Myanmar has blamed Bangladesh for delaying the start of a repatriation process for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees, saying it feared Dhaka could be stalling until it receives multi-million dollars of international aid money.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled predominantly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August to escape ethnic violence that accompanied a brutal military counter-insurgency operation after Rohingya militant attacks on security posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Myanmar was ready to begin the repatriation process any time, based along the lines of an agreement that covered returns of Rohingya to Myanmar in the early 1990s.

He said Bangladesh had yet to accept those terms.

&quot;We are ready to start, but the other side did not accept yet, and the process was delayed. This is the number one fact,&quot; Zaw Htay, Director-General of the Ministry of the State Counsellor&#39;s Office, told journalists on Tuesday.

A memorandum of understanding on border liaison posts was signed with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan following talks in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, last week, but there was no progress on reviving the old agreement.

Zaw Htay linked the delay by Bangladesh to the money raised so far by the international community to help build gigantic refugee camps for the Rohingya.

&quot;Currently they have got $400 million. Over their receipt of this amount, we are now afraid of delaying the programme of deporting the refugees,&quot; he said in comments carried in a front-page article in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Wednesday.

&quot;They have got international subsidies. We are now afraid they would have another consideration as to repatriation,&quot; he said.

Bangladesh government issued a statement last Thursday saying that Myanmar had not agreed to 10 points put forward by its minister at last week&#39;s talks, including the full implementation of the recommendations of an Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, for a sustainable return of Rohingya.

Khan told Bangladesh media last Friday that the two sides were unable to form a joint working group but said it should be set up by the time Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali goes to Myanmar for talks on Nov. 30.

The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar.

Zaw Htay said Myanmar was awaiting a list of Rohingya refugees from the Bangladesh side.

The United Nation&#39;s new interim resident coordinator for Myanmar began his new job on Wednesday. Knut Ostby, a Norwegian, has taken over the humanitarian and diplomatic role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Meantime, while Myanmar and Bangladesh work out how Rohingya can eventually go home, the grim exodus from Myanmar continues.

Seven Rohingya, including three babies and two children, drowned trying to make the perilous sea crossing up the coast from Myanmar to Bangladesh earlier this week.

Given the horrors endured by many Rohingya now living in refugee camps it would be unsurprising if they were in no hurry to return to their old homes back in Myanmar.

U.N. investigators interviewing Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a consistent, methodical pattern&nbsp;of killings, torture, rape and arson.

A foremost concern for Myanmar as it prepares to scrutinise any returnees is the risk of Islamist militants sneaking into the country.

The group behind the Aug. 25 attack on around 30 security posts in Rakhine State was the Arakhan Rohingya Salvation Army, but other militant groups have jumped on the plight of the Rohingya to issue a call to arms.

Last week the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released a video to deliver a message from the group&#39;s leader, Abu Syed al-Ansari Abu Syed al-Ansari, repeating calls for a jihad to fight for the Rohingya.

The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar.

Myanmar has blamed Bangladesh for delaying the start of a repatriation process for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees, saying it feared Dhaka could be stalling until it receives multi-million dollars of international aid money. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled predominantly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since late August to escape ethnic violence that accompanied a brutal military counter-insurgency operation after Rohingya militant attacks on security posts in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Zaw Htay, a spokesman for Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Myanmar was ready to begin the repatriation process any time, based along the lines of an agreement that covered returns of Rohingya to Myanmar in the early 1990s. He said Bangladesh had yet to accept those terms. "We are ready to start, but the other side did not accept yet, and the process was delayed. This is the number one fact," Zaw Htay, Director-General of the Ministry of the State Counsellor's Office, told journalists on Tuesday. A memorandum of understanding on border liaison posts was signed with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan following talks in the Myanmar capital, Naypyitaw, last week, but there was no progress on reviving the old agreement. Zaw Htay linked the delay by Bangladesh to the money raised so far by the international community to help build gigantic refugee camps for the Rohingya. "Currently they have got $400 million. Over their receipt of this amount, we are now afraid of delaying the programme of deporting the refugees," he said in comments carried in a front-page article in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Wednesday. "They have got international subsidies. We are now afraid they would have another consideration as to repatriation," he said. Bangladesh government issued a statement last Thursday saying that Myanmar had not agreed to 10 points put forward by its minister at last week's talks, including the full implementation of the recommendations of an Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, for a sustainable return of Rohingya. Khan told Bangladesh media last Friday that the two sides were unable to form a joint working group but said it should be set up by the time Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali goes to Myanmar for talks on Nov. 30. The Myanmar government has said it would accept the Rohingya once it was established that they had lived in Myanmar. Zaw Htay said Myanmar was awaiting a list of Rohingya refugees from the Bangladesh side. The United Nation's new interim resident coordinator for Myanmar began his new job on Wednesday. Knut Ostby, a Norwegian, has taken over the humanitarian and diplomatic role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis. Meantime, while Myanmar and Bangladesh work out how Rohingya can eventually go home, the grim exodus from Myanmar continues. Seven Rohingya, including three babies and two children, drowned trying to make the perilous sea crossing up the coast from Myanmar to Bangladesh earlier this week. Given the horrors endured by many Rohingya now living in refugee camps it would be unsurprising if they were in no hurry to return to their old homes back in Myanmar. U.N. investigators interviewing Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a consistent, methodical pattern of killings, torture, rape and arson. A foremost concern for Myanmar as it prepares to scrutinise any returnees is the risk of Islamist militants sneaking into the country. The group behind the Aug. 25 attack on around 30 security posts in Rakhine State was the Arakhan Rohingya Salvation Army, but other militant groups have jumped on the plight of the Rohingya to issue a call to arms. Last week the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released a video to deliver a message from the group's leader, Abu Syed al-Ansari Abu Syed al-Ansari, repeating calls for a jihad to fight for the Rohingya.

Myanmar blames Bangladesh for failing to repatriate Rohingyas

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

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

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

Bangladesh eyes sterilisation to curb Rohingya population

A combination of escalating violence, worsening health and poor access to conflict zones in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state is fueling a humanitarian crisis that is spinning out of control, senior aid officials said on Thursday.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen a massive increase in violence not just between armed actors but also civilians, which is tearing families apart and leaving people to feel completely abandoned and disenfranchised&quot; Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border to neighbouring Bangladesh since August&nbsp;25, when coordinated Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a ferocious counter-offensive by the Myanmar army.

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The United Nations says killings, arson and rape have been carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs amount to a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.

&quot;I worry that this continued context of fear and violence is spinning out of control and will only lead to displacement of more people&quot; Maurer said.

Myanmar has blocked humanitarian agencies apart from Red Cross organisations from accessing the northern part of Rakhine state in western Myanmar, where the conflict worsened at the end of August.

&quot;Being one of the only actors able to operate in Myanmar presents a considerable challenge in terms of accessing villages and knowing where displaced people are&quot; Maurer said.

&quot;Some of my colleagues have had to walk for six-seven hours to a village, only to find it&#39;s been deserted&quot; he said, although the Myanmar authorities had recently authorised Red Cross staff to use two helicopters to better track displaced people.

Maurer said high levels of inter-communal violence meant that aid workers were sometimes met with a mixed reception&nbsp;by communities and had to take extreme care to convince people that we are not here to take anyone&#39;s side.

The humanitarian crisis is compounded by a worsening health situation, experts say.

Nipin Gangadharan, Bangladesh country director at aid organisation Action Against Hunger, said refugees arriving in Bangladesh were taking a longer time to get here because of the constant violence, so their health is deteriorating significantly.

&quot;We&#39;re seeing rising levels of malnutrition, particularly among children, and people who survive on one meal a day,&quot; he said, adding that his organisation was treating malnourished children and providing mental health support to refugees suffering from trauma.

&quot;There&#39;s no end in sight to the conflict, so us humanitarian actors are in it for the long run,&quot; Gangadharan said.

Maurer shared his view, saying that we&#39;re still in emergency response mode, handing out survival kits, two months after the conflict escalated. &quot;I fear that&#39;s still going to be the case for the next few weeks&quot; he said.&nbsp;

A combination of escalating violence, worsening health and poor access to conflict zones in Myanmar's Rakhine state is fueling a humanitarian crisis that is spinning out of control, senior aid officials said on Thursday.

A combination of escalating violence, worsening health and poor access to conflict zones in Myanmar's Rakhine state is fueling a humanitarian crisis that is spinning out of control, senior aid officials said on Thursday. "We've seen a massive increase in violence not just between armed actors but also civilians, which is tearing families apart and leaving people to feel completely abandoned and disenfranchised" Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border to neighbouring Bangladesh since August 25, when coordinated Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts sparked a ferocious counter-offensive by the Myanmar army. Representative photo (Reuters) × The United Nations says killings, arson and rape have been carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs amount to a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya. "I worry that this continued context of fear and violence is spinning out of control and will only lead to displacement of more people" Maurer said. Myanmar has blocked humanitarian agencies apart from Red Cross organisations from accessing the northern part of Rakhine state in western Myanmar, where the conflict worsened at the end of August. "Being one of the only actors able to operate in Myanmar presents a considerable challenge in terms of accessing villages and knowing where displaced people are" Maurer said. "Some of my colleagues have had to walk for six-seven hours to a village, only to find it's been deserted" he said, although the Myanmar authorities had recently authorised Red Cross staff to use two helicopters to better track displaced people. Maurer said high levels of inter-communal violence meant that aid workers were sometimes met with a mixed reception by communities and had to take extreme care to convince people that we are not here to take anyone's side. The humanitarian crisis is compounded by a worsening health situation, experts say. Nipin Gangadharan, Bangladesh country director at aid organisation Action Against Hunger, said refugees arriving in Bangladesh were taking a longer time to get here because of the constant violence, so their health is deteriorating significantly. "We're seeing rising levels of malnutrition, particularly among children, and people who survive on one meal a day," he said, adding that his organisation was treating malnourished children and providing mental health support to refugees suffering from trauma. "There's no end in sight to the conflict, so us humanitarian actors are in it for the long run," Gangadharan said. Maurer shared his view, saying that we're still in emergency response mode, handing out survival kits, two months after the conflict escalated. "I fear that's still going to be the case for the next few weeks" he said.

Myanmar's Rohingya crisis spinning out of control: Aid officials

The US State Department is considering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-wants-myanmar-to-set-conditions-for-return-of-rohingya-22739"> a range steps including &quot;targeted sanctions&quot;&nbsp;against the Myanmar </a>government over its handling of the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent weeks.

&quot;We express our gravest concern <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-crisis-china-official-says-foreign-interference-doesnt-work-22687">with recent events in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and the violent</a>, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured,&quot; US &nbsp;State Department said in a statement.

&quot;It is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable,&quot; the statement added.

The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

The US State Department is considering a range steps including "targeted sanctions" against the Myanmar government over its handling of the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent weeks. "We express our gravest concern with recent events in Myanmar's Rakhine state and the violent, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured," US State Department said in a statement. "It is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable," the statement added. The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

Considering sanctions on Myanmar over treatment of Rohingyas: US

Secretary of state &nbsp;Rex Tillerson said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-takes-first-step-towards-calming-communal-hatred-21228">Myanmar&#39;s military was responsible for the Rohingya crisis</a>, stopping short of saying whether the US would take action against the leadership in the country.

&quot;The world can&#39;t just stand idly<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bangladesh-for-greater-indian-role-to-contain-rohingya-influx-22532"> by and be witness to the atrocities that are being </a>reported in the area,&quot; he said while speaking at Washington&#39;s Center for Strategic and International Studies.

On Tuesday, the UN said between 10,000 to 15,000 new Rohingya refugees arrived at the Bangladesh border informing that at least 582,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar so far with several thousands still stranded at the border.

Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day.

&quot;We really hold the military leadership accountable for what&#39;s happening,&quot; the US secretary of state said.

The United States had had earlier accused Myanmar of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi&#39;s government.

&quot;Someone, if these reports are true, is going to be held to account for that,&quot; Tillerson said.&nbsp;

&quot;And it&rsquo;s up to the military leadership of Myanmar to decide, &#39;What direction do they want to play in the future of Myanmar?&quot; he asserted.

Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said Myanmar's military was responsible for the Rohingya crisis, stopping short of saying whether the US would take action against the leadership in the country. "The world can't just stand idly by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in the area," he said while speaking at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. On Tuesday, the UN said between 10,000 to 15,000 new Rohingya refugees arrived at the Bangladesh border informing that at least 582,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar so far with several thousands still stranded at the border. Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day. "We really hold the military leadership accountable for what's happening," the US secretary of state said. The United States had had earlier accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi's government. "Someone, if these reports are true, is going to be held to account for that," Tillerson said. "And it’s up to the military leadership of Myanmar to decide, 'What direction do they want to play in the future of Myanmar?" he asserted.

Myanmar military responsible for Rohingya crisis: US

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

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

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

Bangladesh for greater Indian role to contain Rohingya influx

Ahead of the China&#39;s Communist <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-has-lessons-to-learn-from-chinas-poverty-reduction-campaign-china-daily-22407">party&#39;s meeting on Wednesday to nominate President Xi f</a>or the next five years, the country&#39;s state-run daily waded into the Rohingya crisis emphasizing India and China are well &quot;aware of the complexity of the Rakhine ethnic and religious conflict&quot; and in a position &quot;to solve the ongoing Rohingya crisis&quot;&nbsp;in Myanmar. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;As Myanmar&#39;s neighbours, t<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-fleeing-myanmar-say-army-redoubling-push-to-clear-villages-21005">he last thing China and India want is terrorist violence on their</a> doorstep,&quot; the editorial said.

The op-ed piece pointed to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-fleeing-myanmar-say-army-redoubling-push-to-clear-villages-21005">PM Modi&#39;s visit to Myanmar last month during which</a> India and Myanmar signed a number of trade and defense deals as proof of Myanmar&#39;s growing relevance to India.

&quot;China&#39;s investment in Myanmar reached $18.53 billion in January 2017 and the country plays a unique role in Beijing&#39;s Belt and Road initiative. It is impossible for Beijing to remain indifferent,&quot; the Global Times editorial said.

The daily said India could not &quot;divorce itself from peace and stability in a nation that forms a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia.&quot;

&quot;Although India has not yet joined the Belt and Road, it prizes its Act East policy that seeks to reinvigorate cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian nations,&quot; the op-ed piece said

&quot;Needless to say Myanmar, the gateway for New Delhi&#39;s northeastern states to Southeast Asia, is crucial to India,&quot; the editorial added.&nbsp;

&quot;Given the interests Beijing and New Delhi share with the region, the two could cooperate in offering humanitarian aid to Rakhine state, assisting Bangladesh in the resettlement of refugees, enhancing economic cooperation with Myanmar and promoting greater integration of trade and investment.&quot;

The editorial said &quot;such actions&quot; by China and India to help resolve the Rohingya crisis &quot;may even elicit support from more ASEAN nations.&quot;

&quot;Myanmar is not a new battleground. In fact, it is a &quot;new opportunity&quot;, the op-ed said in the end.

?"As Myanmar's neighbours, the last thing China and India want is terrorist violence on their doorstep," the editorial said.

Ahead of the China's Communist party's meeting on Wednesday to nominate President Xi for the next five years, the country's state-run daily waded into the Rohingya crisis emphasizing India and China are well "aware of the complexity of the Rakhine ethnic and religious conflict" and in a position "to solve the ongoing Rohingya crisis" in Myanmar. "As Myanmar's neighbours, the last thing China and India want is terrorist violence on their doorstep," the editorial said. The op-ed piece pointed to PM Modi's visit to Myanmar last month during which India and Myanmar signed a number of trade and defense deals as proof of Myanmar's growing relevance to India. "China's investment in Myanmar reached $18.53 billion in January 2017 and the country plays a unique role in Beijing's Belt and Road initiative. It is impossible for Beijing to remain indifferent," the Global Times editorial said. The daily said India could not "divorce itself from peace and stability in a nation that forms a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia." "Although India has not yet joined the Belt and Road, it prizes its Act East policy that seeks to reinvigorate cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian nations," the op-ed piece said "Needless to say Myanmar, the gateway for New Delhi's northeastern states to Southeast Asia, is crucial to India," the editorial added. "Given the interests Beijing and New Delhi share with the region, the two could cooperate in offering humanitarian aid to Rakhine state, assisting Bangladesh in the resettlement of refugees, enhancing economic cooperation with Myanmar and promoting greater integration of trade and investment." The editorial said "such actions" by China and India to help resolve the Rohingya crisis "may even elicit support from more ASEAN nations." "Myanmar is not a new battleground. In fact, it is a "new opportunity", the op-ed said in the end.

China, India can lead efforts to solve Rohingya crisis: China daily

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

About a dozen boat sinkings have so far claimed the lives of about 200 Rohingya

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

Another Rohingya boat sinks: 10 dead, dozens missing

The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport&nbsp;Rohingyas till the case is heard.

India&#39;s top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of &quot;great magnitude&quot; and the state has a big role to play.

In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.&nbsp;

They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-links-with-is-isi-rohingya-refugee-to-supreme-court-20549">Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State.

The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees.

Supreme Court has granted&nbsp;more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.

India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play.

The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport Rohingyas till the case is heard. India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play. In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions. Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees. Supreme Court has granted more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.

Must balance security with humanity, can't deport Rohingyas till case is heard: Supreme Court to govt

The United Nations said today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-takes-first-step-towards-calming-communal-hatred-21228">attacks on&nbsp;Rohingyas in Myanmar was aimed at&nbsp;</a>driving them out the country and prevent them from returning home.

The United Nation came <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wion-exclusive-pakistans-role-behind-rohingya-insurgent-groups-cant-be-ruled-out-says-ht-imam-20803">to this conclusion after interviewing Rohingyas </a>who have fled to Bangladesh, AFP reported.

&quot;Brutal attacks against Rohingya in 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,&quot; AFP quoted the UN investigation team as saying.&nbsp;

The UNHCR had reported on Monday that over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into &nbsp;Bangladesh in one day in a surprising move especially after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day.

&quot;We&#39;re back in a situation of full alert as far as influxes are concerned. It is a big increase to see 11,000,&quot; Reuters quoted Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

&quot;We have had big numbers coming across by the day over the six weeks of this emergency. So we are back up to approaching some of those peak arrivals. Clearly, we have to be prepared for more arrivals,&quot; he said.

&quot;Some said they had fled torching and killings back home; one boy was seen with a big gash across his neck,&quot; Edwards added.

International agencies and governments in western nations have strongly condemned Myanmar&#39;s handling of the Rohingya crisis.&nbsp;

The United States had accused Myanmar of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi&#39;s government.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The UNHCR had reported on Monday that over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into ?Bangladesh

The United Nations said today attacks on Rohingyas in Myanmar was aimed at driving them out the country and prevent them from returning home. The United Nation came to this conclusion after interviewing Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh, AFP reported. "Brutal attacks against Rohingya in 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," AFP quoted the UN investigation team as saying. The UNHCR had reported on Monday that over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day in a surprising move especially after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day. "We're back in a situation of full alert as far as influxes are concerned. It is a big increase to see 11,000," Reuters quoted Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "We have had big numbers coming across by the day over the six weeks of this emergency. So we are back up to approaching some of those peak arrivals. Clearly, we have to be prepared for more arrivals," he said. "Some said they had fled torching and killings back home; one boy was seen with a big gash across his neck," Edwards added. International agencies and governments in western nations have strongly condemned Myanmar's handling of the Rohingya crisis. The United States had accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi's government.

Attacks on Rohingyas intended to not just drive them out but prevent them from returning: UN report

Pope Francis will meet Myanmar&#39;s top Buddhist monks, its military generals, and civilian leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-takes-first-step-towards-calming-communal-hatred-21228" target="_blank">Aung San Suu Kyi i</a>n November when he visits that country and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-islamists-call-on-government-to-arm-rohingyas-21093" target="_blank">Bangladesh</a>, both caught up in a crisis over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/rohingyas-head-towards-bangladesh-for-safety-5824" target="_blank">Rohingya Muslim minority</a>.

According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and one in Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim.

Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar and the second to visit Bangladesh, where Pope John Paul visited in 1986.

The pope arrives in Yangon, the country&#39;s largest city, on November 27 after a flight of more than 10 hours and is scheduled to rest for about 24 hours before heading to the country&#39;s capital Naypyitaw for a day.

There, he will have separate private talks with President Htin Kyaw and Suu Kyi, who is both State Counsellor and Foreign Minister, making her effectively the country&#39;s civilian leader.

A senior Vatican official said military leaders are expected to attend a separate, public meeting where the pope will address politicians and diplomats. This is where he is expected to give the keynote speech of the trip.

Myanmar is facing international scrutiny over the plight of its Rohingya community. In February, Francis said they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith.

Last August, some hard-line Buddhists were riled with the pope spoke about &quot;the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters&quot; and asked Catholics to pray for them, adding that they should be given &quot;their full rights&quot;.

On November 29, the pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country&#39;s highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy.

The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that Bangladesh border guards reported more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees crossing into their country from Myanmar on Monday alone.

The government offensive has drawn international condemnation and UN accusations of ethnic cleansing, which the government denies.

There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country&#39;s cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million.

Catholics make up a tiny minority in Bangladesh. Francis will be the second pope to visit that country, after Pope John Paul in 1986.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Myanmar and one in Bangladesh

Pope Francis will meet Myanmar's top Buddhist monks, its military generals, and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in November when he visits that country and Bangladesh, both caught up in a crisis over the Rohingya Muslim minority. According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and one in Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim. Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar and the second to visit Bangladesh, where Pope John Paul visited in 1986. The pope arrives in Yangon, the country's largest city, on November 27 after a flight of more than 10 hours and is scheduled to rest for about 24 hours before heading to the country's capital Naypyitaw for a day. There, he will have separate private talks with President Htin Kyaw and Suu Kyi, who is both State Counsellor and Foreign Minister, making her effectively the country's civilian leader. A senior Vatican official said military leaders are expected to attend a separate, public meeting where the pope will address politicians and diplomats. This is where he is expected to give the keynote speech of the trip. Myanmar is facing international scrutiny over the plight of its Rohingya community. In February, Francis said they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith. Last August, some hard-line Buddhists were riled with the pope spoke about "the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters" and asked Catholics to pray for them, adding that they should be given "their full rights". On November 29, the pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that Bangladesh border guards reported more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees crossing into their country from Myanmar on Monday alone. The government offensive has drawn international condemnation and UN accusations of ethnic cleansing, which the government denies. There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country's cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million. Catholics make up a tiny minority in Bangladesh. Francis will be the second pope to visit that country, after Pope John Paul in 1986.

Pope to meet top Buddhist monks in Myanmar, address military

More than 10,000 Muslim Rohingya have massed in Myanmar near a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aid-group-warns-of-death-among-rohingya-in-bangladesh-20298" target="_blank">crossing point into Bangladesh</a>, Myanmar media said&nbsp;Tuesday, apparently poised to join an exodus across the border due to food shortages and fear of attacks in their mainly Buddhist homeland.

Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks, and numbers are again swelling, raising doubts about the practicality of a Myanmar proposal to begin repatriating them.

Myanmar&#39;s northern state of Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks.

More are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave those villages which have so far been spared the worst of the violence that ripped through the state.

Attacks by Rohingya militants on&nbsp;August 25&nbsp;spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Over 10,000 &quot;Muslims&quot; have arrived &quot;between Letphwekya and Kwunthpin village to emigrate to the neighbouring country&quot;, the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported&nbsp;Tuesday.

Myanmar&#39;s government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, instead of calling them &quot;Muslims&quot; or &quot;Bengalis&quot;, code for illegal migrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Authorities have tried to reassure fleeing Rohingya that they are now safe in Rakhine, the report added, but they want to leave &quot;of their own accord&quot;.

Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still prevented by an army lockdown.&nbsp;

But fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain, threatened by Myanmar&#39;s army and their hostile ethnic Rakhine neighbours and cut off from aid agencies.&nbsp;

After a brief lull in arrivals, the Bangladesh Border Guard says 4-5,000 Rohingya are now crossing each day.

&quot;They don&#39;t want to stay (in Myanmar). They want to come here... they are being told to leave,&quot; Lieutenant-Colonel SM Ariful Islam told AFP.

Food is also running out, with villagers too fearful to tend to their crops in case they are attacked by their neighbours.

&quot;In some villages, they are scared to pass by Rakhine villages,&quot; Chris Lewa, from Rohingya advocacy group the Arakan Project, told AFP.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-infant-washes-up-dead-reminds-world-of-syrian-boy-alan-kurdi-10903" target="_blank">Rohingya infant washes up dead, reminds world of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi</a>

Rakhine in ruins&nbsp;

Myanmar denies most Rohingya citizenship and the public in the Buddhist-majority nation does not want them back.

Myanmar&#39;s army has branded them illegal immigrants intent on imposing Islam via the country&#39;s western gateway.

On Monday&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s Minister of the Office of State Counselor, Kyaw Tint Swe, told Bangladesh his country was ready to accept refugees subject to a verification process agreed in the early 1990s by the neighbours.

The minister&#39;s offer applies only to those who fled in the past year, according to a Bangladeshi official, excluding some 300,000 Rohingya who fled earlier.&nbsp;

And refugees and rights groups say the verification which Myanmar wants will leave huge numbers in the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh since it relies on documentation which most Rohingya do not have.

The refugees are also deeply fearful of what awaits back in Myanmar, with many recounting stories of rape and mass murder at the hands of the army while their villages have been destroyed.

Relief agencies&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;were fighting to contain a diarrhoea outbreak around hugely overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

A 20-bed clinic was opened at Kutupalong camp&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;for diarrhoea victims and another 60-bed facility will be set up this week.

&quot;We have seen an increasing trend of diarrhoeal disease cases, including cases of diarrhoea with severe dehydration,&quot; said United Nations refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic.

The UN said it would seek $430 million to increase operations in the camps.

Inside Rakhine, already one of Myanmar&#39;s poorest states, conditions are worsening for those left behind.

UN officials toured a conflict-hit portion of the state&nbsp;on Monday, noting the &quot;unimaginable&quot; scale of suffering and urging humanitarian access.

An EU delegation accompanying them on the government-steered day trip urged an end to the violence after seeing &quot;villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants&quot;.

<h1 title="Fires rage in Rakhine as Myanmar army blames Rohingya for mosque blast">&nbsp;</h1>

Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks

More than 10,000 Muslim Rohingya have massed in Myanmar near a crossing point into Bangladesh, Myanmar media said Tuesday, apparently poised to join an exodus across the border due to food shortages and fear of attacks in their mainly Buddhist homeland. Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks, and numbers are again swelling, raising doubts about the practicality of a Myanmar proposal to begin repatriating them. Myanmar's northern state of Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks. More are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave those villages which have so far been spared the worst of the violence that ripped through the state. Attacks by Rohingya militants on August 25 spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to "ethnic cleansing". Over 10,000 "Muslims" have arrived "between Letphwekya and Kwunthpin village to emigrate to the neighbouring country", the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Tuesday. Myanmar's government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, instead of calling them "Muslims" or "Bengalis", code for illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Authorities have tried to reassure fleeing Rohingya that they are now safe in Rakhine, the report added, but they want to leave "of their own accord". Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still prevented by an army lockdown. But fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain, threatened by Myanmar's army and their hostile ethnic Rakhine neighbours and cut off from aid agencies. After a brief lull in arrivals, the Bangladesh Border Guard says 4-5,000 Rohingya are now crossing each day. "They don't want to stay (in Myanmar). They want to come here... they are being told to leave," Lieutenant-Colonel SM Ariful Islam told AFP. Food is also running out, with villagers too fearful to tend to their crops in case they are attacked by their neighbours. "In some villages, they are scared to pass by Rakhine villages," Chris Lewa, from Rohingya advocacy group the Arakan Project, told AFP. Also read: Rohingya infant washes up dead, reminds world of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi Rakhine in ruins Myanmar denies most Rohingya citizenship and the public in the Buddhist-majority nation does not want them back. Myanmar's army has branded them illegal immigrants intent on imposing Islam via the country's western gateway. On Monday Myanmar's Minister of the Office of State Counselor, Kyaw Tint Swe, told Bangladesh his country was ready to accept refugees subject to a verification process agreed in the early 1990s by the neighbours. The minister's offer applies only to those who fled in the past year, according to a Bangladeshi official, excluding some 300,000 Rohingya who fled earlier. And refugees and rights groups say the verification which Myanmar wants will leave huge numbers in the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh since it relies on documentation which most Rohingya do not have. The refugees are also deeply fearful of what awaits back in Myanmar, with many recounting stories of rape and mass murder at the hands of the army while their villages have been destroyed. Relief agencies Tuesday were fighting to contain a diarrhoea outbreak around hugely overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. A 20-bed clinic was opened at Kutupalong camp Monday for diarrhoea victims and another 60-bed facility will be set up this week. "We have seen an increasing trend of diarrhoeal disease cases, including cases of diarrhoea with severe dehydration," said United Nations refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic. The UN said it would seek $430 million to increase operations in the camps. Inside Rakhine, already one of Myanmar's poorest states, conditions are worsening for those left behind. UN officials toured a conflict-hit portion of the state on Monday, noting the "unimaginable" scale of suffering and urging humanitarian access. An EU delegation accompanying them on the government-steered day trip urged an end to the violence after seeing "villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants".

10,000 Rohingya poised to enter Bangladesh as exodus swells again

Bangladesh opened talks with neighbouring Myanmar on Monday with the aim of securing the return of more than half a million Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, most of whom have arrived since late August.

The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world&#39;s fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar rejects that, Its forces launched an offensive in the north of Rakhine state in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug 25.

Myanmar blames the insurgents for attacks on civilians and for setting most of the fires that have reduced more than half of more than 400 Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine to ashes. The insurgents deny that.

Myanmar says more than 500 people have been killed in the latest violence, most of the insurgents.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for an end to the violence and for safe zones to be set up in Myanmar to enable refugees to return.

She has also called for a U.N. fact-finding mission to go to Myanmar and for Myanmar to implement recommendations on solving problems in Rakhine drawn up by a team led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Bangladesh would focus on those five proposals in talks in Dhaka on Monday between Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar government official Kyaw Tint Swe, in particular, the return of the refugees, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said.

&quot;We don&#39;t think this crisis is going to be resolved in just one meeting,&quot; said the official who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to media.

The crisis over Myanmar&#39;s treatment of the Rohingya is the biggest problem national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had to face since forming a government last year after winning a landmark election in late 2015.

The Nobel peace laureate, in an address to the nation last month, said Myanmar was ready to start a verification process under a 1993 agreement with Bangladesh and &quot;refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem&quot;.

There were already about 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus.

In Myanmar, the government took diplomats to Rakhine to let them see the situation.

&quot;Maungdaw feels like a ghost town,&quot; Swiss ambassador Paul Seger said on Twitter, as he arrived in the main town in the north of Rakhine.

Myanmar has blocked most aid workers and the media from the area despite calls from Western countries for access to deal with what aid groups fear is an unfolding humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border.

PROTEST

Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out strongly enough on behalf of the long-persecuted minority and of defending the army action.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots in Myanmar that go back centuries, with communities marginalised and occasionally subjected to communal violence.

Suu Kyi has no power over security policy under a military-drafted constitution and the public in Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has surged over recent years, largely supports the offensive against the insurgents.

The United States, in its strongest criticism of Myanmar over the crisis, called last week on countries to suspend providing weapons to Myanmar&#39;s military. But it stopped short of threatening to reimpose sanctions, which were suspended under the Obama administration.

A protest against Western pressure and foreign media coverage of the crisis is planned in the biggest city of Yangon on Monday.

Myanmar has refused to grant access to a U.N. fact-finding mission but Suu Kyi appointed Annan last year to lead an advisory commission and propose solutions.

The commission presented its recommendations on Aug. 24, a day before the insurgent attacks sparked the latest crisis, among them a review of a law that links citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless.

The panel also recommended that the government hold perpetrators of rights violations accountable, ensure the right to freedom of movement for everyone in Rakhine and invest in infrastructure to lift the state out of poverty.

Suu Kyi, in her address to the nation last month, said she was committed to the recommendations.

The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority

Bangladesh opened talks with neighbouring Myanmar on Monday with the aim of securing the return of more than half a million Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, most of whom have arrived since late August. The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar rejects that, Its forces launched an offensive in the north of Rakhine state in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug 25. Myanmar blames the insurgents for attacks on civilians and for setting most of the fires that have reduced more than half of more than 400 Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine to ashes. The insurgents deny that. Myanmar says more than 500 people have been killed in the latest violence, most of the insurgents. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for an end to the violence and for safe zones to be set up in Myanmar to enable refugees to return. She has also called for a U.N. fact-finding mission to go to Myanmar and for Myanmar to implement recommendations on solving problems in Rakhine drawn up by a team led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan. Bangladesh would focus on those five proposals in talks in Dhaka on Monday between Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar government official Kyaw Tint Swe, in particular, the return of the refugees, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said. "We don't think this crisis is going to be resolved in just one meeting," said the official who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to media. The crisis over Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya is the biggest problem national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had to face since forming a government last year after winning a landmark election in late 2015. The Nobel peace laureate, in an address to the nation last month, said Myanmar was ready to start a verification process under a 1993 agreement with Bangladesh and "refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem". There were already about 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus. In Myanmar, the government took diplomats to Rakhine to let them see the situation. "Maungdaw feels like a ghost town," Swiss ambassador Paul Seger said on Twitter, as he arrived in the main town in the north of Rakhine. Myanmar has blocked most aid workers and the media from the area despite calls from Western countries for access to deal with what aid groups fear is an unfolding humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border. PROTEST Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out strongly enough on behalf of the long-persecuted minority and of defending the army action. The Rohingya are denied citizenship and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots in Myanmar that go back centuries, with communities marginalised and occasionally subjected to communal violence. Suu Kyi has no power over security policy under a military-drafted constitution and the public in Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has surged over recent years, largely supports the offensive against the insurgents. The United States, in its strongest criticism of Myanmar over the crisis, called last week on countries to suspend providing weapons to Myanmar's military. But it stopped short of threatening to reimpose sanctions, which were suspended under the Obama administration. A protest against Western pressure and foreign media coverage of the crisis is planned in the biggest city of Yangon on Monday. Myanmar has refused to grant access to a U.N. fact-finding mission but Suu Kyi appointed Annan last year to lead an advisory commission and propose solutions. The commission presented its recommendations on Aug. 24, a day before the insurgent attacks sparked the latest crisis, among them a review of a law that links citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless. The panel also recommended that the government hold perpetrators of rights violations accountable, ensure the right to freedom of movement for everyone in Rakhine and invest in infrastructure to lift the state out of poverty. Suu Kyi, in her address to the nation last month, said she was committed to the recommendations.

Bangladesh to press for Muslim refugees' return to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres exhorted Myanmar&#39;s leaders to end the &quot;nightmare&quot; faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing an army campaign, after at least 19 people drowned with scores more feared dead when a boat carrying Rohingya families capsized off Bangladesh.&nbsp;

More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state.

Scores have drowned while trying to cross waters separating the two countries, while those who survive face new dangers as they cram into squalid refugee settlements where food and clean water are in short supply.

The billowing humanitarian crisis prompted the UN Security Council to hold its first meeting on Myanmar in eight years, though the member countries failed to arrive at a joint resolution.&nbsp;

The US slammed the army for trying &quot;to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority&quot;, while Beijing and Moscow offered support to Myanmar authorities who have vehemently rebuffed allegations that ethnic cleansing is underway.

Speaking to the 15-member council, Guterres urged Myanmar to halt military operations and open humanitarian access to the conflict-wracked western region.

&quot;The situation has spiralled into the world&#39;s fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare,&quot; he said while calling for those displaced by the conflict to be allowed to return home.

The UN chief noted that the &quot;systemic violence&quot; could cause unrest to spill south to the central part of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, threatening 250,000 Muslims with displacement.&nbsp;

Some of the strongest criticism came from US envoy Nikki Haley, who accused Myanmar authorities of waging a &quot;brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority&quot;.

&quot;It should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar,&quot; she added, in what appeared to be a rebuke to the country&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a human rights champion has been battered by the crisis.

But Myanmar received strong backing from Russia and China, a close ally and key trade partner.&nbsp;

&quot;The international community must be aware of the difficulties faced by the Burmese government, be patient and provide its assistance,&quot; Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said.&nbsp;

&quot;We must be very careful when we talk about ethnic cleansing and genocide,&quot; added Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, taking the Myanmar government line as he blamed Rohingya militants for &quot;burning villages&quot;.

Fires have razed hundreds of communities in northern Rakhine over the past month, in what rights groups say is an army-led effort to drive out the stateless minority that has faced decades of persecution.&nbsp;

Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, has denied the allegation and defended its operations as a proportionate crackdown on the Rohingya militants whose deadly raids on police posts on August 25 sparked the military backlash.&nbsp;

Authorities have restricted access to the epicentre of the violence but agreed this week to allow a UN visit to the conflict zone.&nbsp;

The trip has been postponed to October 2 due to bad weather, state media reported Friday.&nbsp;

Boat tragedy&nbsp;

The drowning tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly accidents as desperate refugees surge into Bangladesh, where they are penned into ramshackle tent cities amid dire shortages of nearly all forms of aid.

Witnesses and survivors said the vessel that overturned Thursday was just metres from the coast in rough waters after it was lashed by torrential rain and high winds.

There are fears the death toll could rise sharply with the International Organization for Migration saying about 100 people, mainly children, were believed aboard the downed vessel.

The bodies of 16 people, mostly children, were found Thursday and brought to a local school, said coastguard commander Nasir Uddin.

Two more bodies of young boys were retrieved Friday morning, he added, while another woman was washed ashore in a separate location.

&quot;They drowned before our eyes. Minutes later, the waves washed the bodies to the beach,&quot; said Mohammad Sohel, a local shopkeeper.

One distraught survivor said&nbsp;that his wife and one of their children had been killed when the ship sank.

&quot;The boat hit something underground as it came close to the beach. Then it overturned,&quot; said Nurus Salam, who had set off for Bangladesh from a coastal village in Myanmar late Wednesday with his family.

More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state

UN chief Antonio Guterres exhorted Myanmar's leaders to end the "nightmare" faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing an army campaign, after at least 19 people drowned with scores more feared dead when a boat carrying Rohingya families capsized off Bangladesh. More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state. Scores have drowned while trying to cross waters separating the two countries, while those who survive face new dangers as they cram into squalid refugee settlements where food and clean water are in short supply. The billowing humanitarian crisis prompted the UN Security Council to hold its first meeting on Myanmar in eight years, though the member countries failed to arrive at a joint resolution. The US slammed the army for trying "to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority", while Beijing and Moscow offered support to Myanmar authorities who have vehemently rebuffed allegations that ethnic cleansing is underway. Speaking to the 15-member council, Guterres urged Myanmar to halt military operations and open humanitarian access to the conflict-wracked western region. "The situation has spiralled into the world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," he said while calling for those displaced by the conflict to be allowed to return home. The UN chief noted that the "systemic violence" could cause unrest to spill south to the central part of Myanmar's Rakhine state, threatening 250,000 Muslims with displacement. Some of the strongest criticism came from US envoy Nikki Haley, who accused Myanmar authorities of waging a "brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority". "It should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar," she added, in what appeared to be a rebuke to the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a human rights champion has been battered by the crisis. But Myanmar received strong backing from Russia and China, a close ally and key trade partner. "The international community must be aware of the difficulties faced by the Burmese government, be patient and provide its assistance," Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said. "We must be very careful when we talk about ethnic cleansing and genocide," added Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, taking the Myanmar government line as he blamed Rohingya militants for "burning villages". Fires have razed hundreds of communities in northern Rakhine over the past month, in what rights groups say is an army-led effort to drive out the stateless minority that has faced decades of persecution. Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, has denied the allegation and defended its operations as a proportionate crackdown on the Rohingya militants whose deadly raids on police posts on August 25 sparked the military backlash. Authorities have restricted access to the epicentre of the violence but agreed this week to allow a UN visit to the conflict zone. The trip has been postponed to October 2 due to bad weather, state media reported Friday. Boat tragedy The drowning tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly accidents as desperate refugees surge into Bangladesh, where they are penned into ramshackle tent cities amid dire shortages of nearly all forms of aid. Witnesses and survivors said the vessel that overturned Thursday was just metres from the coast in rough waters after it was lashed by torrential rain and high winds. There are fears the death toll could rise sharply with the International Organization for Migration saying about 100 people, mainly children, were believed aboard the downed vessel. The bodies of 16 people, mostly children, were found Thursday and brought to a local school, said coastguard commander Nasir Uddin. Two more bodies of young boys were retrieved Friday morning, he added, while another woman was washed ashore in a separate location. "They drowned before our eyes. Minutes later, the waves washed the bodies to the beach," said Mohammad Sohel, a local shopkeeper. One distraught survivor said that his wife and one of their children had been killed when the ship sank. "The boat hit something underground as it came close to the beach. Then it overturned," said Nurus Salam, who had set off for Bangladesh from a coastal village in Myanmar late Wednesday with his family.

UN chief tells Myanmar to end 'nightmare' as 19 drown in Rohingya boat capsize

Myanmar is poised to begin &quot;verifying&quot; how many of the near half a million Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh it will take back, the Ministry of Information said on Thursday, naming land and sea points in restive Rakhine state for their return.

Some 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25, when militant attacks on sparked an army campaign that the UN says was tantamount to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The new arrivals are living in increasingly desperate conditions in over-crowded rain-battered camps, reliant on a trickle of aid.

Bangladesh, which already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya before the latest crisis, has led the global chorus calling on Myanmar to take back the Rohingya and guarantee their safety.

But it is unclear how many Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar before August 25, will be eligible for return to a country that does not recognise them as citizens.

Many others are unwilling to move back to charred villages and communities cut by communal hate in Rakhine.

Last week Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi said her country will repatriate those who meet a strict criteria set between the two countries in 1993, when tens of thousands of Rohingya were repatriated having fled Myanmar authorities.

Verification will be carried out &quot;soon&quot; on Myanmar soil at two border points, the Ministry of Information said in a Facebook statement.

They will be checked at &quot;Taungpyo Latwe village for those who return by road and at Naguya Village for those who return by water,&quot; it said, quoting Win Myat Aye, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

&quot;After the verification process, the refugees will be settled at Dargyizar village,&quot; he was quoted as saying.

Dargyizar village is in an area of Maungdaw hit hard by the recent communal violence, that saw hundreds killed and gutted countless Rohingya villages.

The minority do not qualify for Myanmar citizenship despite many tracing back their family history in Rakhine for generations.

The army insists they are not an ethnic group, but instead &quot;Bengalis&quot; -- or interlopers from across the border -- and therefore needed to be carefully counted back in.

The Muslim group were stripped of citizenship by a junta-scripted law in 1982 and have been corralled ever since by a combination of legal controls and violence.&nbsp;

Rights groups say the Myanmar government verification&nbsp;process will fall flat as many Rohingya will snub it, while others have lost the required documents in fires and flight.

Many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are now refusing to register with authorities there as repatriation talk grows louder, saying their identity as an ethnic group is not recognised on the forms.

Close to 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25

Myanmar is poised to begin "verifying" how many of the near half a million Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh it will take back, the Ministry of Information said on Thursday, naming land and sea points in restive Rakhine state for their return. Some 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25, when militant attacks on sparked an army campaign that the UN says was tantamount to "ethnic cleansing". The new arrivals are living in increasingly desperate conditions in over-crowded rain-battered camps, reliant on a trickle of aid. Bangladesh, which already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya before the latest crisis, has led the global chorus calling on Myanmar to take back the Rohingya and guarantee their safety. But it is unclear how many Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar before August 25, will be eligible for return to a country that does not recognise them as citizens. Many others are unwilling to move back to charred villages and communities cut by communal hate in Rakhine. Last week Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi said her country will repatriate those who meet a strict criteria set between the two countries in 1993, when tens of thousands of Rohingya were repatriated having fled Myanmar authorities. Verification will be carried out "soon" on Myanmar soil at two border points, the Ministry of Information said in a Facebook statement. They will be checked at "Taungpyo Latwe village for those who return by road and at Naguya Village for those who return by water," it said, quoting Win Myat Aye, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. "After the verification process, the refugees will be settled at Dargyizar village," he was quoted as saying. Dargyizar village is in an area of Maungdaw hit hard by the recent communal violence, that saw hundreds killed and gutted countless Rohingya villages. The minority do not qualify for Myanmar citizenship despite many tracing back their family history in Rakhine for generations. The army insists they are not an ethnic group, but instead "Bengalis" -- or interlopers from across the border -- and therefore needed to be carefully counted back in. The Muslim group were stripped of citizenship by a junta-scripted law in 1982 and have been corralled ever since by a combination of legal controls and violence. Rights groups say the Myanmar government verification process will fall flat as many Rohingya will snub it, while others have lost the required documents in fires and flight. Many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are now refusing to register with authorities there as repatriation talk grows louder, saying their identity as an ethnic group is not recognised on the forms.

Myanmar says poised to take back 'verified' Rohingya refugees

Seven-year-old Hasina only sat down for a moment&#39;s rest from chasing aid trucks that are a lifeline for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. When she got up she was alone, lost in a vast camp that activists say is a target for traffickers.

Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar.

All have lost homes and endured a long and difficult journey. Many have seen parents and family members killed in the ethnic strife that has riven Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

Newly arrived families have had to find space in makeshift settlements far from aid distribution points, so the dirt tracks teem with small children carrying heavy bags of rice, pitchers of water and tarpaulins.

Hasina is one of the luckier ones. She was found by Nazir Ahmed, a Rohingya who came to Bangladesh as a baby in the early 1990s and has been trying to reunite families divided in the chaos of the camps.

From the small stand he runs on the side of a muddy road running through Kutupalong camp, the 26-year-old community volunteer broadcasts details of the missing on a loudhailer through the day.

He has not been able to reunite Hasina with her family, but she is being well looked after by his mother in the family&#39;s small mud shelter nearby.

&quot;If people find kids who are lost and crying on the roadside, they bring them here. Then I make the announcements,&quot; Ahmed told AFP at his stall as a steady stream of refugees arrived seeking his help to track down missing relatives.

&quot;If parents come to find them, I hand them over.&quot;

Exploitation fears&nbsp;

Ahmed says the influx of nearly half a million Rohingya has led to a huge increase in families becoming separated in the chaotic and overcrowded camps.

He started his volunteer effort a few days into the crisis that began August 25 and has since received funds from the UN refugee agency for a loudhailer.

Aid distribution is becoming more organised but remains disorderly in places. Women and children have been injured in stampedes for supplies.

&quot;People came with so many children and this is a new place for them. They don&#39;t know the roads,&quot; said Ahmed&#39;s mother Nasima Khatun, who took Hasina in 20 days ago.

&quot;I have my own children and I feel the pain of these children&#39;s parents.&quot;

Ahmed said the Rohingya had already foiled two separate attempts by Bangladeshis to abduct young children. In both cases, the perpetrators were beaten up and ordered to leave the camp.

According to Bangladeshi police, there have seen several attempts to abduct minors, and mobile courts have been set up to provide swift punishment around the camps.

Save the Children and UNICEF have expressed concerns about the risk of exploitation in a country where child marriage is rife.

Save the Children chief Helle Thorning-Schmidt said hundreds of children had arrived alone, having become separated from their families in the chaos of escape or because their relatives were killed.

That puts them at increased risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking, she added.&nbsp;

Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers are also working to reunite families in the camps and has so far brought around two dozen back together.

Team leader Jafor Imam said it was a long and difficult process in the huge camps, where hundreds of thousands have settled since August 25.

For Ahmed, the community volunteer, it is an effort worth making.

&quot;The parents gave birth and worked hard to raise their children. After that, they protected them from massacres and they managed to get here,&quot; he said.

&quot;I cannot bear to think that after all that, families could be divided.&quot;

Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar

Seven-year-old Hasina only sat down for a moment's rest from chasing aid trucks that are a lifeline for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. When she got up she was alone, lost in a vast camp that activists say is a target for traffickers. Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar. All have lost homes and endured a long and difficult journey. Many have seen parents and family members killed in the ethnic strife that has riven Myanmar's Rakhine state. Newly arrived families have had to find space in makeshift settlements far from aid distribution points, so the dirt tracks teem with small children carrying heavy bags of rice, pitchers of water and tarpaulins. Hasina is one of the luckier ones. She was found by Nazir Ahmed, a Rohingya who came to Bangladesh as a baby in the early 1990s and has been trying to reunite families divided in the chaos of the camps. From the small stand he runs on the side of a muddy road running through Kutupalong camp, the 26-year-old community volunteer broadcasts details of the missing on a loudhailer through the day. He has not been able to reunite Hasina with her family, but she is being well looked after by his mother in the family's small mud shelter nearby. "If people find kids who are lost and crying on the roadside, they bring them here. Then I make the announcements," Ahmed told AFP at his stall as a steady stream of refugees arrived seeking his help to track down missing relatives. "If parents come to find them, I hand them over." Exploitation fears Ahmed says the influx of nearly half a million Rohingya has led to a huge increase in families becoming separated in the chaotic and overcrowded camps. He started his volunteer effort a few days into the crisis that began August 25 and has since received funds from the UN refugee agency for a loudhailer. Aid distribution is becoming more organised but remains disorderly in places. Women and children have been injured in stampedes for supplies. "People came with so many children and this is a new place for them. They don't know the roads," said Ahmed's mother Nasima Khatun, who took Hasina in 20 days ago. "I have my own children and I feel the pain of these children's parents." Ahmed said the Rohingya had already foiled two separate attempts by Bangladeshis to abduct young children. In both cases, the perpetrators were beaten up and ordered to leave the camp. According to Bangladeshi police, there have seen several attempts to abduct minors, and mobile courts have been set up to provide swift punishment around the camps. Save the Children and UNICEF have expressed concerns about the risk of exploitation in a country where child marriage is rife. Save the Children chief Helle Thorning-Schmidt said hundreds of children had arrived alone, having become separated from their families in the chaos of escape or because their relatives were killed. That puts them at increased risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking, she added. Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers are also working to reunite families in the camps and has so far brought around two dozen back together. Team leader Jafor Imam said it was a long and difficult process in the huge camps, where hundreds of thousands have settled since August 25. For Ahmed, the community volunteer, it is an effort worth making. "The parents gave birth and worked hard to raise their children. After that, they protected them from massacres and they managed to get here," he said. "I cannot bear to think that after all that, families could be divided."

Refugee family hunters bring hope to Rohingya children

For members of Europe&#39;s biggest Rohingya community in Bradford, Northern England, the news from Myanmar brings a mix of anger, fear and haunting memories of dramatic escapes from their homeland.

Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren.

&quot;If I grew up in Myanmar&nbsp;I would be dead today,&quot; said Omme Kulsum Harun, a 17-year-old wrapped in a traditional long white and yellow robe with a thick grey veil covering most of her head of black hair.

Kulsum said she would like to study nursing in order to help fellow Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled into Bangladesh in recent weeks following a crackdown by Myanmar&#39;s military.

Harun&#39;s mother Samuda saw her own aunt raped by a soldier when she was a little girl and was told by villagers that her sister suffered the same fate while the family were trying to flee Myanmar.

&quot;Today, I don&#39;t even know if my sister is alive,&quot; the mother of seven told AFP, holding back tears.

&quot;It makes me so sad and angry when I watch the news and see the situation in Myanmar,&quot; she said.

The contrast could not be bigger with her new life.

Harun shows off a picture of her son Ismail Mohamed, a student at Bradford University.

A former wool-making hub, Bradford is one of Britain&#39;s most diverse cities and around a quarter of the population is Muslim, according to the latest census figures.

We won&#39;t give up

In a city where Victorian-era terraced houses stand side by side with mosques and abandoned industrial plants, Nijam Uddin Mohammed said he has found freedom.

The 36-year-old arrived in 2008 after spending more than 18 years in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

&quot;My life started in Bradford. In the refugee camps back in Bangladesh we couldn&#39;t do what we wanted.&quot;

&quot;If we wanted to go for a walk or see some friends in another camp we had to seek permission. It was like a mini-prison. It was not a life.&quot; he said.

During the day, the father of two young children works as an interpreter for the state-run National Health Service and at night he drives a minicab.

He also heads up the Rohingya association of Bradford, which holds meetings at the homes of local Rohingya families every Monday.

At these meetings, the Rohingyas share news about their loved ones and discuss how to put pressure on the British government to become more active.

They have started petitions, held public meetings and sent letters to politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May.

&quot;The (Myanmar) army wants to shut us down but here in Bradford we are free and we are not afraid,&quot; Mohammed said.

&quot;Even if they have never known their homeland, our kids will always raise their voices. We won&#39;t give up.&quot;

Suu Kyi &#39;betrayed us&#39;

Their anger has been stoked further by speeches from the head of Myanmar&#39;s civilian administration, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has refused to condemn the military.

&quot;She betrayed us. We had great expectations but instead of helping us she remained silent.&quot;

&quot;She&#39;s doing politics with our lives,&quot; Mohammed said.

Referring to Suu Kyi&#39;s comments about reports of Rohingya suffering as &quot;fake news&quot;, Harun said: &quot;Is it fake news that my sister was raped by the military?&quot;

Mohammed said he welcomed Britain&#39;s decision to suspend military assistance to Myanmar&#39;s army.

But the deputy head of the association, Nur Huda, said it was up to Muslim countries to take the lead and follow the example of Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned &quot;Buddhist terrorism&quot;.

But Mohammed said: &quot;It is not a Muslim issue. We are all human beings who share the same blood and want to live.&quot;

Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren

For members of Europe's biggest Rohingya community in Bradford, Northern England, the news from Myanmar brings a mix of anger, fear and haunting memories of dramatic escapes from their homeland. Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren. "If I grew up in Myanmar I would be dead today," said Omme Kulsum Harun, a 17-year-old wrapped in a traditional long white and yellow robe with a thick grey veil covering most of her head of black hair. Kulsum said she would like to study nursing in order to help fellow Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled into Bangladesh in recent weeks following a crackdown by Myanmar's military. Harun's mother Samuda saw her own aunt raped by a soldier when she was a little girl and was told by villagers that her sister suffered the same fate while the family were trying to flee Myanmar. "Today, I don't even know if my sister is alive," the mother of seven told AFP, holding back tears. "It makes me so sad and angry when I watch the news and see the situation in Myanmar," she said. The contrast could not be bigger with her new life. Harun shows off a picture of her son Ismail Mohamed, a student at Bradford University. A former wool-making hub, Bradford is one of Britain's most diverse cities and around a quarter of the population is Muslim, according to the latest census figures. We won't give up In a city where Victorian-era terraced houses stand side by side with mosques and abandoned industrial plants, Nijam Uddin Mohammed said he has found freedom. The 36-year-old arrived in 2008 after spending more than 18 years in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. "My life started in Bradford. In the refugee camps back in Bangladesh we couldn't do what we wanted." "If we wanted to go for a walk or see some friends in another camp we had to seek permission. It was like a mini-prison. It was not a life." he said. During the day, the father of two young children works as an interpreter for the state-run National Health Service and at night he drives a minicab. He also heads up the Rohingya association of Bradford, which holds meetings at the homes of local Rohingya families every Monday. At these meetings, the Rohingyas share news about their loved ones and discuss how to put pressure on the British government to become more active. They have started petitions, held public meetings and sent letters to politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May. "The (Myanmar) army wants to shut us down but here in Bradford we are free and we are not afraid," Mohammed said. "Even if they have never known their homeland, our kids will always raise their voices. We won't give up." Suu Kyi 'betrayed us' Their anger has been stoked further by speeches from the head of Myanmar's civilian administration, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has refused to condemn the military. "She betrayed us. We had great expectations but instead of helping us she remained silent." "She's doing politics with our lives," Mohammed said. Referring to Suu Kyi's comments about reports of Rohingya suffering as "fake news", Harun said: "Is it fake news that my sister was raped by the military?" Mohammed said he welcomed Britain's decision to suspend military assistance to Myanmar's army. But the deputy head of the association, Nur Huda, said it was up to Muslim countries to take the lead and follow the example of Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned "Buddhist terrorism". But Mohammed said: "It is not a Muslim issue. We are all human beings who share the same blood and want to live."

'I would be dead': Britain's Rohingyas speak out

Violence in Myanmar&#39;s state of Rakhine has snowballed into a global humanitarian crisis. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims has been a matter of concern for India and the neighbourhood. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
The Myanmar army has reportedly found a mass Hindu grave, further complicating the situation. &nbsp; 
 
WION&#39;s team travelled to ground zero to find displaced Hindu families in relief camps still trying to find their loved ones. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Once in Rakhine, WION&#39;s team could see empty huts and villages once inhabited by the Rohingya Muslims who have now fled the area. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
However, it&#39;s not just Rohingya Muslims who have been subjected to violence. WION found at least 600 Hindu families living here. Each member of this relief camp has a horrific story to tell and are living in dire and unhygienic conditions. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Relief and medicines have been slow to reach these areas. Many are counting on India to intervene. 
 
More than 400,000 Rohingyas have travelled across to the border to Bangladesh. &nbsp;But about 1,000 Hindu families are said to be missing. &nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

WION found at least 600 Hindu families living in Rakhine, each with a horrific story to tell

Violence in Myanmar's state of Rakhine has snowballed into a global humanitarian crisis. The mass exodus of Rohingya Muslims has been a matter of concern for India and the neighbourhood. The Myanmar army has reportedly found a mass Hindu grave, further complicating the situation. WION's team travelled to ground zero to find displaced Hindu families in relief camps still trying to find their loved ones. Once in Rakhine, WION's team could see empty huts and villages once inhabited by the Rohingya Muslims who have now fled the area. However, it's not just Rohingya Muslims who have been subjected to violence. WION found at least 600 Hindu families living here. Each member of this relief camp has a horrific story to tell and are living in dire and unhygienic conditions. Relief and medicines have been slow to reach these areas. Many are counting on India to intervene. More than 400,000 Rohingyas have travelled across to the border to Bangladesh. But about 1,000 Hindu families are said to be missing.

Hindus of Myanmar: WION meets 600 families in one relief camp?

The Indian Army&nbsp;carried out an operation on the hideouts of terror group NSCN-Khaplang along the Indo-Myanmar border on Wednesday. 
&nbsp; 
The operation was carried out early in the&nbsp;morning. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Firefight occurred along Indo-Myanmar border at 0445 hrs today. Heavy casualties reportedly inflicted on NSCN(K) cadre. No casualties suffered by Indian Security Forces,&rdquo; Indian Army&rsquo;s Eastern Command said in a tweet, giving details of the operation.

&quot;Own troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavily retaliatory fire on insurgents. The insurgents then broke contact and fled from the spot. As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Own troops suffered no casualties,&quot; the Eastern Command&nbsp;said.

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Detailed statement attached <a href="https://t.co/nbLYMLCqxQ">pic.twitter.com/nbLYMLCqxQ</a>
&mdash; EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) <a href="https://twitter.com/easterncomd/status/912969068784652288">September 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sources in the government denied the operation was a &lsquo;surgical strike&rsquo;. The Eastern Command too released a statement clarifying that&nbsp;Indian troops &quot;did not cross the&nbsp;international border&quot;.

In June 2015, the Army had conducted a similar operation against banned insurgent groups following the killing of 20 soldiers in Manipur.&nbsp;

Sources in the government denied the operation was a surgical strike

The Indian Army carried out an operation on the hideouts of terror group NSCN-Khaplang along the Indo-Myanmar border on Wednesday. The operation was carried out early in the morning. “Firefight occurred along Indo-Myanmar border at 0445 hrs today. Heavy casualties reportedly inflicted on NSCN(K) cadre. No casualties suffered by Indian Security Forces,” Indian Army’s Eastern Command said in a tweet, giving details of the operation. "Own troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavily retaliatory fire on insurgents. The insurgents then broke contact and fled from the spot. As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Own troops suffered no casualties," the Eastern Command said. Detailed statement attached pic.twitter.com/nbLYMLCqxQ — EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) September 27, 2017 × Sources in the government denied the operation was a ‘surgical strike’. The Eastern Command too released a statement clarifying that Indian troops "did not cross the international border". In June 2015, the Army had conducted a similar operation against banned insurgent groups following the killing of 20 soldiers in Manipur.

Naga terror group's hideouts targeted by Indian Army on Myanmar border

Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine state, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, calling for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and an arms embargo.

Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape.

The UN Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, it said.

The UN refugee agency called for a redoubling of international aid for the 480,000 refugees, 60 per cent of the children, who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 to escape the violence.

A Myanmar government spokesman rejected the accusation of crimes against humanity, saying there was no evidence.

The US government, which has worked hard to establish close ties with Myanmar&#39;s civilian government in the face of competition from strategic rival China, did not comment directly on the Human Rights Watch charge.

However, a spokeswoman said, &quot;We are closely monitoring the situation and the facts on the ground as they continue to unfold.

&quot;We are deeply troubled by reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and burning of Rohingya villages by security forces and non-Rohingya individuals.&quot;

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US ambassador to Myanmar would visit the border of Rakhine, to look into the crisis &quot;within the next two days.&quot;

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi invited foreign diplomats to visit the area in a speech last week.

Myanmar has also rejected UN accusations that its forces are engaged in ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on the security forces on August 25.

Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have accused the army and Buddhist vigilantes of trying to drive Rohingya out of Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

&quot;The Burmese military is brutally expelling the Rohingya from northern Rakhine state,&quot; said James Ross, legal and policy director at New York-based Human Rights Watch.

&quot;The massacres of villagers and mass arson driving people from their homes are all crimes against humanity.&quot;

Myanmar, also known as Burma, says its forces are fighting insurgents responsible for attacking the police and the army, killing civilians and torching villages.

The International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity as acts including murder, torture, rape and deportation &quot;when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack&quot;.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said no Myanmar government had ever been as committed to the promotion of rights as the current one.

&quot;Accusations without any strong evidence are dangerous,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It makes it difficult for the government to handle things.&quot;

A coordinating group of aid organisations said the total number of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 had been revised up to 480,000 after 35,000 people in two camps were found to have been missed out of the previous tally.

&quot;The massive influx of people seeking safety has been outpacing capacities to respond, and the situation for these refugees has still not stabilised,&quot; Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva.

&quot;UNHCR is calling for a redoubling of the international humanitarian response in Bangladesh.&quot;

Little Sympathy

The violence and the refugee exodus is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year in a transition from nearly 50 years of military rule.

Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and bouts of suppression and violence have flared for decades. Most Rohingya are stateless.

Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn.

She denounced rights violations in an address to the nation last week and vowed that abusers would be prosecuted. She also said the government was trying to determine why so many people fled.

Seven UN experts, including Yanghee Lee, special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, called on Suu Kyi to meet Rohingya to hear for herself the reasons for their exodus.

&quot;No one chooses, especially not in the hundreds of thousands, to leave their homes and ancestral land, no matter how poor the conditions, to flee to a strange land to live under plastic sheets and in dire circumstances, except in life-threatening situations,&quot; they said.

They called on Myanmar to provide humanitarian access to Rakhine state, where the military has been restricting entry.

Suu Kyi has little, if any, control over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution that also bars her from the presidency and gives the military veto power over political reform.

Myanmar has seen a surge of Buddhist nationalism in recent years, and the public is supportive of the campaign against the insurgents.

Since Sunday, the army has unearthed the bodies of 45 members of Myanmar&#39;s small Hindu community who authorities say were killed by the insurgents soon after the violence erupted.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which has claimed attacks on the security forces since October, denied killing the villagers.

Some Hindus have fled to Bangladesh. Others have taken refuge in Myanmar towns, accusing the insurgents of attacking them on suspicion of being government spies.

Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape

Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine state, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, calling for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and an arms embargo. Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape. The UN Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, it said. The UN refugee agency called for a redoubling of international aid for the 480,000 refugees, 60 per cent of the children, who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 to escape the violence. A Myanmar government spokesman rejected the accusation of crimes against humanity, saying there was no evidence. The US government, which has worked hard to establish close ties with Myanmar's civilian government in the face of competition from strategic rival China, did not comment directly on the Human Rights Watch charge. However, a spokeswoman said, "We are closely monitoring the situation and the facts on the ground as they continue to unfold. "We are deeply troubled by reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and burning of Rohingya villages by security forces and non-Rohingya individuals." US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US ambassador to Myanmar would visit the border of Rakhine, to look into the crisis "within the next two days." Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi invited foreign diplomats to visit the area in a speech last week. Myanmar has also rejected UN accusations that its forces are engaged in ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on the security forces on August 25. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have accused the army and Buddhist vigilantes of trying to drive Rohingya out of Buddhist-majority Myanmar. "The Burmese military is brutally expelling the Rohingya from northern Rakhine state," said James Ross, legal and policy director at New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The massacres of villagers and mass arson driving people from their homes are all crimes against humanity." Myanmar, also known as Burma, says its forces are fighting insurgents responsible for attacking the police and the army, killing civilians and torching villages. The International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity as acts including murder, torture, rape and deportation "when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack". Government spokesman Zaw Htay said no Myanmar government had ever been as committed to the promotion of rights as the current one. "Accusations without any strong evidence are dangerous," he told Reuters. "It makes it difficult for the government to handle things." A coordinating group of aid organisations said the total number of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 had been revised up to 480,000 after 35,000 people in two camps were found to have been missed out of the previous tally. "The massive influx of people seeking safety has been outpacing capacities to respond, and the situation for these refugees has still not stabilised," Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva. "UNHCR is calling for a redoubling of the international humanitarian response in Bangladesh." Little Sympathy The violence and the refugee exodus is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year in a transition from nearly 50 years of military rule. Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and bouts of suppression and violence have flared for decades. Most Rohingya are stateless. Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn. She denounced rights violations in an address to the nation last week and vowed that abusers would be prosecuted. She also said the government was trying to determine why so many people fled. Seven UN experts, including Yanghee Lee, special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, called on Suu Kyi to meet Rohingya to hear for herself the reasons for their exodus. "No one chooses, especially not in the hundreds of thousands, to leave their homes and ancestral land, no matter how poor the conditions, to flee to a strange land to live under plastic sheets and in dire circumstances, except in life-threatening situations," they said. They called on Myanmar to provide humanitarian access to Rakhine state, where the military has been restricting entry. Suu Kyi has little, if any, control over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution that also bars her from the presidency and gives the military veto power over political reform. Myanmar has seen a surge of Buddhist nationalism in recent years, and the public is supportive of the campaign against the insurgents. Since Sunday, the army has unearthed the bodies of 45 members of Myanmar's small Hindu community who authorities say were killed by the insurgents soon after the violence erupted. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which has claimed attacks on the security forces since October, denied killing the villagers. Some Hindus have fled to Bangladesh. Others have taken refuge in Myanmar towns, accusing the insurgents of attacking them on suspicion of being government spies.

Murder, rape of Rohingyas in Myanmar: Human Rights Watch

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will publicly brief the Security Council on Thursday on violence in Myanmar, which he has described as ethnic cleansing after seven countries on the 15-member body requested the meeting.

Sweden, the United States, Britain, France, Egypt, Senegal, and Kazakhstan requested the meeting.

In preparation for Thursday&#39;s public meeting, the council will be briefed behind closed doors on Tuesday by UN&nbsp;political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman, diplomats said.

Some 436,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants triggered a military crackdown.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump wants the UN&nbsp;Security Council to take &quot;strong and swift action&quot; to end the violence, Vice President Mike Pence said last Wednesday.

The council has already met twice behind closed doors since the Rohingya crisis began and earlier this month issued an informal statement to the press condemning the situation and urging Myanmar authorities to end the violence.

Diplomats say the Security Council could consider adopting a formal statement if the situation does not improve, but China and Russia are unlikely to agree to a stronger action that would require the adoption of a resolution they could veto.

A Security Council resolution would need nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain, and France.

Myanmar said earlier this month it was negotiating with veto powers China and Russia to ensure Myanmar would be protected from any Security Council action.

Myanmar said earlier this month it was negotiating with veto powers China and Russia to ensure Myanmar would be protected from any Security Council action.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will publicly brief the Security Council on Thursday on violence in Myanmar, which he has described as ethnic cleansing after seven countries on the 15-member body requested the meeting. Sweden, the United States, Britain, France, Egypt, Senegal, and Kazakhstan requested the meeting. In preparation for Thursday's public meeting, the council will be briefed behind closed doors on Tuesday by UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman, diplomats said. Some 436,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants triggered a military crackdown. US President Donald Trump wants the UN Security Council to take "strong and swift action" to end the violence, Vice President Mike Pence said last Wednesday. The council has already met twice behind closed doors since the Rohingya crisis began and earlier this month issued an informal statement to the press condemning the situation and urging Myanmar authorities to end the violence. Diplomats say the Security Council could consider adopting a formal statement if the situation does not improve, but China and Russia are unlikely to agree to a stronger action that would require the adoption of a resolution they could veto. A Security Council resolution would need nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain, and France. Myanmar said earlier this month it was negotiating with veto powers China and Russia to ensure Myanmar would be protected from any Security Council action.

UN chief to brief Security Council on Myanmar on Thursday

Myanmar government forces found on Sunday the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hindus-of-myanmar-suffer-as-much-as-the-rohingyas-20219"> bodies of 28 Hindu villagers </a>who authorities suspected were killed by Muslim insurgents last month, at the beginning of a spasm of violence that has sent 430,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-violence-thousands-of-rohingyas-enter-bangladesh-more-stranded-in-no-mans-land-19554">The latest violence in western Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State began on Aug. 25</a> when ARSA militants attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence

The United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing a sweeping government offensive in the north of Rakhine State in response to those attacks.&nbsp;

The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar has said more than 400 people have been killed, most of the insurgents. It rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying it is fighting terrorists.

Members of the small Hindu minority appear to have been caught in the middle. Some have fled to Bangladesh, complaining of violence against them by soldiers or Buddhist vigilantes. Others have complained of being attacked by the insurgents on suspicion of being government spies.

The government said a search was mounted near Ye Baw Kya village in the north of Rakhine State after a refugee in Bangladesh contacted a Hindu community leader in Myanmar. The refugee said about 300 ARSA militants had marched about 100 people out of the village on Aug. 25 and killed them.&nbsp;

Twenty of the dead were female and eight were male children, the government said.

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.&nbsp;

&quot;They forced eight female villagers to convert to the Islamic religion and took them to Bangladesh,&quot; the government said.

A government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said the security forces were investigating.

Access to the area by journalists as well as human rights workers and aid workers is largely restricted and Reuters could not independently verify the report.

An ARSA spokesman said he believed Buddhist nationalists trying to divide Hindus and Muslims were behind the &quot;lies&quot; that ARSA militants had killed the villagers.

&quot;ARSA has internationally pledged not to target civilians and that remains unchanged no matter what,&quot; the spokesman, who is based in a neighbouring country and identified himself only as Abdullah, told Reuters through a messaging service.

MALAYSIAN OBJECTION

The violence in Rakhine State and the exodus of refugees is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year as part of a transition away from nearly 50 years of harsh military rule.

Bangladesh and aid organisations are struggling to help the Rohingya refugees there, while aid agencies fear a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the north of Rakhine State, where rights groups say nearly half of all Muslim villages have been torched.

The United States and the United Nations have called for an end to the violence, unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone and for the right of those who have fled to go home safely.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not speaking out more forcefully against the violence or doing more to rein in security forces over which she has little power.

The chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, issued a statement urging all parties to avoid worsening the situation on the ground and calling for a &quot;viable and long-term solutions to the root causes of the conflict&quot;.

Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed concern about the situation, with Malaysia in particular being critical of Myanmar.

In a rare show of disagreement in the 10-member grouping, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman later said Malaysia disassociated itself from the statement as it misrepresented the &quot;reality of the situation&quot; and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities.

Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of Rakhine State are not a distinct ethnic group but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

This month, Malaysia summoned Myanmar&#39;s ambassador to express displeasure over the violence in Myanmar. It also &quot;expressed grave concerns over such atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis&quot;.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians.

Myanmar government forces found on Sunday the bodies of 28 Hindu villagers who authorities suspected were killed by Muslim insurgents last month, at the beginning of a spasm of violence that has sent 430,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians. The latest violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine State began on Aug. 25 when ARSA militants attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people. Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence The United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing a sweeping government offensive in the north of Rakhine State in response to those attacks. The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar has said more than 400 people have been killed, most of the insurgents. It rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying it is fighting terrorists. Members of the small Hindu minority appear to have been caught in the middle. Some have fled to Bangladesh, complaining of violence against them by soldiers or Buddhist vigilantes. Others have complained of being attacked by the insurgents on suspicion of being government spies. The government said a search was mounted near Ye Baw Kya village in the north of Rakhine State after a refugee in Bangladesh contacted a Hindu community leader in Myanmar. The refugee said about 300 ARSA militants had marched about 100 people out of the village on Aug. 25 and killed them. Twenty of the dead were female and eight were male children, the government said. Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence. "They forced eight female villagers to convert to the Islamic religion and took them to Bangladesh," the government said. A government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said the security forces were investigating. Access to the area by journalists as well as human rights workers and aid workers is largely restricted and Reuters could not independently verify the report. An ARSA spokesman said he believed Buddhist nationalists trying to divide Hindus and Muslims were behind the "lies" that ARSA militants had killed the villagers. "ARSA has internationally pledged not to target civilians and that remains unchanged no matter what," the spokesman, who is based in a neighbouring country and identified himself only as Abdullah, told Reuters through a messaging service. MALAYSIAN OBJECTION The violence in Rakhine State and the exodus of refugees is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year as part of a transition away from nearly 50 years of harsh military rule. Bangladesh and aid organisations are struggling to help the Rohingya refugees there, while aid agencies fear a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the north of Rakhine State, where rights groups say nearly half of all Muslim villages have been torched. The United States and the United Nations have called for an end to the violence, unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone and for the right of those who have fled to go home safely. Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not speaking out more forcefully against the violence or doing more to rein in security forces over which she has little power. The chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, issued a statement urging all parties to avoid worsening the situation on the ground and calling for a "viable and long-term solutions to the root causes of the conflict". Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed concern about the situation, with Malaysia in particular being critical of Myanmar. In a rare show of disagreement in the 10-member grouping, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman later said Malaysia disassociated itself from the statement as it misrepresented the "reality of the situation" and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities. Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of Rakhine State are not a distinct ethnic group but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This month, Malaysia summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express displeasure over the violence in Myanmar. It also "expressed grave concerns over such atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis".

Myanmar says bodies of 28 Hindu villagers found in Rakhine State

Myanmar&#39;s army said Sunday it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence.

The announcement could not be independently verified in a region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar&#39;s army.

&quot;Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State,&quot; a statement posted on the army chief&#39;s website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground.&nbsp;

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.&nbsp;

Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya militants.

Corpses in rows

The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten.

A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said.&nbsp;

Unverifiable photos published by the government&#39;s Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on the grass near two mud pits where they were found.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity.&nbsp;

The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik.

Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest.

Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the militants.

The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar.

The epicentre of the unrest, in northern Rakhine, is dominated by Rohingya Muslims who are a minority elsewhere and have been the target of decades of state-backed persecution and discrimination.

Around half of their estimated 1.1 million population has fled over the last year.

Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups.

Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence.

But the scale of the latest unrest is the worst to hit the region in years.&nbsp;

While the wretched lines of Rohingya streaming into Bangladesh have shocked and alarmed the world, there is scant sympathy for the Muslim group inside Myanmar.&nbsp;

Many in the Buddhist majority view the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite their long-established roots in the country.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence

Myanmar's army said Sunday it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants. Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence. The announcement could not be independently verified in a region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar's army. "Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief's website said. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority. More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground. Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence. Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya militants. Corpses in rows The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten. A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said. Unverifiable photos published by the government's Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on the grass near two mud pits where they were found. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity. The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik. Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest. Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the militants. The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar. The epicentre of the unrest, in northern Rakhine, is dominated by Rohingya Muslims who are a minority elsewhere and have been the target of decades of state-backed persecution and discrimination. Around half of their estimated 1.1 million population has fled over the last year. Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups. Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence. But the scale of the latest unrest is the worst to hit the region in years. While the wretched lines of Rohingya streaming into Bangladesh have shocked and alarmed the world, there is scant sympathy for the Muslim group inside Myanmar. Many in the Buddhist majority view the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite their long-established roots in the country.

Mass grave of 28 Hindus found in Rakhine: Myanmar Army

Myanmar&#39;s army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning.

The unrest comes days after Myanmar&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared troops had ceased &quot;clearance operations&quot; in the border area that have forced more than 430,000 Rohingya refugees to flee for Bangladesh in under a month.

The army claims it is targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts on August 25. But its operation has been so sweeping and brutal that the UN says it likely amounts to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of the Rohingya Muslim minority, a group reviled by many in the mainly Buddhist country.&nbsp;

On Saturday Myanmar&#39;s commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying Rohingya militants planted a &quot;home-made mine&quot; that exploded in between a mosque and madrasa in northern Rakhine&#39;s Buthidaung township on Friday.

The army chief accused the militants of trying to drive out around 700 villagers who have remained in Mi Chaung Zay an argument analysts have said makes little sense for a group whose power depends on the networks it has built across Rohingya communities.&nbsp;

&quot;As our villagers did not want to leave their homes, the terrorists blew up the bomb during the prayer time as a way of terrorizing the villagers,&quot; the army chief&#39;s statement said.

&quot;It is the act of ARSA terrorist group,&quot; it added, using an acronym for the Rohingya militant group whose raids on police posts in August triggered the military backlash.

No one was reported injured in the explosion.

With the government blocking access to the conflict zone, it is difficult to verify the swirl of claims and counterclaims over who is driving the unrest, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus.

But rights groups say there is overwhelming evidence that the army is using its crackdown on militants to&nbsp;systematically purge the 1.1-million strong stateless Rohingya from its borders.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-us-official-barred-from-rohingya-conflict-zone-20306" target="_blank">Also Read: Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone</a>

Fires and landmines

On Friday Amnesty International said new videos and satellite imagery confirmed fires were still ripping through Rohingya villages, scores of which have already been burned to the ground.&nbsp;

&quot;Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to,&quot; said Tirana Hasan from Amnesty.

According to government figures, nearly 40 percent of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine have been completely abandoned over the past month.&nbsp;

Many of those who stayed behind are now living in isolated Muslim communities, gripped by fear and cut off from crucial aid, according to the UN&#39;s humanitarian coordination office, UNOCHA.&nbsp;

&quot;Following continuous threats from local Rakhine people to leave, many of these vulnerable people are so terrified that they are calling the Government, the UN and others asking for additional measures to protect them,&quot; UNOCHA said in its latest update.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday also echoed allegations from Bangladeshi officials that Myanmar security forces were laying landmines along the border, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have crossed in the largest mass refugee movement in recent decades.&nbsp;

&quot;The dangers faced by thousands of Rohingya fleeing atrocities in Burma are deadly enough without adding landmines to the mix,&quot; said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW&#39;s South Asia director.

&quot;The Burmese military needs to stop using these banned weapons, which kill and maim without distinction.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Myanmar's army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning

Myanmar's army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning. The unrest comes days after Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared troops had ceased "clearance operations" in the border area that have forced more than 430,000 Rohingya refugees to flee for Bangladesh in under a month. The army claims it is targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts on August 25. But its operation has been so sweeping and brutal that the UN says it likely amounts to "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya Muslim minority, a group reviled by many in the mainly Buddhist country. On Saturday Myanmar's commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying Rohingya militants planted a "home-made mine" that exploded in between a mosque and madrasa in northern Rakhine's Buthidaung township on Friday. The army chief accused the militants of trying to drive out around 700 villagers who have remained in Mi Chaung Zay an argument analysts have said makes little sense for a group whose power depends on the networks it has built across Rohingya communities. "As our villagers did not want to leave their homes, the terrorists blew up the bomb during the prayer time as a way of terrorizing the villagers," the army chief's statement said. "It is the act of ARSA terrorist group," it added, using an acronym for the Rohingya militant group whose raids on police posts in August triggered the military backlash. No one was reported injured in the explosion. With the government blocking access to the conflict zone, it is difficult to verify the swirl of claims and counterclaims over who is driving the unrest, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus. But rights groups say there is overwhelming evidence that the army is using its crackdown on militants to systematically purge the 1.1-million strong stateless Rohingya from its borders. Also Read: Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone Fires and landmines On Friday Amnesty International said new videos and satellite imagery confirmed fires were still ripping through Rohingya villages, scores of which have already been burned to the ground. "Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to," said Tirana Hasan from Amnesty. According to government figures, nearly 40 percent of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine have been completely abandoned over the past month. Many of those who stayed behind are now living in isolated Muslim communities, gripped by fear and cut off from crucial aid, according to the UN's humanitarian coordination office, UNOCHA. "Following continuous threats from local Rakhine people to leave, many of these vulnerable people are so terrified that they are calling the Government, the UN and others asking for additional measures to protect them," UNOCHA said in its latest update. Human Rights Watch on Saturday also echoed allegations from Bangladeshi officials that Myanmar security forces were laying landmines along the border, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have crossed in the largest mass refugee movement in recent decades. "The dangers faced by thousands of Rohingya fleeing atrocities in Burma are deadly enough without adding landmines to the mix," said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW's South Asia director. "The Burmese military needs to stop using these banned weapons, which kill and maim without distinction."

Fires rage in Rakhine as Myanmar army blames Rohingya for mosque blast

By Snehashree Mukherjee

India is considering supplying arms to&nbsp;the&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s government in a&nbsp;strong sign of&nbsp;support&nbsp;at&nbsp;a time when Western countries are stepping up pressure on&nbsp;the Myanmar government to let-up the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims of its northwestern Rakhine state.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Defence&nbsp;analysts, however, say that this move is crucial given the 16,000 km of shared land border between India and Myanmar and its porous nature.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&ldquo;The fact that&nbsp;the&nbsp;Myanmar Army&nbsp;chief on his visit to India met the&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;PM&nbsp;Narendra Modi&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Indian&nbsp;defence&nbsp;minister,&nbsp;points clearly to the fact that&nbsp;India is trying to prevent&nbsp;a&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;stronghold in Burma,&quot;&nbsp;defence&nbsp;analyst&nbsp;Lt-Gen&nbsp;Raj&nbsp;Kadyan&nbsp;(Retd)&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

Emphasising&nbsp;on the geo-political importance of Indo-Myanmar&nbsp;defence&nbsp;ties, Lt-Gen&nbsp;Kadyan&nbsp;said:&nbsp;&quot;India&nbsp;shares 16,000&nbsp;km&nbsp;of land border and maritime border in Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. Apart from that Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur share&nbsp;the border with&nbsp;Myanmar, and we are talking about porous border as the areas are all hilly.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&ldquo;The&nbsp;well-placed&nbsp;understanding between&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;and Indian Army is such that soldiers from both side, in chase of&nbsp;militants,&nbsp;might even cross the border.&nbsp;Recently,&nbsp;Indian army killed two&nbsp;militants&nbsp;at Indo-Myanmar&nbsp;border.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Commenting further on India&#39;s decision to discuss enhancing&nbsp;military&nbsp;cooperation with its eastern&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;and training Myanmar sailors&nbsp;in some of India&#39;s&nbsp;top&nbsp;courses taught to its army officers at elite Indian&nbsp;defence&nbsp;institutions, he&nbsp;said:&nbsp;&quot;India&nbsp;and Myanmar had officers for&nbsp;defence&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;programmes&nbsp;even in the past. There are many Indian army officers who have been trained at&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;defence&nbsp;institutions for UN peacekeeping programmes. Also,&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;navy officers,&nbsp;amongst other trainees from different countries,&nbsp;are part of exchange&nbsp;programmes&nbsp;under&nbsp;the&nbsp;defence&nbsp;sector. &rdquo;&nbsp;

Former&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;ambassador to Myanmar&nbsp;Gautam&nbsp;Mukherjee&nbsp;said: &ldquo;Such&nbsp;defence&nbsp;relations are for capacity building and has been growing steadily over the years.&rdquo; Reflecting on the past relations he&nbsp;added:&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s&nbsp;mainly from&nbsp;year&nbsp;2000 that India- Myanmar has made conscious effort to improve bilateral ties. It happened&nbsp;mainly&nbsp;after Suu Kyi&#39;s release from house arrest and President Thein Sein&#39;s USDP&nbsp;ascent to&nbsp;power.&rdquo;&nbsp;

&ldquo;Otherwise,&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;past, we also have incidents where&nbsp;well-to-do Indians who dominated the Myanmar economy&nbsp;left&nbsp;during the pro-democracy agitations&nbsp;of 1988.&rdquo;&nbsp;

When asked if Indo-Myanmar&nbsp;defence&nbsp;ties give any message regarding&nbsp;the&nbsp;Rohingya issue,&nbsp;Mukherjee&nbsp;said:&nbsp;&quot;The&nbsp;Rohingyas&nbsp;are&nbsp;a national issue&nbsp;(for India).&nbsp;The decision of deporting&nbsp;Rohingyas&nbsp;has nothing to do with Indo-Myanmar ties.&nbsp;It rather deals with the national security concerns.&rdquo;&nbsp;

On the deportation of 40,000 Rohingya Muslims,&nbsp;Indian home&nbsp;minister&nbsp;Rajnath&nbsp;Singh commented on Thursday,&nbsp;&ldquo;Rohingya Muslims staying in India are not refugees,&nbsp;but illegal immigrants from Myanmar&rdquo;.&nbsp;

On&nbsp;the&nbsp;Rohingya issue&nbsp;Lt-Gen&nbsp;Kadyan&nbsp;also concurred, &quot;When&nbsp;it comes to national&nbsp;security, one must not enter into any mode of debate. As far as&nbsp;humanitarian&nbsp;grounds are concerned, India is providing aid to Bangladesh to support the Rohingya refugees.&quot;&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the&nbsp;commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Navy,&nbsp;Admiral&nbsp;Tin Aung San met&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;defence&nbsp;minister Nirmala&nbsp;Sitaraman&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Chiefs&nbsp;of India&#39;s army,&nbsp;Navy and Air&nbsp;Force.&nbsp;The&nbsp;two sides are&nbsp;discussing&nbsp;the offshore patrol boats, a&nbsp;military&nbsp;official said.&nbsp;

On the other hand,&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;said this week it was suspending its training&nbsp;programme&nbsp;for the Myanmar military, demanding it takes steps to end the violence against civilians.&nbsp;

India is considering supplying arms to?the?Myanmar's government in a?strong sign of?support?at?a time when Western countries are stepping up pressure to let-up the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine

By Snehashree Mukherjee India is considering supplying arms to the Myanmar's government in a strong sign of support at a time when Western countries are stepping up pressure on the Myanmar government to let-up the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims of its northwestern Rakhine state. Defence analysts, however, say that this move is crucial given the 16,000 km of shared land border between India and Myanmar and its porous nature. “The fact that the Myanmar Army chief on his visit to India met the Indian PM Narendra Modi and the Indian defence minister, points clearly to the fact that India is trying to prevent a Chinese stronghold in Burma," defence analyst Lt-Gen Raj Kadyan (Retd) said. Emphasising on the geo-political importance of Indo-Myanmar defence ties, Lt-Gen Kadyan said: "India shares 16,000 km of land border and maritime border in Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. Apart from that Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur share the border with Myanmar, and we are talking about porous border as the areas are all hilly.” “The well-placed understanding between Myanmar and Indian Army is such that soldiers from both side, in chase of militants, might even cross the border. Recently, Indian army killed two militants at Indo-Myanmar border.” Commenting further on India's decision to discuss enhancing military cooperation with its eastern neighbour and training Myanmar sailors in some of India's top courses taught to its army officers at elite Indian defence institutions, he said: "India and Myanmar had officers for defence exchange programmes even in the past. There are many Indian army officers who have been trained at Myanmar defence institutions for UN peacekeeping programmes. Also, Myanmar navy officers, amongst other trainees from different countries, are part of exchange programmes under the defence sector. ” Former Indian ambassador to Myanmar Gautam Mukherjee said: “Such defence relations are for capacity building and has been growing steadily over the years.” Reflecting on the past relations he added: "It's mainly from year 2000 that India- Myanmar has made conscious effort to improve bilateral ties. It happened mainly after Suu Kyi's release from house arrest and President Thein Sein's USDP ascent to power.” “Otherwise, in the past, we also have incidents where well-to-do Indians who dominated the Myanmar economy left during the pro-democracy agitations of 1988.” When asked if Indo-Myanmar defence ties give any message regarding the Rohingya issue, Mukherjee said: "The Rohingyas are a national issue (for India). The decision of deporting Rohingyas has nothing to do with Indo-Myanmar ties. It rather deals with the national security concerns.” On the deportation of 40,000 Rohingya Muslims, Indian home minister Rajnath Singh commented on Thursday, “Rohingya Muslims staying in India are not refugees, but illegal immigrants from Myanmar”. On the Rohingya issue Lt-Gen Kadyan also concurred, "When it comes to national security, one must not enter into any mode of debate. As far as humanitarian grounds are concerned, India is providing aid to Bangladesh to support the Rohingya refugees." On Wednesday, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Navy, Admiral Tin Aung San met Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitaraman and the Chiefs of India's army, Navy and Air Force. The two sides are discussing the offshore patrol boats, a military official said. On the other hand, Britain said this week it was suspending its training programme for the Myanmar military, demanding it takes steps to end the violence against civilians.

Web exclusive: India extends defence support to Myanmar, crucial to prevent Chinese stronghold

India&#39;s home minister Rajnath Singh has said India will not be violating any international law by deporting Rohingya refugess from the country.&nbsp;

Singh said that was because India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.&nbsp;

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India won&#39;t be violating any international law by deporting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rohingyas?src=hash">#Rohingyas</a> from India, as it isn&#39;t a signatory to 1951 UN Refugee Convention: HM <a href="https://t.co/diVMprFndj">pic.twitter.com/diVMprFndj</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/910755234212745216">September 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Singh added that the &quot;Principle of non-refoulement applies on those who have taken asylum in India. No Rohingya has applied for asylum in India till today.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Non-refoulement&quot; is defined as &quot;a fundamental principle of international law which forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on &#39;race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion&#39;.&quot;

He added that &quot;People should understand that one aspect of illegal immigration of Rohingyas is related with the national security.&quot;&nbsp;

There are some 40,000 Rohingya who are registered with the UNHCR as currently living in India.&nbsp;

The government had recently told the Supreme Court that the Rohingyas are a national security risk.&nbsp;

And that some Rohingyas living in India may have links with Pakistani terror groups.&nbsp;

Singh said that was because India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention

India's home minister Rajnath Singh has said India will not be violating any international law by deporting Rohingya refugess from the country. Singh said that was because India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. India won't be violating any international law by deporting #Rohingyas from India, as it isn't a signatory to 1951 UN Refugee Convention: HM pic.twitter.com/diVMprFndj — ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2017 × Singh added that the "Principle of non-refoulement applies on those who have taken asylum in India. No Rohingya has applied for asylum in India till today." "Non-refoulement" is defined as "a fundamental principle of international law which forbids a country receiving asylum seekers from returning them to a country in which they would be in likely danger of persecution based on 'race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion'." He added that "People should understand that one aspect of illegal immigration of Rohingyas is related with the national security." There are some 40,000 Rohingya who are registered with the UNHCR as currently living in India. The government had recently told the Supreme Court that the Rohingyas are a national security risk. And that some Rohingyas living in India may have links with Pakistani terror groups.

India will not violate any international law by deporting Rohingyas: Rajnath Singh

Myanmar&#39;s&nbsp;army&nbsp;chief&nbsp;called on Thursday for people&nbsp;internally displaced&nbsp;by violence in&nbsp;Rakhine&nbsp;State to go home and rebuild communities, but he made no mention of 422,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape his force&#39;s operations.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in a major speech on his plans for&nbsp;Rakhine&nbsp;state on his first visit there since the latest strife erupted, said the military had handled the situation as best as it could after a wave of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug. 25.

The United Nations has said the military response to the insurgent attacks is ethnic cleansing aimed at pushing the Rohingya Muslim community out of Buddhist-majority&nbsp;Myanmar.

Myanmar&nbsp;denies that, saying its forces are waging a legitimate campaign against Muslim terrorists who have been attacking and torching villages of Buddhists and other non-Muslims, some 30,000 of whom were&nbsp;internally&nbsp;displaced.

Min Aung Hlaing did not mention the accusation of ethnic cleansing in his speech to business people, officials and some of the&nbsp;displaced, in Sittwe, the state capital.

&quot;Regarding the rehabilitation of villages of our national races, for the national races who fled their homes, first of all they must go back to their places,&quot; he said.

&quot;National races&quot; is a&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;term referring to members of officially recognised indigenous ethnic groups who make up the diverse nation.

The Rohingya are not recognised as a &quot;national race&quot;, and are instead seen as illegal immigrants and denied citizenship.

Animosity between Buddhists in&nbsp;Rakhine&nbsp;state and the Rohingya goes back generations, but has seethed in recent years, fuelled in part by a surge of Buddhist nationalism since nearly five decades of strict military rule came to an end.

&quot;The important thing is to have our people in the region. It&#39;s necessary to have control of our region with our national races,&quot; Min Aung Hlaing said.

&quot;We can&#39;t-do anything if there are no people from our national races ... that is their rightful place.&quot;

Min Aung Hlaing did not refer to the&nbsp;return&nbsp;of Muslims to their villages in the north of the state, almost half of which have been abandoned and torched.

The crisis has drawn international condemnation and calls from the United Nations and U.S. President Donald Trump for the military to stop the violence and support diplomatic efforts for a long-term solution for the Rohingya.

Myanmar&nbsp;leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in her first address to the nation on the crisis on Tuesday, said&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;was ready to start a verification process to take back refugees, under a 1993 arrangement with Bangladesh.

&quot;Refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem,&quot; she said.

Min Aung Hlaing did not mention the&nbsp;return&nbsp;of refugees from Bangladesh.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in a major speech on his plans for?Rakhine?state on his first visit there since the latest strife erupted, said the military had handled the situation as best as it could after a wave of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug. 25.

Myanmar's army chief called on Thursday for people internally displaced by violence in Rakhine State to go home and rebuild communities, but he made no mention of 422,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape his force's operations. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in a major speech on his plans for Rakhine state on his first visit there since the latest strife erupted, said the military had handled the situation as best as it could after a wave of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug. 25. The United Nations has said the military response to the insurgent attacks is ethnic cleansing aimed at pushing the Rohingya Muslim community out of Buddhist-majority Myanmar. Myanmar denies that, saying its forces are waging a legitimate campaign against Muslim terrorists who have been attacking and torching villages of Buddhists and other non-Muslims, some 30,000 of whom were internally displaced. Min Aung Hlaing did not mention the accusation of ethnic cleansing in his speech to business people, officials and some of the displaced, in Sittwe, the state capital. "Regarding the rehabilitation of villages of our national races, for the national races who fled their homes, first of all they must go back to their places," he said. "National races" is a Myanmar term referring to members of officially recognised indigenous ethnic groups who make up the diverse nation. The Rohingya are not recognised as a "national race", and are instead seen as illegal immigrants and denied citizenship. Animosity between Buddhists in Rakhine state and the Rohingya goes back generations, but has seethed in recent years, fuelled in part by a surge of Buddhist nationalism since nearly five decades of strict military rule came to an end. "The important thing is to have our people in the region. It's necessary to have control of our region with our national races," Min Aung Hlaing said. "We can't-do anything if there are no people from our national races ... that is their rightful place." Min Aung Hlaing did not refer to the return of Muslims to their villages in the north of the state, almost half of which have been abandoned and torched. The crisis has drawn international condemnation and calls from the United Nations and U.S. President Donald Trump for the military to stop the violence and support diplomatic efforts for a long-term solution for the Rohingya. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in her first address to the nation on the crisis on Tuesday, said Myanmar was ready to start a verification process to take back refugees, under a 1993 arrangement with Bangladesh. "Refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem," she said. Min Aung Hlaing did not mention the return of refugees from Bangladesh.

Myanmar army chief urges internally displaced to return to Rakhine

&ldquo;This is not just a diplomatic briefing, but in some ways, a friendly appeal to all those who wish Myanmar well,&rdquo; said Myanmar&rsquo;s State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her characteristically sombre tone, at the end of her public address on 19 September.

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<h5>Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine.</h5>
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The speech came at a time when the Nobel Peace laureate finds herself in a thick swamp over her passivity on the alleged use of disproportionate and extrajudicial force by state security forces against the stateless community of Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

Damage Control

The State Counsellor&rsquo;s speech, delivered in English for international consumption, came in lieu of her absence at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly held on the same date. In words that were heavily weighed, she offered a fairly broad and ostensibly neutral narrative aimed at damage-control.&nbsp;

Much unlike how the Tatmadaw (military) would have addressed criticism from the outside, the Lady&rsquo;s tone was one of conciliation rather than abrasive dismissal. She was fully aware of the importance of the global community of active and passive stakeholders that she was addressing in consolidating Myanmar&rsquo;s image as a progressive democracy. This was a target audience that the Lady does not wish to lose anytime soon.

However, the speech has been met with damning criticism from certain quarters of the international community. &ldquo;Too little, too late&rdquo;, &ldquo;disappointing&rdquo;, &ldquo;shameful&rdquo;, &quot;little more than a mix of untruths and victim blaming&quot; are some of the phrases that were employed to describe it. As she herself conceded in an interview with ANI next day, Suu Kyi stuck to Naypyidaw&rsquo;s standard narrative on the Rakhine/Rohingya issue, the crux of which is that the situation is complex, warrants the time to resolve, and is being misrepresented in the international media.

Let&#39;s take a look at some of the key themes in her cautiously-framed narrative, and the veracity of the claims made under them.

Rule of Law and Human Rights Violations

Suu Kyi said that her government was committed to the rule of law and condemned all forms of human rights violations and unlawful violence. She said that the security forces were under instructions to adhere to a strict code of conduct and exercise maximum restraint insofar as their operations in northern Rakhine are concerned.

However, these statements carry little value without corresponding evidence from the ground which is impossible owing to the security lockdown imposed in the core conflict zone.

The closest to any &lsquo;evidence&rsquo; that we have at the moment are the countless eyewitness accounts of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, which paint an entirely different picture. This is further backed up by satellite images released recently showing entire villages razed to the ground. The government, so far, has not furnished any solid material counter-evidence to thwart this accusatory narrative.

Further, &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; is always a non-starter when serious allegations of human rights abuses by state forces are concerned. In fact, on many occasions, the law is used as a shield of legitimacy to carry out a draconian action. Such a broad mandate often leads to excessive use of force and overkill when combatants are diffused within a bigger non-combatant civilian population, like in this case. The situation is somewhat similar to India&rsquo;s use of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in insurgent areas.

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<h5>Temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement.&nbsp;</h5>
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The Situation on the Ground

Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. She, however, stated that 50 per cent of the Rohingya villages is intact. Even if we take this at face value without triangulating it with material evidence (which remains obscure for now), the obvious question that pops up is: what happened to the other 50 per cent? Who burnt them?&nbsp;

She also stated that the government had launched relief and resettlement programmes on 27 August, two days after the attack. However, almost all media reports tell us that these programmes, involving temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement.&nbsp;

Exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh

Suu Kyi&rsquo;s comments on the continuing mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh were met with sharp criticism and apprehension by international observers. She said that &lsquo;most&rsquo; of the Muslims had not fled, and called upon the international community to visit northern Rakhine and speak to these Rohingyas who chose to stay back. She also stated that the government wants to find out why the exodus was happening and that it wants to talk to those who had fled.

These are, at best, tactical comments aimed at deflection. Fact remains that 4 lakh Rohingyas have already crossed the perilous border, at least according to UN agencies operating in the area. Considering that around 10 lakh Rohingyas live in northern Rakhine, the displaced indeed accounts for just a part of the entire Muslim population. But, 4 lakh is not a small figure in itself and neither is the proportion of displaced so paltry that it ought to be dismissed.

Her cautiously minced statement does not issue any clear invitation to talk to the displaced - something that it believes is reserved for the state authorities alone.

Observers have also accused her of sounding ignorant for wondering what the reasons for the exodus could be. While she might have been fed inaccurate information about the ground reality in northern Rakhine, this seems to be another strategically-framed narrative like the rest. In asking this question, Suu Kyi implicitly absolved the military of responsibility for the ongoing displacement and shifted the blame to elements beyond the control of her government. The idea that she wants to project is that if the refugee exodus was indeed because of the state&rsquo;s conduct, then she would certainly know the reason.

One of the most crucial elements under this theme that Suu Kyi talked about was her government&rsquo;s willingness to engage with the government of Bangladesh to resolve the refugee crisis. She stated that Myanmar is willing to begin the National Verification Process (NVP) - a policy to ascertain the citizenship of non-citizen Rakhine residents, Rohingyas included - and repatriate refugees in Bangladesh in adherence to the principles agreed upon by the two countries in 1993 under UN supervision.

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This is a welcome move that addresses the root of the problem i.e. citizenship rights for Rohingyas. However, while the NVP has been termed as a nominal policy to partially rehabilitate roving refugees in Rakhine (without giving them full citizenship status), the 1993 guidelines earlier came under scrutiny for violating international law by repatriating refugees in Bangladesh against their own wishes. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given &ldquo;green cards&rdquo; (temporary resident status).&nbsp;

For now, the exact provisions of both remain, at best, dubious. Further, Suu Kyi said that all those who are legitimately accepted as &lsquo;refugees&rsquo; (in Myanmar) would receive full state entitlements, including security and access to humanitarian aid. What would happen to the rest remains unclear as ever?

An Exercise in Vain?

Clearly, the State Counsellor&rsquo;s speech was fraught with grave inconsistencies, those that third-party observers are ready to pounce on and expose. Thus, this exercise in damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the situation in northern Rakhine.&nbsp;

However, the overall tone of the narrative was not of denial, which is a refreshing break from past official narratives. It was, nonetheless, ridden with passive omissions. Truth is that the Lady does not enjoy full autonomy when it comes to handling the ground situation in the affected conflict zone. The Tatmadaw is the key decision-making authority in this regard; and, thanks to the civilian government&rsquo;s delicate relationship with the ever-powerful army, Suu Kyi remains tied to the ground for now.

Aung Suu Kyi's attempt at damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the Rohingya situation.

“This is not just a diplomatic briefing, but in some ways, a friendly appeal to all those who wish Myanmar well,” said Myanmar’s State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her characteristically sombre tone, at the end of her public address on 19 September. Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. × The speech came at a time when the Nobel Peace laureate finds herself in a thick swamp over her passivity on the alleged use of disproportionate and extrajudicial force by state security forces against the stateless community of Rohingya Muslims. Damage Control The State Counsellor’s speech, delivered in English for international consumption, came in lieu of her absence at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly held on the same date. In words that were heavily weighed, she offered a fairly broad and ostensibly neutral narrative aimed at damage-control. Much unlike how the Tatmadaw (military) would have addressed criticism from the outside, the Lady’s tone was one of conciliation rather than abrasive dismissal. She was fully aware of the importance of the global community of active and passive stakeholders that she was addressing in consolidating Myanmar’s image as a progressive democracy. This was a target audience that the Lady does not wish to lose anytime soon. However, the speech has been met with damning criticism from certain quarters of the international community. “Too little, too late”, “disappointing”, “shameful”, "little more than a mix of untruths and victim blaming" are some of the phrases that were employed to describe it. As she herself conceded in an interview with ANI next day, Suu Kyi stuck to Naypyidaw’s standard narrative on the Rakhine/Rohingya issue, the crux of which is that the situation is complex, warrants the time to resolve, and is being misrepresented in the international media. Let's take a look at some of the key themes in her cautiously-framed narrative, and the veracity of the claims made under them. Rule of Law and Human Rights Violations Suu Kyi said that her government was committed to the rule of law and condemned all forms of human rights violations and unlawful violence. She said that the security forces were under instructions to adhere to a strict code of conduct and exercise maximum restraint insofar as their operations in northern Rakhine are concerned. However, these statements carry little value without corresponding evidence from the ground which is impossible owing to the security lockdown imposed in the core conflict zone. The closest to any ‘evidence’ that we have at the moment are the countless eyewitness accounts of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, which paint an entirely different picture. This is further backed up by satellite images released recently showing entire villages razed to the ground. The government, so far, has not furnished any solid material counter-evidence to thwart this accusatory narrative. Further, ‘rule of law’ is always a non-starter when serious allegations of human rights abuses by state forces are concerned. In fact, on many occasions, the law is used as a shield of legitimacy to carry out a draconian action. Such a broad mandate often leads to excessive use of force and overkill when combatants are diffused within a bigger non-combatant civilian population, like in this case. The situation is somewhat similar to India’s use of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in insurgent areas. Temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement. × The Situation on the Ground Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. She, however, stated that 50 per cent of the Rohingya villages is intact. Even if we take this at face value without triangulating it with material evidence (which remains obscure for now), the obvious question that pops up is: what happened to the other 50 per cent? Who burnt them? She also stated that the government had launched relief and resettlement programmes on 27 August, two days after the attack. However, almost all media reports tell us that these programmes, involving temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement. Exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh Suu Kyi’s comments on the continuing mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh were met with sharp criticism and apprehension by international observers. She said that ‘most’ of the Muslims had not fled, and called upon the international community to visit northern Rakhine and speak to these Rohingyas who chose to stay back. She also stated that the government wants to find out why the exodus was happening and that it wants to talk to those who had fled. These are, at best, tactical comments aimed at deflection. Fact remains that 4 lakh Rohingyas have already crossed the perilous border, at least according to UN agencies operating in the area. Considering that around 10 lakh Rohingyas live in northern Rakhine, the displaced indeed accounts for just a part of the entire Muslim population. But, 4 lakh is not a small figure in itself and neither is the proportion of displaced so paltry that it ought to be dismissed. Her cautiously minced statement does not issue any clear invitation to talk to the displaced - something that it believes is reserved for the state authorities alone. Observers have also accused her of sounding ignorant for wondering what the reasons for the exodus could be. While she might have been fed inaccurate information about the ground reality in northern Rakhine, this seems to be another strategically-framed narrative like the rest. In asking this question, Suu Kyi implicitly absolved the military of responsibility for the ongoing displacement and shifted the blame to elements beyond the control of her government. The idea that she wants to project is that if the refugee exodus was indeed because of the state’s conduct, then she would certainly know the reason. One of the most crucial elements under this theme that Suu Kyi talked about was her government’s willingness to engage with the government of Bangladesh to resolve the refugee crisis. She stated that Myanmar is willing to begin the National Verification Process (NVP) - a policy to ascertain the citizenship of non-citizen Rakhine residents, Rohingyas included - and repatriate refugees in Bangladesh in adherence to the principles agreed upon by the two countries in 1993 under UN supervision. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given “green cards” × This is a welcome move that addresses the root of the problem i.e. citizenship rights for Rohingyas. However, while the NVP has been termed as a nominal policy to partially rehabilitate roving refugees in Rakhine (without giving them full citizenship status), the 1993 guidelines earlier came under scrutiny for violating international law by repatriating refugees in Bangladesh against their own wishes. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given “green cards” (temporary resident status). For now, the exact provisions of both remain, at best, dubious. Further, Suu Kyi said that all those who are legitimately accepted as ‘refugees’ (in Myanmar) would receive full state entitlements, including security and access to humanitarian aid. What would happen to the rest remains unclear as ever? An Exercise in Vain? Clearly, the State Counsellor’s speech was fraught with grave inconsistencies, those that third-party observers are ready to pounce on and expose. Thus, this exercise in damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the situation in northern Rakhine. However, the overall tone of the narrative was not of denial, which is a refreshing break from past official narratives. It was, nonetheless, ridden with passive omissions. Truth is that the Lady does not enjoy full autonomy when it comes to handling the ground situation in the affected conflict zone. The Tatmadaw is the key decision-making authority in this regard; and, thanks to the civilian government’s delicate relationship with the ever-powerful army, Suu Kyi remains tied to the ground for now.

Rohingyas: Grave inconsistencies if not denial marks Aung Suu Kyi's speech

Apparently, it&rsquo;s quite unnatural for Bangladesh and India not to be close allies, especially with India&#39;s involvement in Bangladesh&#39;s War of Independence of 1971. And then, of course, there are the unique cultural similarities and geographical realities with regards to common Ganges-Bramhaputra plain that runs through both the countries. Despite the overt Hasina-Modi bonhomie, the political reality is, however, very different. Bangladesh&#39;s relations with India can best be described as a loose friendship with hidden mutual mistrust and suspicion.&nbsp;

The lack of trust between the two countries&nbsp;comes forth more in the context of Bangladesh-Myanmar tussle on persecution and expulsion of &nbsp;Rohingyas from Arakan.&nbsp;

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The prime deficiency of India&rsquo;s South Asia policy has been its obsession with Pakistan. Only recently a separate desk has been introduced for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal in the Ministry of External Affairs at the South Block of Raisina Hills in New Delhi. Pakistan became important for its nuisance value while India failed to see the constructive value of the rest, especially Bangladesh which is already the 31st largest economy in the world with more than 6 per cent average economic growth in the last couple of decades. Courtesy the economic growth, the western world has come to view Bangladesh as one of the &lsquo;Next Eleven&rsquo;. Bangladesh has come to develop relations with the west, Japan, Middle-East and China and derived great economic benefits out of those relations.&nbsp;

The tensed Bangladesh &ndash;India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as &lsquo;equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. Since 1996 gradual progress has been achieved by Bangladesh and India to address some of these issues. Bangladesh has destroyed the dens the Indian rebels made along Bangladesh - 
India borders and proactively searched and sealed all channels of logistics and arms supply to these rebels. Bangladeshi intelligence agencies are also blocking ISI or its proxies&rsquo; probable operations against India from Bangladeshi soil. &nbsp;

Geo-politically, in South Asia and beyond, there are several areas where an alliance between the India and Bangladesh could have brought good mutual dividend and uphold some great IR principles. One such area is Pakistan&rsquo;s export of terrorism and Islamic radicalism. Both India and Bangladesh are affected by that. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Myanmar on the other hand hardly has any principled position. It is buying good numbers of multi-role fighter aircraft&nbsp;from Pakistan, the regional hub of Islamic terrorism, giving a boost to Pakistani military industry and technology. These are made through the collaboration between Pakistan and China, Myanmar&rsquo;s closest ally and India&rsquo;s geo-strategic nemesis. In this context, it&rsquo;s difficult to make sense as to why&nbsp;India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya.&nbsp;

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Apart from the principle and propriety angle, India hardly gains anything from Myanmar. India can&rsquo;t match the kind of investment China made in Myanmar.&nbsp;

A further irony is, lacs of &nbsp;Indians were expelled from Myanmar like the Rohingyas in the fifties and sixties. The remaining ones and later migrant Indian in Myanmar are still abused in that country with racial slur &#39;Kala&rsquo;. The Myanmar Indians falls in the same absurd 1982 citizenship law as Rohingyas. Myanmar is always likely to be on China&#39;s side despite India&rsquo;s disgraceful pampering.&nbsp;

On the other hand, India has much to lose not by standing by Bangladesh&rsquo;s side at the time of its need both in comparative and absolute terms. &nbsp;Bangladesh might again lean more towards the Islamic bondage rather than the subcontinental one. If Islamic solidarity is revived on this issue, India&rsquo;s massive stake in the Middle East might even be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion.&nbsp;

It seems&nbsp;some of PM Modi&rsquo;s strategic advisors have gone bonkers with anti-Muslim preoccupation and very weak Rohingya terrorism stories. Because of them, soon India might find herself on the wrong side of geopolitics and history. Bangladesh did a balancing act between concerns of India and interest of China by postponing China&rsquo;s proposal for a Sri Lanka and Pakistan like the development of a deep sea port in Sonadia of Chittagong. Now, it&rsquo;s a payback time for India and an opportunity for it to befriend Bangladesh for the long term by strongly being by the latter&rsquo;s side in this crisis.&nbsp;

If India is strongly by the side of Bangladesh now, much of the remaining &nbsp;Indo-Bangla mistrust in the relationship will be gone, and Bangladeshi people, as well as the political forces, will appreciate the value of India&rsquo;s friendship immensely. It will bring a defining shift in Bangladesh-India relation for a very long term. &nbsp;The question is whether PM Modi is ready for an in-depth strategic re-assessment and would his policy strategists allow him to do that?

India?s massive stake in the Middle East and South Asia might be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion.

Apparently, it’s quite unnatural for Bangladesh and India not to be close allies, especially with India's involvement in Bangladesh's War of Independence of 1971. And then, of course, there are the unique cultural similarities and geographical realities with regards to common Ganges-Bramhaputra plain that runs through both the countries. Despite the overt Hasina-Modi bonhomie, the political reality is, however, very different. Bangladesh's relations with India can best be described as a loose friendship with hidden mutual mistrust and suspicion. The lack of trust between the two countries comes forth more in the context of Bangladesh-Myanmar tussle on persecution and expulsion of Rohingyas from Arakan. The tensed Bangladesh –India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as ‘equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. × The prime deficiency of India’s South Asia policy has been its obsession with Pakistan. Only recently a separate desk has been introduced for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal in the Ministry of External Affairs at the South Block of Raisina Hills in New Delhi. Pakistan became important for its nuisance value while India failed to see the constructive value of the rest, especially Bangladesh which is already the 31st largest economy in the world with more than 6 per cent average economic growth in the last couple of decades. Courtesy the economic growth, the western world has come to view Bangladesh as one of the ‘Next Eleven’. Bangladesh has come to develop relations with the west, Japan, Middle-East and China and derived great economic benefits out of those relations. The tensed Bangladesh –India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as ‘equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. Since 1996 gradual progress has been achieved by Bangladesh and India to address some of these issues. Bangladesh has destroyed the dens the Indian rebels made along Bangladesh - India borders and proactively searched and sealed all channels of logistics and arms supply to these rebels. Bangladeshi intelligence agencies are also blocking ISI or its proxies’ probable operations against India from Bangladeshi soil. Geo-politically, in South Asia and beyond, there are several areas where an alliance between the India and Bangladesh could have brought good mutual dividend and uphold some great IR principles. One such area is Pakistan’s export of terrorism and Islamic radicalism. Both India and Bangladesh are affected by that. Myanmar on the other hand hardly has any principled position. It is buying good numbers of multi-role fighter aircraft from Pakistan, the regional hub of Islamic terrorism, giving a boost to Pakistani military industry and technology. These are made through the collaboration between Pakistan and China, Myanmar’s closest ally and India’s geo-strategic nemesis. In this context, it’s difficult to make sense as to why India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya. It’s difficult to make sense as to why India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya. × Apart from the principle and propriety angle, India hardly gains anything from Myanmar. India can’t match the kind of investment China made in Myanmar. A further irony is, lacs of Indians were expelled from Myanmar like the Rohingyas in the fifties and sixties. The remaining ones and later migrant Indian in Myanmar are still abused in that country with racial slur 'Kala’. The Myanmar Indians falls in the same absurd 1982 citizenship law as Rohingyas. Myanmar is always likely to be on China's side despite India’s disgraceful pampering. On the other hand, India has much to lose not by standing by Bangladesh’s side at the time of its need both in comparative and absolute terms. Bangladesh might again lean more towards the Islamic bondage rather than the subcontinental one. If Islamic solidarity is revived on this issue, India’s massive stake in the Middle East might even be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion. It seems some of PM Modi’s strategic advisors have gone bonkers with anti-Muslim preoccupation and very weak Rohingya terrorism stories. Because of them, soon India might find herself on the wrong side of geopolitics and history. Bangladesh did a balancing act between concerns of India and interest of China by postponing China’s proposal for a Sri Lanka and Pakistan like the development of a deep sea port in Sonadia of Chittagong. Now, it’s a payback time for India and an opportunity for it to befriend Bangladesh for the long term by strongly being by the latter’s side in this crisis. If India is strongly by the side of Bangladesh now, much of the remaining Indo-Bangla mistrust in the relationship will be gone, and Bangladeshi people, as well as the political forces, will appreciate the value of India’s friendship immensely. It will bring a defining shift in Bangladesh-India relation for a very long term. The question is whether PM Modi is ready for an in-depth strategic re-assessment and would his policy strategists allow him to do that?

Rohingya: Why India should side with Bangladesh and not Myanmar

Myanmar insisted Wednesday to the United Nations that the crisis in violence-torn Rakhine state was easing after heavy international criticism.

Myanmar&#39;s second vice president Henry Van Thio addressed the annual UN General Assembly in the place of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who a day earlier delivered a speech calling for patience.

Van Thio&#39;s remarks are even less likely than Suu Kyi&#39;s to mollify global concerns as he questioned the reasons for the flight of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

&quot;I am happy to inform you that the situation has improved,&quot; Van Thio said in his address, saying there have been no clashes since September 5.

&quot;Accordingly, we are concerned by reports that the numbers of Muslims crossing into Bangladesh remain unabated. We would need to find out the reason for this exodus,&quot; he said.

The United Nations says more than 420,000 Rohingya have fled for safety to Bangladesh in the face of an army campaign that includes the burning of villages and rape.&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier Wednesday described the campaign as genocide.

Van Thio did not use the term Rohingya, referring to them simply as Muslims. The Rohingya are widely reviled in the Buddhist-majority country.

Van Thio noted that the army campaign came in response to a rebel attack and said that non-Muslims have also suffered.

But Myanmar&#39;s third-in-command thanked foreign countries for support, not referring directly to their criticism.

&quot;Humanitarian assistance is our first priority. We are committed to ensuring that aid is received by all those in need, without discrimination,&quot; Van Thio said.

Suu Kyi&#39;s stance has disheartened human rights groups who had campaigned for her freedom during the Nobel Peace Prize winner&#39;s 15 years under house arrest by a military junta.

But analysts say that Suu Kyi, while now the country&#39;s leader, may not be able to curb the army even if she took the political risk of speaking out.

Van Thio's remarks are even less likely than Suu Kyi's to mollify global concerns as he questioned the reasons for the flight of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority

Myanmar insisted Wednesday to the United Nations that the crisis in violence-torn Rakhine state was easing after heavy international criticism. Myanmar's second vice president Henry Van Thio addressed the annual UN General Assembly in the place of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who a day earlier delivered a speech calling for patience. Van Thio's remarks are even less likely than Suu Kyi's to mollify global concerns as he questioned the reasons for the flight of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority. "I am happy to inform you that the situation has improved," Van Thio said in his address, saying there have been no clashes since September 5. "Accordingly, we are concerned by reports that the numbers of Muslims crossing into Bangladesh remain unabated. We would need to find out the reason for this exodus," he said. The United Nations says more than 420,000 Rohingya have fled for safety to Bangladesh in the face of an army campaign that includes the burning of villages and rape. French President Emmanuel Macron earlier Wednesday described the campaign as genocide. Van Thio did not use the term Rohingya, referring to them simply as Muslims. The Rohingya are widely reviled in the Buddhist-majority country. Van Thio noted that the army campaign came in response to a rebel attack and said that non-Muslims have also suffered. But Myanmar's third-in-command thanked foreign countries for support, not referring directly to their criticism. "Humanitarian assistance is our first priority. We are committed to ensuring that aid is received by all those in need, without discrimination," Van Thio said. Suu Kyi's stance has disheartened human rights groups who had campaigned for her freedom during the Nobel Peace Prize winner's 15 years under house arrest by a military junta. But analysts say that Suu Kyi, while now the country's leader, may not be able to curb the army even if she took the political risk of speaking out.

Myanmar insists to UN that Rakhine improving

Bangladesh&nbsp;Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country&nbsp;fromMyanmar, but she&nbsp;expects&nbsp;no&nbsp;help&nbsp;from&nbsp;him as he has made clear how he feels about&nbsp;refugees.

As&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

&quot;He just asked how is&nbsp;Bangladesh? I said &#39;it&#39;s doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;,&quot; Hasina told Reuters in an interview. &quot;But he didn&#39;t make any comment about&nbsp;refugees.&quot;

A&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country&#39;s Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;to neighboring&nbsp;Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government&nbsp;says&nbsp;about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.

Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said&nbsp;Trump&#39;s stance on&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;was clear, so it was not worth asking him for&nbsp;help&nbsp;with the Rohingya Muslim&nbsp;refugees.

&quot;Already America declared that they will not allow any&nbsp;refugees,&quot; she said. &quot;What I can expectfrom&nbsp;them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?&quot;

&quot;Bangladesh&nbsp;is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it.&quot;

A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was deeply interested in the subject and that &quot;he would definitely engage if it were brought up.&quot;

Shortly after taking office in January,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people&nbsp;from&nbsp;six predominantly Muslim countries.

&quot;The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said on Twitter on Friday.

Trump&nbsp;says&nbsp;the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban.

About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants&nbsp;from&nbsp;Bangladesh.

Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;to allow the Rohingya to return.

&quot;(Myanmar&nbsp;leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;is their country. They should take them back,&quot; she said. &quot;These people are suffering.&quot;

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar&nbsp;national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was &quot;a process we have to discuss.&quot;

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes.

&quot;People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;across the border to&nbsp;Bangladesh,&quot; Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday.

A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;this week.

As?Trump?left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country fromMyanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees. As Trump left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes. "He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees." A Myanmar military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country's Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting. Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said Trump's stance on refugees was clear, so it was not worth asking him for help with the Rohingya Muslim refugees. "Already America declared that they will not allow any refugees," she said. "What I can expectfrom them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?" "Bangladesh is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it." A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said Trump was deeply interested in the subject and that "he would definitely engage if it were brought up." Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian refugees indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people from six predominantly Muslim countries. "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Trump said on Twitter on Friday. Trump says the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban. About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on Myanmar to allow the Rohingya to return. "(Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that Myanmar is their country. They should take them back," she said. "These people are suffering." Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that Myanmar would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was "a process we have to discuss." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the Myanmar government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes. "People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday. A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in Myanmar this week.

Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

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