plans for the Rohingya – in cooperation with Bangladesh and the UN – that guarantee their security, human rights, a pathway to full citizenship and an end to segregation in Rakhine. They need a plan for inclusive development policies in the state, and to restore both media freedoms and humanitarian access to the region. The opportunity for such moral leadership is quickly evaporating. Suu Kyi and her government were elected by a landslide in 2015, winning about 80 per cent of seats up for election. Polling released last week showed that only about half those surveyed believe the rights of people have improved in the 2.5 years that she has been in power and less than half the population feel there has been any political or economic improvement. There have also been increasing complaints about the performance of the government. With her support eroding both home and abroad, Suu Kyi appears to have a limited window to adequately address the Rohingya crisis and regain her moral authority. Otherwise, Myanmar risks slipping back into isolation and again becoming a pariah state. (Anthony Ware is Senior Lecturer in International & Community Development, Deakin University; Costas Laoutides is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Deakin University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Aung San Suu Kyi’s extraordinary fall from grace

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere in the Centre's decision to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/centre-files-an-affidavit-says-rohingya-refugees-are-a-threat-to-national-security-20224">deport 7 Rohingya refugees</a> to Myanmar.&nbsp;

The refugees, who have been in detention in Assam's Silchar since July 29, 2012,&nbsp;are to be handed over to the Myanmarese authorities today at the Moreh border post in Manipur.&nbsp;

The plea that the Supreme Court intervene in the deportation had been filed by the lawyer Prashant Bhushan.&nbsp;

News reports Thursday quoted Bhushan as telling the court that it was the state's responsibility to look after stateless citizens, which he said the Rohingya are.&nbsp;

The court — the plea&nbsp;was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph — reportedly shot back that it was well aware of its duties.

The Centre had earlier told the Supreme Court that Myanmar had accepted the seven Rohingya refugees as citizens of that country and had agreed to take them back.&nbsp;

“We don’t want to interfere with the Centre’s decision,” CJI Gogoi said on Thursday.

The special rapporteur on racism at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees however has said the move might amount to refoulment — or the deliberate return of refugees to a place where they face persecution and the threat of violence. Refoulment is contrary to international law.&nbsp;

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has added that the seven Rohingya should be allowed to make an "informed decision" about whether they wish to return, or claim asylum in India.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on India to pressure Myanmar into creating an environment conducive for the return of Rohingya refugees. He added that he had never seen a humanitarian crisis as grave as that of the Rohingya.&nbsp;

The seven Rohingya refugees were identified in news reports as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin, and Md Salam. Authorities said they are in the age bracket of 26 to 32 years.&nbsp;

The seven of them were bussed to Moreh on Wednesday. The handover was expected to take place on Thursday.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere in the Centre's decision to deport 7 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The refugees, who have been in detention in Assam's Silchar since July 29, 2012, are to be handed over to the Myanmarese authorities today at the Moreh border post in Manipur.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere in the Centre's decision to deport 7 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The refugees, who have been in detention in Assam's Silchar since July 29, 2012, are to be handed over to the Myanmarese authorities today at the Moreh border post in Manipur. The plea that the Supreme Court intervene in the deportation had been filed by the lawyer Prashant Bhushan. News reports Thursday quoted Bhushan as telling the court that it was the state's responsibility to look after stateless citizens, which he said the Rohingya are. The court — the plea was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph — reportedly shot back that it was well aware of its duties. The Centre had earlier told the Supreme Court that Myanmar had accepted the seven Rohingya refugees as citizens of that country and had agreed to take them back. “We don’t want to interfere with the Centre’s decision,” CJI Gogoi said on Thursday. The special rapporteur on racism at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees however has said the move might amount to refoulment — or the deliberate return of refugees to a place where they face persecution and the threat of violence. Refoulment is contrary to international law. The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has added that the seven Rohingya should be allowed to make an "informed decision" about whether they wish to return, or claim asylum in India. On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on India to pressure Myanmar into creating an environment conducive for the return of Rohingya refugees. He added that he had never seen a humanitarian crisis as grave as that of the Rohingya. The seven Rohingya refugees were identified in news reports as Md Jamal, Mohbul Khan, Jamal Hussain, Md Yonus, Sabir Ahmed, Rahim Uddin, and Md Salam. Authorities said they are in the age bracket of 26 to 32 years. The seven of them were bussed to Moreh on Wednesday. The handover was expected to take place on Thursday.

Supreme Court refuses to interfere in deportation of 7 Rohingya refugees

India to deport 7 Rohingya men today: Were in prison since 2012

A plea has been filed in Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking a restraint on the Government of India from deporting seven Rohingya Muslims lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam to Myanmar, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the plea will be heard in the top court on Thursday.&nbsp;

India on Wednesday sent seven Rohingya Muslims to the border for deportation to Myanmar, news agency Reuters reported quoting Police sources.&nbsp;

According to reports, the Rohingyas had been jailed since 2012 for illegally entering the country.&nbsp;

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Manipur: 7 Rohingyas, who are being deported to Myanmar, have been brought to Imphal. The seven were lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam. They will be taken to Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority. <a href="https://t.co/XWc8cHcCjN">pic.twitter.com/XWc8cHcCjN</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1047524565772058624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Union Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajnath-singh-asks-state-governments-identify-rohingyas-collect-biometric-data-168793">Rajanath Singh on Monda</a>y&nbsp;noted that state governments have been directed to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics.

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Plea filed in Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking a restraint on the Government of India from deporting 7 Rohingya Muslims lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam to Myanmar. Bench declined mentioning. <a href="https://t.co/j9Te8XD9ZF">https://t.co/j9Te8XD9ZF</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1047422538240991232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that, they'll send a report to the Centre. Then the Central government will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar and we will get it resolved," the Home Minister stated.&nbsp;

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India sends 7 Rohingya Muslims to border for deportation to Myanmar; they had been in an Indian jail since 2012 for illegally entering the country, reports Reuters quoting police
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Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Tuesday said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/illegal-id-procurement-rohingyas-wont-be-permitted-kiren-rijiju-169050">no illegal procurement of Voter-ID cards by Rohingya</a> refugees will be allowed by the government.&nbsp;

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7 Myanmar nationals who were arrested in 2017 are being deported today. Our police team is going to drop them off at Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority: Deepak Kumar, IG (Law and Order) on 7 Rohingyas being deported to Myanmar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Assam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Assam</a> <a href="https://t.co/jTWHBwRj9u">pic.twitter.com/jTWHBwRj9u</a>
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More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

In June, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying, "Such illegal migrations poses serious challenges and has security implications since some of the migrants have been found to have indulged in illegal activities and are vulnerable to radicalisation."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

A plea has been filed in Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking a restraint on the Government of India from deporting seven Rohingya Muslims lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam to Myanmar, news agency ANI reported.

A plea has been filed in Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking a restraint on the Government of India from deporting seven Rohingya Muslims lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam to Myanmar, news agency ANI reported. According to reports, the plea will be heard in the top court on Thursday. India on Wednesday sent seven Rohingya Muslims to the border for deportation to Myanmar, news agency Reuters reported quoting Police sources. According to reports, the Rohingyas had been jailed since 2012 for illegally entering the country. Manipur: 7 Rohingyas, who are being deported to Myanmar, have been brought to Imphal. The seven were lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam. They will be taken to Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority. pic.twitter.com/XWc8cHcCjN — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018 × Union Minister Rajanath Singh on Monday noted that state governments have been directed to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics. Plea filed in Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking a restraint on the Government of India from deporting 7 Rohingya Muslims lodged in the Silchar Detention centre in Assam to Myanmar. Bench declined mentioning. https://t.co/j9Te8XD9ZF — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018 × "States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that, they'll send a report to the Centre. Then the Central government will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar and we will get it resolved," the Home Minister stated. India sends 7 Rohingya Muslims to border for deportation to Myanmar; they had been in an Indian jail since 2012 for illegally entering the country, reports Reuters quoting police — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018 × Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Tuesday said that no illegal procurement of Voter-ID cards by Rohingya refugees will be allowed by the government. 7 Myanmar nationals who were arrested in 2017 are being deported today. Our police team is going to drop them off at Moreh border where they'll be handed over to Myanmar authority: Deepak Kumar, IG (Law and Order) on 7 Rohingyas being deported to Myanmar #Assam pic.twitter.com/jTWHBwRj9u — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2018 × More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees. In June, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying, "Such illegal migrations poses serious challenges and has security implications since some of the migrants have been found to have indulged in illegal activities and are vulnerable to radicalisation." (With inputs from agencies)

Plea in Supreme Court against deportation of seven Rohingyas to Myanmar

Asserting that those involved in violence against the Rohingyas should be held accountable, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said India can help in the crisis by supporting Bangladesh in humanitarian assistance and using its influence with Myanmar to bring about reconciliation.

He also said that to keep a population in such a "discriminatory situation" is "an invitation for terrorist groups" to exploit the situation.

The top UN official said India "is an absolutely essential component" of a future multi-polar world and that the country can also play a role of an "honest broker" in some of the on-going conflicts in the world.&nbsp;

In response to a question on the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), proposed by India in 1996, he said the reason for the delay has been due to non-agreement on the definition of terrorism by countries.&nbsp;

After attacks by the Mynamarese security forces, Rohingyas, an ethnic minority in Myanmar that mostly resides in regions bordering Bangladesh, have fled the country.&nbsp;

According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over seven lakh people have fled Myanmar, and majority of them reside in Bangladesh. India has over 40,000 refugees scattered across the country.&nbsp;

"I have never seen a community so discriminated in the world as Rohingyas," Guterres, who arrived here on Monday on his maiden visit to India, said in response to a question on the issue. He was delivering a lecture on 'Global Challenges, Global Solutions' here.&nbsp;

He said the Rohingyas don't have access to health and education and there was deep rooted feeling of racism against them within the Myanmarese society.&nbsp;

Guterres recalled his visit to the country as the High Commissioner for Refugees, during which he said the president of Myanmar asked him to resettle Rohingyas in some other countries.&nbsp;

"To make them refugees is not my role. My role is to solve the problem of refugees. This shows how deeply rooted is the negative perception of the Rohingyas. This was intensified by some hate speech by some monks on social media. There are over one million people in Bangladesh. They were people burnt, raped.&nbsp;

"Even if there was a provocation, the reaction of the armed forces was brutal," he alleged.

Guterres stressed on political reconciliation so that the Rohingyas could go back to their country.&nbsp;

"What can India do? Support Bangladesh in helping these people because there is a huge humanitarian problem. Second, to pressure on Myanmar, the military in Myanmar for reconciliation and create conditions for these people to go back. These people will not go back in present circumstances," he said.

"There should be accountability to those crimes," he said on the treatment meted out to Rohingyas added "to keep a population in such a discriminatory situation is an invitation for terrorist groups" to exploit the situation.

In May, during the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Myanmar, India had offered to help in safe, speedy and sustainable return of Rohingyas. India has also been helping Bangladesh in providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas.&nbsp;

Responding to a question on why the CCIT could not be adopted, Guterres said there is no agreement on definition of terrorism and there were several complexities involved in it.

"The problem of definition of terrorism is (due to) several complexities. There are number of things which are complicated to have a common definition of terrorism. We have never managed to have it and we have never managed to have a true convention because of the definition," he said.

Guterres said India has been in the frontline of supporting CCIT and the UN fully supports India in this regard.&nbsp;

To a question on the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report on alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir, which was rejected by India, he said the reports are not endorsed by the secretary general.&nbsp;

"I dont discuss reports about human rights commissioner. They have independence. The countries can agree or disagree with the reports. Their reports are not endorsed by the secretary general. The reports are done in a strictly independent way."

He said as a principle, he does not make any comment on reports of both the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and High Commissioner for Refuges.

Responding to another question on communalism and religious fundamentalism, he said he "does not think India is in the worst situation" at all.&nbsp;

"I have always seen India as a country with extreme diversity. Of course, there are forms of extremism as any other parts of the world. I dont think that is the major problem that you face," he said.

Guterres said poverty and inequality are two major problems faced by the Indian society.

India can also play a role of an "honest broker" in some of the on-going conflicts in the world, he said, adding,"We need people and countries that all sides can respect. India does not have any specific agenda in many of these areas."

The secretary general also noted that never in the recent times was multilateralism and rules based international order under so much of fire, citing the trade wars

He said it is necessary to create factors of equilibrium and no country was better than India because of its dimensions, its technological and innovation capacity and of its geo-strategic location . "India is an absolutely essential component of our future multi-polar world," he said.&nbsp;

Asserting that those involved in violence against the Rohingyas should be held accountable, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said India can help in the crisis by supporting Bangladesh in humanitarian assistance and using its influence with Myanmar to bring about reconciliation.

Asserting that those involved in violence against the Rohingyas should be held accountable, United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said India can help in the crisis by supporting Bangladesh in humanitarian assistance and using its influence with Myanmar to bring about reconciliation. He also said that to keep a population in such a "discriminatory situation" is "an invitation for terrorist groups" to exploit the situation. The top UN official said India "is an absolutely essential component" of a future multi-polar world and that the country can also play a role of an "honest broker" in some of the on-going conflicts in the world. In response to a question on the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), proposed by India in 1996, he said the reason for the delay has been due to non-agreement on the definition of terrorism by countries. After attacks by the Mynamarese security forces, Rohingyas, an ethnic minority in Myanmar that mostly resides in regions bordering Bangladesh, have fled the country. According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over seven lakh people have fled Myanmar, and majority of them reside in Bangladesh. India has over 40,000 refugees scattered across the country. "I have never seen a community so discriminated in the world as Rohingyas," Guterres, who arrived here on Monday on his maiden visit to India, said in response to a question on the issue. He was delivering a lecture on 'Global Challenges, Global Solutions' here. He said the Rohingyas don't have access to health and education and there was deep rooted feeling of racism against them within the Myanmarese society. Guterres recalled his visit to the country as the High Commissioner for Refugees, during which he said the president of Myanmar asked him to resettle Rohingyas in some other countries. "To make them refugees is not my role. My role is to solve the problem of refugees. This shows how deeply rooted is the negative perception of the Rohingyas. This was intensified by some hate speech by some monks on social media. There are over one million people in Bangladesh. They were people burnt, raped. "Even if there was a provocation, the reaction of the armed forces was brutal," he alleged. Guterres stressed on political reconciliation so that the Rohingyas could go back to their country. "What can India do? Support Bangladesh in helping these people because there is a huge humanitarian problem. Second, to pressure on Myanmar, the military in Myanmar for reconciliation and create conditions for these people to go back. These people will not go back in present circumstances," he said. "There should be accountability to those crimes," he said on the treatment meted out to Rohingyas added "to keep a population in such a discriminatory situation is an invitation for terrorist groups" to exploit the situation. In May, during the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Myanmar, India had offered to help in safe, speedy and sustainable return of Rohingyas. India has also been helping Bangladesh in providing humanitarian assistance to Rohingyas. Responding to a question on why the CCIT could not be adopted, Guterres said there is no agreement on definition of terrorism and there were several complexities involved in it. "The problem of definition of terrorism is (due to) several complexities. There are number of things which are complicated to have a common definition of terrorism. We have never managed to have it and we have never managed to have a true convention because of the definition," he said. Guterres said India has been in the frontline of supporting CCIT and the UN fully supports India in this regard. To a question on the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report on alleged human rights abuses in Kashmir, which was rejected by India, he said the reports are not endorsed by the secretary general. "I dont discuss reports about human rights commissioner. They have independence. The countries can agree or disagree with the reports. Their reports are not endorsed by the secretary general. The reports are done in a strictly independent way." He said as a principle, he does not make any comment on reports of both the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and High Commissioner for Refuges. Responding to another question on communalism and religious fundamentalism, he said he "does not think India is in the worst situation" at all. "I have always seen India as a country with extreme diversity. Of course, there are forms of extremism as any other parts of the world. I dont think that is the major problem that you face," he said. Guterres said poverty and inequality are two major problems faced by the Indian society. India can also play a role of an "honest broker" in some of the on-going conflicts in the world, he said, adding,"We need people and countries that all sides can respect. India does not have any specific agenda in many of these areas." The secretary general also noted that never in the recent times was multilateralism and rules based international order under so much of fire, citing the trade wars He said it is necessary to create factors of equilibrium and no country was better than India because of its dimensions, its technological and innovation capacity and of its geo-strategic location . "India is an absolutely essential component of our future multi-polar world," he said.

India should support Bangladesh, pressure Myanmar on Rohingya issue: UN Chief

Union Minister Rajanath Singh on Monday noted that state governments have been directed to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

The state governments will also need to submit a report with the Centre on the same after which the government will take appropriate measures with the government of Myanmar to get the issue resolved, Singh further added.&nbsp;

"States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that, they'll send a report to the Centre. Then the Central government will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar and we will get it resolved," the Home Minister stated.&nbsp;

The comments came during Singh's visit to Kolkata to chair the 23rd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council.

The meeting was also attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Jharkhand counterpart Raghubar Das and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi.

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States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that they'll send report to the Centre. Then Central govt will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar&amp;then we will get it resolved: HM Rajnath Singh on Rohingyas <a href="https://t.co/BDIR5jFZIr">pic.twitter.com/BDIR5jFZIr</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1046685372040671232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Singh's statement comes a day after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) alerted the Kerala authorities to watch out for the movement of Rohingya refugees in groups to Kerala and hand them over to police if they are found travelling on trains, ANI reported.&nbsp;

More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

In June, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying, "Such illegal migrations poses serious challenges and has security implications since some of the migrants have been found to have indulged in illegal activities and are vulnerable to radicalisation."&nbsp;

Union Minister Rajanath Singh on Monday noted that state governments have been directed to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics, news agency ANI reported.

Union Minister Rajanath Singh on Monday noted that state governments have been directed to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics, news agency ANI reported. The state governments will also need to submit a report with the Centre on the same after which the government will take appropriate measures with the government of Myanmar to get the issue resolved, Singh further added. "States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that, they'll send a report to the Centre. Then the Central government will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar and we will get it resolved," the Home Minister stated. The comments came during Singh's visit to Kolkata to chair the 23rd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council. The meeting was also attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Jharkhand counterpart Raghubar Das and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi. States have been told to identify them (Rohingyas). They have to take their biometrics also. After that they'll send report to the Centre. Then Central govt will initiate action through diplomatic channels with Myanmar&then we will get it resolved: HM Rajnath Singh on Rohingyas pic.twitter.com/BDIR5jFZIr — ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2018 × Singh's statement comes a day after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) alerted the Kerala authorities to watch out for the movement of Rohingya refugees in groups to Kerala and hand them over to police if they are found travelling on trains, ANI reported. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees. In June, the Home Ministry wrote a letter to the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying, "Such illegal migrations poses serious challenges and has security implications since some of the migrants have been found to have indulged in illegal activities and are vulnerable to radicalisation."

Rajnath Singh asks state governments to identify Rohingyas, collect biometric data

UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that the Rohingya people are one of the most discriminated against people in the world, emphasising that there must be accountability for the gross violations and abuses committed in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown.

"Addressing the systematic discrimination against the Rohingya in Myanmar is essential&nbsp;to ensure they have legal recognition, freedom of movement and equal access to education, health services, employment and other rights," UN Secretary-General Guterres told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of his three-day visit to India that begins Monday.

"There can be no peace and reconciliation without ensuring that all people in Myanmar&nbsp;regardless of their ethnicity or religion ? can have equal enjoyment of their rights," Guterres said.

Responding to a question on the worsening Rohingya crisis, Guterres said he had visited Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh in July this year and had met with refugees and heard "heartbreaking" stories of massive violence&nbsp;of killings, of rape, of torture, of house or villages burnt. As High Commissioner for Refugees, Guterres had twice visited Northern Rakhine state.

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes 25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides.

"I have no doubt that the Rohingya people are one of the most, if not the most, discriminated against people in the world, lacking any recognition of their most basic rights, starting with the recognition of their right to citizenship by their own country&nbsp;Myanmar," he said.

In April, Guterres had appointed Christine Schraner Burgener as his Special Envoy on Myanmar.&nbsp;

She is undertaking a process of broad consultations, including with the Government and the military, and with civil society, women's groups and Member

States in the region and beyond to help address the pressing situation in Rakhine State, advance the peace process and support broader democratization and human rights issues.

Guterres called on "accountability" for the gross violations and abuses committed in the Rakhine State.&nbsp;

"Holding perpetrators accountable is critical to end the cycle of violence and prevent the recurrence of violations, to give Rohingya refugees the confidence to return to Myanmar to rebuild their lives, and to give hope for a new future to those who remain in Rakhine," he said.

The UN has called for different accountability options to be considered, he said adding that very strong recommendations have been made by the UN

Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar appointed by the Human Rights Council. Effective international cooperation will be critical to ensuring that accountability mechanisms are credible, transparent, impartial, independent and comply with Myanmar's obligations under international law, Guterres said.

This August marked one year since hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled persecution and violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state and sought refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Bangladesh now hosts nearly one million refugees, most of whom are Rohingya women and children who have taken refuge since the start of the violence.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. 
Guterres further said that the world faces urgent challenges, from climate change and inequality to armed conflict and intolerance, especially targeting migrants and refugees.&nbsp;

"We must raise our ambition across the board. But this is also an era in which we have the technology, the knowledge and the wealth to move our world forward leaving no one behind."

"At a time of fragmentation and polarisation, the world must be reminded of the value of international cooperation," he said.

He made a call to harness the power of diversity, with people of different traditions and backgrounds coming together at the United Nations to share burdens, solve problems and seize opportunities, to resolve today's complex challenges. "We must continue to heed that voice of grace and reason&nbsp;that voice of morality and solidarity. Our world needs it now more than ever,"&nbsp;he said in the email interview.&nbsp;

UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that the Rohingya people are one of the most discriminated against people in the world, emphasising that there must be accountability for the gross violations and abuses committed in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that the Rohingya people are one of the most discriminated against people in the world, emphasising that there must be accountability for the gross violations and abuses committed in Myanmar's Rakhine state. According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown. "Addressing the systematic discrimination against the Rohingya in Myanmar is essential to ensure they have legal recognition, freedom of movement and equal access to education, health services, employment and other rights," UN Secretary-General Guterres told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of his three-day visit to India that begins Monday. "There can be no peace and reconciliation without ensuring that all people in Myanmar regardless of their ethnicity or religion ? can have equal enjoyment of their rights," Guterres said. Responding to a question on the worsening Rohingya crisis, Guterres said he had visited Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh in July this year and had met with refugees and heard "heartbreaking" stories of massive violence of killings, of rape, of torture, of house or villages burnt. As High Commissioner for Refugees, Guterres had twice visited Northern Rakhine state. Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes 25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides. "I have no doubt that the Rohingya people are one of the most, if not the most, discriminated against people in the world, lacking any recognition of their most basic rights, starting with the recognition of their right to citizenship by their own country Myanmar," he said. In April, Guterres had appointed Christine Schraner Burgener as his Special Envoy on Myanmar. She is undertaking a process of broad consultations, including with the Government and the military, and with civil society, women's groups and Member States in the region and beyond to help address the pressing situation in Rakhine State, advance the peace process and support broader democratization and human rights issues. Guterres called on "accountability" for the gross violations and abuses committed in the Rakhine State. "Holding perpetrators accountable is critical to end the cycle of violence and prevent the recurrence of violations, to give Rohingya refugees the confidence to return to Myanmar to rebuild their lives, and to give hope for a new future to those who remain in Rakhine," he said. The UN has called for different accountability options to be considered, he said adding that very strong recommendations have been made by the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar appointed by the Human Rights Council. Effective international cooperation will be critical to ensuring that accountability mechanisms are credible, transparent, impartial, independent and comply with Myanmar's obligations under international law, Guterres said. This August marked one year since hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled persecution and violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state and sought refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh. Bangladesh now hosts nearly one million refugees, most of whom are Rohingya women and children who have taken refuge since the start of the violence. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. Guterres further said that the world faces urgent challenges, from climate change and inequality to armed conflict and intolerance, especially targeting migrants and refugees. "We must raise our ambition across the board. But this is also an era in which we have the technology, the knowledge and the wealth to move our world forward leaving no one behind." "At a time of fragmentation and polarisation, the world must be reminded of the value of international cooperation," he said. He made a call to harness the power of diversity, with people of different traditions and backgrounds coming together at the United Nations to share burdens, solve problems and seize opportunities, to resolve today's complex challenges. "We must continue to heed that voice of grace and reason that voice of morality and solidarity. Our world needs it now more than ever," he said in the email interview.

There must be accountability for gross violations, abuses committed in Rakhine state: UN chief

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Myanmar's government to take concrete steps to investigate human rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and hold accountable members of its security forces and others for any involvement in those actions, a State Department official said on Friday.

Pompeo, meeting Myanmar minister Kyaw Tint Swe on Thursday at the UN General Assembly gathering in New York, also reiterated US calls for Myanmar to immediately free two jailed Reuters reporters, according to a State Department summary seen by Reuters.

The meeting followed the recent release of two US and UN reports chronicling atrocities in the military crackdown last year, which sent in which almost 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Myanmar's government to take concrete steps to investigate human rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and hold accountable members of its security forces and others for any involvement in those actions, a State Department official said on Friday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Myanmar's government to take concrete steps to investigate human rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims and hold accountable members of its security forces and others for any involvement in those actions, a State Department official said on Friday. Pompeo, meeting Myanmar minister Kyaw Tint Swe on Thursday at the UN General Assembly gathering in New York, also reiterated US calls for Myanmar to immediately free two jailed Reuters reporters, according to a State Department summary seen by Reuters. The meeting followed the recent release of two US and UN reports chronicling atrocities in the military crackdown last year, which sent in which almost 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

US urges Myanmar to hold security forces accountable in Rohingya crackdown

The UN Human Rights Council voted Thursday to set up a panel to prepare criminal indictments over atrocities committed in Myanmar, amid allegations of genocide against the Rohingya minority.

The top UN rights body voted to "establish an ongoing independent mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011."

The text, a collaboration between the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, says the panel will be responsible for preparing "files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings... in national, regional or international courts or tribunals."

Thirty-five of the council's 47 members voted in favour of the resolution while only three -- China, the Philippines and Burundi -- voted against.

The remainder either abstained or refrained from casting a vote.

The text was presented after a damning report was released to the council earlier this month, outlining in meticulous and searing detail atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year.

The 444-page report by a UN fact-finding mission concluded there was enough evidence to merit investigation and prosecution of Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya.

Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded.

More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain -- fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

The UN and rights groups meanwhile say the operations were vastly disproportionate and a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017.

Further pressuring Myanmar, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court.

Thursday's text took note of the ICC ruling, and requested "the mechanism to cooperate closely with any of its future investigations pertaining to human rights in Myanmar."

The resolution also said the mandate of the UN fact-finding mission should be extended until the new mechanism is operational.

Thursday's decision marks the first time the Human Rights Council has itself opted to create such a mechanism.

A similar panel was created in late 2016 to build cases for the prosecution of war crimes in Syria, but it was set up following a vote in the General Assembly in New York.

The UN Human Rights Council voted Thursday to set up a panel to prepare criminal indictments over atrocities committed in Myanmar, amid allegations of genocide against the Rohingya minority.

The UN Human Rights Council voted Thursday to set up a panel to prepare criminal indictments over atrocities committed in Myanmar, amid allegations of genocide against the Rohingya minority. The top UN rights body voted to "establish an ongoing independent mechanism to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011." The text, a collaboration between the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, says the panel will be responsible for preparing "files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings... in national, regional or international courts or tribunals." Thirty-five of the council's 47 members voted in favour of the resolution while only three -- China, the Philippines and Burundi -- voted against. The remainder either abstained or refrained from casting a vote. The text was presented after a damning report was released to the council earlier this month, outlining in meticulous and searing detail atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year. The 444-page report by a UN fact-finding mission concluded there was enough evidence to merit investigation and prosecution of Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya. Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded. More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain -- fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants. The UN and rights groups meanwhile say the operations were vastly disproportionate and a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017. Further pressuring Myanmar, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court. Thursday's text took note of the ICC ruling, and requested "the mechanism to cooperate closely with any of its future investigations pertaining to human rights in Myanmar." The resolution also said the mandate of the UN fact-finding mission should be extended until the new mechanism is operational. Thursday's decision marks the first time the Human Rights Council has itself opted to create such a mechanism. A similar panel was created in late 2016 to build cases for the prosecution of war crimes in Syria, but it was set up following a vote in the General Assembly in New York.

UN to create panel to prepare indictments over Myanmar atrocities

Supporters staged a small rally outside London's Myanmar Embassy on Thursday for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in jail after reporting on massacres in Rakhine state.

The rally was attended by former Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who was detained in Egypt in 2013 and convicted of fabricating "false" news in support of the Muslim Brotherhood.

There was an international campaign for the release of Fahmy and two colleagues and they were eventually pardoned two years later.

"I'm here because advocacy works," Fahmy told AFP.

"These two journalists are in prison right now, clinging on any hope. International pressure on fragile governments who do not respect human rights and press freedom is the way to get these guys out of prison," he said.

The protest was called by the International Observatory of Human Rights and free speech group English PEN, who delivered a letter to the embassy for Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi calling for clemency for the two reporters.

"She's turning a silent ear and not standing up for journalists, not standing up for freedom of speech," Valerie Peay, director of IOHR, said at the protest.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were each imprisoned for seven years this month for breaching the country's hardline Official Secrets Act while reporting on atrocities committed during the military crackdown in Rakhine state.

Suu Kyi, once garlanded as a global rights champion, has come under intense pressure to use her moral authority inside Myanmar to defend the pair but she has defended the sentence by saying that the case upheld the rule of law.

Supporters staged a small rally outside London's Myanmar Embassy on Thursday for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in jail after reporting on massacres in Rakhine state.

Supporters staged a small rally outside London's Myanmar Embassy on Thursday for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in jail after reporting on massacres in Rakhine state. The rally was attended by former Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who was detained in Egypt in 2013 and convicted of fabricating "false" news in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. There was an international campaign for the release of Fahmy and two colleagues and they were eventually pardoned two years later. "I'm here because advocacy works," Fahmy told AFP. "These two journalists are in prison right now, clinging on any hope. International pressure on fragile governments who do not respect human rights and press freedom is the way to get these guys out of prison," he said. The protest was called by the International Observatory of Human Rights and free speech group English PEN, who delivered a letter to the embassy for Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi calling for clemency for the two reporters. "She's turning a silent ear and not standing up for journalists, not standing up for freedom of speech," Valerie Peay, director of IOHR, said at the protest. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were each imprisoned for seven years this month for breaching the country's hardline Official Secrets Act while reporting on atrocities committed during the military crackdown in Rakhine state. Suu Kyi, once garlanded as a global rights champion, has come under intense pressure to use her moral authority inside Myanmar to defend the pair but she has defended the sentence by saying that the case upheld the rule of law.

Rally held outside Myanmar UK embassy for Reuters reporters

Bangladesh's leader accused neighbouring Myanmar of finding new excuses to delay the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya who were forced across the border over the past year, and said in an interview late Tuesday that under no circumstance would the refugees remain permanently in her already crowded country.

"I already have 160 million people in my country," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, when asked whether Bangladesh would be willing to walk back its policy against permanent integration. "I can't take any other burden. I can't take it. My country cannot bear."

Hasina was speaking to Reuters in New York, where she is attending the annual United Nations meeting of world leaders.

The prime minister, who faces a national election in December, said she does not want to pick a fight with Myanmar over the refugees.

But she suggested patience is growing thin with Myanmar's leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and its military that she said wields the "main power" there.

Hasina has previously called on the international community to pressure Myanmar to implement the deal.

Calls to Myanmar's government spokesman, Zaw Htay, went unanswered. He said recently that he will no longer answer media questions by phone, but will answer questions at a biweekly press conference.

Rohingya fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh after a bloody military campaign against the Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The two countries reached a deal in November to begin repatriation within two months, but it has not started, with stateless Rohingya still crossing the border into Bangladesh and the refugee camps at Cox's Bazar.

"They agree everything, but unfortunately they don't act, that is the problem," Hasina said of Myanmar. "Everything is set but ... every time they try to find some new excuse," she told Reuters.

Myanmar has said it is ready to take back the refugees and has built transit centers to house them initially on their return.

But it has complained that Bangladesh has not provided its officials with the correct forms. Bangladesh has rejected those claims and UN aid agencies say it is not yet safe for the refugees to return.

Given the delays, Bangladesh has been preparing new homes on a remote island called Bhasan Char, which rights groups have said could be subject to flooding. Cox's Bazar is also vulnerable to flooding but this year's monsoon season was light.

Hasina said building permanent structures for refugees on the mainland "is not at all a possibility (and) not acceptable" since they are Myanmar citizens and must return.

Rohingya regard themselves as native to Myanmar's Rakhine state, but are widely considered interlopers by the country's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.

Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have estimated thousands died in last year's security crackdown, which was sparked by attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine in August 2017.

This week, a US government investigation reported that Myanmar's military waged a planned, coordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya.

Myanmar has rejected similar findings as "one-sided" and said it had conducted a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

Ahead of December's election, Hasina and her ruling Awami League have been on the defensive following student protests over an unregulated transport industry. The protest was triggered after a speeding bus killed two students in Dhaka.

However, the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has been in disarray after its leader and former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, was jailed for corruption in February - charges she says were part of a plot to keep her and her family out of politics.

Bangladesh's leader accused neighbouring Myanmar of finding new excuses to delay the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya who were forced across the border over the past year, and said in an interview late Tuesday that under no circumstance would the refugees remain permanently in her already crowded country.

Bangladesh's leader accused neighbouring Myanmar of finding new excuses to delay the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya who were forced across the border over the past year, and said in an interview late Tuesday that under no circumstance would the refugees remain permanently in her already crowded country. "I already have 160 million people in my country," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, when asked whether Bangladesh would be willing to walk back its policy against permanent integration. "I can't take any other burden. I can't take it. My country cannot bear." Hasina was speaking to Reuters in New York, where she is attending the annual United Nations meeting of world leaders. The prime minister, who faces a national election in December, said she does not want to pick a fight with Myanmar over the refugees. But she suggested patience is growing thin with Myanmar's leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and its military that she said wields the "main power" there. Hasina has previously called on the international community to pressure Myanmar to implement the deal. Calls to Myanmar's government spokesman, Zaw Htay, went unanswered. He said recently that he will no longer answer media questions by phone, but will answer questions at a biweekly press conference. Rohingya fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh after a bloody military campaign against the Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The two countries reached a deal in November to begin repatriation within two months, but it has not started, with stateless Rohingya still crossing the border into Bangladesh and the refugee camps at Cox's Bazar. "They agree everything, but unfortunately they don't act, that is the problem," Hasina said of Myanmar. "Everything is set but ... every time they try to find some new excuse," she told Reuters. Myanmar has said it is ready to take back the refugees and has built transit centers to house them initially on their return. But it has complained that Bangladesh has not provided its officials with the correct forms. Bangladesh has rejected those claims and UN aid agencies say it is not yet safe for the refugees to return. Given the delays, Bangladesh has been preparing new homes on a remote island called Bhasan Char, which rights groups have said could be subject to flooding. Cox's Bazar is also vulnerable to flooding but this year's monsoon season was light. Hasina said building permanent structures for refugees on the mainland "is not at all a possibility (and) not acceptable" since they are Myanmar citizens and must return. Rohingya regard themselves as native to Myanmar's Rakhine state, but are widely considered interlopers by the country's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship. Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have estimated thousands died in last year's security crackdown, which was sparked by attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine in August 2017. This week, a US government investigation reported that Myanmar's military waged a planned, coordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya. Myanmar has rejected similar findings as "one-sided" and said it had conducted a legitimate counterinsurgency operation. Ahead of December's election, Hasina and her ruling Awami League have been on the defensive following student protests over an unregulated transport industry. The protest was triggered after a speeding bus killed two students in Dhaka. However, the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has been in disarray after its leader and former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, was jailed for corruption in February - charges she says were part of a plot to keep her and her family out of politics.

Myanmar's delaying tactics blocking Rohingya return: Bangladesh PM Hasina

United States Ambassador to United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Monday announced White House's decision to almost double&nbsp;its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Haley said the United States would give an extra $185 million, of which $156 million would go to refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, taking its total humanitarian aid for the crisis to nearly $389 million in the past year.

Over 700,000 Rohingyas crossed the border to Bangladesh after a Myanmar military crackdown unleashed in the western state of Rakhine last year.

UN-mandated investigators have said the military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent." Myanmar rejected the findings as "one-sided" and said it was a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

Meanwhile, a US government investigation has found that Myanmar’s military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

The US State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release on Monday, could be used to justify further US sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, said US officials.

The findings resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

“The survey reveals that the recent violence in northern Rakhine State was extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents,” according to the 20-page report. “The scope and scale of the military’s operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.”

 
(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

United States Ambassador to United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Monday announced White House's decision to almost double its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

United States Ambassador to United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Monday announced White House's decision to almost double its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Haley said the United States would give an extra $185 million, of which $156 million would go to refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, taking its total humanitarian aid for the crisis to nearly $389 million in the past year. Over 700,000 Rohingyas crossed the border to Bangladesh after a Myanmar military crackdown unleashed in the western state of Rakhine last year. UN-mandated investigators have said the military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent." Myanmar rejected the findings as "one-sided" and said it was a legitimate counterinsurgency operation. Meanwhile, a US government investigation has found that Myanmar’s military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority. The US State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release on Monday, could be used to justify further US sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, said US officials. The findings resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State. “The survey reveals that the recent violence in northern Rakhine State was extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents,” according to the 20-page report. “The scope and scale of the military’s operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.” (With inputs from Reuters)

Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar: Nikki Haley 

A US&nbsp;government investigation has found that Myanmar’s military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

The US&nbsp;State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release on Monday, could be used to justify further US&nbsp;sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, said US&nbsp;officials.

But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that other US&nbsp;officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report's rollout for nearly a month.

The findings resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

“The survey reveals that the recent violence in northern Rakhine State was extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents,” according to the 20-page report. “The scope and scale of the military’s operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.”

Survivors described in harrowing detail what they had witnessed, including soldiers killing infants and small children, the shooting of unarmed men, and victims buried alive or thrown into pits of mass graves. They described widespread sexual assault by Myanmar’s military of Rohingya women, often carried out in public.

One witness described four Rohingya girls who were abducted, tied up with ropes and raped for three days. They were left "half dead," he said, according to the report.

Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have put the death toll in the thousands from the crackdown, which was sparked by attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine State in August 2017.

UN report found 'genocidal intent'

The results of the US&nbsp;investigation were being released nearly a month after UN&nbsp;investigators issued their own report accusing Myanmar’s military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the country’s commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

The military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

US&nbsp;Senior State Department officials said the objective of the investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts" on the atrocities to guide US&nbsp;policy aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable, but the report proposes no new steps.

One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be up to US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether to make such a "legal" designation in the future and did not rule out the possibility.

A declaration of genocide by the US&nbsp;government, which has only gone as far as labelling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar.

The International Criminal Court last week said it had begun an examination of whether the alleged forced deportations of Rohingya could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Asked whether the new US&nbsp;findings could be used to bolster such international prosecution, the State Department official said no decision had been made on seeking "judicial accountability" over the Rohingya crisis.

Sarah Margon, director of the Washington office of Human Right Watch, said: "What's missing now is a clear indication of whether the US&nbsp;government intends to pursue meaningful accountability and help ensure justice for so many victims."

"The stories from some refugees show a pattern of planning and pre-meditation" by the military and other attackers, the report said, citing confiscation in advance of knives and other tools that could be used as weapons.

About 80 per cent of refugees surveyed said they witnessed a killing, most often by military or police, according to the report.

“Reports of mutilation included the cutting and spreading of entrails, severed limbs or hands/feet, pulling out nails or burning beards and genitals to force a confession, or being burned alive," the report said.

In a few cases, witnesses said Rohingya were either killed in pits bulldozed by the military or buried alive.

The State Department’s investigation was modelled on a US&nbsp;forensic examination of mass atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region in 2004, which led to a US&nbsp;declaration of genocide that culminated in sanctions against the Sudanese government.

The Trump administration, which has been criticized by human rights groups and some US&nbsp;lawmakers for a cautious response to Myanmar, could now face added pressure to take a tougher stand.

The United States on Monday announced it was almost doubling its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with an extra $185 million.

Any stiffer measures against Myanmar authorities could be tempered though by US&nbsp;concerns about complicating relations between civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the powerful military which might push Myanmar closer to China.

The US&nbsp;government on Aug. 17 imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units but Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared. Further targeted sanctions have been under consideration, officials said earlier.

The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.

A US government investigation has found that Myanmar’s military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

A US government investigation has found that Myanmar’s military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority. The US State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release on Monday, could be used to justify further US sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, said US officials. But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that other US officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report's rollout for nearly a month. The findings resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State. “The survey reveals that the recent violence in northern Rakhine State was extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents,” according to the 20-page report. “The scope and scale of the military’s operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.” Survivors described in harrowing detail what they had witnessed, including soldiers killing infants and small children, the shooting of unarmed men, and victims buried alive or thrown into pits of mass graves. They described widespread sexual assault by Myanmar’s military of Rohingya women, often carried out in public. One witness described four Rohingya girls who were abducted, tied up with ropes and raped for three days. They were left "half dead," he said, according to the report. Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have put the death toll in the thousands from the crackdown, which was sparked by attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine State in August 2017. UN report found 'genocidal intent' The results of the US investigation were being released nearly a month after UN investigators issued their own report accusing Myanmar’s military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the country’s commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. The military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism. US Senior State Department officials said the objective of the investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts" on the atrocities to guide US policy aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable, but the report proposes no new steps. One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be up to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether to make such a "legal" designation in the future and did not rule out the possibility. A declaration of genocide by the US government, which has only gone as far as labelling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. The International Criminal Court last week said it had begun an examination of whether the alleged forced deportations of Rohingya could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Asked whether the new US findings could be used to bolster such international prosecution, the State Department official said no decision had been made on seeking "judicial accountability" over the Rohingya crisis. Sarah Margon, director of the Washington office of Human Right Watch, said: "What's missing now is a clear indication of whether the US government intends to pursue meaningful accountability and help ensure justice for so many victims." "The stories from some refugees show a pattern of planning and pre-meditation" by the military and other attackers, the report said, citing confiscation in advance of knives and other tools that could be used as weapons. About 80 per cent of refugees surveyed said they witnessed a killing, most often by military or police, according to the report. “Reports of mutilation included the cutting and spreading of entrails, severed limbs or hands/feet, pulling out nails or burning beards and genitals to force a confession, or being burned alive," the report said. In a few cases, witnesses said Rohingya were either killed in pits bulldozed by the military or buried alive. The State Department’s investigation was modelled on a US forensic examination of mass atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region in 2004, which led to a US declaration of genocide that culminated in sanctions against the Sudanese government. The Trump administration, which has been criticized by human rights groups and some US lawmakers for a cautious response to Myanmar, could now face added pressure to take a tougher stand. The United States on Monday announced it was almost doubling its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with an extra $185 million. Any stiffer measures against Myanmar authorities could be tempered though by US concerns about complicating relations between civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the powerful military which might push Myanmar closer to China. The US government on Aug. 17 imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units but Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared. Further targeted sanctions have been under consideration, officials said earlier. The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.

US accuses Myanmar military of 'planned and coordinated' Rohingya atrocities

Myanmar's powerful army chief said the United Nations had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of his country, a week after UN investigators called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya.

The defiant response is the army chief's first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer Myanmar's top military brass to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Min Aung Hlaing also shrugged off demands from the UN for the army to get out of political life in Myanmar, where it remains hugely influential despite a nominal transition to civilian rule in 2011.

No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country", military-run newspaper Myawady reported Min telling troops in a speech Sunday.

"Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding."

The 444-page UN probe report, compiled over 18 months, outlined in meticulous and searing detail claims of atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year.

Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded.

More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

But rights groups and the UN say the operations were vastly disproportionate and that a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017.

Army 'will continue' efforts

In a further ratcheting up of pressure on Myanmar, the ICC independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court.

Analysts say, however, that any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties.

Last month Facebook removed the pages of Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, accusing them of sowing ethnic divisions in a country where the social media platform enjoys excessive influence.

Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected the UN report's finding as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed the ICC's authority.

Suu Kyi's government shares power with the still-mighty army, which retains control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries.

The UN team also criticised the Nobel Laureate's government for "acts and omissions" that had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes".

In a rare, if understated, criticism of the military, Suu Kyi recently said that the Rakhine crisis "could have been handled better".

The army chief made it clear that the Tatmadaw, as the military is known locally, has no intention to extract itself from politics.

"Take a look at the democracy practices in the world, the countries exercise the democracy system suited to them," he said, adding that the country needs to end armed conflict on its road to true multi-party democracy.

"The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve eternal peace," he said.

The Rohingya languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh refuse to return to a Myanmar that does not grant them citizenship.&nbsp;

In his speech the army chief doubled down on the narrative widely held in Myanmar that the minority are outsiders, calling them "Bengalis" and insisting that the law, which does not recognise the group among the country's many ethnicities, will remain in place.&nbsp;

Myanmar's powerful army chief said the United Nations had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of his country, a week after UN investigators called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya.

Myanmar's powerful army chief said the United Nations had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of his country, a week after UN investigators called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya. The defiant response is the army chief's first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer Myanmar's top military brass to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Min Aung Hlaing also shrugged off demands from the UN for the army to get out of political life in Myanmar, where it remains hugely influential despite a nominal transition to civilian rule in 2011. No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country", military-run newspaper Myawady reported Min telling troops in a speech Sunday. "Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding." The 444-page UN probe report, compiled over 18 months, outlined in meticulous and searing detail claims of atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year. Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded. More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants. But rights groups and the UN say the operations were vastly disproportionate and that a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017. Army 'will continue' efforts In a further ratcheting up of pressure on Myanmar, the ICC independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court. Analysts say, however, that any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties. Last month Facebook removed the pages of Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, accusing them of sowing ethnic divisions in a country where the social media platform enjoys excessive influence. Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected the UN report's finding as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed the ICC's authority. Suu Kyi's government shares power with the still-mighty army, which retains control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries. The UN team also criticised the Nobel Laureate's government for "acts and omissions" that had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes". In a rare, if understated, criticism of the military, Suu Kyi recently said that the Rakhine crisis "could have been handled better". The army chief made it clear that the Tatmadaw, as the military is known locally, has no intention to extract itself from politics. "Take a look at the democracy practices in the world, the countries exercise the democracy system suited to them," he said, adding that the country needs to end armed conflict on its road to true multi-party democracy. "The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve eternal peace," he said. The Rohingya languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh refuse to return to a Myanmar that does not grant them citizenship. In his speech the army chief doubled down on the narrative widely held in Myanmar that the minority are outsiders, calling them "Bengalis" and insisting that the law, which does not recognise the group among the country's many ethnicities, will remain in place.

Rohingya crisis: UN should not 'interfere' says Myanmar army chief

The Government of Myanmar is reported to be re-evaluating a Chinese investment project to develop the deep-water port of Kyaukpyu because of rising costs.&nbspthe Kyaukpyu Port project is a part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Beijing has invested an estimated USD 9 billion in the project.

A concerned Myanmar is anticipating a potential debt default, which could lead to losing control of Kyaukpyu.

The Sinchew is quoting unnamed Myanmar government sources, as saying that negotiations are going on with the Chinese to reduce the cost of the project.

China has been pushing for preferential access to the deep sea port of Kyaukpyu on the Bay of Bengal, an entry point for a Chinese oil and gas pipeline that gives it an alternative route for energy imports from the Middle East that avoids the Malacca Strait, a shipping chokepoint.

Kyaukpyu is located in west Myanmar's Rakhine Province. That port offers China a direct path to the Indian Ocean from Southwest China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca.

Reuters last May reported that state-owned CITIC had proposed taking a 70-85 per cent stake in the Kyaukpyu port, a part of China’s ambitious “Belt and Road” infrastructure investment plan to deepen its links with economies throughout Asia and beyond.

A total of 52 Myanmar companies will contribute to half of Myanmar’s stake in the Kyauk Pyu port, according to San Myint, general manager of the local consortium Myanmar Kyaukpyu Special Holding Company.

Kyaukpyu is located in west Myanmar's Rakhine Province. That port offers China a direct path to the Indian Ocean from Southwest China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca

The Government of Myanmar is reported to be re-evaluating a Chinese investment project to develop the deep-water port of Kyaukpyu because of rising costs.&nbspthe Kyaukpyu Port project is a part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Beijing has invested an estimated USD 9 billion in the project. A concerned Myanmar is anticipating a potential debt default, which could lead to losing control of Kyaukpyu. The Sinchew is quoting unnamed Myanmar government sources, as saying that negotiations are going on with the Chinese to reduce the cost of the project. China has been pushing for preferential access to the deep sea port of Kyaukpyu on the Bay of Bengal, an entry point for a Chinese oil and gas pipeline that gives it an alternative route for energy imports from the Middle East that avoids the Malacca Strait, a shipping chokepoint. Kyaukpyu is located in west Myanmar's Rakhine Province. That port offers China a direct path to the Indian Ocean from Southwest China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca. Reuters last May reported that state-owned CITIC had proposed taking a 70-85 per cent stake in the Kyaukpyu port, a part of China’s ambitious “Belt and Road” infrastructure investment plan to deepen its links with economies throughout Asia and beyond. A total of 52 Myanmar companies will contribute to half of Myanmar’s stake in the Kyauk Pyu port, according to San Myint, general manager of the local consortium Myanmar Kyaukpyu Special Holding Company.

Myanmar keen not to lose Kyaukpyu Port to China

The Government of Myanmar is reported to be re-evaluating a Chinese investment project to develop the deep-water port of Kyaukpyu because of rising costs.

According to the Singapore daily Sinchew, the Kyaukpyu Port project is a part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Beijing has invested an estimated USD 9 billion in the project.

A concerned Myanmar is anticipating a potential debt default, which could lead to losing control of Kyaukpyu.

The Sinchew is quoting unnamed Myanmar government sources, as saying that negotiations are going on with the Chinese to reduce the cost of the project.

Kyaukpyu is located in west Myanmar's Rakhine Province. That port offers China a direct path to the Indian Ocean from Southwest China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca.

If started, the Port of Kyaukpyu development project will be the largest infrastructure project in Myanmar's history.

The project is also located at the starting point of an oil and gas pipeline station leading to China's Yunnan Province.&nbsp

The project is also located at the starting point of an oil and gas pipeline station leading to China's Yunnan Province

The Government of Myanmar is reported to be re-evaluating a Chinese investment project to develop the deep-water port of Kyaukpyu because of rising costs. According to the Singapore daily Sinchew, the Kyaukpyu Port project is a part of China's One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative. Beijing has invested an estimated USD 9 billion in the project. A concerned Myanmar is anticipating a potential debt default, which could lead to losing control of Kyaukpyu. The Sinchew is quoting unnamed Myanmar government sources, as saying that negotiations are going on with the Chinese to reduce the cost of the project. Kyaukpyu is located in west Myanmar's Rakhine Province. That port offers China a direct path to the Indian Ocean from Southwest China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca. If started, the Port of Kyaukpyu development project will be the largest infrastructure project in Myanmar's history. The project is also located at the starting point of an oil and gas pipeline station leading to China's Yunnan Province.

US-backed Radio Free Asia has pulled broadcasts from a television channel in Myanmar after the government tried to ban the word "Rohingya" on its shows.

Myanmar labels the persecuted Muslim minority "Bengalis" as it does not recognise the Rohingya as native to the country, and bristles when the word is used in media coverage.

Radio Free Asia made the decision to stop airing its Burmese broadcasts with local network Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), which airs on state television.

The move came after the government told DVB that they could not carry content with the word "Rohingya," referring to Radio Free Asia's coverage.

The president of RFA Libby Liu said complying with Myanmar's order would be "inaccurate and disingenuous to both our product and our audience" in a statement posted online Monday .

"RFA will continue to refer to the Rohingya as the 'Rohingya’ in our reports," she said, adding that forbidding the usage was an "Orwellian step".

RFA said it will continue its coverage of Myanmar on radio and social media platforms such as Facebook.

The Democratic Voice of Burma worked in exile during military rule but came back after Myanmar launched political reforms in 2011 that included the abolition of pre-publication censorship.

It was one of a handful of companies recently granted new television licenses by the government and started broadcasting on the state-controlled MRTV channel in April.

Toe Zaw Latt, Myanmar bureau chief for DVB, said his office had received an official letter from MRTV complaining about the "controversial" word.

"If the government platform doesn't want it, we have to obey," he said, adding that the decision would not affect content carried via satellite or their website.

Aung Hla Tun, the Deputy Minister of Information, told AFP that news outlets can use whatever house style they want, "but when they use our TV, they have to accept ours".

"As you know, 'Rohingya' is such a controversial term here," he added.

The stateless Rohingya Muslim community has suffered decades of apartheid-like conditions in largely Buddhist Myanmar, which claims they are illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since last August after a military crackdown the US and UN have said amounted to ethnic cleansing.

Both countries have signed a repatriation agreement but Rohingya say they do not want to return en masse unless they are guaranteed safety, citizenship and rights.

The president of RFA Libby Liu said complying with Myanmar's order would be "inaccurate and disingenuous to both our product and our audience"

US-backed Radio Free Asia has pulled broadcasts from a television channel in Myanmar after the government tried to ban the word "Rohingya" on its shows. Myanmar labels the persecuted Muslim minority "Bengalis" as it does not recognise the Rohingya as native to the country, and bristles when the word is used in media coverage. Radio Free Asia made the decision to stop airing its Burmese broadcasts with local network Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), which airs on state television. The move came after the government told DVB that they could not carry content with the word "Rohingya," referring to Radio Free Asia's coverage. The president of RFA Libby Liu said complying with Myanmar's order would be "inaccurate and disingenuous to both our product and our audience" in a statement posted online Monday . "RFA will continue to refer to the Rohingya as the 'Rohingya’ in our reports," she said, adding that forbidding the usage was an "Orwellian step". RFA said it will continue its coverage of Myanmar on radio and social media platforms such as Facebook. The Democratic Voice of Burma worked in exile during military rule but came back after Myanmar launched political reforms in 2011 that included the abolition of pre-publication censorship. It was one of a handful of companies recently granted new television licenses by the government and started broadcasting on the state-controlled MRTV channel in April. Toe Zaw Latt, Myanmar bureau chief for DVB, said his office had received an official letter from MRTV complaining about the "controversial" word. "If the government platform doesn't want it, we have to obey," he said, adding that the decision would not affect content carried via satellite or their website. Aung Hla Tun, the Deputy Minister of Information, told AFP that news outlets can use whatever house style they want, "but when they use our TV, they have to accept ours". "As you know, 'Rohingya' is such a controversial term here," he added. The stateless Rohingya Muslim community has suffered decades of apartheid-like conditions in largely Buddhist Myanmar, which claims they are illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since last August after a military crackdown the US and UN have said amounted to ethnic cleansing. Both countries have signed a repatriation agreement but Rohingya say they do not want to return en masse unless they are guaranteed safety, citizenship and rights.

US broadcaster stops broadcast on Myanmar channel over 'Rohingya' dispute

The first monsoon rains have hit camps in Bangladesh housing around a million Rohingya refugees, triggering floods and landslides but no casualties or major damage so far, officials said Sunday.

Aid agencies have been warning that the monsoon season could prompt a humanitarian catastrophe in coming months at what is the world's biggest refugee camp, sheltering people fleeing violence in Myanmar.

The sites in southeastern Bangladesh are predicted to be hit by powerful cyclones and by more than 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rainfall over the coming three months of monsoon -- roughly triple what Britain gets in a year.

Bangladesh's meteorological office said the Cox's Bazar area where many of the refugees live in makeshift shelters on bare hillsides had 138 millimetres (5.4 inches) of rain since Saturday evening.

"Some areas like the football field areas are flooded. Some houses have been inundated with water. There have been a few landslides. The conditions are bad," UN refugee agency spokesperson Caroline Gluck told AFP.

The monsoon season "is going to be big test for everybody involved in the humanitarian response in support of the government of Bangladesh", she said.&nbsp

More heavy rain is forecast for &nbspcoming days.

Rohingya leaders told AFP the rains have already devastated some parts of the camps and turned some dirt roads into quagmires, hindering the movement of refugees and relief materials.

Kamal Hossain, a Rohingya community leader, said at least five shanties were destroyed by landslides or strong winds over around 12 hours of a sustained downpour beginning on Saturday evening.

"It’s just the beginning and the entire monsoon season is ahead of us. Some people have been relocated but the majority are still living under risk," said Mohammad Mohibullah, another community leader. &nbsp &nbsp

Last year heavy rain triggered mudslips in Cox's Bazar and the nearby Chittagong Hill Tracts, killing at least 170 people. More than 100 died in landslides in the region in 2012, and two years earlier around 50 perished.

Gluck said that so far nearly 29,000 refugees have been relocated to new areas out of an estimated 200,000 people at very high risk of landslides and flood, who need to be moved to safer areas.&nbsp

There are fears that heavy flooding could also cause latrines to overflow and spread disease in the crowded camps. Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have poured in from Myanmar since August, fleeing an army crackdown.&nbsp

They joined hundreds of thousands of earlier refugees from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where the Rohingya are a persecuted and stateless minority.

Many of the hillsides were cleared of trees to make way for shelters, making the land highly unstable. 
&nbsp

Officials said there have been no casualties or major damage so far. Bangladesh's refugee camps for the Rohingya house about a million people

The first monsoon rains have hit camps in Bangladesh housing around a million Rohingya refugees, triggering floods and landslides but no casualties or major damage so far, officials said Sunday. Aid agencies have been warning that the monsoon season could prompt a humanitarian catastrophe in coming months at what is the world's biggest refugee camp, sheltering people fleeing violence in Myanmar. The sites in southeastern Bangladesh are predicted to be hit by powerful cyclones and by more than 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rainfall over the coming three months of monsoon -- roughly triple what Britain gets in a year. Bangladesh's meteorological office said the Cox's Bazar area where many of the refugees live in makeshift shelters on bare hillsides had 138 millimetres (5.4 inches) of rain since Saturday evening. "Some areas like the football field areas are flooded. Some houses have been inundated with water. There have been a few landslides. The conditions are bad," UN refugee agency spokesperson Caroline Gluck told AFP. The monsoon season "is going to be big test for everybody involved in the humanitarian response in support of the government of Bangladesh", she said. More heavy rain is forecast for &nbspcoming days. Rohingya leaders told AFP the rains have already devastated some parts of the camps and turned some dirt roads into quagmires, hindering the movement of refugees and relief materials. Kamal Hossain, a Rohingya community leader, said at least five shanties were destroyed by landslides or strong winds over around 12 hours of a sustained downpour beginning on Saturday evening. "It’s just the beginning and the entire monsoon season is ahead of us. Some people have been relocated but the majority are still living under risk," said Mohammad Mohibullah, another community leader. Last year heavy rain triggered mudslips in Cox's Bazar and the nearby Chittagong Hill Tracts, killing at least 170 people. More than 100 died in landslides in the region in 2012, and two years earlier around 50 perished. Gluck said that so far nearly 29,000 refugees have been relocated to new areas out of an estimated 200,000 people at very high risk of landslides and flood, who need to be moved to safer areas. There are fears that heavy flooding could also cause latrines to overflow and spread disease in the crowded camps. Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have poured in from Myanmar since August, fleeing an army crackdown. They joined hundreds of thousands of earlier refugees from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where the Rohingya are a persecuted and stateless minority. Many of the hillsides were cleared of trees to make way for shelters, making the land highly unstable.

First monsoon rains hit Rohingya camps, triggering landslides

Myanmar's&nbsp;hardline&nbsp;monks&nbsp;will dodge&nbsp;bans on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and keep using it to "tell the truth", they said on Friday, after the social media giant barred several Buddhist nationalists for hate messages targeting Rohingya Muslims.

United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;have said&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;has been a source of propaganda against the minority in a country where it has become a near-ubiquitous communications tool as the economy opens up.

Myanmar's nationalist&nbsp;monks&nbsp;and activists, who have emerged as a political force in recent years, have been sharing violent and angry rhetoric on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;targeting the minority, seen by many in the Buddhist-majority country as illegal immigrants.

"It is a violation of freedom of expression," Thuseitta, a member of the Patriotic&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;Monks' Union told Reuters hours after&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;identified him as a "hate figure".

"We will keep using&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;with different names and accounts to tell the truth to people."

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighbouring&nbsp;Bangladesh, the United Nations and aid agencies have said, following an army crackdown after Rohingya insurgent attacks last August.

Washington has called the army response "ethnic cleansing" - a charge&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;denies, saying its security forces have been waging a legitimate counter-insurgency operation against "Bengali terrorists".

Pinnyawenta, another monk from the union whose account was deactivated in May after repeatedly being asked by&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;to remove some posts, said he had registered again under another name and would "continue to write about the truth" on the site.

In an email message,&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;told Reuters it was "investing more in the teams who are working on&nbsp;Myanmar" as it seeks to "understand and respond to&nbsp;Myanmar's unique technical challenges".

"There's always more we can do to get ahead of these repeat offenders, and we are committed to improving our detection tools to remove them from&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;as quickly as possible," the company said.

The California-based company will invest more in artificial intelligence to deal with languages inMyanmar, it said.

Facebook&nbsp;added that it had designated as "hate figures and organizations" a radical Buddhist group, Ma Ba Tha, and several prominent&nbsp;monks&nbsp;known for vitriol towards Rohingya, blocking them from the platform.

The move had led to the removal of "a lot of harmful and violating content", it said.

Ei Myat Noe Khin, a manager of Yangon-based Phandeeyar, which helped&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;translate its Burmese-language community standards, urged the company to hire more people who are unbiased and understand&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;well.

That would be the only way for&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;to tackle the proliferating accounts behind the rumours spread to trigger violence, riots and conflict, she added.

United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar have said Facebook has been a source of propaganda against the minority in a country

Myanmar's hardline monks will dodge bans on Facebook and keep using it to "tell the truth", they said on Friday, after the social media giant barred several Buddhist nationalists for hate messages targeting Rohingya Muslims. United Nations officials investigating a possible genocide in Myanmar have said Facebook has been a source of propaganda against the minority in a country where it has become a near-ubiquitous communications tool as the economy opens up. Myanmar's nationalist monks and activists, who have emerged as a political force in recent years, have been sharing violent and angry rhetoric on Facebook targeting the minority, seen by many in the Buddhist-majority country as illegal immigrants. "It is a violation of freedom of expression," Thuseitta, a member of the Patriotic Myanmar Monks' Union told Reuters hours after Facebook identified him as a "hate figure". "We will keep using Facebook with different names and accounts to tell the truth to people." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, the United Nations and aid agencies have said, following an army crackdown after Rohingya insurgent attacks last August. Washington has called the army response "ethnic cleansing" - a charge Myanmar denies, saying its security forces have been waging a legitimate counter-insurgency operation against "Bengali terrorists". Pinnyawenta, another monk from the union whose account was deactivated in May after repeatedly being asked by Facebook to remove some posts, said he had registered again under another name and would "continue to write about the truth" on the site. In an email message, Facebook told Reuters it was "investing more in the teams who are working on Myanmar" as it seeks to "understand and respond to Myanmar's unique technical challenges". "There's always more we can do to get ahead of these repeat offenders, and we are committed to improving our detection tools to remove them from Facebook as quickly as possible," the company said. The California-based company will invest more in artificial intelligence to deal with languages inMyanmar, it said. Facebook added that it had designated as "hate figures and organizations" a radical Buddhist group, Ma Ba Tha, and several prominent monks known for vitriol towards Rohingya, blocking them from the platform. The move had led to the removal of "a lot of harmful and violating content", it said. Ei Myat Noe Khin, a manager of Yangon-based Phandeeyar, which helped Facebook translate its Burmese-language community standards, urged the company to hire more people who are unbiased and understand Myanmar well. That would be the only way for Facebook to tackle the proliferating accounts behind the rumours spread to trigger violence, riots and conflict, she added.

Myanmar hardline monks vow to stay on Facebook despite ban

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday all states have been asked to <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/ensure-measures-to-restrict-rohingyas-entry-centre-tells-jammu--kashmir-govt-141837">conduct a survey of Rohingya Muslims living in the country</a>, but have been cautioned against providing any legal documents to the community that would help the latter claim Indian citizenship.&nbsp

He was responding to questions about the steps taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deport the Rohingyas.&nbsp

"Advisory was issued to them (all states) that no document should be given to them (Rohingyas) so that they claim citizenship of the country in future," the minister told a press conference in Jammu.&nbsp

Singh said the process of deportation of the community would begin once the survey information from all the states reaches the ministry.&nbsp

"After getting the information from the state governments about the number of Rohingyas, we will hand over the case to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We will talk to Burma (Myanmar) government for starting the process of their (Rohingyas) deportation," he said.

The MHA had written to all the states, asking them to identify the Rohingyas living in their respective states and a survey be conducted to know their numbers in order to start the deportation process.&nbsp

More than 10,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Their presence is most found in Jammu and Samba districts of the state.&nbsp

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had in January said in the state assembly that some madrasas were associated with the Rohingya Muslims in the state.

She said no Rohingya Muslim had been found involved in militancy-related incidents, but 17 FIRs have been registered against 38 Rohingyas for various offences, including those related to illegal border crossing.

Rohingyas belong to Rakhine province of Myanmar. Most of the community has left the country due to alleged persecution by the majority Buddhists

'After getting the information from the state governments about the number of Rohingyas, we will hand over the case to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We will talk to Burma (Myanmar) government for starting the process of their (Rohingyas) deportation,'Rajnath Singh said

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday all states have been asked to conduct a survey of Rohingya Muslims living in the country, but have been cautioned against providing any legal documents to the community that would help the latter claim Indian citizenship. He was responding to questions about the steps taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to deport the Rohingyas. "Advisory was issued to them (all states) that no document should be given to them (Rohingyas) so that they claim citizenship of the country in future," the minister told a press conference in Jammu. Singh said the process of deportation of the community would begin once the survey information from all the states reaches the ministry. "After getting the information from the state governments about the number of Rohingyas, we will hand over the case to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). We will talk to Burma (Myanmar) government for starting the process of their (Rohingyas) deportation," he said. The MHA had written to all the states, asking them to identify the Rohingyas living in their respective states and a survey be conducted to know their numbers in order to start the deportation process. More than 10,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Their presence is most found in Jammu and Samba districts of the state. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had in January said in the state assembly that some madrasas were associated with the Rohingya Muslims in the state. She said no Rohingya Muslim had been found involved in militancy-related incidents, but 17 FIRs have been registered against 38 Rohingyas for various offences, including those related to illegal border crossing. Rohingyas belong to Rakhine province of Myanmar. Most of the community has left the country due to alleged persecution by the majority Buddhists

Centre asks states not to give any documents to Rohingyas

Rohingya Muslims who are currently living in shelters in Bangladesh has said that they are upset that United Nations agreement does not include citizenship demand which was one of&nbspthe key demands media reports said on Saturday.

According to the media reports, the refugees are willing to go back to their home in Rakhine, Myanmar, but have concerns regarding their protection.

They had reportedly demanded proper citizenship and the return of the property they lost during the violence.&nbsp

Since August 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, many reporting killings, rape and arson on a large scale, UN and other aid organisations have said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-and-myanmar-agree-outline-of-rohingya-return-deal-no-details-141556">Myanmar and United Nations on Wednesday signed an agreement</a> aimed at allowing those refugees to return back to their homeland. The refugees are currently living in camps in Bangladesh' coz bazaar.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement on Thursday, Myanmar's government said it would set up an independent commission to investigate "the violation of human rights and related issues" in Rakhine State following the army operation there in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts.

The atrocities on Rohingya was widely criticised by the international media.

The United Nations and aid agencies had also described the crackdown on the Rohingya as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing", an accusation Myanmar rejects.

(With inputs from Reuters)

According to the media reports, the refugees are willing to go back to their home in Rakhine, Myanmar, but have concerns regarding their protection

Rohingya Muslims who are currently living in shelters in Bangladesh has said that they are upset that United Nations agreement does not include citizenship demand which was one of&nbspthe key demands media reports said on Saturday. According to the media reports, the refugees are willing to go back to their home in Rakhine, Myanmar, but have concerns regarding their protection. They had reportedly demanded proper citizenship and the return of the property they lost during the violence. Since August 2017, about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military crackdown in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, many reporting killings, rape and arson on a large scale, UN and other aid organisations have said. Myanmar and United Nations on Wednesday signed an agreement aimed at allowing those refugees to return back to their homeland. The refugees are currently living in camps in Bangladesh' coz bazaar. Meanwhile, in a separate statement on Thursday, Myanmar's government said it would set up an independent commission to investigate "the violation of human rights and related issues" in Rakhine State following the army operation there in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts. The atrocities on Rohingya was widely criticised by the international media. The United Nations and aid agencies had also described the crackdown on the Rohingya as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing", an accusation Myanmar rejects. (With inputs from Reuters)

Rohingyas are upset over UN agreement not addressing citizenship demand

&nbsp;India&nbsp;and&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in the national capital on&nbsp;Thursday, which saw the discussion on the entire gamut of the bilateral&nbsp;relationship&nbsp;between the two&nbsp;countries.

"During the discussions, the two sides reviewed the complete range of bilateral relations, including high-level visits, security and&nbsp;defence&nbsp;related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and&nbsp;consular&nbsp;matters. They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The&nbsp;Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary&nbsp;Vijay Gokhale&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;side by Permanent Secretary,&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;Ministry of&nbsp;Foreign Affairs&nbsp;U Myint Thu.

According to the MEA, during his stay in&nbsp;India, the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;Permanent Secretary will also visit places of historical and cultural significance in the capital.

This comes barely a month after External Affairs Minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to&nbsp;Myanmar, during which she met the country's president U Win Myint and State Counsellor&nbsp;Aung San Suu Kyi.

India and Myanmar held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in the national capital on Thursday, which saw the discussion on the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship between the two countries

India and Myanmar held the 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations in the national capital on Thursday, which saw the discussion on the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. "During the discussions, the two sides reviewed the complete range of bilateral relations, including high-level visits, security and defence related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and consular matters. They also exchanged views on sub-regional, regional and global issues of mutual interest," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Indian side was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and the Myanmar side by Permanent Secretary, Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Myint Thu. According to the MEA, during his stay in India, the Myanmar Permanent Secretary will also visit places of historical and cultural significance in the capital. This comes barely a month after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's two-day visit to Myanmar, during which she met the country's president U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

India, Myanmar discuss bilateral ties

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