The Rohingya accuse the army of arson, rapes and killings aimed at rubbing them out of existence in this mainly Buddhist nation of 53 million.

'One grave for 10 Rohingya men': How Myanmar forces burned, looted and killed in a remote village

A Myanmar police officer who was part of the team that arrested two Reuters journalists in December told a court on Tuesday that he had burned the notes he made at the time but gave no reason why he had done so.

Police Second Lieutenant Tin Htwe Oo was the latest prosecution witness to give evidence at the Insein district court in Yangon, which will decide whether reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, should be charged under Myanmar&#39;s colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

Tin Htwe Oo read from a notebook to recount details of the arrest, which he said was based on notes written at the time. Under cross-examination by the defence, he said he had burned his original notes but had not been instructed to do so.

&quot;Only the police will know the reason for that,&quot; defence lawyer Than Zaw Aung told reporters after the hearing.

Dozens of reporters and diplomats were present when the Reuters journalists were brought in handcuffs from prison to the crowded courtroom.

They had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh, according to the United Nations.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before.

Tin Htwe Oo made no reference to the restaurant meeting, saying police stopped the two reporters as they walked along a road. He said after stopping them, police discovered secret documents relating to the Rakhine conflict.

The arresting officers made an inventory of around 20 items in their possession &ndash; including their cell phone numbers and details of ATM and library cards &ndash; on the spot within 10-15 minutes, he said.

Defence lawyer Than Zaw Aung said he had asked Tin Htwe Oo repeatedly in cross-examination how they had been able to do this so quickly, but said he did not give a clear response.

&quot;They were saying that it only took 10 to 15 minutes but items found from the reporters were phones and cards and it will take around 30 minutes to record those,&quot; Than Zaw Aung said.

Calls for Release

At the last court hearing on Thursday, another prosecution witness, Police Major Min Thant, agreed during cross-examination by the defence that the information in documents that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were holding in their hands at the time of their arrest had already been published in newspaper reports.

&quot;Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who perform a crucial role in shedding light on issues of global interest,&quot; Reuters said in a statement after the proceedings ended for the day.

&quot;We believe that the ongoing court proceedings will demonstrate their innocence and they will be able to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar. We are grateful for the expressions of support for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and continue to call for their prompt release.&quot;

The two reporters, whose application for bail was declined at the last hearing, have now been in detention for eight weeks, first in police custody and then in Yangon&#39;s notorious Insein prison.

&quot;We feel there&#39;s no justice,&quot; Wa Lone shouted as he and Kyaw Soe Oo were led to a police truck after the hearing. &quot;The testimonies from the police officers are far from the truth.&quot;

Spokesmen for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Yangon police chief were not immediately available for comment. In the past they have declined to comment on a case that is before the courts.

The Official Secrets Act dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The two journalists have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that &quot;might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy&quot;.

Government officials from some of the world&#39;s major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the reporters to be freed.

The date of the next hearing was set for February 14.

A Myanmar police officer who was part of the team that arrested two Reuters journalists in December told a court on Tuesday that he had burned the notes he made at the time but gave no reason why he had done so. Police Second Lieutenant Tin Htwe Oo was the latest prosecution witness to give evidence at the Insein district court in Yangon, which will decide whether reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, should be charged under Myanmar's colonial-era Official Secrets Act. Tin Htwe Oo read from a notebook to recount details of the arrest, which he said was based on notes written at the time. Under cross-examination by the defence, he said he had burned his original notes but had not been instructed to do so. "Only the police will know the reason for that," defence lawyer Than Zaw Aung told reporters after the hearing. Dozens of reporters and diplomats were present when the Reuters journalists were brought in handcuffs from prison to the crowded courtroom. They had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh, according to the United Nations. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before. Tin Htwe Oo made no reference to the restaurant meeting, saying police stopped the two reporters as they walked along a road. He said after stopping them, police discovered secret documents relating to the Rakhine conflict. The arresting officers made an inventory of around 20 items in their possession – including their cell phone numbers and details of ATM and library cards – on the spot within 10-15 minutes, he said. Defence lawyer Than Zaw Aung said he had asked Tin Htwe Oo repeatedly in cross-examination how they had been able to do this so quickly, but said he did not give a clear response. "They were saying that it only took 10 to 15 minutes but items found from the reporters were phones and cards and it will take around 30 minutes to record those," Than Zaw Aung said. Calls for Release At the last court hearing on Thursday, another prosecution witness, Police Major Min Thant, agreed during cross-examination by the defence that the information in documents that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were holding in their hands at the time of their arrest had already been published in newspaper reports. "Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who perform a crucial role in shedding light on issues of global interest," Reuters said in a statement after the proceedings ended for the day. "We believe that the ongoing court proceedings will demonstrate their innocence and they will be able to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar. We are grateful for the expressions of support for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and continue to call for their prompt release." The two reporters, whose application for bail was declined at the last hearing, have now been in detention for eight weeks, first in police custody and then in Yangon's notorious Insein prison. "We feel there's no justice," Wa Lone shouted as he and Kyaw Soe Oo were led to a police truck after the hearing. "The testimonies from the police officers are far from the truth." Spokesmen for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Yangon police chief were not immediately available for comment. In the past they have declined to comment on a case that is before the courts. The Official Secrets Act dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. The two journalists have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that "might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy". Government officials from some of the world's major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the reporters to be freed. The date of the next hearing was set for February 14.

Myanmar policeman who arrested Reuters reporters tells court he burnt his notes

North Korea violated United Nations sanctions to earn nearly $200 million in 2017 from banned commodity exports, according to a confidential report by independent UN&nbsp;monitors, which also accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Syria and Myanmar.

The report to a UN&nbsp;Security Council sanctions committee, seen by Reuters on Friday, said North Korea had shipped coal to ports, including in Russia, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, mainly using false paperwork that showed countries such as Russia and China as the coal origin, instead of North Korea.

The 15-member council has unanimously boosted sanctions on North Korea since 2006 in a bid to choke funding for Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, banning exports including coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, and capping imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

&quot;The DPRK (North Korea) is already flouting the most recent resolutions by exploiting global oil supply chains, complicit foreign nationals, offshore company registries and the international banking system,&quot; the UN&nbsp;monitors wrote in the 213-page report.

The North Korean mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN report. Russia and China have repeatedly said they are implementing UN&nbsp;sanctions on North Korea.

Syria Myanmar

The monitors said they had investigated ongoing ballistic missile cooperation between Syria and Myanmar, including more than 40 previously unreported North Korea shipments between 2012 and 2017 to Syria&#39;s Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which oversees the country&#39;s chemical weapons program.

The investigation has shown &quot;further evidence of arms embargo and other violations, including through the transfer of items with utility in ballistic missile and chemical weapons programs,&quot; the UN&nbsp;monitors wrote.

They also inspected cargo from two North Korea shipments intercepted by unidentified countries en route to Syria. Both contained acid-resistant tiles that could cover an area equal to a large scale industrial project, the monitors reported.

One country, which was not identified, told the monitors the seized shipments can &quot;be used to build bricks for the interior wall of a chemical factory.&quot;

Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013. However, diplomats and weapons inspectors suspect Syria may have secretly maintained or developed a new chemical weapons capability.

The Syrian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN&nbsp;report.

The UN&nbsp;monitors also said one country, which they did not identify, reported it had evidence that Myanmar received ballistic missile systems from North Korea, along with conventional weapons, including multiple rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles.

Myanmar UN&nbsp;Ambassador Hau Do Suan said the Myanmar government &quot;has no ongoing arms relationship, whatsoever, with North Korea&quot; and is abiding by the UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions.

Banned exports, imports

Under a 2016 resolution, the UN&nbsp;Security Council capped coal exports and required countries to report any imports of North Korean coal to the council sanctions committee. It then banned all exports of coal by North Korea on Aug. 5.

The UN&nbsp;monitors investigated 16 coal shipments between January and Aug. 5 to ports in Russia, China, Malaysia and Vietnam. They said Malaysia reported one shipment to the council committee and the remaining 15 shipments violated sanctions.

After the coal ban was imposed on Aug. 5, the UN&nbsp;monitors investigated 23 coal shipments to ports in Russia, China, South Korea and Vietnam. The UN&nbsp;monitors said all those shipments &quot;would constitute a violation of the resolution, if confirmed.&quot;

&quot;The DPRK combined deceptive navigation patterns, signals manipulation, transshipments as well as fraudulent documentation to obscure the origin of the coal,&quot; the monitors said.

The UN&nbsp;monitors &quot;also investigated cases of ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products in violation (of UN&nbsp;sanctions) ... and found that the network behind these vessels is primarily based in Taiwan province of China.&quot;

The monitors said one country, which they did not name, told them North Korea had carried out such transfers off its ports of Wonsan and Nampo and in international waters between the Yellow Sea and East China Sea between October and January.

The report said several multinational oil companies, which were not named, were also being investigated for roles in the supply chain of petroleum products transferred to North Korea.

North Korea violated United Nations sanctions to earn nearly $200 million in 2017 from banned commodity exports, according to a confidential report by independent UN monitors, which also accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Syria and Myanmar

North Korea violated United Nations sanctions to earn nearly $200 million in 2017 from banned commodity exports, according to a confidential report by independent UN monitors, which also accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons to Syria and Myanmar. The report to a UN Security Council sanctions committee, seen by Reuters on Friday, said North Korea had shipped coal to ports, including in Russia, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, mainly using false paperwork that showed countries such as Russia and China as the coal origin, instead of North Korea. The 15-member council has unanimously boosted sanctions on North Korea since 2006 in a bid to choke funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, banning exports including coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, and capping imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products. "The DPRK (North Korea) is already flouting the most recent resolutions by exploiting global oil supply chains, complicit foreign nationals, offshore company registries and the international banking system," the UN monitors wrote in the 213-page report. The North Korean mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN report. Russia and China have repeatedly said they are implementing UN sanctions on North Korea. Syria Myanmar The monitors said they had investigated ongoing ballistic missile cooperation between Syria and Myanmar, including more than 40 previously unreported North Korea shipments between 2012 and 2017 to Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which oversees the country's chemical weapons program. The investigation has shown "further evidence of arms embargo and other violations, including through the transfer of items with utility in ballistic missile and chemical weapons programs," the UN monitors wrote. They also inspected cargo from two North Korea shipments intercepted by unidentified countries en route to Syria. Both contained acid-resistant tiles that could cover an area equal to a large scale industrial project, the monitors reported. One country, which was not identified, told the monitors the seized shipments can "be used to build bricks for the interior wall of a chemical factory." Syria agreed to destroy its chemical weapons in 2013. However, diplomats and weapons inspectors suspect Syria may have secretly maintained or developed a new chemical weapons capability. The Syrian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UN report. The UN monitors also said one country, which they did not identify, reported it had evidence that Myanmar received ballistic missile systems from North Korea, along with conventional weapons, including multiple rocket launchers and surface-to-air missiles. Myanmar UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan said the Myanmar government "has no ongoing arms relationship, whatsoever, with North Korea" and is abiding by the UN Security Council resolutions. Banned exports, imports Under a 2016 resolution, the UN Security Council capped coal exports and required countries to report any imports of North Korean coal to the council sanctions committee. It then banned all exports of coal by North Korea on Aug. 5. The UN monitors investigated 16 coal shipments between January and Aug. 5 to ports in Russia, China, Malaysia and Vietnam. They said Malaysia reported one shipment to the council committee and the remaining 15 shipments violated sanctions. After the coal ban was imposed on Aug. 5, the UN monitors investigated 23 coal shipments to ports in Russia, China, South Korea and Vietnam. The UN monitors said all those shipments "would constitute a violation of the resolution, if confirmed." "The DPRK combined deceptive navigation patterns, signals manipulation, transshipments as well as fraudulent documentation to obscure the origin of the coal," the monitors said. The UN monitors "also investigated cases of ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products in violation (of UN sanctions) ... and found that the network behind these vessels is primarily based in Taiwan province of China." The monitors said one country, which they did not name, told them North Korea had carried out such transfers off its ports of Wonsan and Nampo and in international waters between the Yellow Sea and East China Sea between October and January. The report said several multinational oil companies, which were not named, were also being investigated for roles in the supply chain of petroleum products transferred to North Korea.

North Korea earned $200 million from banned exports, sends arms to Syria, Myanmar: UN report

Five mass graves were found in Myanmar contrary to government&#39;s claims massacres of the Rohingya never happened and have acknowledged only one mass grave containing 10 &quot;terrorists&quot; in the village of Inn Din.

A news agency through multiple interviews with more than two dozen survivors in Bangladesh refugee camps and through time-stamped cellphone videos has confirmed the existence of mass graves.&nbsp;

A systematic slaughter of Rohingya Muslim civilians by the military, with help from Buddhist neighbours, and suggests many more graves hold many more people, media reports said.

The graves are the newest piece of evidence for what looks increasingly like a genocide in Myanmar&#39;s western Rakhine state against the Rohingya, a long-persecuted ethnic Muslim minority in the predominantly Buddhist country.

U.S. says &#39;deeply troubled&#39;&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Thursday it was &quot;deeply, deeply troubled&quot; by new reports of mass graves in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State, where the military has been accused of atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims.

&quot;We are deeply, deeply troubled by those reports of mass graves,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing. &quot;We are watching this very carefully. We remain focused on helping to ensure the accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations.&quot;

Nauert said the reports highlighted the need for authorities in Myanmar to cooperate with an independent, credible investigation into allegations of atrocities in northern Rakhine state.

A news agency through multiple interviews with more than two dozen survivors in Bangladesh refugee camps has confirmed the existence of mass graves

Five mass graves were found in Myanmar contrary to government's claims massacres of the Rohingya never happened and have acknowledged only one mass grave containing 10 "terrorists" in the village of Inn Din. A news agency through multiple interviews with more than two dozen survivors in Bangladesh refugee camps and through time-stamped cellphone videos has confirmed the existence of mass graves. A systematic slaughter of Rohingya Muslim civilians by the military, with help from Buddhist neighbours, and suggests many more graves hold many more people, media reports said. The graves are the newest piece of evidence for what looks increasingly like a genocide in Myanmar's western Rakhine state against the Rohingya, a long-persecuted ethnic Muslim minority in the predominantly Buddhist country. U.S. says 'deeply troubled' Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Thursday it was "deeply, deeply troubled" by new reports of mass graves in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where the military has been accused of atrocities against minority Rohingya Muslims. "We are deeply, deeply troubled by those reports of mass graves," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing. "We are watching this very carefully. We remain focused on helping to ensure the accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses and violations." Nauert said the reports highlighted the need for authorities in Myanmar to cooperate with an independent, credible investigation into allegations of atrocities in northern Rakhine state.

Five mass graves found in Myanmar: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-firing-one-trump-on-collision-course-with-new-fbi-director-31533" target="_blank">After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director</a>

FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him.

Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director.

CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fidel-castros-eldest-son-commits-suicide-cuban-media-31534" target="_blank">Fidel Castro&#39;s eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media</a>

The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported.

&quot;Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning,&quot; Cubadebate website said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-says-it-sold-fewer-iphones-but-made-record-profit-31535" target="_blank">Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit</a>

Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations.

The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period.

&quot;We&#39;re thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple&#39;s history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup,&quot; said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-russia-roles-in-americas-alarming-says-rex-tillerson-31537" target="_blank">China, Russia roles in Americas &#39;alarming&#39;, says Rex Tillerson</a>

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming &quot;alarming&quot; roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead.

&quot;Latin America doesn&#39;t need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people,&quot; Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals.

&quot;China&#39;s state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn&#39;t have to be the hemisphere&#39;s future,&quot; he said, warning that &quot;unfair trading practices&quot; would cost local jobs.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-turns-down-un-security-council-visit-31539" target="_blank">Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit</a>

Myanmar&#39;s government has told the Security Council that this month was &quot;not the right time&quot; for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday.

Kuwait&#39;s Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April.

&quot;They just think that this is not the right time for a visit,&quot; Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

After firing one, Trump on collision course with new FBI director FBI Director Christopher Wray was hand-picked by Donald Trump to head a law enforcement agency the US president believed was biased against him. Now, just six months into his tenure, the 50-year-old Wray finds himself on a collision course with a president who has already fired one FBI director. CNN reported Thursday that Wray could quit if Trump goes ahead and approves the release of a secret memo at the center of a political firestorm in Washington. Fidel Castro's eldest son commits suicide: Cuban media The son of late Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, committed suicide on Thursday after being treated for months for depression, Cuban state-run media reported. "Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of profound depression, committed suicide this morning," Cubadebate website said. Apple says it sold fewer iPhones but made record profit Apple on Thursday said its earnings in the final three months of last year set new records, with sales of its flagship iPhone X topping its expectations. The California-based technology giant reported that profit climbed to $20 billion on revenue that increased 13 percent to $88.3 billion during the period. "We're thrilled to report the biggest quarter in Apple's history, with broad-based growth that included the highest revenue ever from a new iPhone lineup," said Apple chief executive Tim Cook. China, Russia roles in Americas 'alarming', says Rex Tillerson Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that China and Russia are assuming "alarming" roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead. "Latin America doesn't need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people," Tillerson said, in a major policy address yesterday before his first tour of South American capitals. "China's state-led model of development is reminiscent of the past. It doesn't have to be the hemisphere's future," he said, warning that "unfair trading practices" would cost local jobs. Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit Myanmar's government has told the Security Council that this month was "not the right time" for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April. "They just think that this is not the right time for a visit," Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters.

WION Morning News Brief, February 2, 2018

Myanmar&#39;s government has told the Security Council that this month was &quot;not the right time&quot; for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday. 
 
Kuwait&#39;s Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April. 
 
&quot;They just think that this is not the right time for a visit,&quot; Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters. 
 
The council has demanded that hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya who were driven out of Rakhine state during an army crackdown be allowed to return. 
 
The ambassador said Myanmar authorities were trying to organize a visit for diplomats based in the country and had emphasized that &quot;tensions are high in Rakhine state at the moment.&quot; 
 
Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh and are living in refugee camps since August following the campaign that the United Nations has said was tantamount to ethnic cleansing. 
 
Last month, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to name a special envoy for Myanmar, but that appointment has yet to be made. 
 
China, a supporter of Myanmar&#39;s former ruling junta, and Russia voted against the resolution.&nbsp;

Myanmar's government has told the Security Council that this month was "not the right time" for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis

Myanmar's government has told the Security Council that this month was "not the right time" for a visit by the top UN body to see first-hand the Rohingya refugee crisis, the council president said on Thursday. Kuwait's Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said Myanmar authorities were not opposed to such a visit, which could take place in March or April. "They just think that this is not the right time for a visit," Otaibi, who holds the council presidency for February, told reporters at UN headquarters. The council has demanded that hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya who were driven out of Rakhine state during an army crackdown be allowed to return. The ambassador said Myanmar authorities were trying to organize a visit for diplomats based in the country and had emphasized that "tensions are high in Rakhine state at the moment." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh and are living in refugee camps since August following the campaign that the United Nations has said was tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Last month, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to name a special envoy for Myanmar, but that appointment has yet to be made. China, a supporter of Myanmar's former ruling junta, and Russia voted against the resolution.

Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit

Two Reuters journalists accused of violating Myanmar&#39;s colonial-era Official Secrets Act were brought to a district court on Thursday where, according to a defence lawyer, the judge is due to rule on a bail request.

The prosecution is also scheduled to present at least one more witness at the hearing in the Insein District Court of Yangon, Myanmar&#39;s main city.

The two journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 - had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to the United Nations.

The reporters were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before.

The two reporters were smiling as they were brought handcuffed to the court and Wa Lone gave the &quot;thumbs up&quot; sign.

Diplomats from the US, British, Canadian, Norwegian, Swedish, French and Danish embassies were present as well as United Nations and EU officials.

At the last court proceedings on January 23, the first witness presented by the prosecution, Police Lieutenant Colonel Yu Naing, said he was told the reporters were arrested while they were walking along a road carrying four official documents that included a listing of forces and weapons of a police battalion in the Maungdaw district of Rakhine state.

Yu Naing repeatedly told the court &quot;I don&#39;t know&quot;, when asked about the circumstances of the arrest because it was only reported to him by subordinates. He could not point to evidence that the defendants were acting for the enemy or hostile forces, defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing.

The prosecution has 24 other witnesses in the case, more than half of whom are police officers, Khin Maung Zaw has said. Another police witness was likely to be called on Thursday, he said.

A ruling on an application for bail will also be announced at the hearing, Khin Maung Zaw said.

The prosecution has previously objected to the bail application.

Reuters repeated its calls for the pair&#39;s prompt release in a statement after the last hearing.

&quot;They are innocent of any wrongdoing and should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar,&quot; the news agency said.

&quot;Many Inconsistencies&quot;

The Danish embassy in Myanmar said its officers attended the previous hearing, where &quot;many inconsistencies in the material put before the court to substantiate the charges were revealed&quot;.

&quot;We once again urge the immediate release of the two journalists,&quot; the embassy said in a statement on Thursday.

In a Twitter message, the Committee to Protect Journalists also reiterated its demand that the two reporters be set free.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being tried under the Official Secrets Act, which dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

They have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that &quot;might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy&quot;.

Government officials from some of the world&#39;s major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the reporters to be freed.

Veteran US politician Bill Richardson said last week that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s response was &quot;furious&quot; when he brought up the case in a meeting with her.

Richardson quit an international panel advising the Myanmar government on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a &quot;whitewash&quot; and accusing Suu Kyi of lacking &quot;moral leadership&quot;.

Suu Kyi&#39;s office said her government had asked Richardson to step down and accused him of pursuing &quot;his own agenda&quot;.

A statement from the nine remaining members of the advisory board said they met last week &quot;with open minds&quot; and rejected Richardson&#39;s criticism that he feared the panel would be used as &quot;a cheerleading squad&quot;.

The two journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 - had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to the United Nations

Two Reuters journalists accused of violating Myanmar's colonial-era Official Secrets Act were brought to a district court on Thursday where, according to a defence lawyer, the judge is due to rule on a bail request. The prosecution is also scheduled to present at least one more witness at the hearing in the Insein District Court of Yangon, Myanmar's main city. The two journalists - Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 - had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to the United Nations. The reporters were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before. The two reporters were smiling as they were brought handcuffed to the court and Wa Lone gave the "thumbs up" sign. Diplomats from the US, British, Canadian, Norwegian, Swedish, French and Danish embassies were present as well as United Nations and EU officials. At the last court proceedings on January 23, the first witness presented by the prosecution, Police Lieutenant Colonel Yu Naing, said he was told the reporters were arrested while they were walking along a road carrying four official documents that included a listing of forces and weapons of a police battalion in the Maungdaw district of Rakhine state. Yu Naing repeatedly told the court "I don't know", when asked about the circumstances of the arrest because it was only reported to him by subordinates. He could not point to evidence that the defendants were acting for the enemy or hostile forces, defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing. The prosecution has 24 other witnesses in the case, more than half of whom are police officers, Khin Maung Zaw has said. Another police witness was likely to be called on Thursday, he said. A ruling on an application for bail will also be announced at the hearing, Khin Maung Zaw said. The prosecution has previously objected to the bail application. Reuters repeated its calls for the pair's prompt release in a statement after the last hearing. "They are innocent of any wrongdoing and should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar," the news agency said. "Many Inconsistencies" The Danish embassy in Myanmar said its officers attended the previous hearing, where "many inconsistencies in the material put before the court to substantiate the charges were revealed". "We once again urge the immediate release of the two journalists," the embassy said in a statement on Thursday. In a Twitter message, the Committee to Protect Journalists also reiterated its demand that the two reporters be set free. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being tried under the Official Secrets Act, which dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. They have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that "might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy". Government officials from some of the world's major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the reporters to be freed. Veteran US politician Bill Richardson said last week that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's response was "furious" when he brought up the case in a meeting with her. Richardson quit an international panel advising the Myanmar government on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a "whitewash" and accusing Suu Kyi of lacking "moral leadership". Suu Kyi's office said her government had asked Richardson to step down and accused him of pursuing "his own agenda". A statement from the nine remaining members of the advisory board said they met last week "with open minds" and rejected Richardson's criticism that he feared the panel would be used as "a cheerleading squad".

Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar brought to court; bail decision likely

Two journalists accused of violating Myanmar&#39;s colonial-era Official Secrets Act are due in court on Thursday as the prosecution presents more witnesses, while a defence lawyer has said the judge will rule on a bail request.

Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to the United Nations.

The reporters were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before.

At the last court hearing on January 23, the first prosecution witness, Police Lieutenant Colonel Yu Naing, said the reporters were arrested while they were walking along a road carrying four official documents that included a listing of forces and weapons of a police battalion in the Maungdaw district of Rakhine state.

Yu Naing repeatedly told the court &quot;I don`t know&quot;, when asked about the circumstances of the arrest because it was only reported to him by subordinates. He could not point to evidence that the defendants were acting for the enemy or hostile forces, defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing.

The prosecution has 24 other witnesses in the case, more than half of whom are police officers, Khin Maung Zaw has said. Another police witness was likely to be called on Thursday, he said.

A ruling on an application for bail will also be announced at the hearing in a Yangon district court, Khin Maung Zaw said.

The prosecution has previously objected to the bail application.

Reuters repeated its calls for the pair&#39;s prompt release in a statement after the last hearing.

&quot;They are innocent of any wrongdoing and should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar,&quot; the news agency said.

Secrets act charges

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being tried under the Official Secrets Act, which dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

They have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that &quot;might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy&quot;.

Government officials from some of the world&#39;s major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN&nbsp;officials, have called for the reporters to be freed.

Veteran US&nbsp;politician Bill Richardson said last week that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s response was &quot;furious&quot; when he brought up the case in a meeting with her.&nbsp;

Richardson quit an international panel advising the Myanmar government on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a &quot;whitewash&quot; and accusing Suu Kyi of lacking &quot;moral leadership&quot;.

Suu Kyi&#39;s office said her government had asked Richardson to step down and accused him of pursuing &quot;his own agenda&quot;.

A statement from the nine remaining members of the advisory board said they met last week &quot;with open minds&quot; and rejected Richardson&#39;s criticism that he feared the panel would be used as &quot;a cheerleading squad&quot;.

A ruling on an application for bail will also be announced at the hearing in a Yangon district court

Two journalists accused of violating Myanmar's colonial-era Official Secrets Act are due in court on Thursday as the prosecution presents more witnesses, while a defence lawyer has said the judge will rule on a bail request. Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis in Rakhine state, where an army crackdown on insurgents since the end of August has triggered the flight of 688,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to the United Nations. The reporters were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. They have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some documents at a restaurant by two officers they had not met before. At the last court hearing on January 23, the first prosecution witness, Police Lieutenant Colonel Yu Naing, said the reporters were arrested while they were walking along a road carrying four official documents that included a listing of forces and weapons of a police battalion in the Maungdaw district of Rakhine state. Yu Naing repeatedly told the court "I don`t know", when asked about the circumstances of the arrest because it was only reported to him by subordinates. He could not point to evidence that the defendants were acting for the enemy or hostile forces, defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told reporters after the hearing. The prosecution has 24 other witnesses in the case, more than half of whom are police officers, Khin Maung Zaw has said. Another police witness was likely to be called on Thursday, he said. A ruling on an application for bail will also be announced at the hearing in a Yangon district court, Khin Maung Zaw said. The prosecution has previously objected to the bail application. Reuters repeated its calls for the pair's prompt release in a statement after the last hearing. "They are innocent of any wrongdoing and should be allowed to return to their jobs reporting on events in Myanmar," the news agency said. Secrets act charges Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being tried under the Official Secrets Act, which dates back to 1923 - when Myanmar, then known as Burma, was under British rule - and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. They have been accused under Section 3.1 (c) of the act, which covers entering prohibited places, and taking images or obtaining secret official documents that "might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy". Government officials from some of the world's major nations, including the United States, Britain and Canada, as well as top UN officials, have called for the reporters to be freed. Veteran US politician Bill Richardson said last week that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's response was "furious" when he brought up the case in a meeting with her. Richardson quit an international panel advising the Myanmar government on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a "whitewash" and accusing Suu Kyi of lacking "moral leadership". Suu Kyi's office said her government had asked Richardson to step down and accused him of pursuing "his own agenda". A statement from the nine remaining members of the advisory board said they met last week "with open minds" and rejected Richardson's criticism that he feared the panel would be used as "a cheerleading squad".

Reporters arrested in Myanmar due to appear in court

On the second day of his three-day visit, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-to-lead-huge-mass-for-bangladesh-catholics-25549">Pope Francis finally met Rohingya </a>refugees&nbsp;in Dhaka as he appealed for "a spirit of openness, acceptance and cooperation"&nbsp;

During the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-arrives-in-bangladesh-appeals-for-decisive-action-for-refugees-from-rakhine-state-25546">Pope Francis held an open-air mass</a>&nbsp;in a park in central Dhaka with around 100,000 Bangladeshi Catholics in attendance.

Francis is the first Pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years, quite expectedly the crowd thronged to watch the Holy See with chants of "viva il papa" ("long live the Pope").

The Pope had arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday after spending three days in Myanmar to find ways and means to help solve the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months.

Soon after arriving in Bangladesh the Pope met Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.

In his speech, he praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state".&nbsp;

The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, sidestepped using the term again in Bangladesh calling them "refugees".

He appealed to the international community to take decisive action to address the "grave crisis".&nbsp;

 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kzYoXojCLNM" width="560"></iframe> 
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During the day, Pope Francis held an open-air mass?in a park in central Dhaka

On the second day of his three-day visit, Pope Francis finally met Rohingya refugees in Dhaka as he appealed for "a spirit of openness, acceptance and cooperation" During the day, Pope Francis held an open-air mass in a park in central Dhaka with around 100,000 Bangladeshi Catholics in attendance. Francis is the first Pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years, quite expectedly the crowd thronged to watch the Holy See with chants of "viva il papa" ("long live the Pope"). The Pope had arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday after spending three days in Myanmar to find ways and means to help solve the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months. Soon after arriving in Bangladesh the Pope met Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. In his speech, he praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state". The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, sidestepped using the term again in Bangladesh calling them "refugees". He appealed to the international community to take decisive action to address the "grave crisis".

Watch: Pope Francis meets Rohingya refugees in Dhaka

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

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

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

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

In a bilateral meeting held between Indonesia President Joko Widodo and Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, President Widodo stressed upon devising a peaceful and quick solution to the Rohingya crises.&nbsp;

In his two day visit to Bangladesh to discuss the bilateral relationship between the two nations, President Widodo also drew attention on the crises.&nbsp;

Appreciating the efforts of the Bangladesh government for providing shelter to over one million Rohingya people in the country, the&nbsp;president has&nbsp;assured to extend his country&#39;s support&nbsp;for the&nbsp;global concern.

Indonesian capital Jakarta had earlier supported the Rohingyas at the United Nations and its Human Rights Council.&nbsp;

To examine the plight and suffering of the Rohingya people, the&nbsp;president also expressed&nbsp;to visit the refugee camps of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. His visit is expected to put pressure on the on the Myanmar government.

The meeting was held at the office of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

&nbsp;

In his two day visit to Bangladesh to discuss the bilateral relationship between the two nations, President Widodo drew attention on the global crises

In a bilateral meeting held between Indonesia President Joko Widodo and Bangladesh Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, President Widodo stressed upon devising a peaceful and quick solution to the Rohingya crises. In his two day visit to Bangladesh to discuss the bilateral relationship between the two nations, President Widodo also drew attention on the crises. Appreciating the efforts of the Bangladesh government for providing shelter to over one million Rohingya people in the country, the president has assured to extend his country's support for the global concern. Indonesian capital Jakarta had earlier supported the Rohingyas at the United Nations and its Human Rights Council. To examine the plight and suffering of the Rohingya people, the president also expressed to visit the refugee camps of thousands of Rohingya Muslims. His visit is expected to put pressure on the on the Myanmar government. The meeting was held at the office of Prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Indonesia President called for quick, peaceful solution to Rohingya crises

&nbsp;Rohingya leaders in a Bangladesh refugee camp have drawn up a list of demands they want Myanmar to meet before authorities begin sending back hundreds of thousands in a repatriation process expected to begin next week and last for two years.

The petition is the latest indication of the challenges ahead for Bangladesh and Myanmar as they try to engineer the return of refugees who fear continued military operations in Rakhine State and are dismayed about the prospect of a prolonged stay in &quot;temporary camps&quot; in Myanmar when they go back.

A half-dozen Rohingya elders, saying they represented 40 villages from Rakhine, showed the list of demands to a Reuters reporter at the Kutupalong refugee camp, where most of the 655,500 Rohingya refugees are staying.

The petition, handwritten in Burmese, said none of the Muslim Rohingya would return to mainly Buddhist Myanmar unless the demands were met.

The petition, which has still to be finalised, demanded the Myanmar government publicly announce it is giving Rohingya long-denied citizenship and inclusion on a list of the country&#39;s recognised ethnic groups. It asks that land once occupied by the refugees be returned to them and their homes, mosques and schools rebuilt.

It wants the military held accountable for alleged killings, looting and rape, and the release from jails of &quot;innocent Rohingya&quot; picked up in counter-insurgency operations.

It also wants Myanmar to stop listing people with their photographs as &quot;terrorists&quot; in state media and on government Facebook pages.

Myanmar state newspapers this week issued a supplement listing the names and photos of alleged members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), whose attacks on security posts on Aug. 25 triggered a sweeping counter-insurgency operation.

The United Nations has described the Myanmar military operations in the northern part of Rakhine as a classic case of ethnic cleansing.

The military says it has only conducted legitimate operations and denies there have been cases of sexual assault.

But the military said last week soldiers had killed 10 captured Muslim &ldquo;terrorists&rdquo; during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug.

It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine.

ARSA said in a statement last week the 10 Rohingya in the mass grave were &quot;innocent civilians&quot; and not members of their group.

Challenges ahead:&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Rohingya elders Reuters spoke to said they were still finalising their list of demands before showing it to Bangladesh authorities and to aid agencies administering the camps.

They said the 40 village leaders they discussed the petition with represent the interests of all Rohingya at the camp, but that could not be independently verified and aid agencies were unable to comment pending formal issuance of the petition.

Bangladesh and Myanmar this week agreed to complete the return of the refugees over the next two years, with the process due to begin on Tuesday.

But even as preparations get underway for the repatriation, Rohingya Muslims continue to pour into Bangladesh.

More than 100 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar since Wednesday and scores more were waiting to cross the Naf river that forms the border, newly arrived refugees in Bangladesh told Reuters.

The new arrivals said they fled Myanmar because of military operations in their village of Sein Yin Pyin, and gave accounts of young men being rounded up and of discovering dead bodies in a pond and a forest.

They said they fled out of hunger, after hiding in their homes for days, unable to go to work in the fields and forests that provided their livelihood.

Myanmar Police Colonel Myo Thu Soe, spokesman for the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry, told Reuters on Thursday &quot;there&#39;s no clearance operation going on in the villages&quot;.

But, he added, &quot;security forces are still trying to take control of the area&quot; in northern Rakhine. He declined to elaborate.

Rights groups and the UN say any repatriations must be voluntary.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human RightsWatch, told Reuters in an email authorities cannot deal with the Rohingya refugees &quot;as if they are an inert mass of people who will go where and when they are told&quot;.

The repatriation deal does not cover over 200,000 other Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh prior to October 2016, who had been driven out of Myanmar during previous episodes of ethnic violence and military operations.

The United Nations has described the Myanmar military operations in the northern part of Rakhine as a classic case of ethnic cleansing.

Rohingya leaders in a Bangladesh refugee camp have drawn up a list of demands they want Myanmar to meet before authorities begin sending back hundreds of thousands in a repatriation process expected to begin next week and last for two years. The petition is the latest indication of the challenges ahead for Bangladesh and Myanmar as they try to engineer the return of refugees who fear continued military operations in Rakhine State and are dismayed about the prospect of a prolonged stay in "temporary camps" in Myanmar when they go back. A half-dozen Rohingya elders, saying they represented 40 villages from Rakhine, showed the list of demands to a Reuters reporter at the Kutupalong refugee camp, where most of the 655,500 Rohingya refugees are staying. The petition, handwritten in Burmese, said none of the Muslim Rohingya would return to mainly Buddhist Myanmar unless the demands were met. The petition, which has still to be finalised, demanded the Myanmar government publicly announce it is giving Rohingya long-denied citizenship and inclusion on a list of the country's recognised ethnic groups. It asks that land once occupied by the refugees be returned to them and their homes, mosques and schools rebuilt. It wants the military held accountable for alleged killings, looting and rape, and the release from jails of "innocent Rohingya" picked up in counter-insurgency operations. It also wants Myanmar to stop listing people with their photographs as "terrorists" in state media and on government Facebook pages. Myanmar state newspapers this week issued a supplement listing the names and photos of alleged members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), whose attacks on security posts on Aug. 25 triggered a sweeping counter-insurgency operation. The United Nations has described the Myanmar military operations in the northern part of Rakhine as a classic case of ethnic cleansing. The military says it has only conducted legitimate operations and denies there have been cases of sexual assault. But the military said last week soldiers had killed 10 captured Muslim “terrorists” during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug. It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine. ARSA said in a statement last week the 10 Rohingya in the mass grave were "innocent civilians" and not members of their group. Challenges ahead: The Rohingya elders Reuters spoke to said they were still finalising their list of demands before showing it to Bangladesh authorities and to aid agencies administering the camps. They said the 40 village leaders they discussed the petition with represent the interests of all Rohingya at the camp, but that could not be independently verified and aid agencies were unable to comment pending formal issuance of the petition. Bangladesh and Myanmar this week agreed to complete the return of the refugees over the next two years, with the process due to begin on Tuesday. But even as preparations get underway for the repatriation, Rohingya Muslims continue to pour into Bangladesh. More than 100 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar since Wednesday and scores more were waiting to cross the Naf river that forms the border, newly arrived refugees in Bangladesh told Reuters. The new arrivals said they fled Myanmar because of military operations in their village of Sein Yin Pyin, and gave accounts of young men being rounded up and of discovering dead bodies in a pond and a forest. They said they fled out of hunger, after hiding in their homes for days, unable to go to work in the fields and forests that provided their livelihood. Myanmar Police Colonel Myo Thu Soe, spokesman for the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry, told Reuters on Thursday "there's no clearance operation going on in the villages". But, he added, "security forces are still trying to take control of the area" in northern Rakhine. He declined to elaborate. Rights groups and the UN say any repatriations must be voluntary. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human RightsWatch, told Reuters in an email authorities cannot deal with the Rohingya refugees "as if they are an inert mass of people who will go where and when they are told". The repatriation deal does not cover over 200,000 other Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh prior to October 2016, who had been driven out of Myanmar during previous episodes of ethnic violence and military operations.

Rohingya refugee leaders draw up demands ahead of repatriation

Myanmar has seized 30 million meth pills along with more than two tonnes of &quot;ice&quot; and heroin in a record bust, the government said Thursday, as drugs pour from labs in lawless border regions.

The operation in a remote part of northern Myanmar came after the Tuesday arrests of four suspected traffickers who led police to a house in Shan State&#39;s Kutkai township where the haul was discovered, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

&quot;It&#39;s the biggest drug seizure with the largest amount (by value and quantity) in (our) history,&quot; a senior police officer from the anti-drug department said on the condition of anonymity as the investigation was ongoing.

In addition to the meth tablets, the authorities found 502 kilograms (1,104 pounds) of heroin and 1,750 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, bringing the total estimated value to $54 million, or one-fifth of the amount of narcotics seized in the country in all of 2017.

A picture of the packages of drugs stacked high on a table was published by the ministry.

Myanmar is the second largest opium producer in the world after Afghanistan, but levels of poppy cultivation have declined as demand for methamphetamine surges, leading to numerous multi-million dollar busts.

Its lawless border areas are the hub for Asia&#39;s meth producers, who pump out &quot;ya ba&quot; meth pills and ice, the more addictive crystallised version, across Southeast Asia.

Drug trafficking has been increasing around the country, especially in war-torn northern Shan State as many ethnic armed groups use it to buy weapons.

Trafficking routes have also reached into more well-known conflict areas in the west of the country where an army crackdown on Muslim Rohingya insurgents has caused more than 655,000 people from the stateless minority to flee to Bangladesh since August.

Myanmar police seized more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine pills in the northern part of Rakhine state in October, two months after the army poured into the area for a new counteroffensive against Rohingya militants that has been described as ethnic cleansing.

Drug trafficking has been increasing around the country, especially in war-torn northern Shan State

Myanmar has seized 30 million meth pills along with more than two tonnes of "ice" and heroin in a record bust, the government said Thursday, as drugs pour from labs in lawless border regions. The operation in a remote part of northern Myanmar came after the Tuesday arrests of four suspected traffickers who led police to a house in Shan State's Kutkai township where the haul was discovered, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. "It's the biggest drug seizure with the largest amount (by value and quantity) in (our) history," a senior police officer from the anti-drug department said on the condition of anonymity as the investigation was ongoing. In addition to the meth tablets, the authorities found 502 kilograms (1,104 pounds) of heroin and 1,750 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or ice, bringing the total estimated value to $54 million, or one-fifth of the amount of narcotics seized in the country in all of 2017. A picture of the packages of drugs stacked high on a table was published by the ministry. Myanmar is the second largest opium producer in the world after Afghanistan, but levels of poppy cultivation have declined as demand for methamphetamine surges, leading to numerous multi-million dollar busts. Its lawless border areas are the hub for Asia's meth producers, who pump out "ya ba" meth pills and ice, the more addictive crystallised version, across Southeast Asia. Drug trafficking has been increasing around the country, especially in war-torn northern Shan State as many ethnic armed groups use it to buy weapons. Trafficking routes have also reached into more well-known conflict areas in the west of the country where an army crackdown on Muslim Rohingya insurgents has caused more than 655,000 people from the stateless minority to flee to Bangladesh since August. Myanmar police seized more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine pills in the northern part of Rakhine state in October, two months after the army poured into the area for a new counteroffensive against Rohingya militants that has been described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar makes record drug bust with 30 million meth pills

Bangladesh has counted more than a million Rohingya refugees living in camps near the border with Myanmar, higher than previous estimates, the head of its registration project said today as preparations for their return got under way.

The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year after the latest mass influx of Rohingya from Myanmar, where the Muslim minority have faced decades of persecution.

The registration is aimed partly at aiding repatriation of the refugees -- a controversial issue as most say they do not want to return.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seven-rakhine-killed-as-myanmar-police-fire-on-rioters-29846" target="_blank">Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters</a>

Bangladesh says it wants to start sending them home next week and has reached an initial agreement with Myanmar to complete the process within two years.

&quot;So far we&#39;ve registered 1,004,742 Rohingya. They are given biometric registration cards,&quot; said Saidur Rahman, a brigadier general with the Bangladesh army who heads the Rohingya registration project.

Several thousand more have yet to be registered, he said.

The figures are higher than those provided by the UN, which estimates there are 962,000 Rohingya living in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border.

That includes the 655,000 the UN estimates have entered the country since August 25, when the Myanmar military launched a violent crackdown in Rakhine state following attacks by Rohingya militants.

Doctors Without Borders has said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in the first month of the crackdown.

Refugees in Bangladesh have alleged mass rape and widespread arson at the hands of soldiers and the Buddhist majority in Rakhine.

Some of the refugees have been living in Bangladesh for many years, but the repatriation agreement only covers those who have arrived since October 2016. 
The two sides said on Tuesday they have agreed to complete the repatriation within a two-year period, the first concrete timeline given for the refugees&#39; return.

Rights groups have expressed concerns about the pace of the process, particularly as Rohingya are still fleeing Rakhine.

&quot;With memories of rape, killing and torture still fresh in the minds of Rohingya refugees, plans for their return to Myanmar are alarmingly premature,&quot; James Gomez, Amnesty International&#39;s regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said yesterday.

&quot;The obfuscation and denials of the Myanmar authorities give no reason to hope that the rights of returning Rohingya would be protected, or that the reasons for their original flight no longer exist.&quot;

The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year

Bangladesh has counted more than a million Rohingya refugees living in camps near the border with Myanmar, higher than previous estimates, the head of its registration project said today as preparations for their return got under way. The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year after the latest mass influx of Rohingya from Myanmar, where the Muslim minority have faced decades of persecution. The registration is aimed partly at aiding repatriation of the refugees -- a controversial issue as most say they do not want to return. Also read: Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters Bangladesh says it wants to start sending them home next week and has reached an initial agreement with Myanmar to complete the process within two years. "So far we've registered 1,004,742 Rohingya. They are given biometric registration cards," said Saidur Rahman, a brigadier general with the Bangladesh army who heads the Rohingya registration project. Several thousand more have yet to be registered, he said. The figures are higher than those provided by the UN, which estimates there are 962,000 Rohingya living in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border. That includes the 655,000 the UN estimates have entered the country since August 25, when the Myanmar military launched a violent crackdown in Rakhine state following attacks by Rohingya militants. Doctors Without Borders has said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in the first month of the crackdown. Refugees in Bangladesh have alleged mass rape and widespread arson at the hands of soldiers and the Buddhist majority in Rakhine. Some of the refugees have been living in Bangladesh for many years, but the repatriation agreement only covers those who have arrived since October 2016. The two sides said on Tuesday they have agreed to complete the repatriation within a two-year period, the first concrete timeline given for the refugees' return. Rights groups have expressed concerns about the pace of the process, particularly as Rohingya are still fleeing Rakhine. "With memories of rape, killing and torture still fresh in the minds of Rohingya refugees, plans for their return to Myanmar are alarmingly premature," James Gomez, Amnesty International's regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said yesterday. "The obfuscation and denials of the Myanmar authorities give no reason to hope that the rights of returning Rohingya would be protected, or that the reasons for their original flight no longer exist."

Bangladesh says it is hosting over 1 million Rohingya

Myanmar and Bangladesh have reached a deal to repatriate Rohingya displaced by an army crackdown &quot;within two years&quot;, Dhaka said Tuesday.

According to a statement from the Bangladeshi government following talks in Myanmar&#39;s capital Naypyidaw, the agreement between the two countries states that the process will be &quot;completed preferably within 02 (two) years from the commencement of repatriation&quot;.

This is the first clear timeline for a return of hundreds of thousands of refugees.

&quot;During this two-day meeting, we agreed on the form that refugees will have to fill to be able to come back to Myanmar,&quot; Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh ambassador in Myanmar told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-insurgents-say-they-have-no-option-but-to-fight-myanmar-28754">Rohingya insurgents say they have no option but to fight Myanmar</a>

&quot;We should be able to start the process in the coming days,&quot; he said, but added Myanmar&#39;s stated deadline of next week for starting Rohingya repatriation was &quot;not possible&quot;.

The deal applies to Rohingya who fled Myanmar in two major outbreaks of violence since October 2016, when militants from the stateless Muslim minority first attacked border-guard posts in northern Rakhine state.

It does not cover Rohingya refugees who were living in Bangladesh prior to that date who the UN estimates number at 200,000.

In November, the two countries reached a pact paving the way for repatriations from January 23. The deadline is likely to slip given the logistical challenges of the cross-border operation.

Myanmar has faced intense diplomatic pressure to allow the safe return of Rohingya refugees driven out by its army.

But many Rohingya in crowded camps in Bangladesh say they are reluctant to return to Rakhine state having fled atrocities including murder, rape and arson attacks on their homes.

The agreement between the two countries states that the process will be 'completed preferably within 02 (two) years from the commencement of repatriation'

Myanmar and Bangladesh have reached a deal to repatriate Rohingya displaced by an army crackdown "within two years", Dhaka said Tuesday. According to a statement from the Bangladeshi government following talks in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, the agreement between the two countries states that the process will be "completed preferably within 02 (two) years from the commencement of repatriation". This is the first clear timeline for a return of hundreds of thousands of refugees. "During this two-day meeting, we agreed on the form that refugees will have to fill to be able to come back to Myanmar," Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Bangladesh ambassador in Myanmar told AFP. Also Read: Rohingya insurgents say they have no option but to fight Myanmar "We should be able to start the process in the coming days," he said, but added Myanmar's stated deadline of next week for starting Rohingya repatriation was "not possible". The deal applies to Rohingya who fled Myanmar in two major outbreaks of violence since October 2016, when militants from the stateless Muslim minority first attacked border-guard posts in northern Rakhine state. It does not cover Rohingya refugees who were living in Bangladesh prior to that date who the UN estimates number at 200,000. In November, the two countries reached a pact paving the way for repatriations from January 23. The deadline is likely to slip given the logistical challenges of the cross-border operation. Myanmar has faced intense diplomatic pressure to allow the safe return of Rohingya refugees driven out by its army. But many Rohingya in crowded camps in Bangladesh say they are reluctant to return to Rakhine state having fled atrocities including murder, rape and arson attacks on their homes.

Myanmar, Bangladesh reach two-year deal to repatriate Rohingya refugees

Bangladesh has agreed to complete the process of returning Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar within two years after repatriation begins, the South Asian nation said on Tuesday.

The decision was made following a meeting of the neighbours to implement a pact signed last year.

A statement by the Bangladesh foreign ministry did not say when the process would begin.

But it added the return effort envisages &quot;considering the family as a unit,&quot; with Myanmar to provide temporary shelter for those returning before rebuilding houses for them.

The decision was made following a meeting of the neighbours to implement a pact signed last year.

Bangladesh has agreed to complete the process of returning Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar within two years after repatriation begins, the South Asian nation said on Tuesday. The decision was made following a meeting of the neighbours to implement a pact signed last year. A statement by the Bangladesh foreign ministry did not say when the process would begin. But it added the return effort envisages "considering the family as a unit," with Myanmar to provide temporary shelter for those returning before rebuilding houses for them.

Bangladesh agrees with Myanmar to complete Rohingya return in two years

A Rohingya refugee camp has come up in West Bengal&#39;s South 24 Parganas district. The camp currently houses six families who were brought over the border from Bangladesh by cattle smugglers and agents.&nbsp;

Each of the refugees was charged between Rs 20,000 to 25,000 and they came minus passports or visas.&nbsp;

WION was the first channel to uncover the racket along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Now, with the coming up of the camp, there is definite proof that Rohingya are being smuggled into India from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

This particular camp came up about a month ago.&nbsp;

The camp has eight large rooms with a partition each. So each of the six Rohingya families has access to a two-roomed shelter.&nbsp;

The rooms are made of tin and have asbestos ceilings from which hang small ceiling lamps. Some of the rooms have beds.&nbsp;

The Rohingya refugees have access to two common toilets and one tube-well for water.&nbsp;

Hussain Gazi, a social worker, gave up his plot of land and with the help of NGOs and local villagers helped set up the camp.&nbsp;

&quot;NGOs and local villagers have been contributing towards the Rohingyas with rice, lentils, warm clothing for winters and even blankets. I felt that I should be doing something towards these homeless people hence donated my land to them and with the help of locals set up these houses. Some locals are also hiring the men of the camp and giving them money in return,&quot; Gazi told WION.&nbsp;

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Local villagers have donated food, warm clothing and blankets to the Rohingya to help them tide over the winter. (WION)
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Cattle smugglers speak to WION. Because of a crackdown on cattle smuggling by the BSF and the West Bengal Police, the cattle smugglers have now taken to smuggling in Rohingya. (WION) (WION)
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Cattle smugglers have been active across the Malda-Bangladesh border for decades. They&#39;ve now switched to smuggling in Rohingya because of a crackdown by the BSF and the West Bengal Police.&nbsp;

WION spoke to some of the smugglers who confessed to being involved in the racket.&nbsp;

They said organised networks are in place. Agents from both sides strike up a deal and finalise the rates.&nbsp;

The smugglers said rates for the smuggling of Rohingya have been fixed. And that discounts are given should an entire Rohingya family want to cross over.&nbsp;

&quot;There is a lot of competition and if we don&#39;t give out a discount, agents in Bangladesh will strike a deal with other smugglers. Profit margins in cattle smuggling are very high, in comparison to smuggling of Rohingyas. Helping Rohingyas cross over into Bengal does not fetch them big profits but in absence of any other jobs and industry in the district, we have chosen this as our sole source of livelihood,&quot; one cattle smuggler said. &nbsp;

&quot;We stay in touch with agents in Bangladesh for the smuggling of cattle, the same agent finds us the Rohingya family from refugee camps and strikes a deal. Once they come close to the Indian border the labours who work for these smugglers and are directly involved in pushing cattle from the Indian territory into Bangladesh territory help these Rohingyas cross into the border,&quot; said another. &nbsp;

&quot;We charge Rs 20,000-25,000 from each of the Rohingya refugee, half of which has to be given to the labourers, who help them cross over the border physically,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

At the camp, the Rohingya say they crossed over the border but that they do not have visas or passports.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t have any passport, I entered with the help of an agent through the border. Some of my family members could not come with me as I did not have enough money. I&#39;m trying to earn some money here so that I can bring my family members here,&quot; one of the refugees, Md. Jahangir, said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

There has been no word on the camp from the government of West Bengal.&nbsp;

But the SP of Baruipur district, Arijit Sinha, told WION that they have submitted the Rohingya refugees&#39; UNHRC cards and other documents and are looking into the legal ramifications of whether they can continue to stay on in Bengal or not. &nbsp;&nbsp;

A Rohingya refugee camp has come up in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. The camp currently houses six families who were brought over the border from Bangladesh by cattle smugglers and agents. Each of the refugees was charged between Rs 20,000 to 25,000 and they came minus passports or visas. WION was the first channel to uncover the racket along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Now, with the coming up of the camp, there is definite proof that Rohingya are being smuggled into India from Bangladesh. This particular camp came up about a month ago. The camp has eight large rooms with a partition each. So each of the six Rohingya families has access to a two-roomed shelter. The rooms are made of tin and have asbestos ceilings from which hang small ceiling lamps. Some of the rooms have beds. The Rohingya refugees have access to two common toilets and one tube-well for water. Hussain Gazi, a social worker, gave up his plot of land and with the help of NGOs and local villagers helped set up the camp. "NGOs and local villagers have been contributing towards the Rohingyas with rice, lentils, warm clothing for winters and even blankets. I felt that I should be doing something towards these homeless people hence donated my land to them and with the help of locals set up these houses. Some locals are also hiring the men of the camp and giving them money in return," Gazi told WION. Local villagers have donated food, warm clothing and blankets to the Rohingya to help them tide over the winter. (WION) × Cattle smugglers speak to WION. Because of a crackdown on cattle smuggling by the BSF and the West Bengal Police, the cattle smugglers have now taken to smuggling in Rohingya. (WION) (WION) × Cattle smugglers have been active across the Malda-Bangladesh border for decades. They've now switched to smuggling in Rohingya because of a crackdown by the BSF and the West Bengal Police. WION spoke to some of the smugglers who confessed to being involved in the racket. They said organised networks are in place. Agents from both sides strike up a deal and finalise the rates. The smugglers said rates for the smuggling of Rohingya have been fixed. And that discounts are given should an entire Rohingya family want to cross over. "There is a lot of competition and if we don't give out a discount, agents in Bangladesh will strike a deal with other smugglers. Profit margins in cattle smuggling are very high, in comparison to smuggling of Rohingyas. Helping Rohingyas cross over into Bengal does not fetch them big profits but in absence of any other jobs and industry in the district, we have chosen this as our sole source of livelihood," one cattle smuggler said. "We stay in touch with agents in Bangladesh for the smuggling of cattle, the same agent finds us the Rohingya family from refugee camps and strikes a deal. Once they come close to the Indian border the labours who work for these smugglers and are directly involved in pushing cattle from the Indian territory into Bangladesh territory help these Rohingyas cross into the border," said another. "We charge Rs 20,000-25,000 from each of the Rohingya refugee, half of which has to be given to the labourers, who help them cross over the border physically," he added. At the camp, the Rohingya say they crossed over the border but that they do not have visas or passports. "I don't have any passport, I entered with the help of an agent through the border. Some of my family members could not come with me as I did not have enough money. I'm trying to earn some money here so that I can bring my family members here," one of the refugees, Md. Jahangir, said. There has been no word on the camp from the government of West Bengal. But the SP of Baruipur district, Arijit Sinha, told WION that they have submitted the Rohingya refugees' UNHRC cards and other documents and are looking into the legal ramifications of whether they can continue to stay on in Bengal or not.

Rohingya refugee camp comes up in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas

Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Saturday that 10 Rohingya found in a mass grave in Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine state last month were &quot;innocent civilians&quot;, and not members of their group.

Myanmar&#39;s military said earlier this week its soldiers had killed 10 captured Muslim &quot;terrorists&quot; during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug.

It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), whose raids against security posts starting last August sparked sweeping military operations in the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine, said it &quot;whole-heartedly welcomes the admission&quot; of &quot;war crimes&quot; by the &quot;Burmese terrorist army&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;We hereby declare that these ten innocent Rohingya civilians found in the said mass grave in Inn Din Village Tract were neither ARSA nor had any association with ARSA&quot;, the group said in a statement on Twitter.&nbsp;

A Myanmar government spokesman said in response to ARSA&#39;s statement that sometimes &quot;terrorists and villagers were allied&quot; in attacks&quot; against security forces.

&quot;We have already said it is very difficult to segregate who is a terrorist and who are innocent villagers,&quot; spokesman Zaw Htay said. &quot;There will be an ongoing investigating process whether they are members of ARSA or not.&quot;&nbsp;

The Myanmar military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

New step

Myanmar&rsquo;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Friday it was &ldquo;positive&rdquo; that the country&rsquo;s military was taking responsibility for the actions of troops.

&ldquo;It is a new step for our country,&rdquo; she told a joint news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Myanmar`s capital of Naypyitaw.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I see it that way because a country needs to take responsibility for the rule of law in the country, and this is the first step on the road of taking responsibility and it is a positive thing,&rdquo; She said, according to a transcript of the news conference posted on her Facebook page.

On December&nbsp;18, the military announced a mass grave containing 10 bodies had been found at the coastal village of Inn Din, about 50 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sittwe. The army appointed a senior officer to investigate.

A statement from the military on Wednesday said its investigation had found that members of the security forces had taken part in the killings and action would be taken against them.

Some civilians wanted to kill the 10 men to avenge the death of an ethnic Rakhine Buddhist man in Inn Dinn village named Maung Ni and would face punishment, the military said.

On Saturday, a lawyer for one of Maung Ni&rsquo;s sons said police were seeking murder charges against the son, named Tun Aye, for taking part in the killings. Lawyer Khin Win said a murder complaint against the son was filed with local prosecutors last week in Maungdaw, the nearest town to Inn Din.&nbsp;

Tun Aye was one of four Inn Din villagers detained by police on December&nbsp;15, said Khin Win. The other three had been released, he said.

National police spokesman Thet Naing said he was not aware of the murder complaint.&nbsp;

The Rohingya crisis erupted after Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts on August&nbsp;25 in Rakhine triggered a fierce military response that the United Nations denounced as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, saying its security forces had mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.&nbsp;

The Myanmar military did not immediately respond to requests for comment

Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Saturday that 10 Rohingya found in a mass grave in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state last month were "innocent civilians", and not members of their group. Myanmar's military said earlier this week its soldiers had killed 10 captured Muslim "terrorists" during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug. It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), whose raids against security posts starting last August sparked sweeping military operations in the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine, said it "whole-heartedly welcomes the admission" of "war crimes" by the "Burmese terrorist army". "We hereby declare that these ten innocent Rohingya civilians found in the said mass grave in Inn Din Village Tract were neither ARSA nor had any association with ARSA", the group said in a statement on Twitter. A Myanmar government spokesman said in response to ARSA's statement that sometimes "terrorists and villagers were allied" in attacks" against security forces. "We have already said it is very difficult to segregate who is a terrorist and who are innocent villagers," spokesman Zaw Htay said. "There will be an ongoing investigating process whether they are members of ARSA or not." The Myanmar military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. New step Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Friday it was “positive” that the country’s military was taking responsibility for the actions of troops. “It is a new step for our country,” she told a joint news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Myanmar`s capital of Naypyitaw. “I see it that way because a country needs to take responsibility for the rule of law in the country, and this is the first step on the road of taking responsibility and it is a positive thing,” She said, according to a transcript of the news conference posted on her Facebook page. On December 18, the military announced a mass grave containing 10 bodies had been found at the coastal village of Inn Din, about 50 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sittwe. The army appointed a senior officer to investigate. A statement from the military on Wednesday said its investigation had found that members of the security forces had taken part in the killings and action would be taken against them. Some civilians wanted to kill the 10 men to avenge the death of an ethnic Rakhine Buddhist man in Inn Dinn village named Maung Ni and would face punishment, the military said. On Saturday, a lawyer for one of Maung Ni’s sons said police were seeking murder charges against the son, named Tun Aye, for taking part in the killings. Lawyer Khin Win said a murder complaint against the son was filed with local prosecutors last week in Maungdaw, the nearest town to Inn Din. Tun Aye was one of four Inn Din villagers detained by police on December 15, said Khin Win. The other three had been released, he said. National police spokesman Thet Naing said he was not aware of the murder complaint. The Rohingya crisis erupted after Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts on August 25 in Rakhine triggered a fierce military response that the United Nations denounced as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, saying its security forces had mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

Rohingya insurgents say 10 found in Myanmar grave 'innocent civilians'

A massive earthquake of 6.0 magnitude hit the central town of Phyu Friday morning,&nbsp;the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

As per reports, MP Thet Sein was quoted saying that the earthquake was &quot;quite strong&quot; and &quot;repeated three times.&quot;

&quot;The earthquake was quite strong and it repeated three times but I haven&rsquo;t heard anything about damage or casualties yet,&quot; Thet Sein said.

No casualties or damages have been reported immediately. The USGC said that &ldquo;there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage&rdquo;.&nbsp;

The shallow quake struck at a depth of 10 km (six miles) some 40 km (24 miles) west of the town of Phyu and 176 km (110 miles) northwest of Yangon.

Reports stated that the quake could be felt in parts of Yangon, Taungoo, Phyu, Pyi and Nay Pyi Taw cities.

'The earthquake was quite strong and it repeated three times but I haven’t heard anything about damage or casualties yet,' Thet Sein

A massive earthquake of 6.0 magnitude hit the central town of Phyu Friday morning, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. As per reports, MP Thet Sein was quoted saying that the earthquake was "quite strong" and "repeated three times." "The earthquake was quite strong and it repeated three times but I haven’t heard anything about damage or casualties yet," Thet Sein said. No casualties or damages have been reported immediately. The USGC said that “there is a low likelihood of casualties and damage”. The shallow quake struck at a depth of 10 km (six miles) some 40 km (24 miles) west of the town of Phyu and 176 km (110 miles) northwest of Yangon. Reports stated that the quake could be felt in parts of Yangon, Taungoo, Phyu, Pyi and Nay Pyi Taw cities.

Strong 6.0 quake hits central Myanmar, no damage reported

Japan wants to raise the matter of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar with the Myanmar government at appropriate opportunities, including a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to that country this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday.

Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters&#39; lawyer said.

&quot;The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono`s visit to Myanmar,&quot; Suga said in response to a question about the issue.&nbsp;

He said it was important to guarantee freedom of expression and basic human rights in any country.&nbsp;

Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act

Japan wants to raise the matter of two Reuters reporters detained in Myanmar with the Myanmar government at appropriate opportunities, including a visit by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono to that country this week, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday. Myanmar prosecutors sought charges on Wednesday against the two reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the reporters' lawyer said. "The Japanese government has conveyed its concern about this matter to the government of Myanmar and going forward, wants to discuss and make appeals at appropriate opportunities, including Foreign Minister Kono`s visit to Myanmar," Suga said in response to a question about the issue. He said it was important to guarantee freedom of expression and basic human rights in any country.

Japan wants to raise issue of detained reporters with Myanmar

Myanmar security forces took part in a massacre of 10 Rohingya in September, the army chief&#39;s office said today, as it admitted for the first-time abuses during a crackdown that sparked a mass exodus&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Muslim minority.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The massacre took place on September 2 in the village of Inn Din in Rakhine state, the Facebook posting said, as tensions escalated pitting Rohingya against security forces and ethnic Rakhine locals following the killing of a Rakhine man.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;Some villagers from Inn Din village and security members confessed they killed 10 Bengali terrorists,&quot; the office said in its post, using a pejorative term for Rohingya and blaming militants for causing the unrest in the village.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The post also gave the first confirmation of a mass Rohingya grave inside Rakhine state following an army crackdown on militants from the minority group.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In its account, the office said security forces captured 10 Rohingya militants before killing them as violence engulfed Inn Din village and its surrounding area.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;The decision was made to kill them at a cemetery,&quot; the post added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Refugees who have fled in their hundreds of thousands to neighbouring Bangladesh have given consistent accounts of massacres by Myanmar security forces flanked by ethnic Rakhine mobs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Those allegations, which have been cross-checked by media and rights groups, have seen Myanmar accused of ethnic cleansing by the US and UN and prompted questions over whether the army crackdown may have amounted to genocide.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But Myanmar&#39;s army has until now staunchly rebutted allegations of misconduct, clearing itself of any wrongdoing in an internal probe.

The massacre took place on September 2 in the village of Inn Din in Rakhine state

Myanmar security forces took part in a massacre of 10 Rohingya in September, the army chief's office said today, as it admitted for the first-time abuses during a crackdown that sparked a mass exodus of the Muslim minority. The massacre took place on September 2 in the village of Inn Din in Rakhine state, the Facebook posting said, as tensions escalated pitting Rohingya against security forces and ethnic Rakhine locals following the killing of a Rakhine man. "Some villagers from Inn Din village and security members confessed they killed 10 Bengali terrorists," the office said in its post, using a pejorative term for Rohingya and blaming militants for causing the unrest in the village. The post also gave the first confirmation of a mass Rohingya grave inside Rakhine state following an army crackdown on militants from the minority group. In its account, the office said security forces captured 10 Rohingya militants before killing them as violence engulfed Inn Din village and its surrounding area. "The decision was made to kill them at a cemetery," the post added. Refugees who have fled in their hundreds of thousands to neighbouring Bangladesh have given consistent accounts of massacres by Myanmar security forces flanked by ethnic Rakhine mobs. Those allegations, which have been cross-checked by media and rights groups, have seen Myanmar accused of ethnic cleansing by the US and UN and prompted questions over whether the army crackdown may have amounted to genocide. But Myanmar's army has until now staunchly rebutted allegations of misconduct, clearing itself of any wrongdoing in an internal probe.

Myanmar security forces took part in killing 10 Rohingya: Army

Hindu farmer Surodhon Pal has packed his bags, eager to return to Myanmar after fleeing for Bangladesh during a wave of violence last year, but he is in a tiny minority -- most of the refugees are terrified of going home.

Bangladesh wants the more than 655,000 refugees who have flooded into the country since late August to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month under a controversial agreement between the two nations.

The vast majority are Rohingya Muslims who have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, which sees them as illegal immigrants, even though many have lived there for generations.

They say they would rather stay in the squalid camps in Bangladesh than return to the scene of violence the US and the United Nations have said amounts to ethnic cleansing.

But a small community of Hindus who lived alongside the Rohingya in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and were caught up in the turmoil say they do want to return.

&quot;We want security and we want food. If the authorities can give us those assurances we&#39;ll happily go back,&quot; Pal, 55, told AFP.

&quot;The Bangladeshi government and the UN looked after us well, but now we have prepared our bags and are ready to return to our country.&quot;

Last month Dhaka sent a list of 100,000 refugees to Myanmar authorities for repatriation after the two governments signed an agreement in November for the process to begin on January 23.

But rights groups and the United Nations say no one should be repatriated against their will and so far only around 500 Hindu refugees have expressed willingness to go.Modhuram Pal, a 35-year-old community leader, said some 50 Hindus had already returned to Rakhine where they were welcomed by Myanmar security forces.

Hindus who fled the area have told AFP that masked men stormed into their community and hacked victims to death with machetes before dumping them into freshly-dug pits.

Myanmar&#39;s military alleges the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) carried out the massacre on August 25, the same day the rebel group staged deadly raids on police posts that sparked a military backlash.

At least 45 bodies have been found in mass graves.

The ARSA has denied the allegations, saying it does not target civilians.

But Pal and his fellow Hindu refugees say they will only go back if they are rehoused away from their former villages in Rakhine.

Monubala, a Hindu woman who like many of the refugees goes by one name, told AFP masked men dressed in black had attacked her village near Kha Maung Seik, where the massacre occurred.

&quot;I left my home, including my chickens, ducks, goats and all property, and came to Bangladesh to save my life,&quot; she said.

Doctors without Borders estimates that thousands were killed in the violence that hit Rakhine in late August.

Consistent accounts by Rohingya refugees of security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs driving them out of their homes with bullets, rape and arson have shocked the globe.

Although the influx has slowed, hundreds of Rohingya are still crossing into Bangladesh, now home to around a million refugees.

Rights groups say the crackdown was the culmination of years of persecution and discrimination against the Muslim group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are effectively stateless and denigrated as outsiders.

It remains unclear why the Hindus were targeted, but they appear to have been caught in the middle of a conflict between the military and Rohingya militants. Some reports say each side viewed the Hindus as collaborators with the other.

Myanmar state media said last month that the Hindus would be first to be accepted back -- a stance that expert Shahab Enam Khan called a &quot;classic case of communal divide and rule&quot;.

&quot;The issue of religion as a tool for repression is visibly clear now, the global community should be aware,&quot; Khan, professor of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, told AFP.

Tensions between the two communities have persisted in Bangladesh, where the Hindus live away from the main refugee camps.

Pal, the community leader, said two Hindu refugees in Bangladesh had been killed by Rohingya in a dispute over the sale of cattle they had brought over the border.

Local police chief Abul Khaer confirmed that a complaint had been lodged, and the body of one of the alleged victims found.

&quot;We were tortured because of the war between Myanmar government and the (Rohingya) rebels,&quot; Shshu Pal Shil, 25, told AFP in his makeshift shelter.

&quot;That&#39;s why we were forced to come to Bangladesh. If the Myanmar government wants to take us back now, we&#39;ll be happy to go back.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh wants more than 655,000 refugees to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month

Hindu farmer Surodhon Pal has packed his bags, eager to return to Myanmar after fleeing for Bangladesh during a wave of violence last year, but he is in a tiny minority -- most of the refugees are terrified of going home. Bangladesh wants the more than 655,000 refugees who have flooded into the country since late August to start returning to Myanmar by the end of this month under a controversial agreement between the two nations. The vast majority are Rohingya Muslims who have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar, which sees them as illegal immigrants, even though many have lived there for generations. They say they would rather stay in the squalid camps in Bangladesh than return to the scene of violence the US and the United Nations have said amounts to ethnic cleansing. But a small community of Hindus who lived alongside the Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state and were caught up in the turmoil say they do want to return. "We want security and we want food. If the authorities can give us those assurances we'll happily go back," Pal, 55, told AFP. "The Bangladeshi government and the UN looked after us well, but now we have prepared our bags and are ready to return to our country." Last month Dhaka sent a list of 100,000 refugees to Myanmar authorities for repatriation after the two governments signed an agreement in November for the process to begin on January 23. But rights groups and the United Nations say no one should be repatriated against their will and so far only around 500 Hindu refugees have expressed willingness to go.Modhuram Pal, a 35-year-old community leader, said some 50 Hindus had already returned to Rakhine where they were welcomed by Myanmar security forces. Hindus who fled the area have told AFP that masked men stormed into their community and hacked victims to death with machetes before dumping them into freshly-dug pits. Myanmar's military alleges the Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army (ARSA) carried out the massacre on August 25, the same day the rebel group staged deadly raids on police posts that sparked a military backlash. At least 45 bodies have been found in mass graves. The ARSA has denied the allegations, saying it does not target civilians. But Pal and his fellow Hindu refugees say they will only go back if they are rehoused away from their former villages in Rakhine. Monubala, a Hindu woman who like many of the refugees goes by one name, told AFP masked men dressed in black had attacked her village near Kha Maung Seik, where the massacre occurred. "I left my home, including my chickens, ducks, goats and all property, and came to Bangladesh to save my life," she said. Doctors without Borders estimates that thousands were killed in the violence that hit Rakhine in late August. Consistent accounts by Rohingya refugees of security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs driving them out of their homes with bullets, rape and arson have shocked the globe. Although the influx has slowed, hundreds of Rohingya are still crossing into Bangladesh, now home to around a million refugees. Rights groups say the crackdown was the culmination of years of persecution and discrimination against the Muslim group in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where they are effectively stateless and denigrated as outsiders. It remains unclear why the Hindus were targeted, but they appear to have been caught in the middle of a conflict between the military and Rohingya militants. Some reports say each side viewed the Hindus as collaborators with the other. Myanmar state media said last month that the Hindus would be first to be accepted back -- a stance that expert Shahab Enam Khan called a "classic case of communal divide and rule". "The issue of religion as a tool for repression is visibly clear now, the global community should be aware," Khan, professor of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, told AFP. Tensions between the two communities have persisted in Bangladesh, where the Hindus live away from the main refugee camps. Pal, the community leader, said two Hindu refugees in Bangladesh had been killed by Rohingya in a dispute over the sale of cattle they had brought over the border. Local police chief Abul Khaer confirmed that a complaint had been lodged, and the body of one of the alleged victims found. "We were tortured because of the war between Myanmar government and the (Rohingya) rebels," Shshu Pal Shil, 25, told AFP in his makeshift shelter. "That's why we were forced to come to Bangladesh. If the Myanmar government wants to take us back now, we'll be happy to go back."

Hindu refugees eagerly await return to Myanmar

&nbsp;

By Robert Huish &amp; Patrick Balazo*

New technology can have profound impacts on society in ways never intended.

The radio <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-27894944">carried codes</a> during the First World War, but later became a household fixture. <a href="https://bebusinessed.com/history/history-of-the-telephone/">Early telephones</a> were leased in pairs but after Western Union, a telegraph company, adopted &ldquo;exchanges,&rdquo; it led to rapid long-distance communication. Likewise, mobile phones have evolved from bulky &ldquo;walkie-talkies&rdquo; to small supercomputers.

And now Facebook, originally a connection platform for university students, conjoins one in four people. But today, in Myanmar, Facebook is helping fuel a genocide against the Rohingya people.

Based on our research in Myanmar and in Cuba, we argue that internet usage in Myanmar is dangerous. Unbridled connection to Facebook creates what we call a &ldquo;virtual coercive,&rdquo; a digital space that bolsters coercion. We suggest that Cuba&rsquo;s internet model may provide lessons to manage social media amid political chaos.

The utility of inventions can be unpredictable, and so too can the social impacts be catastrophic.

<a href="https://bebusinessed.com/history/history-of-the-telephone/">Distracted driving</a> is an unforeseen consequence of mobile phones that kills or maims thousands each year. Dealing with distracted driving involves better driver education, curbing usage behind the wheel and penalties for stupidity.

<a href="http://www.rwandanstories.org/genocide/hate_radio.html">Radio enabled unimaginable horrors</a> during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

&lsquo;Blood on hands&rsquo;

But in conditions of genocide, can a technology like radio be limited or restricted? It&rsquo;s an essential service, but with blood on its hands. That&rsquo;s a burden Facebook now shares.

In 2010, Myanmar had 130,000 heavily restricted internet users. In seven years, SIM card prices plunged from more than US$3,000 to $1. The government also relaxed censorship laws, allowing Facebook to attract 30 million Burmese users. Many of them view Facebook as the internet.

Beginning in late August, Burmese security forces pursued a scorched-earth campaign against the Rohingya. Some 6,700 were killed and 645,000 were forced to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

Along with ultra-nationalist monk Ashin Wirathu, a host of Facebook pages spread hate speech. This vitriolic propaganda further vilifies the already marginalized and much-maligned Rohingya.

<figure class="align-right "><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/200499/original/file-20171229-96263-vt2qmm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" />
<figcaption>
Myanmar&rsquo;s radical Buddhist monk, the anti-Muslim Ashin Wirathu, is seen here in Sri Lanka in 2014. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

&nbsp;

Anti-Rohingya content includes explicitly racist political cartoons, falsified images and staged news reports. This content goes viral, normalizing hate speech and shaping public perception. Violence against Rohingya people is increasingly welcomed, and then celebrated online. This virtual coercive serves the Myanmar military&rsquo;s interests.

The military junta&rsquo;s monopoly on information has provided little arena to foster media literacy. Such propaganda in this virtual coercive of anti-Rohingya propaganda preys upon the ill-informed. For many, the misinformation spread through Facebook justifies what the United Nations has dubbed a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar citizens now have unbridled access to low-cost internet on their mobile devices. Freedom of speech advocates will laud this. But this open information pipeline reinforces Facebook&rsquo;s dark side of self-reaffirmation with limited perspective.

This is to the Burmese military&rsquo;s advantage. Just as radio fuelled genocide in the 1990s, Facebook is making it happen in Myanmar today.
</figcaption>
</figure>

Fiction becomes reality

Facebook&rsquo;s virtual coercive is one of division, competing realities and a lack of mutual acceptance. In Facebook&rsquo;s virtual coercive, fiction is reality and lies can validate.

Considering this, we argue that constant Facebook use in Myanmar is too risky to ignore. Societies require spaces for tolerance of differing ideas, trade, negotiation, volunteerism and face-to-face dynamics. This is lacking in Myanmar.

Cuba may be an important example in this discussion.

The nature of internet access in Cuba has not led to the abusive coercion or divisive politics. Protests through social media that are common in other parts of the world do not exist in Cuba.

Why?

Internet in Cuba is, simply put, expensive. Spending US$3 for an hour of WiFi in internet parks is about 10 per cent of a Cuban&rsquo;s monthly earnings. With only limited time to be online, Facebook&rsquo;s bandwidth-clogging bulk makes it unpopular in Cuba. Instead, other SMS and chat apps such as IMO, a direct video chat service, is preferred.

Cubans access internet in small doses

Cuba has only limited capacity to monitor its internet traffic, and the government worries about unbridled access.

And so Facebook cannot be accessed during working hours in most government and university settings in Cuba. It creates a disincentive to rely on Facebook for news and connections.

Cubans surf the net in small doses and often in public spaces. This breaks the virtual coercive through face-to-face interactions.

The shortcomings of Cuba&rsquo;s model are obvious given it creates a barrier to information. Free-speech advocates will be quick to dismiss the idea of limiting the time spent online, never mind the dangers of a state having the responsibility to curtail social media.

But is unbridled access to Facebook really a pillar of free speech if the platform can be harnessed for the purpose of eliminating an entire population?

It&rsquo;s time to entertain disconnecting from the virtual coercive in order to engage in real space. Maybe in this way, Facebook&rsquo;s dark side can be kept at bay while still serving its original purpose of connecting people and enriching, not destroying, lives.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/unliked-how-facebook-is-playing-a-part-in-the-rohingya-genocide-89523" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

*Patrick Balazo is Researcher, Dalhousie University

Anti-Rohingya content includes explicitly racist political cartoons, falsified images and staged news reports. This content goes viral, normalizing hate speech and shaping public perception.

By Robert Huish & Patrick Balazo* New technology can have profound impacts on society in ways never intended. The radio carried codes during the First World War, but later became a household fixture. Early telephones were leased in pairs but after Western Union, a telegraph company, adopted “exchanges,” it led to rapid long-distance communication. Likewise, mobile phones have evolved from bulky “walkie-talkies” to small supercomputers. And now Facebook, originally a connection platform for university students, conjoins one in four people. But today, in Myanmar, Facebook is helping fuel a genocide against the Rohingya people. Based on our research in Myanmar and in Cuba, we argue that internet usage in Myanmar is dangerous. Unbridled connection to Facebook creates what we call a “virtual coercive,” a digital space that bolsters coercion. We suggest that Cuba’s internet model may provide lessons to manage social media amid political chaos. The utility of inventions can be unpredictable, and so too can the social impacts be catastrophic. Distracted driving is an unforeseen consequence of mobile phones that kills or maims thousands each year. Dealing with distracted driving involves better driver education, curbing usage behind the wheel and penalties for stupidity. Radio enabled unimaginable horrors during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. ‘Blood on hands’ But in conditions of genocide, can a technology like radio be limited or restricted? It’s an essential service, but with blood on its hands. That’s a burden Facebook now shares. In 2010, Myanmar had 130,000 heavily restricted internet users. In seven years, SIM card prices plunged from more than US$3,000 to $1. The government also relaxed censorship laws, allowing Facebook to attract 30 million Burmese users. Many of them view Facebook as the internet. Beginning in late August, Burmese security forces pursued a scorched-earth campaign against the Rohingya. Some 6,700 were killed and 645,000 were forced to seek refuge in Bangladesh. Along with ultra-nationalist monk Ashin Wirathu, a host of Facebook pages spread hate speech. This vitriolic propaganda further vilifies the already marginalized and much-maligned Rohingya. Myanmar’s radical Buddhist monk, the anti-Muslim Ashin Wirathu, is seen here in Sri Lanka in 2014. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Anti-Rohingya content includes explicitly racist political cartoons, falsified images and staged news reports. This content goes viral, normalizing hate speech and shaping public perception. Violence against Rohingya people is increasingly welcomed, and then celebrated online. This virtual coercive serves the Myanmar military’s interests. The military junta’s monopoly on information has provided little arena to foster media literacy. Such propaganda in this virtual coercive of anti-Rohingya propaganda preys upon the ill-informed. For many, the misinformation spread through Facebook justifies what the United Nations has dubbed a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar citizens now have unbridled access to low-cost internet on their mobile devices. Freedom of speech advocates will laud this. But this open information pipeline reinforces Facebook’s dark side of self-reaffirmation with limited perspective. This is to the Burmese military’s advantage. Just as radio fuelled genocide in the 1990s, Facebook is making it happen in Myanmar today. Fiction becomes reality Facebook’s virtual coercive is one of division, competing realities and a lack of mutual acceptance. In Facebook’s virtual coercive, fiction is reality and lies can validate. Considering this, we argue that constant Facebook use in Myanmar is too risky to ignore. Societies require spaces for tolerance of differing ideas, trade, negotiation, volunteerism and face-to-face dynamics. This is lacking in Myanmar. Cuba may be an important example in this discussion. The nature of internet access in Cuba has not led to the abusive coercion or divisive politics. Protests through social media that are common in other parts of the world do not exist in Cuba. Why? Internet in Cuba is, simply put, expensive. Spending US$3 for an hour of WiFi in internet parks is about 10 per cent of a Cuban’s monthly earnings. With only limited time to be online, Facebook’s bandwidth-clogging bulk makes it unpopular in Cuba. Instead, other SMS and chat apps such as IMO, a direct video chat service, is preferred. Cubans access internet in small doses Cuba has only limited capacity to monitor its internet traffic, and the government worries about unbridled access. And so Facebook cannot be accessed during working hours in most government and university settings in Cuba. It creates a disincentive to rely on Facebook for news and connections. Cubans surf the net in small doses and often in public spaces. This breaks the virtual coercive through face-to-face interactions. The shortcomings of Cuba’s model are obvious given it creates a barrier to information. Free-speech advocates will be quick to dismiss the idea of limiting the time spent online, never mind the dangers of a state having the responsibility to curtail social media. But is unbridled access to Facebook really a pillar of free speech if the platform can be harnessed for the purpose of eliminating an entire population? It’s time to entertain disconnecting from the virtual coercive in order to engage in real space. Maybe in this way, Facebook’s dark side can be kept at bay while still serving its original purpose of connecting people and enriching, not destroying, lives. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. *Patrick Balazo is Researcher, Dalhousie University

Opinion: How Facebook is playing a part in the Rohingya genocide

Pope Francis described migrants and refugees as the world&#39;s &quot;weakest and most needy&quot; on Monday, using his traditional New Year&#39;s address to &quot;give voice&quot; to people he has urged leaders to do more to help.

Francis reminded some 40,000 people who gathered in St. Peter&#39;s Square at the Vatican that he had chosen the plight of migrants and refugees as the theme for the Roman Catholic Church&#39;s World Day of Peace, which is celebrated every January 1.

&quot;For this peace, to which everyone has a right, many of them are willing to risk their lives in a journey which is often long and dangerous, they are willing to face strain and suffering.&quot;

&quot;Please, let us not extinguish the hope in their hearts, let us not suffocate their hopes for peace!&quot;

Across the world, the mass movement of people has shot to the top of the political agenda, and Francis has made defending those who migrate a central theme of his papacy.

During a trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh last year, he met Muslim refugees and called for decisive measures to solve the political problems that caused many to flee.

He has also criticised President Donald Trump&#39;s stated intention to build a wall along the US&nbsp;border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

In a homily earlier on Monday, Francis said everyone should look after their soul by taking a moment of silence every day, &quot;to keep our freedom from being corroded by the banality of consumerism, the blare of commercials, the stream of empty words and the overpowering waves of empty chatter and loud shouting&quot;.

In a message released in November ahead of the World Day of Peace, Francis said politicians who stoke fear of migrants were sowing violence and racism. He acknowledged that the presence of immigrants can compound existing problems in a country, but appealed for practical ways to be found to welcome newcomers.

On Monday, he said: &quot;It is important that there is a commitment from everyone, from civil institutions, and those in education, welfare and church organisations, to ensure a peaceful future for refugees, migrants, everyone.&quot;

Pope Francis described migrants and refugees as the world's "weakest and most needy" on Monday, using his traditional New Year's address to 'give voice' to people he has urged leaders to do more to help

Pope Francis described migrants and refugees as the world's "weakest and most needy" on Monday, using his traditional New Year's address to "give voice" to people he has urged leaders to do more to help. Francis reminded some 40,000 people who gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican that he had chosen the plight of migrants and refugees as the theme for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, which is celebrated every January 1. "For this peace, to which everyone has a right, many of them are willing to risk their lives in a journey which is often long and dangerous, they are willing to face strain and suffering." "Please, let us not extinguish the hope in their hearts, let us not suffocate their hopes for peace!" Across the world, the mass movement of people has shot to the top of the political agenda, and Francis has made defending those who migrate a central theme of his papacy. During a trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh last year, he met Muslim refugees and called for decisive measures to solve the political problems that caused many to flee. He has also criticised President Donald Trump's stated intention to build a wall along the US border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants. In a homily earlier on Monday, Francis said everyone should look after their soul by taking a moment of silence every day, "to keep our freedom from being corroded by the banality of consumerism, the blare of commercials, the stream of empty words and the overpowering waves of empty chatter and loud shouting". In a message released in November ahead of the World Day of Peace, Francis said politicians who stoke fear of migrants were sowing violence and racism. He acknowledged that the presence of immigrants can compound existing problems in a country, but appealed for practical ways to be found to welcome newcomers. On Monday, he said: "It is important that there is a commitment from everyone, from civil institutions, and those in education, welfare and church organisations, to ensure a peaceful future for refugees, migrants, everyone."

Don't extinguish migrants' hopes, Pope says on World Day of Peace

2017 saw some of the most dramatic and ominous unravelings of the delicate human condition, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh sits right at the top. The scale of the violence and physical displacement that unfolded after the 25 August militant attack in Myanmar&rsquo;s Northern Rakhine State remains unlike anything else in recent memory.

&nbsp;

Perhaps most remarkable is the geopolitical whirlpool that the crisis has created in the region, drawing in peering state and non-state actors in a complex, and often clashing, interplay of agendas, interests, and anxieties. In a way, the crisis has opened up Myanmar, currently undergoing democratic transition under the much-scrutinised leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, to the subsuming throes of big power politics and regional contestation for strategic leverage. India, owing to its proximity to ground zero and concomitant regional dynamics, too remains in this sphere of geopolitical churning.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But, the question is whether India has been able to respond in a manner that is not just effective in restoring stability in the short-term or providing comprehensive assistance to the direct stakeholders of the crisis, but also that consolidates its own standing as a reliable power in this volatile region.

The Indian Response

India has obviously had to articulate a position on the crisis, thanks to strategic realities, domestic sentiments, and regional geopolitical compulsions. But, this has been a far-from-consistent position, with the establishment in New Delhi fumbling to make sense of the rapidly evolving (or devolving) situation on the ground and get the geopolitical arithmetic right. The constant struggle for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been to showcase and build upon a framework of neutrality by assisting both Myanmar and Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Modi, during his early-September visit to Myanmar, used the term &lsquo;extremist violence&rsquo; to describe the instability and centred the bulk of his remarks on terrorism and the deepening partnership between India and Myanmar. The absence of any reference to allegations of human rights abuses and use of excessive force against Rohingya civilians by Burmese security forces not only drew sharp criticism from commentators, but also stoked the hearth in Dhaka, which blames Myanmar for triggering the refugee situation. Less than a week after the tour, the Modi government had to do damage control by issuing a call for &lsquo;restraint and maturity&rsquo; from Burmese authorities.&nbsp;

A week hence, the Indian Air Force airlifted material aid, intended for the refugees, to Chittagong as part of &lsquo;Operation Insaniyat&rsquo;. Following this, New Delhi sent another 900 tonnes of relief aid via the naval route. Further, India&rsquo;s Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar recently signed an MoU with the Suu Kyi government on &ldquo;long-term socio-economic development of [Rakhine] state,&rdquo; including construction of pre-fabricated houses for returning refugees.

One could argue that India, quickly realising the difficult geopolitics of the situation, ultimately forwarded a balanced and mature diplomatic prognosis in the face of sensational - often precipitate - global rhetoric. After all, the Modi government chose to water the roots (read: infuse relief assistance at the source points) rather than prune the leaves&nbsp; (read: engage in abstract verbosity against the Suu Kyi government).&nbsp;

But, in reality, what good has come out of this diplomatic calibration?

Balanced Diplomacy or Timidity?&nbsp;

In effect, all of the above are nominal measures that neither resolve the refugee crisis, nor add any significant value to India&rsquo;s footprint in South and Southeast Asia. New Delhi must note that it is an extended stakeholder in the crisis, simply because Rohingyas are also crossing over to India, albeit in much lesser numbers to Bangladesh. While keeping the borders open to refugees in distress is a fair and precedent-based policy position, actively engaging in crisis-management is a far more concrete and sustainable design - even from a &lsquo;national security&rsquo; point of view. There is little doubt that existing Islamist extremist networks in the region would exploit the crisis to recruit and mobilise, and India then is a natural target.&nbsp;

But, the Modi government has done little to act from the front. Beyond abstaining from critical UN resolutions and sending limited aid that barely even scratches at the surface of the mammoth humanitarian demand, India has remained largely passive. Such a lukewarm and rather shaky response to an enormous regional crisis is counterintuitive to India&rsquo;s bulging aspirations of establishing itself as South Asia&rsquo;s prime security guarantor and in general, a responsible global power. Simply put, if regional assertion is an intention, then India cannot afford to sit by as a backbencher.&nbsp;

Even at home, the BJP-led government could not drive home a rational agenda on this issue. The noise over the intended deportation of the 40,000 odd Rohingya refugees in India drowned most voices of empathy in the initial phase of the crisis. Yet, the government ultimately ended up not actually carrying out the deportation, thus stoking the impatience of its rabble-rousing domestic electorate. What more, influential party voices kept the conversation confined to the apparent &lsquo;national security threat&rsquo; that Rohingyas posed to India while censoring the significant human rights aspect of the whole crisis.

For India, the most stark outcome of weak action has come in the form of corresponding strong-willed action from its most ambitious regional nemesis, China.&nbsp;

Geopolitical Consequences of Inaction

The Chinese have displayed impressive diplomatic tact on the Rohingya issue. Departing from its longstanding policy of leveraging itself in the neighbourhood through proxy subversion or absolute neutrality in third-party disputes, Beijing stepped into the shoes of a core mediator this time. In November, China proposed a three-stage plan to Bangladesh and Myanmar to resolve the refugee crisis and in the longer term, the &lsquo;Rohingya issue&rsquo;. Less than a week later, Bangladesh and Myanmar announced the signing of a bilateral repatriation deal.&nbsp;

From the perspective of a regional hegemon, this was result-oriented diplomacy at its finest, despite the fact that the deal is as obscure as it can get. The caveat here is that China&rsquo;s &lsquo;Rohingya plan&rsquo; may not be in the best interests of the Rohingyas. But, it certainly is in its own interests.&nbsp;

However, it might not be all too late for New Delhi to move to the frontline and lead a comprehensive regional effort to find sustainable solutions to the crisis.&nbsp;

For an ambitious global power like India, this quest for hegemony starts with desire for greater legitimacy (and not just dominance) in the region, which in turn, is premised on good faith, engagement, understanding, and progressive diplomacy.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

China has strengthened its geo-strategic clout in the region, however, it might not be all too late for New Delhi to move to the frontline, finding a sustainable solution to the crisis.

2017 saw some of the most dramatic and ominous unravelings of the delicate human condition, and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh sits right at the top. The scale of the violence and physical displacement that unfolded after the 25 August militant attack in Myanmar’s Northern Rakhine State remains unlike anything else in recent memory. Perhaps most remarkable is the geopolitical whirlpool that the crisis has created in the region, drawing in peering state and non-state actors in a complex, and often clashing, interplay of agendas, interests, and anxieties. In a way, the crisis has opened up Myanmar, currently undergoing democratic transition under the much-scrutinised leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, to the subsuming throes of big power politics and regional contestation for strategic leverage. India, owing to its proximity to ground zero and concomitant regional dynamics, too remains in this sphere of geopolitical churning. But, the question is whether India has been able to respond in a manner that is not just effective in restoring stability in the short-term or providing comprehensive assistance to the direct stakeholders of the crisis, but also that consolidates its own standing as a reliable power in this volatile region. The Indian Response India has obviously had to articulate a position on the crisis, thanks to strategic realities, domestic sentiments, and regional geopolitical compulsions. But, this has been a far-from-consistent position, with the establishment in New Delhi fumbling to make sense of the rapidly evolving (or devolving) situation on the ground and get the geopolitical arithmetic right. The constant struggle for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been to showcase and build upon a framework of neutrality by assisting both Myanmar and Bangladesh. Modi, during his early-September visit to Myanmar, used the term ‘extremist violence’ to describe the instability and centred the bulk of his remarks on terrorism and the deepening partnership between India and Myanmar. The absence of any reference to allegations of human rights abuses and use of excessive force against Rohingya civilians by Burmese security forces not only drew sharp criticism from commentators, but also stoked the hearth in Dhaka, which blames Myanmar for triggering the refugee situation. Less than a week after the tour, the Modi government had to do damage control by issuing a call for ‘restraint and maturity’ from Burmese authorities. A week hence, the Indian Air Force airlifted material aid, intended for the refugees, to Chittagong as part of ‘Operation Insaniyat’. Following this, New Delhi sent another 900 tonnes of relief aid via the naval route. Further, India’s Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar recently signed an MoU with the Suu Kyi government on “long-term socio-economic development of [Rakhine] state,” including construction of pre-fabricated houses for returning refugees. One could argue that India, quickly realising the difficult geopolitics of the situation, ultimately forwarded a balanced and mature diplomatic prognosis in the face of sensational - often precipitate - global rhetoric. After all, the Modi government chose to water the roots (read: infuse relief assistance at the source points) rather than prune the leaves (read: engage in abstract verbosity against the Suu Kyi government). But, in reality, what good has come out of this diplomatic calibration? Balanced Diplomacy or Timidity? In effect, all of the above are nominal measures that neither resolve the refugee crisis, nor add any significant value to India’s footprint in South and Southeast Asia. New Delhi must note that it is an extended stakeholder in the crisis, simply because Rohingyas are also crossing over to India, albeit in much lesser numbers to Bangladesh. While keeping the borders open to refugees in distress is a fair and precedent-based policy position, actively engaging in crisis-management is a far more concrete and sustainable design - even from a ‘national security’ point of view. There is little doubt that existing Islamist extremist networks in the region would exploit the crisis to recruit and mobilise, and India then is a natural target. But, the Modi government has done little to act from the front. Beyond abstaining from critical UN resolutions and sending limited aid that barely even scratches at the surface of the mammoth humanitarian demand, India has remained largely passive. Such a lukewarm and rather shaky response to an enormous regional crisis is counterintuitive to India’s bulging aspirations of establishing itself as South Asia’s prime security guarantor and in general, a responsible global power. Simply put, if regional assertion is an intention, then India cannot afford to sit by as a backbencher. Even at home, the BJP-led government could not drive home a rational agenda on this issue. The noise over the intended deportation of the 40,000 odd Rohingya refugees in India drowned most voices of empathy in the initial phase of the crisis. Yet, the government ultimately ended up not actually carrying out the deportation, thus stoking the impatience of its rabble-rousing domestic electorate. What more, influential party voices kept the conversation confined to the apparent ‘national security threat’ that Rohingyas posed to India while censoring the significant human rights aspect of the whole crisis. For India, the most stark outcome of weak action has come in the form of corresponding strong-willed action from its most ambitious regional nemesis, China. Geopolitical Consequences of Inaction The Chinese have displayed impressive diplomatic tact on the Rohingya issue. Departing from its longstanding policy of leveraging itself in the neighbourhood through proxy subversion or absolute neutrality in third-party disputes, Beijing stepped into the shoes of a core mediator this time. In November, China proposed a three-stage plan to Bangladesh and Myanmar to resolve the refugee crisis and in the longer term, the ‘Rohingya issue’. Less than a week later, Bangladesh and Myanmar announced the signing of a bilateral repatriation deal. From the perspective of a regional hegemon, this was result-oriented diplomacy at its finest, despite the fact that the deal is as obscure as it can get. The caveat here is that China’s ‘Rohingya plan’ may not be in the best interests of the Rohingyas. But, it certainly is in its own interests. However, it might not be all too late for New Delhi to move to the frontline and lead a comprehensive regional effort to find sustainable solutions to the crisis. For an ambitious global power like India, this quest for hegemony starts with desire for greater legitimacy (and not just dominance) in the region, which in turn, is premised on good faith, engagement, understanding, and progressive diplomacy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: China leveraged Rohingya crisis. India was timid.

The United Nations&#39;&nbsp;independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia to try to get them to oppose human rights abuses in Myanmar.

UN&nbsp;special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was last week barred by the Myanmar government from visiting the country, singled out China and Russia because they had failed to back some moves in the UN&nbsp;aimed at trying to halt the Myanmar military&#39;s crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine province.&nbsp;

&quot;I&rsquo;d like to ask the international community to continue to work with China and Russia to persuade them to stand on the side of human rights,&quot; Lee told Reuters in an interview.

Neither has joined the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the crackdown that has led to the exodus of what aid agencies estimate to be 655,000 refugees into Bangladesh.&nbsp;

In response to Lee, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that &quot;external actors&quot; adding pressure over human rights will not help to resolve the issue, and may make it more complicated.&nbsp;

This would not be in the interests of Myanmar, its neighbours or the international community, she said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. &quot;We hope that countries or individuals external to the issue can create a positive environment that is more conducive to Myanmar resolving the issue for themselves,&quot; Hua added.

The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The Russian government has previously warned against interfering in Myanmar&#39;s internal affairs. Russia&rsquo;s ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov has said it is &ldquo;against excessive intervention, because it won&rsquo;t lead to any constructive results.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Barrier to ICC

The Myanmar armed forces are accused by members of the Rohingya community and human rights advocates of carrying out killings, rapes and village burnings, in what top officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

The Russian and Chinese stance is particularly important because either of them can block the UN&nbsp;Security Council from referring allegations of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The ICC cannot act against Myanmar without a referral because Myanmar is not an ICC member.

Myanmar has denied human rights abuses, saying its military is engaged in a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The military exonerated itself of all accusations of atrocities in an internal investigation, which published its findings on November 13.

Myanmar&#39;s foreign affairs ministry has said Lee was not objective or impartial in a report she issued in July, and it wanted a fair investigator.

Lee said there had to be a fair, partial and independent investigation.

&quot;The families of the victims have a right to know what happened, and I think the people of Myanmar need to know what happened, because we&#39;re seeing, in front of our eyes, the worst humanitarian crisis.&quot;

Surveys of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have shown at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State in the month after violence flared in late August, the aid group said last week.

The special rapporteur also criticized recent government crackdowns on media in Myanmar, including the arrest this month of two Reuters journalists who had reported on the crisis in Rakhine.

She said that the authorities were creating &quot;a national gag&quot; that would prevent journalists from reporting what they see. &quot;That will have consequences on the general public too - people will not be able to speak as freely.&quot;

Myanmar has said the reporters &quot;illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media.&quot;

The United Nations'?independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia

The United Nations' independent investigator into human rights in Myanmar has called for international pressure on China and Russia to try to get them to oppose human rights abuses in Myanmar. UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee, who was last week barred by the Myanmar government from visiting the country, singled out China and Russia because they had failed to back some moves in the UN aimed at trying to halt the Myanmar military's crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine province. "I’d like to ask the international community to continue to work with China and Russia to persuade them to stand on the side of human rights," Lee told Reuters in an interview. Neither has joined the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in condemning the crackdown that has led to the exodus of what aid agencies estimate to be 655,000 refugees into Bangladesh. In response to Lee, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that "external actors" adding pressure over human rights will not help to resolve the issue, and may make it more complicated. This would not be in the interests of Myanmar, its neighbours or the international community, she said at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. "We hope that countries or individuals external to the issue can create a positive environment that is more conducive to Myanmar resolving the issue for themselves," Hua added. The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The Russian government has previously warned against interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs. Russia’s ambassador to Myanmar, Nikolay Listopadov has said it is “against excessive intervention, because it won’t lead to any constructive results.” Barrier to ICC The Myanmar armed forces are accused by members of the Rohingya community and human rights advocates of carrying out killings, rapes and village burnings, in what top officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. The Russian and Chinese stance is particularly important because either of them can block the UN Security Council from referring allegations of crimes against humanity to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The ICC cannot act against Myanmar without a referral because Myanmar is not an ICC member. Myanmar has denied human rights abuses, saying its military is engaged in a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The military exonerated itself of all accusations of atrocities in an internal investigation, which published its findings on November 13. Myanmar's foreign affairs ministry has said Lee was not objective or impartial in a report she issued in July, and it wanted a fair investigator. Lee said there had to be a fair, partial and independent investigation. "The families of the victims have a right to know what happened, and I think the people of Myanmar need to know what happened, because we're seeing, in front of our eyes, the worst humanitarian crisis." Surveys of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres have shown at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine State in the month after violence flared in late August, the aid group said last week. The special rapporteur also criticized recent government crackdowns on media in Myanmar, including the arrest this month of two Reuters journalists who had reported on the crisis in Rakhine. She said that the authorities were creating "a national gag" that would prevent journalists from reporting what they see. "That will have consequences on the general public too - people will not be able to speak as freely." Myanmar has said the reporters "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media."

UN rights investigator calls for pressure on China, Russia over Myanmar abuses

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas.

According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday.

China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country.

On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-to-return-to-myanmar-soon-bangladesh-minister-27691">Rohingya refugees would return</a> to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter.

More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing.

The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community.

On October 12, a United Nations&#39; report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes.

The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim had said on Monday that Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has urged Myanmar to end the military campaign against Muslim Rohingyas. According to the The Daily Star, the resolution forwarded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday. China and Russia along with some regional countries opposed the resolution, but despite their rejection, the resolution also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to assign a special envoy to the country. On Monday, Bangladesh Health Minister Mohammed Nasim said Rohingya refugees would return to their homeland as soon as the international community and the UN pressured Myanmar into repatriating them. Myanmar and Bangladesh had earlier this month formed Joint Working Group (JWG) to handle the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The crucial JWG with 15 each from Bangladesh and Myanmar will oversee the repatriation of over 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape ethnic violence in the latter. More than 655,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh since August 25, escaping a military crackdown in Rakhine state, which many countries and human rights bodies have described as ethnic cleansing. The military action, which was triggered after their posts became targets of terrorist attacks, invited ire of the international community. On October 12, a United Nations' report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh found that brutal attacks against Rohingyas in the northern Rakhine state have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes. The Rakhine state is home to a majority of Muslims in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the extremists.

UNGA urges Myanmar to end military action against Rohingyas

Literature newly released by Muhammad Miqdaad, a Bangladeshi Al-Qaeda fighter in the subcontinent, calls on the Muslims of Bangladesh to wage &quot;jihad&quot; against the Myanmar establishment to liberate Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar) for the Rohingya population.

The literature -- titled &quot;Adopt the Call of Allah; Say &ldquo;No&rdquo; to Jahiliyyah!&quot; -- was released by Al-Qaeda&#39;s As-Sahab Media on the messaging app Telegram.

Miqdaad, the author of the literature, argues that the &quot;devil and his companions&quot; have divided the identity of Muslims as one nation by segregating them by region and locality.

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<h5>Due to the unrestrained cruelty &mdash; genocide, rape, and other war crimes &mdash; committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh,&#39; literature newly released by Al-Qaeda says</h5>
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Released on December 16, the literature dates back to September, Miqdaad writes: &quot;Specially, recently when I see the genocide, and the oppression on Arakanese Muslims&hellip; the demolishment of their dwellings&hellip; the assaults on their women&hellip; and then their attempts to enter Bangladesh or Malaysia for asylum&hellip; and then at the same time, the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Muslims&rsquo; adoption of the identity of Jahiliyyah while forgetting their real identity&hellip; thus rejecting and abandoning their own people by identifying them as Rohingya or Burmese.&quot;

The literature argues that Arakan is not part of Myanmar and was a blueprint of the &quot;kuffar&quot; (infidels) to &quot;annihilate the Muslims&quot;.

The nine-page piece of literature pulls references from Quranic verses and provides a brief history of the region, making its arguments methodically.

Also read -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-exodus-hide-run-pay-and-stay-alive-891" target="_blank">Rohingya exodus: Hide, run, pay and stay alive</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-am-a-rohingya-and-rohingyas-are-not-terrorist-rohingya-activist-tun-khin-speaks-to-wion-19965" target="_blank">&#39;I am a Rohingya. And Rohingyas are not terrorist&#39;: Rohingya activist Tun Khin speaks to WION</a>

The literature further states: &quot;Due to the unrestrained cruelty &mdash; genocide, rape, and other war crimes &mdash; committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh.&quot;

Bangladesh currently houses nearly a million Rohingya refugees, including a fresh influx of 655,000 members of the community who have sought refuge in Bangladesh&#39;s Southern Cox&#39;s Bazar since September this year. The fresh influx occurred following a crackdown by the Myanmar Army on the Rohingya population in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine state.&nbsp;

Security analysts say the Rohingya&#39;s vulnerable condition makes them ripe for exploitation by extremist outfits across the region.

Recent reports in the Indian media have also revealed that members of the Rohingya community, as well as jihadists from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have been training on making and using improvised explosive devices in Mae Sot in Thailand.

The ongoing Rohingya crisis in Rakhine erupted after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, an insurgent group, killed 30 members of the Myanmar security forces on August 25.

On its Twitter page, ARSA has denied any allegiance to global terrorist organisations but the latest literature from Al-Qaeda indicates the jihadist organisation is harping on the Rohingya crisis to legitimise its own cause.

Al Qaeda has called for the liberation of Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar)

Literature newly released by Muhammad Miqdaad, a Bangladeshi Al-Qaeda fighter in the subcontinent, calls on the Muslims of Bangladesh to wage "jihad" against the Myanmar establishment to liberate Arakan (what is today the Rakhine state of Myanmar) for the Rohingya population. The literature -- titled "Adopt the Call of Allah; Say “No” to Jahiliyyah!" -- was released by Al-Qaeda's As-Sahab Media on the messaging app Telegram. Miqdaad, the author of the literature, argues that the "devil and his companions" have divided the identity of Muslims as one nation by segregating them by region and locality. Due to the unrestrained cruelty — genocide, rape, and other war crimes — committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh,' literature newly released by Al-Qaeda says × Released on December 16, the literature dates back to September, Miqdaad writes: "Specially, recently when I see the genocide, and the oppression on Arakanese Muslims… the demolishment of their dwellings… the assaults on their women… and then their attempts to enter Bangladesh or Malaysia for asylum… and then at the same time, the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Muslims’ adoption of the identity of Jahiliyyah while forgetting their real identity… thus rejecting and abandoning their own people by identifying them as Rohingya or Burmese." The literature argues that Arakan is not part of Myanmar and was a blueprint of the "kuffar" (infidels) to "annihilate the Muslims". The nine-page piece of literature pulls references from Quranic verses and provides a brief history of the region, making its arguments methodically. Also read -- Rohingya exodus: Hide, run, pay and stay alive 'I am a Rohingya. And Rohingyas are not terrorist': Rohingya activist Tun Khin speaks to WION The literature further states: "Due to the unrestrained cruelty — genocide, rape, and other war crimes — committed upon Arakanese Muslims, Jihad against the Burmese Army has become an individual obligation on every capable Muslim of Bangladesh." Bangladesh currently houses nearly a million Rohingya refugees, including a fresh influx of 655,000 members of the community who have sought refuge in Bangladesh's Southern Cox's Bazar since September this year. The fresh influx occurred following a crackdown by the Myanmar Army on the Rohingya population in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. Security analysts say the Rohingya's vulnerable condition makes them ripe for exploitation by extremist outfits across the region. Recent reports in the Indian media have also revealed that members of the Rohingya community, as well as jihadists from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, have been training on making and using improvised explosive devices in Mae Sot in Thailand. The ongoing Rohingya crisis in Rakhine erupted after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, an insurgent group, killed 30 members of the Myanmar security forces on August 25. On its Twitter page, ARSA has denied any allegiance to global terrorist organisations but the latest literature from Al-Qaeda indicates the jihadist organisation is harping on the Rohingya crisis to legitimise its own cause.

Al-Qaeda calls on Bangladeshi Muslims to wage jihad against Myanmar Army

The US government today blacklisted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-repatriation-to-myanmar-should-be-voluntary-and-dignified-us-27223">a top Myanmar General over alleged human rights</a> abuses including a Pakistani surgeon for trafficking in human organs as the Trump administration cracked down on several individuals including companies which it believes have been responsible for abuses and corrupt practices.

&quot;Today&#39;s actions advance our values and promote the security of the United States, our allies and our partners,&quot; US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said.

The list includes Myanmar&#39;s General Maung Maung Soe, Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah, Gambia&#39;s former president Yahya Jammeh and Gulnara Karimova who is the first woman on the list.

The names on the US list consists of officials and businessmen from across the world including Pakistan, China, &nbsp;Russia, Congo, Ukraine, Guatemala and &nbsp;Serbia.

President Trump has signed an executive order blocking any assets the individuals or companies might have in banks or property on US soil.

&quot;Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts they&#39;ve committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds,&quot; Secretary of treasury Steven T Mnuchin said.

The US report claims Myanmar&#39;s general Maung Maung Soe oversaw &quot;killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages&quot; in Myanmar.&nbsp;

Rawalpindi-based Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah who owns a kidney centre has also been blacklisted as US officials believe he was responsible for removal of kidneys from Pakistani labourers and allegedly involved in trafficking in human organs.

US officials said Gambia&#39;s former president Yahya Jammeh, who stepped down recently once ran a &quot;terror and assassination squad called the Junglers.&quot;

The sanctions list includes Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes, president of Nicaragua&#39;s supreme electoral council, Dan Gertler, an international businessman and Slobodan Tesic, an alleged arms dealer&nbsp;in the Balkans.

Benjamin Bol Mel (Bol Mel), president of ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Company Limited, Gulnara Karimova, daughter of former Uzbekistan leader Islam Karimov, &nbsp;Angel Rondon Rijo, a businessman in the Dominican Republic, Artem Chayka, son of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Gao Yan, Beijing Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch director, Sergey Kusiuk , commander of Ukrainian police unit, Julio Antonio Juarez Ramirez, a Guatemalan Congressman and Yankuba Badjie from Gambia are also on&nbsp;the US list.

The list includes Myanmar's General Maung Maung Soe, Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah, Gambia`s former president Yahya Jammeh among several others

The US government today blacklisted a top Myanmar General over alleged human rights abuses including a Pakistani surgeon for trafficking in human organs as the Trump administration cracked down on several individuals including companies which it believes have been responsible for abuses and corrupt practices. "Today's actions advance our values and promote the security of the United States, our allies and our partners," US secretary of state Rex Tillerson said. The list includes Myanmar's General Maung Maung Soe, Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah, Gambia's former president Yahya Jammeh and Gulnara Karimova who is the first woman on the list. The names on the US list consists of officials and businessmen from across the world including Pakistan, China, Russia, Congo, Ukraine, Guatemala and Serbia. President Trump has signed an executive order blocking any assets the individuals or companies might have in banks or property on US soil. "Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts they've committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds," Secretary of treasury Steven T Mnuchin said. The US report claims Myanmar's general Maung Maung Soe oversaw "killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary arrest as well as the widespread burning of villages" in Myanmar. Rawalpindi-based Pakistani surgeon Mukhtar Hamid Shah who owns a kidney centre has also been blacklisted as US officials believe he was responsible for removal of kidneys from Pakistani labourers and allegedly involved in trafficking in human organs. US officials said Gambia's former president Yahya Jammeh, who stepped down recently once ran a "terror and assassination squad called the Junglers." The sanctions list includes Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes, president of Nicaragua's supreme electoral council, Dan Gertler, an international businessman and Slobodan Tesic, an alleged arms dealer in the Balkans. Benjamin Bol Mel (Bol Mel), president of ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Company Limited, Gulnara Karimova, daughter of former Uzbekistan leader Islam Karimov, Angel Rondon Rijo, a businessman in the Dominican Republic, Artem Chayka, son of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Gao Yan, Beijing Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch director, Sergey Kusiuk , commander of Ukrainian police unit, Julio Antonio Juarez Ramirez, a Guatemalan Congressman and Yankuba Badjie from Gambia are also on the US list.

US blacklists Pak surgeon, Myanmar general among several others

India on Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-bars-un-rights-investigator-just-before-visit-27284">announced a $25 million development</a> assistance package for Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh.

India&#39;s announcement comes <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-to-start-returning-from-january-officials-27205">after foreign secretary S Jaishankar </a>held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar&#39;s capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-still-fleeing-from-myanmar-to-bangladesh-unhcr-26177">Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State has become </a>the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

&quot;The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation,&quot; external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. &nbsp;

The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar.

India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody.

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.?

India on Thursday announced a $25 million development assistance package for Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh. India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday. The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. Myanmar's Rakhine State has become the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. "The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar. India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State. Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Rohingya crisis: India announces $25 million aid to restore normalcy in Rakhine State

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

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

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

Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US

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