The United Nations Security Council members, who met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during their mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, will today visit Rakhine state, the epicentre of the Rohingya refugee crisis.

The council is continuing its mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, taking a first-hand look at the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled across the border to escape violence.

The delegation of diplomats from the council's 15 member countries arrived yesterday in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, holding meetings with Suu Kyi as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Min Aung Hlaing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. The council mission also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives in the capital of Myanmar.&nbsp

"Ambassadors also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives. The council members will today fly to Rakhine state, the epicentre of the mass displacement crisis, which has been caused by a recurring cycle of clashes between mainly Buddhist residents in the state, and Rohingya Muslims who have also lived there for decades," the spokesperson said.

In Rakhine, the delegation is expected to meet local government representatives and civil society.&nbsp

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 671,000 Rohingya refugees have fled targeted violence and serious human rights violations in Myanmar since last August.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy on Myanmar, to strengthen the world body's efforts to assist Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process.&nbsp

The UN spokesperson added that over the weekend, the Council delegation visited Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where they listened to testimony from refugees at the Kutupalong Camp. Before departing for Myanmar early on Monday, the delegation met with Hasina in Dhaka.

The council is continuing its mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, taking a first-hand look at the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas

The United Nations Security Council members, who met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during their mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, will today visit Rakhine state, the epicentre of the Rohingya refugee crisis. The council is continuing its mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, taking a first-hand look at the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled across the border to escape violence. The delegation of diplomats from the council's 15 member countries arrived yesterday in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, holding meetings with Suu Kyi as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Min Aung Hlaing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. The council mission also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives in the capital of Myanmar. "Ambassadors also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives. The council members will today fly to Rakhine state, the epicentre of the mass displacement crisis, which has been caused by a recurring cycle of clashes between mainly Buddhist residents in the state, and Rohingya Muslims who have also lived there for decades," the spokesperson said. In Rakhine, the delegation is expected to meet local government representatives and civil society. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 671,000 Rohingya refugees have fled targeted violence and serious human rights violations in Myanmar since last August. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy on Myanmar, to strengthen the world body's efforts to assist Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process. The UN spokesperson added that over the weekend, the Council delegation visited Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where they listened to testimony from refugees at the Kutupalong Camp. Before departing for Myanmar early on Monday, the delegation met with Hasina in Dhaka.

UNSC members to visit Rakhine state today

A group of Rohingya refugees held a rally at a camp in Bangladesh early on Sunday, demanding that their Myanmar citizenship is restored and that the United Nations protect them and their homes if they are repatriated.

Carrying photocopied signs reading "Protected Return to Protected Homeland", the refugees sought to make their voices heard as a UN&nbsp;Security Council (UNSC) delegation visited camps to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States, and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

"We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 sparked the military operation that has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh.

Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes, and arson on a large scale. Myanmar has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

"We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp

A group of Rohingya refugees held a rally at a camp in Bangladesh early on Sunday, demanding that their Myanmar citizenship is restored and that the United Nations protect them and their homes if they are repatriated. Carrying photocopied signs reading "Protected Return to Protected Homeland", the refugees sought to make their voices heard as a UN Security Council (UNSC) delegation visited camps to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States, and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. "We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp. Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 sparked the military operation that has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes, and arson on a large scale. Myanmar has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

Rohingya rally seeking guarantees for safe return as UNSC visits Bangladesh camps

A group of 76 Rohingyas, which was rescued from Indonesian waters on Friday, was at the sea for nearly nine days. According to reports, a Rohingya Muslim man, among the rescued, claimed that the group kept drifting in a wooden boat for nine days after leaving Myanmar.

The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar. As many as 8 children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon in Aceh province of Sumatra in Indonesia.&nbsp

This was the third such attempt in a month by the Rohingyas to escape Myanmar by the sea.

According to the local authorities, many from the rescued group suffered dehydration and exhaustion and required medical attention. &nbsp

A man called Fariq Muhammad shared that he had paid a sum equivalent to around $150 to secure&nbspa place on the boat.&nbsp

Myanmar's Rakhine state grapples with a violent military crackdown that triggered an exodus of nearly 700,000 refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.&nbsp

The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar

A group of 76 Rohingyas, which was rescued from Indonesian waters on Friday, was at the sea for nearly nine days. According to reports, a Rohingya Muslim man, among the rescued, claimed that the group kept drifting in a wooden boat for nine days after leaving Myanmar. The group is reported to have faced intense persecution in Myanmar. As many as 8 children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon in Aceh province of Sumatra in Indonesia. This was the third such attempt in a month by the Rohingyas to escape Myanmar by the sea. According to the local authorities, many from the rescued group suffered dehydration and exhaustion and required medical attention. A man called Fariq Muhammad shared that he had paid a sum equivalent to around $150 to secure&nbspa place on the boat. Myanmar's Rakhine state grapples with a violent military crackdown that triggered an exodus of nearly 700,000 refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugees rescued after drifting at sea for over a week

A Myanmar minister expressed concerns on Thursday about "very poor conditions" in Rohingya refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, and said repatriation of the Muslim minority should start as soon as possible due to the coming monsoon season.

The United Nations and rights groups say a Myanmar military operation in the country's northwest in August has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. Most live in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures perched on hills around Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh.&nbsp

Fleeing Rohingya refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. The United States and the UN&nbsphave described the military crackdown as ethnic cleansing, an accusation that Myanmar denies.&nbsp

"Seeing is believing and we saw all the people in the camps are in very poor condition," Myanmar`s Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told reporters in the country's main city, Yangon, after his two-day visit to camps near Cox's Bazar.

"Our main thing is to start the repatriation process as soon as possible because the monsoon is very near and we are very worried for those who fled to Bangladesh," he said.&nbsp

Myanmar said on Saturday it had repatriated the first Rohingya family. The Bangladeshi government and the United Nations refugee agency, however, said they had no knowledge of any such repatriation.&nbsp

After months of fraught talks, Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years. Myanmar set up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border to house the first arrivals.&nbsp

But a senior UN&nbspofficial who recently visited Myanmar said the country was not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Win Myat Aye said Rohingya returnees would be entitled to apply for National Verification Cards (NVCs), which are part of the government`s ongoing effort to register mostly stateless Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship.&nbsp

He said those NVC holders would be in turn be able to apply for citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar within five months after they were "scrutinized according to the law".&nbsp

"Those who are entitled to become citizens will become citizens," he told Reuters, without elaborating.&nbsp

Myanmar's panel of international advisers on Rohingya issues has warned the coming monsoon season could bring "enormous deaths" as refugee camps in Bangladesh are not built to withstand the storms.

 
&nbsp

The United Nations and rights groups say a Myanmar military operation in the country's northwest in August has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. Most live in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures perched on hills around Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh

A Myanmar minister expressed concerns on Thursday about "very poor conditions" in Rohingya refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, and said repatriation of the Muslim minority should start as soon as possible due to the coming monsoon season. The United Nations and rights groups say a Myanmar military operation in the country's northwest in August has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. Most live in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures perched on hills around Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh. Fleeing Rohingya refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. The United States and the UN&nbsphave described the military crackdown as ethnic cleansing, an accusation that Myanmar denies. "Seeing is believing and we saw all the people in the camps are in very poor condition," Myanmar`s Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told reporters in the country's main city, Yangon, after his two-day visit to camps near Cox's Bazar. "Our main thing is to start the repatriation process as soon as possible because the monsoon is very near and we are very worried for those who fled to Bangladesh," he said. Myanmar said on Saturday it had repatriated the first Rohingya family. The Bangladeshi government and the United Nations refugee agency, however, said they had no knowledge of any such repatriation. After months of fraught talks, Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years. Myanmar set up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border to house the first arrivals. But a senior UN&nbspofficial who recently visited Myanmar said the country was not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Win Myat Aye said Rohingya returnees would be entitled to apply for National Verification Cards (NVCs), which are part of the government`s ongoing effort to register mostly stateless Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship. He said those NVC holders would be in turn be able to apply for citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar within five months after they were "scrutinized according to the law". "Those who are entitled to become citizens will become citizens," he told Reuters, without elaborating. Myanmar's panel of international advisers on Rohingya issues has warned the coming monsoon season could bring "enormous deaths" as refugee camps in Bangladesh are not built to withstand the storms.

Myanmar minister says conditions in Rohingya refugee camps 'very poor'

Myanmar on Saturday repatriated the first Rohingya family from nearly 700,000 refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, after months of fraught talks with Dhaka and amid the United Nations' warnings that the country is not ready for their return.

Fleeing Rohingya refugees have reported killings, rape and arson on a large scale. The United States and the United Nations have described the Myanmar military operation as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has denied nearly all allegations, saying it waged a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The army has said its crackdown was provoked by the attacks of Rohingya militants on more than two dozen police posts and an army base last August.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years. Myanmar set up two reception centers and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals.

"Five members of a Muslim family...came to the Taungpyoletwea reception center in Rakhine state this morning," the Myanmar government said in a statement late on Saturday.

The family members were scrutinized by immigration and health ministry officials and the social welfare, relief and resettlement ministry provided them with "materials such as rice, mosquito netting, blankets, t-shirt, longyis (Burmese sarong) and kitchen utensils," said the government in the statement.

It added that the family members who "are in line with the rules" were issued the National Verification Cards (NVCs) upon entering Myanmar.

NVCs are part of the government's ongoing effort to register Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship. The card has been widely rejected by Rohingya community leaders, who say they treat life-long residents like new immigrants.

Most Burmese consider the Rohingya as unwanted immigrants from Bangladesh, and the army refers to them as "Bengalis".

Last week, the most senior UN&nbspofficial to visit Myanmar this year, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller, said the conditions in Myanmar were not conducive to the return of the refugees.

She cited a continued lack of access to health services, concerns among the Rohingya about protection and continued displacements. She also described conditions in camps for internally-displaced people from previous bouts of violence as "deplorable".

Several boats with Rohingya from parts of the violence-torn Rakhine state have left Myanmar in recent months. The latest confirmed departure took place on Thursday.

Myanmar on Saturday repatriated the first Rohingya family from nearly 700,000 refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, after months of fraught talks with Dhaka and amid the United Nations' warnings that the country is not ready for their return

Myanmar on Saturday repatriated the first Rohingya family from nearly 700,000 refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, after months of fraught talks with Dhaka and amid the United Nations' warnings that the country is not ready for their return. Fleeing Rohingya refugees have reported killings, rape and arson on a large scale. The United States and the United Nations have described the Myanmar military operation as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has denied nearly all allegations, saying it waged a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The army has said its crackdown was provoked by the attacks of Rohingya militants on more than two dozen police posts and an army base last August. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years. Myanmar set up two reception centers and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals. "Five members of a Muslim family...came to the Taungpyoletwea reception center in Rakhine state this morning," the Myanmar government said in a statement late on Saturday. The family members were scrutinized by immigration and health ministry officials and the social welfare, relief and resettlement ministry provided them with "materials such as rice, mosquito netting, blankets, t-shirt, longyis (Burmese sarong) and kitchen utensils," said the government in the statement. It added that the family members who "are in line with the rules" were issued the National Verification Cards (NVCs) upon entering Myanmar. NVCs are part of the government's ongoing effort to register Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship. The card has been widely rejected by Rohingya community leaders, who say they treat life-long residents like new immigrants. Most Burmese consider the Rohingya as unwanted immigrants from Bangladesh, and the army refers to them as "Bengalis". Last week, the most senior UN&nbspofficial to visit Myanmar this year, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller, said the conditions in Myanmar were not conducive to the return of the refugees. She cited a continued lack of access to health services, concerns among the Rohingya about protection and continued displacements. She also described conditions in camps for internally-displaced people from previous bouts of violence as "deplorable". Several boats with Rohingya from parts of the violence-torn Rakhine state have left Myanmar in recent months. The latest confirmed departure took place on Thursday.

Myanmar repatriates first Rohingya refugee family: Government

The Rohingya crisis has put Bangladesh in the most difficult of positions. The international community has extended solidarity to Bangladesh but beyond that, there has been little financial assistance with when it comes rehabilitating the very large population - 1,000,000 - of Rohingya currently taking refuge in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Nor has Myanmar been held accountable for its actions.&nbsp;

Until the apartheid in Myanmar is dismantled and the country's government held accountable for the atrocities that have been committed, repatriation of the Rohingya will not be sustainable. WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi speaks to Dr Gowher Rizvi, international affairs advisor to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

WION: Dr Rizvi, thank you for speaking to WION. I would first like to ask you how you feel about the response from the international community?

Gowher Rizvi: At one level the response of the international community has been most heartening. In a sense there is hardly a country in the world which has not condemned Myanmar and has not supported and appreciated the gesture of Bangladesh in taking in about a million Myanmar refugees into the country. To that extent we are really pleased. However, just verbal support is not enough. We know that Myanmar is stubborn. It has no intention of moving away from its position. The only way to be moved is when pressure is brought on. Myanmar is playing a very skilful game. Whenever there is some discussion in the United Nations, whenever there is a possibility that this will be raised in some international forum, some movement takes place but the real test is the repatriation of the refugees back to Myanmar. No progress has been made there. Unfortunately, the international community has not taken sterner measures without which nothing seems to happen.

WION: With regard to the geopolitics in this area, Bangladesh's closest allies are India and China. How do you feel about their responses?

Gowher Rizvi: We have been in conversation both with China and India. We are really satisfied and happy with their responses. One thing which is very important to realise is that every country has multiple interests, multiple priorities. For India or China, Rohingya issue or Bangladesh or Myanmar cannot be the only issue. They have to balance many of their other interests. Secondly, we know we have excellent relationship with India and with China. We do not want to put India or China in a position where we say you are with us or against us. That is not how diplomacy is played out. They have offered their help, they are using their influence, they are bringing subtle pressures and we are working hand in hand. I believe both of them are working in the right direction, although as I said, we are now reaching a point where we have to perhaps move beyond closed room diplomacy to some real hard international actions.

WION: You have referred to more pressure being exerted on Myanmar to create the conditions for the repatriation to take place. What do you feel should be the immediate actions?

Gowher Rizvi: For first, Myanmar must accept international observers, must accept international humanitarian organisations, the UN agency, International Committee for Red Cross, International Organisation for Migration, who will be there on the ground to monitor the situation, to make sure that the environment is safe and free for the Rohingyas to return. Unless that happens, no refugee will willingly go back to face the same brutality, massacre, genocide that they escaped from in August and September.

WION: Very recently, you have also mentioned sanctions. Will you tell us more about what you meant?

Gowher Rizvi: It is very obvious. We know that there was a sanction against Myanmar to bring its hardline military rulers to behave and those sanctions were lifted as a response to the state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the hope that there would be democracy, there would be opening of the Myanmar society and Myanmar would behave as a responsible member of the international community. Sadly, Myanmar took all the concessions but has not moved. The military still controls, the elected leaders wield very little power. In these circumstances our expectation that the removal of sanctions will enable democracy to flourish has not happened and as a matter of fact it has encouraged the military to launch this campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, the worst of its kind that we can remember. It is now time for countries to reconsider posing economic sanctions, military sanctions, travel restrictions, stopping foreign investment, denying access of market to Myanmar products. When these things happen, the military in Myanmar will come to senses. Until then I fear these will be all empty talks. Myanmar knows that after a while the global attention will shift somewhere else. Please remember, this is a very well designed, carefully planned genocide to push an entire ethnic group out of the country and we need to be very careful and remember that. I also believe we need to document all the egregious human rights violations that are taking place, the genocide that has taken place. At some point, I hope these human rights organisations, Human Rights Watch and so forth, will take these to the International Criminal Court of Justice.&nbsp;

WION: Clearly that would be the real test of humanity for the international community. While the Rohingya community have moved here to Bangladesh, in the southern Cox's Bazar, the monsoon is also approaching. A landslide could take place, how challenging will it be to avoid a catastrophe?

Gowher Rizvi: As you can see, Bangladesh is a very small country, extremely congested, by far the most densely populated country in the world. Despite that we have taken in a million people and opened up whatever we have, whatever little land that was available. We have housed them, we are feeding them, we are providing healthcare and we are providing security. Bangladesh is doing and will continue to do everything within its power. There is indeed the danger of mudslide because the terrain is such that there is going to be a mudslide. That is why we are also trying to make an alternative arrangement in a neighbouring island so that those who are most vulnerable can be safely evacuated there and in conditions which are habitable, which are up to the standards, meets the necessities of the refugees. We are doing everything we can. I think the international community, rather than focusing on Bangladesh and what more can Bangladesh do, should be looking into Myanmar. Bangladesh did not create this problem. The problem was created by Myanmar. The solution lies in Myanmar. Therefore, we should be looking there. As far as our prime minister is concerned, she has really done a very humane thing, a courageous thing to take them in. She has promised that she wants them to voluntarily go back. We are not pushing them. We have upheld the highest level of international and humanitarian law. And we will continue to do. I do believe the focus needs to be on Myanmar where the problem is.

I think we have to also be aware of the larger issues. What we are seeing today is a dictatorial, tyrannical regime ousting an entire ethnic community from the soils of Myanmar and if the global community accepts this, then I fear there will be upheaval in many corners. There are minorities in every country. Minorities in every country will come under threat. We need to be very mindful of that and we should not allow any country to get away with it. There is another thing that we need to be thinking about. This camp of a million people is a potential for recruitment of extremists. We are protecting it, we are making sure no such thing happens. But over years, as we have seen in other camps, this becomes a breeding ground for terrorists. If that happens, our entire region, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, none of us will be safe. The stakes are really high and we must move as fast as possible to make sure the root cause is eliminated.&nbsp;

Watch the full interview below:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqhPmIu3gtc" width="560"></iframe>

Gowher Rizvi, international affairs adviser to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, spoke to WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi

The Rohingya crisis has put Bangladesh in the most difficult of positions. The international community has extended solidarity to Bangladesh but beyond that, there has been little financial assistance with when it comes rehabilitating the very large population - 1,000,000 - of Rohingya currently taking refuge in Bangladesh. Nor has Myanmar been held accountable for its actions. Until the apartheid in Myanmar is dismantled and the country's government held accountable for the atrocities that have been committed, repatriation of the Rohingya will not be sustainable. WION's Bangladesh bureau chief Saad Hammadi speaks to Dr Gowher Rizvi, international affairs advisor to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. WION: Dr Rizvi, thank you for speaking to WION. I would first like to ask you how you feel about the response from the international community? Gowher Rizvi: At one level the response of the international community has been most heartening. In a sense there is hardly a country in the world which has not condemned Myanmar and has not supported and appreciated the gesture of Bangladesh in taking in about a million Myanmar refugees into the country. To that extent we are really pleased. However, just verbal support is not enough. We know that Myanmar is stubborn. It has no intention of moving away from its position. The only way to be moved is when pressure is brought on. Myanmar is playing a very skilful game. Whenever there is some discussion in the United Nations, whenever there is a possibility that this will be raised in some international forum, some movement takes place but the real test is the repatriation of the refugees back to Myanmar. No progress has been made there. Unfortunately, the international community has not taken sterner measures without which nothing seems to happen. WION: With regard to the geopolitics in this area, Bangladesh's closest allies are India and China. How do you feel about their responses? Gowher Rizvi: We have been in conversation both with China and India. We are really satisfied and happy with their responses. One thing which is very important to realise is that every country has multiple interests, multiple priorities. For India or China, Rohingya issue or Bangladesh or Myanmar cannot be the only issue. They have to balance many of their other interests. Secondly, we know we have excellent relationship with India and with China. We do not want to put India or China in a position where we say you are with us or against us. That is not how diplomacy is played out. They have offered their help, they are using their influence, they are bringing subtle pressures and we are working hand in hand. I believe both of them are working in the right direction, although as I said, we are now reaching a point where we have to perhaps move beyond closed room diplomacy to some real hard international actions. WION: You have referred to more pressure being exerted on Myanmar to create the conditions for the repatriation to take place. What do you feel should be the immediate actions? Gowher Rizvi: For first, Myanmar must accept international observers, must accept international humanitarian organisations, the UN agency, International Committee for Red Cross, International Organisation for Migration, who will be there on the ground to monitor the situation, to make sure that the environment is safe and free for the Rohingyas to return. Unless that happens, no refugee will willingly go back to face the same brutality, massacre, genocide that they escaped from in August and September. WION: Very recently, you have also mentioned sanctions. Will you tell us more about what you meant? Gowher Rizvi: It is very obvious. We know that there was a sanction against Myanmar to bring its hardline military rulers to behave and those sanctions were lifted as a response to the state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the hope that there would be democracy, there would be opening of the Myanmar society and Myanmar would behave as a responsible member of the international community. Sadly, Myanmar took all the concessions but has not moved. The military still controls, the elected leaders wield very little power. In these circumstances our expectation that the removal of sanctions will enable democracy to flourish has not happened and as a matter of fact it has encouraged the military to launch this campaign of genocide, ethnic cleansing, the worst of its kind that we can remember. It is now time for countries to reconsider posing economic sanctions, military sanctions, travel restrictions, stopping foreign investment, denying access of market to Myanmar products. When these things happen, the military in Myanmar will come to senses. Until then I fear these will be all empty talks. Myanmar knows that after a while the global attention will shift somewhere else. Please remember, this is a very well designed, carefully planned genocide to push an entire ethnic group out of the country and we need to be very careful and remember that. I also believe we need to document all the egregious human rights violations that are taking place, the genocide that has taken place. At some point, I hope these human rights organisations, Human Rights Watch and so forth, will take these to the International Criminal Court of Justice. WION: Clearly that would be the real test of humanity for the international community. While the Rohingya community have moved here to Bangladesh, in the southern Cox's Bazar, the monsoon is also approaching. A landslide could take place, how challenging will it be to avoid a catastrophe? Gowher Rizvi: As you can see, Bangladesh is a very small country, extremely congested, by far the most densely populated country in the world. Despite that we have taken in a million people and opened up whatever we have, whatever little land that was available. We have housed them, we are feeding them, we are providing healthcare and we are providing security. Bangladesh is doing and will continue to do everything within its power. There is indeed the danger of mudslide because the terrain is such that there is going to be a mudslide. That is why we are also trying to make an alternative arrangement in a neighbouring island so that those who are most vulnerable can be safely evacuated there and in conditions which are habitable, which are up to the standards, meets the necessities of the refugees. We are doing everything we can. I think the international community, rather than focusing on Bangladesh and what more can Bangladesh do, should be looking into Myanmar. Bangladesh did not create this problem. The problem was created by Myanmar. The solution lies in Myanmar. Therefore, we should be looking there. As far as our prime minister is concerned, she has really done a very humane thing, a courageous thing to take them in. She has promised that she wants them to voluntarily go back. We are not pushing them. We have upheld the highest level of international and humanitarian law. And we will continue to do. I do believe the focus needs to be on Myanmar where the problem is. I think we have to also be aware of the larger issues. What we are seeing today is a dictatorial, tyrannical regime ousting an entire ethnic community from the soils of Myanmar and if the global community accepts this, then I fear there will be upheaval in many corners. There are minorities in every country. Minorities in every country will come under threat. We need to be very mindful of that and we should not allow any country to get away with it. There is another thing that we need to be thinking about. This camp of a million people is a potential for recruitment of extremists. We are protecting it, we are making sure no such thing happens. But over years, as we have seen in other camps, this becomes a breeding ground for terrorists. If that happens, our entire region, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Thailand, none of us will be safe. The stakes are really high and we must move as fast as possible to make sure the root cause is eliminated. Watch the full interview below:

Rohingya crisis: Impose sanctions, cut off investment, then Myanmar Army will come to its senses, says adviser to Bangladesh PM 

Rohingya refugees living in India are waiting in hope of positive verdict as Supreme Court will take up the Deportation of Rohingya case for final disposal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case.

Last year in August, Central government announced to deport Rohingya refugees who migrated to India after escaping from Myanmar following the&nbsp;violence and discrimination against the community.

According to reports over 40,000 refugees have moved to India and got settled in areas of Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

The center stated that refugees moving to India would create a threat to the country's security as seeing the rise of terrorism in last&nbsp;decade, illegal migrants living in the country are more prone to recruitment by terrorist organisation.&nbsp;

After the center's case, a batch of petitions was filed by several Rohingya migrants challenging&nbsp;center.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093">Also read: Myanmar not ready for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093">return</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093"> of Rohingya refugees says UN official</a>

Advocate Prashant Bhushan is fighting Rohingya case in the court who has argued that Rohingya migrants should also be allowed to stay in India on the same terms as Sri Lankan refugees live in the country.

There were also reports alleging that Rohingya migrants are being denied services like healthcare and education. 
&nbsp; 
Advocate Tushar Mehta is representing center against the petitioners.

Meanwhile, the Centre has also questioned the credentials of the petitioners seeking to block the deportation saying that the genesis of the PILs threatens to change the country's demography and destabilise it.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Rakhine state, amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'.&nbsp;

Also read: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-un-security-council-to-visit-myanmar-bangladesh-this-month--127974">UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month</a>

(With inputs from ANI)

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case

Rohingya refugees living in India are waiting in hope of positive verdict as Supreme Court will take up the Deportation of Rohingya case for final disposal. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case. Last year in August, Central government announced to deport Rohingya refugees who migrated to India after escaping from Myanmar following the violence and discrimination against the community. According to reports over 40,000 refugees have moved to India and got settled in areas of Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The center stated that refugees moving to India would create a threat to the country's security as seeing the rise of terrorism in last decade, illegal migrants living in the country are more prone to recruitment by terrorist organisation. After the center's case, a batch of petitions was filed by several Rohingya migrants challenging center. Also read: Myanmar not ready for return of Rohingya refugees says UN official Advocate Prashant Bhushan is fighting Rohingya case in the court who has argued that Rohingya migrants should also be allowed to stay in India on the same terms as Sri Lankan refugees live in the country. There were also reports alleging that Rohingya migrants are being denied services like healthcare and education. Advocate Tushar Mehta is representing center against the petitioners. Meanwhile, the Centre has also questioned the credentials of the petitioners seeking to block the deportation saying that the genesis of the PILs threatens to change the country's demography and destabilise it. More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year. The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Rakhine state, amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'. Also read: UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month (With inputs from ANI)

Supreme Court verdict on Rohingya case likely today

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee.

The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told.&nbsp

He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month.&nbsp

The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said.

"They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor."

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing.

An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps.

Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar.&nbsp

"They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told.&nbsp

He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals.

"These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said.&nbsp

Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam.

Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration.

"We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity.

A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash.

Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years.

Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya.

A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday. About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told. He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month. The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said. "They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing. An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps. Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. "They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told. He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals. "These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said. Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam. Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration. "We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity. A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya. A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible.

In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds.

She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees.

"The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying.

Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar.

Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees.

Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in.

Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue.

She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar.

They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to continue pressurising Myanmar to take Rohingya refugees back as soon as possible. In her meeting with World Health Organisation-South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO-SEARO) Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh at the Gono Bhaban here this week, Hasina said Rohingyas were given shelter in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. She added that it was time that Myanmar should speed up the repatriation process and that the Bangladesh government had completed the biometric registration of the refugees. "The (Bangladesh) government gave identity cards to Rohingyas so that they could be identified easily and the Myanmar government could take them back," Hasina was quoted by Daily Star Bangladesh as saying. Hasina further said that Bangladesh was in touch with other countries on the Rohingya issue such as India, China, Thailand and Myanmar. Praising Bangladesh's efforts on the Rohingya issue, Poonam said that the WHO could collaborate with the country to provide immunisation and medical facilities to the refugees. Stressing on health and sanitation issues in the Rohingya camps, Poonam added that such issues will be a challenge to tackle them and it had to be done soon before the monsoon season comes in. Expressing concern over the health condition, sanitation and waterborne diseases of the Rohingyas in the upcoming monsoon, Poonam said it would be a challenging job to tackle the issue. She urged the government to continue its immunisation activities.Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year. There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which had left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Myanmar's Rakhine state, amounted to 'ethnic cleansing'.

Bangladesh calls for global pressure on Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas

Bangladesh Friday handed over a list of more than 8,000 Rohingya to Myanmar as it moves to kick-start their repatriation weeks after the process was halted due to lack of preparation.

Dhaka&#39;s home minister Asaduzzaman Khan formally gave the list to his Myanmar counterpart Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe after officials of the two nations held a meeting in the Bangladeshi capital.

&quot;We&#39;ve today handed over a list of 8,032 people from 1,673 families to them. The (Myanmar) delegation received it very cordially and told us they would start processing their repatriation,&quot; Khan told reporters.

Bangladesh reached a deal with Myanmar late last year to repatriate nearly 700,000 Rohingya who have fled across the border since August to escape a brutal military crackdown.

That was meant to start last month, but was delayed by a lack of preparation and protests by Rohingya refugees, most of whom say they do not wish to return without guarantees of safety.

Khan said more than one million Rohingya now live in squalid camps in Bangladesh&#39;s southeast and Dhaka hoped all of them would be repatriated to Myanmar.

&quot;We discussed how would they repatriate these people. The Myanmar delegation was very cordial about it and said they will take them back gradually,&quot; he said.

Bangladesh&#39;s refugee commissioner Abul Kalam told AFP Dhaka had already started construction of a transit camp and would start building another next week to facilitate the return of the Rohingya.

This week Bangladesh&#39;s junior foreign minister said they had signed a deal to involve the United Nations in the process of returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

He said the government was involving the UN refugee agency so that it could not be accused of sending anyone from the stateless Muslim minority back against their will.

He gave few details, but said refugees would be asked to fill out repatriation forms in the presence of UN officials.&nbsp;

But Rohingya refugees are still entering Bangladesh with claims of rights abuses by Buddhist mobs and the military in their native Rakhine state.

Home minister Khan acknowledged people were still crossing the border.&nbsp;

&quot;The (Myanmar) delegation has admitted it and told us they will try their best to stop it as soon as possible,&quot; he said

Many Rohingya have lost their homes to arson attacks in their villages, where witnesses and rights groups say entire Rohingya settlements have been burned to the ground.

New arrivals have brought harrowing tales of rape, murder and torture.

The Rohingya also want guarantees of citizenship before returning to Myanmar, which views them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many have been there for generations.

Khan said there was no specific timeframe to start the repatriation but he hoped it would start soon.

&quot;No specific date came for repatriation but they showed sincerity and are taking preparations to take their nationals back,&quot; he said

He urged Myanmar to ensure the refugees&#39; return was &quot;sustainable&quot;, adding the Rohingya &quot;may face difficulties in resettling back into their land&quot;.&nbsp;

The two sides also discussed the fate of some 6,000 Rohingya refugees who have been stranded in no man&#39;s land on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border since September.

&quot;They said they have started processing repatriation of those refugees living on the (border&#39;s) zero line,&quot; Khan said, adding Myanmar has &quot;requested&quot; a joint meeting on their repatriation on February 20.

Last week a Myanmar government minister told refugees stranded on the border that they should take up a government offer to return, warning they will face &quot;consequences&quot; if they stay where they are.

A video circulated on social media apparently shows Myanmar&#39;s Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Aung Soe addressing a group of refugees through a barbed wire fence last Friday.

Dhaka's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan formally gave the list to his Myanmar counterpart Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe after officials of the two nations held a meeting in the Bangladeshi capital

Bangladesh Friday handed over a list of more than 8,000 Rohingya to Myanmar as it moves to kick-start their repatriation weeks after the process was halted due to lack of preparation. Dhaka's home minister Asaduzzaman Khan formally gave the list to his Myanmar counterpart Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe after officials of the two nations held a meeting in the Bangladeshi capital. "We've today handed over a list of 8,032 people from 1,673 families to them. The (Myanmar) delegation received it very cordially and told us they would start processing their repatriation," Khan told reporters. Bangladesh reached a deal with Myanmar late last year to repatriate nearly 700,000 Rohingya who have fled across the border since August to escape a brutal military crackdown. That was meant to start last month, but was delayed by a lack of preparation and protests by Rohingya refugees, most of whom say they do not wish to return without guarantees of safety. Khan said more than one million Rohingya now live in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeast and Dhaka hoped all of them would be repatriated to Myanmar. "We discussed how would they repatriate these people. The Myanmar delegation was very cordial about it and said they will take them back gradually," he said. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Abul Kalam told AFP Dhaka had already started construction of a transit camp and would start building another next week to facilitate the return of the Rohingya. This week Bangladesh's junior foreign minister said they had signed a deal to involve the United Nations in the process of returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. He said the government was involving the UN refugee agency so that it could not be accused of sending anyone from the stateless Muslim minority back against their will. He gave few details, but said refugees would be asked to fill out repatriation forms in the presence of UN officials. But Rohingya refugees are still entering Bangladesh with claims of rights abuses by Buddhist mobs and the military in their native Rakhine state. Home minister Khan acknowledged people were still crossing the border. "The (Myanmar) delegation has admitted it and told us they will try their best to stop it as soon as possible," he said Many Rohingya have lost their homes to arson attacks in their villages, where witnesses and rights groups say entire Rohingya settlements have been burned to the ground. New arrivals have brought harrowing tales of rape, murder and torture. The Rohingya also want guarantees of citizenship before returning to Myanmar, which views them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh even though many have been there for generations. Khan said there was no specific timeframe to start the repatriation but he hoped it would start soon. "No specific date came for repatriation but they showed sincerity and are taking preparations to take their nationals back," he said He urged Myanmar to ensure the refugees' return was "sustainable", adding the Rohingya "may face difficulties in resettling back into their land". The two sides also discussed the fate of some 6,000 Rohingya refugees who have been stranded in no man's land on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border since September. "They said they have started processing repatriation of those refugees living on the (border's) zero line," Khan said, adding Myanmar has "requested" a joint meeting on their repatriation on February 20. Last week a Myanmar government minister told refugees stranded on the border that they should take up a government offer to return, warning they will face "consequences" if they stay where they are. A video circulated on social media apparently shows Myanmar's Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Aung Soe addressing a group of refugees through a barbed wire fence last Friday.

Bangladesh hands over list of 8,000 Rohingyas, Myanmar says will start repatriation

Myanmar today unveiled its three-stage plan for return and rehabilitation of around 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims, who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in what the UN called &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; by the Myanmar Army.

Myanmar Home Minister Kyaw Swe, who is on a three-day visit to Dhaka, today met his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and discussed along with senior officials the repatriation plan for Rohingya refugees.

&ldquo;Myanmar said they planned a three-stage process &ndash; taking them (Rohingyas) back, ensuring their livelihood and then awarding them with the nationality,&rdquo; Kamal told a news briefing following a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart.

He said Naypyidaw (Myanmar capital) appeared to be sincere in their comments as they acknowledged to the facts involving the situation what Bangladesh side pointed out and &ldquo;we are getting some confidence they will take their nationals back in line with the Kofi Annan Commission Report&rdquo;.

Kamal, however, said the Bangladesh side repeatedly expressed concerns about the hostile situation in Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state, the scene of atrocities, and said unless the safety and food supplies for the refugees were ensured, the Rohingyas would again come back while the number of these forcibly displaced Myanmar people in Bangladesh now stood at more than a million.

&ldquo;We also told them till now nearly 150 of them (Rohingyas) are entering into Bangladesh daily while some 6,500 Rohingyas have taken refuge at a makeshift camp on the Myanmar side of the border,&rdquo; he said.

The Bangladesh minister said his counterpart acknowledged the fact and &ldquo;we planned a meeting on February 20 in a bordering Myanmar district to make immediate arrangements at least to ensure the return of the Rohingyas languishing on borders&rdquo;.

Swe yesterday called on Bangladesh president Abdul Hamid and apprised him that Naypyidaw was ready to take back Rohingyas under a deal the countries signed late last year.

The repatriation was scheduled to begin last month but Bangladesh said it needed more time to prepare and the security situation was a concern while Khan told reporters that Dhaka earlier handed over Myanmar a complete list of

Rohingyas and &ldquo;today gave another list as they sought seeking the names on the basis of the areas they lived in (Rakhine)&rdquo;.

Myanmar ambassador to the UN Hau Do Suan said it had given Bangladesh a list of 508 Hindus and 750 Muslims &ldquo;verified as Myanmar residents, to be included in the first batch of repatriation&rdquo; and set up two reception centers and a transit camp to accommodate them before permanent resettlement.

About 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled their home to take refuge in Bangladesh in the latest and biggest spate of exodus since late August when Myanmar&rsquo;s military launched a security crackdown in northern Rakhine state.

Myanmar has said it launched &ldquo;clearance&rdquo; operations against terrorists and has dismissed as false allegations from witnesses and survivors that troops and Buddhist mobs engaged in killings and rapes of Rohingya and set fires that wiped out villages.

The bilateral meeting came three days after UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council that conditions were not right for the voluntarily return of Rohingyas as Myanmar did not address their exclusion and denial of rights and citizenship.

Grandi said Rohingyas continued to flee Myanmar and thousands more were expected still to try to leave.

Bangladesh had appealed to the international community to mount a sustained pressure on Myanmar for a safe, dignified and immediate return of the Rohingyas as the international aid for the refugees appeared to be dwindling ahead of the monsoon season when flooding will also pose a threat and water-borne diseases could become more prevalent.

Myanmar Home Minister Kyaw Swe, who is on a three-day visit to Dhaka, today met his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and discussed along with senior officials the repatriation plan for Rohingya refugees

Myanmar today unveiled its three-stage plan for return and rehabilitation of around 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims, who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in what the UN called "ethnic cleansing" by the Myanmar Army. Myanmar Home Minister Kyaw Swe, who is on a three-day visit to Dhaka, today met his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and discussed along with senior officials the repatriation plan for Rohingya refugees. “Myanmar said they planned a three-stage process – taking them (Rohingyas) back, ensuring their livelihood and then awarding them with the nationality,” Kamal told a news briefing following a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart. He said Naypyidaw (Myanmar capital) appeared to be sincere in their comments as they acknowledged to the facts involving the situation what Bangladesh side pointed out and “we are getting some confidence they will take their nationals back in line with the Kofi Annan Commission Report”. Kamal, however, said the Bangladesh side repeatedly expressed concerns about the hostile situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the scene of atrocities, and said unless the safety and food supplies for the refugees were ensured, the Rohingyas would again come back while the number of these forcibly displaced Myanmar people in Bangladesh now stood at more than a million. “We also told them till now nearly 150 of them (Rohingyas) are entering into Bangladesh daily while some 6,500 Rohingyas have taken refuge at a makeshift camp on the Myanmar side of the border,” he said. The Bangladesh minister said his counterpart acknowledged the fact and “we planned a meeting on February 20 in a bordering Myanmar district to make immediate arrangements at least to ensure the return of the Rohingyas languishing on borders”. Swe yesterday called on Bangladesh president Abdul Hamid and apprised him that Naypyidaw was ready to take back Rohingyas under a deal the countries signed late last year. The repatriation was scheduled to begin last month but Bangladesh said it needed more time to prepare and the security situation was a concern while Khan told reporters that Dhaka earlier handed over Myanmar a complete list of Rohingyas and “today gave another list as they sought seeking the names on the basis of the areas they lived in (Rakhine)”. Myanmar ambassador to the UN Hau Do Suan said it had given Bangladesh a list of 508 Hindus and 750 Muslims “verified as Myanmar residents, to be included in the first batch of repatriation” and set up two reception centers and a transit camp to accommodate them before permanent resettlement. About 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled their home to take refuge in Bangladesh in the latest and biggest spate of exodus since late August when Myanmar’s military launched a security crackdown in northern Rakhine state. Myanmar has said it launched “clearance” operations against terrorists and has dismissed as false allegations from witnesses and survivors that troops and Buddhist mobs engaged in killings and rapes of Rohingya and set fires that wiped out villages. The bilateral meeting came three days after UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council that conditions were not right for the voluntarily return of Rohingyas as Myanmar did not address their exclusion and denial of rights and citizenship. Grandi said Rohingyas continued to flee Myanmar and thousands more were expected still to try to leave. Bangladesh had appealed to the international community to mount a sustained pressure on Myanmar for a safe, dignified and immediate return of the Rohingyas as the international aid for the refugees appeared to be dwindling ahead of the monsoon season when flooding will also pose a threat and water-borne diseases could become more prevalent.

Myanmar outlines 3 stages for Rohingya repatriation: Bangladesh minister

Action will be taken against 10 members of Myanmar&#39;s security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman said on Sunday, adding it was not related to a Reuters report on the incident.

Reuters on Friday published a report laying out events that led up to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/one-grave-for-10-rohingya-men-how-myanmar-forces-burned-looted-and-killed-in-a-remote-village-32293" target="_blank">killing of 10 Rohingya men</a> in the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

A Myanmar government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that &quot;action according to the law&quot; would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation that was initiated before the Reuters report was published.

The arrests were &quot;not because of Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters news,&quot; Zaw Htay said, adding that he was unable to specify what action would be taken against the 16 people.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 &quot;terrorists&quot; who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military said, adding that it would take action against those involved.

The military&#39;s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

Arrested journalists

The Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre was what prompted the arrest of two of the news agency&#39;s reporters. Myanmar citizens Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on Dec. 12 for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. The police has said two police officers were also arrested.

Prosecutors are seeking to charge Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmar&#39;s Official Secrets Act, which dates back to the time of colonial British rule and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence.

Asked about the evidence Reuters had uncovered about the massacre, spokesman Zaw Htay said on Thursday, before publication of the Reuters report: &quot;We are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights. And we are not giving blanket denials.&quot;

If there was &quot;strong and reliable primary evidence&quot; of abuses, the government would investigate, he said.

There has been no official comment from the government following the publication of the report.

Britain&#39;s foreign minister, Boris Johnson, said he would raise the case of the two journalists during a meeting with Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Sunday.

A statement issued by Britain&#39;s Foreign Office after Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi said he had raised the case of the two journalists without providing details.

&quot;Discussed importance of Burmese authorities in carrying out full &amp; independent investigation into the violence in #Rakhine &amp; urgent need to create the right conditions for #Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine,&quot; Johnson said in a separate tweet following the talks.

The United States and the United Nations have called the military campaign against the Rohingya &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, and says its security forces mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

A Myanmar government spokesman said "action according to the law" would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation

Action will be taken against 10 members of Myanmar's security forces in connection with the killing of captured Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, a government spokesman said on Sunday, adding it was not related to a Reuters report on the incident. Reuters on Friday published a report laying out events that led up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men in the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. A Myanmar government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said that "action according to the law" would be taken against seven soldiers, three members of the police force and six villagers as part of an army investigation that was initiated before the Reuters report was published. The arrests were "not because of Reuters news. The investigation was being conducted even before Reuters news," Zaw Htay said, adding that he was unable to specify what action would be taken against the 16 people. On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 "terrorists" who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military said, adding that it would take action against those involved. The military's version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses. Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses told Reuters that soldiers plucked the 10 from among hundreds of men, women and children who had sought safety on a nearby beach. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide. Arrested journalists The Reuters investigation of the Inn Din massacre was what prompted the arrest of two of the news agency's reporters. Myanmar citizens Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were detained on Dec. 12 for allegedly obtaining confidential documents. The police has said two police officers were also arrested. Prosecutors are seeking to charge Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo under Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, which dates back to the time of colonial British rule and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence. Asked about the evidence Reuters had uncovered about the massacre, spokesman Zaw Htay said on Thursday, before publication of the Reuters report: "We are not denying the allegations about violations of human rights. And we are not giving blanket denials." If there was "strong and reliable primary evidence" of abuses, the government would investigate, he said. There has been no official comment from the government following the publication of the report. Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, said he would raise the case of the two journalists during a meeting with Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Sunday. A statement issued by Britain's Foreign Office after Johnson met with Aung San Suu Kyi said he had raised the case of the two journalists without providing details. "Discussed importance of Burmese authorities in carrying out full & independent investigation into the violence in #Rakhine & urgent need to create the right conditions for #Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine," Johnson said in a separate tweet following the talks. The United States and the United Nations have called the military campaign against the Rohingya "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing, and says its security forces mounted legitimate counter-insurgency clearance operations.

Myanmar says soldiers, police face action over village killings

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

The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year

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

Bangladesh says it is hosting over 1 million Rohingya

Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred.

The incident unfurled as around 5,000 Buddhists gathered late Tuesday for a nationalist ceremony in Mrauk U, a town that has so far remained unscathed by the military&#39;s crackdown on the region&#39;s minority Rohingya Muslim community.

It was not immediately clear why the rally descended into violence.&nbsp;

But ethnic Rakhine, many of whom are poor and marginalised, have a long-standing enmity with the Myanmar state which is dominated by ethnic Bamar.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank">Who </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank">are</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/who-are-myanmars-rakine-29848" target="_blank"> Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine?</a>&nbsp;

The clashes came on the same day that a repatriation agreement was signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to start the return of some 655,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from squalid camps over the border.

Rakhine say the Rohingya are illegal &quot;Bengali&quot; immigrants to a Buddhist land.

A police spokesman blamed the crowd for &quot;starting the violence&quot; by throwing stones and barging into a district administrative office and hoisting the Rakhine State flag.

&quot;Security forces asked them to disperse and fired warning shots with rubber bullets... but they didn&#39;t stop, so police had to use real bullets,&quot; spokesman Colonel Myo Soe told AFP.

&quot;Seven people were killed and 13 injured,&quot; he said adding more than 20 police were wounded by the crowd, who were calling for the &quot;sovereignty of Rakhine state&quot;.

Photographs showed bodies laid out on the floor of a makeshift mortuary in Mrauk U on Wednesday, the clothes of the victims stained with blood.&nbsp;

The shootings further raise the temperature in an already combustible area of Myanmar.

&quot;It&#39;s not forgivable that they used guns,&quot; Mrauk U lawmaker Oo Hla Saw of the Arakan National Party said, confirming the death toll and labelling the police action &quot;a crime&quot;.

Witness Nyi Nyi Khant, 29, said the clashes could have been prevented if the police had intervened earlier.

&quot;The police had time to prepare to stop the crowd before they reached the office,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;They could have blocked the street but they did not do that.&quot;

Communal hatreds 
Mrauk U, home to an ancient Buddhist complex of the last Rakhine kingdom, lies a few dozen kilometres from the epicentre of violence that saw Rohingya driven in their hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh since last August.

The military led a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya after militant attacks against border posts killed around a dozen police.

Rohingya say security forces, backed by hardline Rakhine mobs, torched hundreds of Rohingya villages and forced them to flee.

Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have brought with them consistent testimony of murder, rape and arson in the violence justified by the army as a legitimate response to the militant attacks.

Already shredded by communal hatreds, Rakhine state also has a Buddhist rebel group called the Arakan Army which is fighting Myanmar&#39;s army.

The clashes garner little attention in a state dominated by violence against the Rohingya and in a country where several larger ethnic insurgencies are burning.

Observers warned Tuesday&#39;s violence could open a new chapter of unrest in the febrile state.

The United Nations said it &quot;deplored&quot; the loss of life and urged an investigation into &quot;any disproportionate use of force&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The crowd was trying to seize a government office

Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred. The incident unfurled as around 5,000 Buddhists gathered late Tuesday for a nationalist ceremony in Mrauk U, a town that has so far remained unscathed by the military's crackdown on the region's minority Rohingya Muslim community. It was not immediately clear why the rally descended into violence. But ethnic Rakhine, many of whom are poor and marginalised, have a long-standing enmity with the Myanmar state which is dominated by ethnic Bamar. Also read: Who are Myanmar's Rakhine? The clashes came on the same day that a repatriation agreement was signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to start the return of some 655,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees from squalid camps over the border. Rakhine say the Rohingya are illegal "Bengali" immigrants to a Buddhist land. A police spokesman blamed the crowd for "starting the violence" by throwing stones and barging into a district administrative office and hoisting the Rakhine State flag. "Security forces asked them to disperse and fired warning shots with rubber bullets... but they didn't stop, so police had to use real bullets," spokesman Colonel Myo Soe told AFP. "Seven people were killed and 13 injured," he said adding more than 20 police were wounded by the crowd, who were calling for the "sovereignty of Rakhine state". Photographs showed bodies laid out on the floor of a makeshift mortuary in Mrauk U on Wednesday, the clothes of the victims stained with blood. The shootings further raise the temperature in an already combustible area of Myanmar. "It's not forgivable that they used guns," Mrauk U lawmaker Oo Hla Saw of the Arakan National Party said, confirming the death toll and labelling the police action "a crime". Witness Nyi Nyi Khant, 29, said the clashes could have been prevented if the police had intervened earlier. "The police had time to prepare to stop the crowd before they reached the office," he told AFP. "They could have blocked the street but they did not do that." Communal hatreds Mrauk U, home to an ancient Buddhist complex of the last Rakhine kingdom, lies a few dozen kilometres from the epicentre of violence that saw Rohingya driven in their hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh since last August. The military led a brutal crackdown against the Rohingya after militant attacks against border posts killed around a dozen police. Rohingya say security forces, backed by hardline Rakhine mobs, torched hundreds of Rohingya villages and forced them to flee. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have brought with them consistent testimony of murder, rape and arson in the violence justified by the army as a legitimate response to the militant attacks. Already shredded by communal hatreds, Rakhine state also has a Buddhist rebel group called the Arakan Army which is fighting Myanmar's army. The clashes garner little attention in a state dominated by violence against the Rohingya and in a country where several larger ethnic insurgencies are burning. Observers warned Tuesday's violence could open a new chapter of unrest in the febrile state. The United Nations said it "deplored" the loss of life and urged an investigation into "any disproportionate use of force".

Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seven-rakhine-killed-as-myanmar-police-fire-on-rioters-29846" target="_blank">deaths of seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists</a> in Myanmar&#39;s north has cast fresh light on the complex swirl of religious and ethnic tensions in one of the country&#39;s poorest and most troubled regions.

Rakhine state usually makes the news because of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in an army crackdown against insurgents that has been classified as ethnic cleansing.&nbsp;

But most of the population in the state is ethnic Rakhine, a group whose grievances are a key part of the conflict but often go unheard.&nbsp;

Who are the Rakhine?&nbsp;

Like nearly 90 percent of Myanmar&#39;s population, the Rakhine people are Buddhist, but a shared faith masks deeper divides.&nbsp;

Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese).

Like other ethnic groups, they harbour longstanding grievances against the central government that date back to British colonial rule, but the 18th-century subjugation of their own kingdom by the Burmese has also not been forgotten.

A deadly riot on Tuesday in Mrauk U occurred on the anniversary of the fall of the kingdom.&nbsp;

&quot;Mrauk U is the former capital of the kingdom of Arakan so it is an area where autonomist, regionalist claims are strong,&quot; said Alexandra De Mersan, an expert from the French School of Oriental Studies.

There are around two million Rakhine -- twice as many as the Rohingya before their recent exodus.

Why are they clashing with security forces?&nbsp;

Communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslim communities has deep roots and pivots on a dispute over who belongs in the state.&nbsp;

But Rakhine antipathy towards the government and the Burmese military is also strong. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not as popular in the state as she is in the rest of the country.&nbsp;

While the world&#39;s attention has focused on attacks by Rohingya insurgents, security forces have been fighting Rakhine rebels in a nearly decade-long war that has gone largely unnoticed outside Myanmar.

An AFP tally from Myanmar media reports indicates that the Arakan Army, the main rebel group, killed scores of members of the security forces from late 2015 to late 2016.

&quot;It would not be unreasonable to speculate that AA cadres or supporters might have been involved in whipping up a protest that turned violent fairly quickly,&quot; security analyst Anthony Davis said of Tuesday&#39;s clash.

What&#39;s the impact on the Rohingya?&nbsp;

The riot occurred just days before Myanmar and Bangladesh are slated to begin repatriating some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled last year.

Observers are worried the recent violence may morph into fresh tensions between Rakhine and Rohingya -- and complicate the return process.

The repatriation deal covers more than 750,000 Rohingya who have fled over the border to Bangladesh.

&quot;Things can get mixed up,&quot; Oo Hla Saw, a lawmaker with the Arakan National Party. &quot;Hatred and incitement could increase as well,&quot; he told AFP.

Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese)

The deaths of seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Myanmar's north has cast fresh light on the complex swirl of religious and ethnic tensions in one of the country's poorest and most troubled regions. Rakhine state usually makes the news because of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have fled to Bangladesh in an army crackdown against insurgents that has been classified as ethnic cleansing. But most of the population in the state is ethnic Rakhine, a group whose grievances are a key part of the conflict but often go unheard. Who are the Rakhine? Like nearly 90 percent of Myanmar's population, the Rakhine people are Buddhist, but a shared faith masks deeper divides. Unlike the Rohingya Muslims who live in the same state, the Rakhine are recognised by the government as an ethnic group but are often marginalised under a system that favours the dominant Bamar (Burmese). Like other ethnic groups, they harbour longstanding grievances against the central government that date back to British colonial rule, but the 18th-century subjugation of their own kingdom by the Burmese has also not been forgotten. A deadly riot on Tuesday in Mrauk U occurred on the anniversary of the fall of the kingdom. "Mrauk U is the former capital of the kingdom of Arakan so it is an area where autonomist, regionalist claims are strong," said Alexandra De Mersan, an expert from the French School of Oriental Studies. There are around two million Rakhine -- twice as many as the Rohingya before their recent exodus. Why are they clashing with security forces? Communal violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslim communities has deep roots and pivots on a dispute over who belongs in the state. But Rakhine antipathy towards the government and the Burmese military is also strong. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is not as popular in the state as she is in the rest of the country. While the world's attention has focused on attacks by Rohingya insurgents, security forces have been fighting Rakhine rebels in a nearly decade-long war that has gone largely unnoticed outside Myanmar. An AFP tally from Myanmar media reports indicates that the Arakan Army, the main rebel group, killed scores of members of the security forces from late 2015 to late 2016. "It would not be unreasonable to speculate that AA cadres or supporters might have been involved in whipping up a protest that turned violent fairly quickly," security analyst Anthony Davis said of Tuesday's clash. What's the impact on the Rohingya? The riot occurred just days before Myanmar and Bangladesh are slated to begin repatriating some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled last year. Observers are worried the recent violence may morph into fresh tensions between Rakhine and Rohingya -- and complicate the return process. The repatriation deal covers more than 750,000 Rohingya who have fled over the border to Bangladesh. "Things can get mixed up," Oo Hla Saw, a lawmaker with the Arakan National Party. "Hatred and incitement could increase as well," he told AFP.

Who are Myanmar's Rakine?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-rape-and-murder-class-12th-suspect-found-dead-in-kurukshetra-29852">Haryana rape and murder: Class 12 suspect found dead in Kurukshetra</a>

The Haryana Police found the dead body of the main suspect in the brutal rape and murder case of a 15-year-old Dalit girl.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-crosses-35000-mark-for-first-time-nifty-closes-at-all-time-high-29831">Sensex crosses 35,000 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-crosses-35000-mark-for-first-time-nifty-closes-at-all-time-high-29831">mark</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-crosses-35000-mark-for-first-time-nifty-closes-at-all-time-high-29831"> for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-crosses-35000-mark-for-first-time-nifty-closes-at-all-time-high-29831">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/sensex-crosses-35000-mark-for-first-time-nifty-closes-at-all-time-high-29831"> time, Nifty closes at all-time high Benchmark&nbsp;</a>

Sensex soared over 310 points today to close above the 35,000-mark for the first time ever, while the broader Nifty too ended at a fresh life-time high on unabated buying by participants.

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Senior Supreme Court lawyer Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners in the Aadhaar hearing, told a five-judge Constitution bench Wednesday that &quot;Aadhaar may cause death of citizens&#39; civil rights&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seven-rakhine-killed-as-myanmar-police-fire-on-rioters-29846">Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters</a>

Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/czech-government-agrees-to-resign-after-losing-confidence-vote-29845">Czech government agrees to resign after losing confidence vote</a>

The Czech government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis agreed to resign on Wednesday after the minority cabinet lost a confidence vote a day earlier.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-africas-cape-town-may-run-out-of-water-in-90-days-29865">South Africa&#39;s Cape Town may run out of water in 90 days</a>

South Africa&#39;s Cape Town, one of the world&#39;s iconic tourist destinations, could run out of water by April as the city&#39;s worst drought in a century risks forcing residents to join queues for emergency rations.

Haryana rape and murder: Class 12 suspect found dead in Kurukshetra The Haryana Police found the dead body of the main suspect in the brutal rape and murder case of a 15-year-old Dalit girl. Sensex crosses 35,000 mark for first time, Nifty closes at all-time high Benchmark Sensex soared over 310 points today to close above the 35,000-mark for the first time ever, while the broader Nifty too ended at a fresh life-time high on unabated buying by participants. 'Aadhaar may cause death of citizens' civil rights': Lawyer for petitioners tells Supreme Court Senior Supreme Court lawyer Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners in the Aadhaar hearing, told a five-judge Constitution bench Wednesday that "Aadhaar may cause death of citizens' civil rights". Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters Seven ethnic Rakhine Buddhists died after Myanmar police opened fire on a crowd trying to seize a government office, officials said Wednesday, in fresh violence in a febrile state already scarred by ethnic and religious hatred. Czech government agrees to resign after losing confidence vote The Czech government led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis agreed to resign on Wednesday after the minority cabinet lost a confidence vote a day earlier. South Africa's Cape Town may run out of water in 90 days South Africa's Cape Town, one of the world's iconic tourist destinations, could run out of water by April as the city's worst drought in a century risks forcing residents to join queues for emergency rations.

WION Evening News Brief, 17 January 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hindu refugees eagerly await return to Myanmar

The detention of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar was extended for two more weeks, a court said Wednesday, in the pair`s first public appearance since their December 12 arrest under a draconian colonial-era secrecy law.

Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 - Myanmar nationals who had been reporting on a military-led crackdown on Rohingya Muslims - were arrested after being invited to meet police for dinner on the outskirts of Yangon.

They face up to 14 years in jail under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing documents related to the army crackdown in Rakhine state - a highly sensitive issue in Myanmar.

The UN says the army is likely guilty of ethnic cleansing and may have committed genocide against the Muslim minority, some 655,000 of whom have fled the country since the military launched a crackdown on Rohingya rebels in late August.

Myanmar denies the allegations and has tightly controlled media and UN access to the conflict area.

Myanmar officials have refused to comment on where the Reuters journalists were being detained or when they would be released.

On Wednesday, the pair appeared in public for the first time in a court on the outskirts of Yangon, where they were embraced by tearful relatives who have been denied any contact with the two men.

&quot;They have not mistreated me,&quot; Wa Lone told AFP inside the courthouse.

The other reporter, Kyaw Soe Oo, urged other journalists to be cautious in brief comments to AFP.

&quot;Please tell journalist friends to be careful. It&#39;s really scary. We didn&#39;t do anything wrong,&quot; he said.

Judge Ohn Myint extended their remand period until January 10, telling the court &quot;the interrogation is still ongoing.&quot;

The arrests have been widely condemned as the latest sign of eroding press freedoms in Myanmar, which is still shedding a 50-year legacy of brutal junta rule.

The emerging democracy is now led by former democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who was swept into office in the 2015 elections.

But her civilian administration must share power with an army that retains firm control of security policy and other key levers of government.

At least 11 journalists have been arrested in Myanmar in 2017.

They face up to 14 years in jail under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing documents related to the army crackdown in Rakhine state - a highly sensitive issue in Myanmar.

The detention of two Reuters journalists in Myanmar was extended for two more weeks, a court said Wednesday, in the pair`s first public appearance since their December 12 arrest under a draconian colonial-era secrecy law. Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 - Myanmar nationals who had been reporting on a military-led crackdown on Rohingya Muslims - were arrested after being invited to meet police for dinner on the outskirts of Yangon. They face up to 14 years in jail under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing documents related to the army crackdown in Rakhine state - a highly sensitive issue in Myanmar. The UN says the army is likely guilty of ethnic cleansing and may have committed genocide against the Muslim minority, some 655,000 of whom have fled the country since the military launched a crackdown on Rohingya rebels in late August. Myanmar denies the allegations and has tightly controlled media and UN access to the conflict area. Myanmar officials have refused to comment on where the Reuters journalists were being detained or when they would be released. On Wednesday, the pair appeared in public for the first time in a court on the outskirts of Yangon, where they were embraced by tearful relatives who have been denied any contact with the two men. "They have not mistreated me," Wa Lone told AFP inside the courthouse. The other reporter, Kyaw Soe Oo, urged other journalists to be cautious in brief comments to AFP. "Please tell journalist friends to be careful. It's really scary. We didn't do anything wrong," he said. Judge Ohn Myint extended their remand period until January 10, telling the court "the interrogation is still ongoing." The arrests have been widely condemned as the latest sign of eroding press freedoms in Myanmar, which is still shedding a 50-year legacy of brutal junta rule. The emerging democracy is now led by former democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, who was swept into office in the 2015 elections. But her civilian administration must share power with an army that retains firm control of security policy and other key levers of government. At least 11 journalists have been arrested in Myanmar in 2017.

Myanmar court remands detained journalists for two more weeks

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

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

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

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

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss Myanmar&#39;s ongoing refugee crisis.

The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees.

They also discussed humanitarian assistance and international support to Bangladesh.

China has urged all parties to maintain an objective attitude and expressed support for what it calls Myanmar&#39;s recent efforts to bring stability to the region.

Speaking to the press, the Chinese foreign minister said the turbulence in Myanmar has spread to Bangladesh and brought burden to it, yet Bangladesh has managed to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh.

Till now Bangladesh has been providing shelter and humanitarian support to more than a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. But the country needs the support of the world community.

The international community has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for the compassion and generosity shown to the Myanmar people seeking refuge in Bangladesh.

The Rohingya issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, among others, thus it calls for a comprehensive solution.

According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh, this visit of five different foreign ministers would give a push to Bangladesh&#39;s diplomatic efforts, for early and sustainable return of the Rohingyas.

The visit by the foreign ministers reflects the support of the international community for Rohingyas. After the visit, the foreign ministers will travel to Myanmar to attend the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers&#39; Meeting.

The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Bangladesh counterpart AH Mahmood Ali in Dhaka on Saturday to discuss Myanmar's ongoing refugee crisis. The talks focused on finding a solution to the crisis and safe return of the forcibly displaced Myanmar refugees. They also discussed humanitarian assistance and international support to Bangladesh. China has urged all parties to maintain an objective attitude and expressed support for what it calls Myanmar's recent efforts to bring stability to the region. Speaking to the press, the Chinese foreign minister said the turbulence in Myanmar has spread to Bangladesh and brought burden to it, yet Bangladesh has managed to provide humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh. Till now Bangladesh has been providing shelter and humanitarian support to more than a million forcibly displaced Rohingyas. But the country needs the support of the world community. The international community has lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government for the compassion and generosity shown to the Myanmar people seeking refuge in Bangladesh. The Rohingya issue is a complicated one touching on history, ethnicity and religion, among others, thus it calls for a comprehensive solution. According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh, this visit of five different foreign ministers would give a push to Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts, for early and sustainable return of the Rohingyas. The visit by the foreign ministers reflects the support of the international community for Rohingyas. After the visit, the foreign ministers will travel to Myanmar to attend the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Chinese foreign minister arrives in Bangladesh to discuss Rakhine refugees issue

One person was injured when military trucks hit landmines in Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine State this week, state media said on Friday, amid ethnic tension following an army crackdown that sent hundreds of thousands of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya Muslims fleeing</a>.

More than 600,000 of the refugees have entered neighbouring <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-can-return-only-if-myanmars-real-citizens-accept-army-24369">Bangladesh</a> since Aug. 25 attacks by Rohingya militants sparked the army operation. Killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs since then amount to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the United Nations says.

Three landmine blasts caused extensive damage to three military trucks in Rakhine&#39;s central Minbya township on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

The landmines were &quot;apparently targeting&quot; army convoys, it added.

Later that day, another landmine exploded near the village of Vethali in central Rakhine as seven military trucks passed, injuring one pedestrian but causing no damage to the vehicles, the paper said.

It was not clear who was responsible for the attacks. Several landmine explosions were reported near the area this year.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-panel-votes-to-hike-pay-of-h-1b-visa-holders-from-60000-to-90000-24410">United Nations</a> staff and aid workers have said they fear violence in northern Rakhine could spread to new areas as Buddhist villagers in more peaceful areas enforce a system of local apartheid that punishes people trading with minority Muslims.

Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar see Rohingya Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although many of the Rohingya can trace family for generations.

After the August attacks on police posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which the government has declared a terrorist organisation, security forces unleashed a brutal counteroffensive in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine.

Even though <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-army-chief-issues-controversial-comments-over-rohingya-muslims-6774">Myanmar </a>says military operations ceased on Sept. 5, hundreds of refugees have continued to cross the Naf river separating Rakhine and Bangladesh in recent weeks.

Separately, Myanmar security forces have arrested 19 men suspected of involvement in the August attacks and charged them under the anti-terrorism law, the newspaper said on Friday.

The landmines were 'apparently targeting' army convoys, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said

One person was injured when military trucks hit landmines in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State this week, state media said on Friday, amid ethnic tension following an army crackdown that sent hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing. More than 600,000 of the refugees have entered neighbouring Bangladesh since Aug. 25 attacks by Rohingya militants sparked the army operation. Killings, arson and rape carried out by troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs since then amount to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, the United Nations says. Three landmine blasts caused extensive damage to three military trucks in Rakhine's central Minbya township on Wednesday morning, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. The landmines were "apparently targeting" army convoys, it added. Later that day, another landmine exploded near the village of Vethali in central Rakhine as seven military trucks passed, injuring one pedestrian but causing no damage to the vehicles, the paper said. It was not clear who was responsible for the attacks. Several landmine explosions were reported near the area this year. United Nations staff and aid workers have said they fear violence in northern Rakhine could spread to new areas as Buddhist villagers in more peaceful areas enforce a system of local apartheid that punishes people trading with minority Muslims. Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar see Rohingya Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although many of the Rohingya can trace family for generations. After the August attacks on police posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which the government has declared a terrorist organisation, security forces unleashed a brutal counteroffensive in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine. Even though Myanmar says military operations ceased on Sept. 5, hundreds of refugees have continued to cross the Naf river separating Rakhine and Bangladesh in recent weeks. Separately, Myanmar security forces have arrested 19 men suspected of involvement in the August attacks and charged them under the anti-terrorism law, the newspaper said on Friday.

Myanmar military trucks hit landmines in troubled Rakhine, one injured

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories &mdash; throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution.

We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues &mdash; the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities.

Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi&rsquo;s government.

The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, a young woman said to me: &ldquo;I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.&rdquo; Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream.

The lost children

Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present &mdash; hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles.

I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones &mdash; an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps.

Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds.

At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar &mdash; just an inch taller and a year older &mdash; was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety.

Trauma trap

The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen.

After the flight to safety other terrors await:&nbsp;The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable.

Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter&rsquo;s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child&rsquo;s health.

Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts.

The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma.

Well-meaning, ill-advised

The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult.

The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job.

Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with M&eacute;decins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance.

The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps.

The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer.

The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees&nbsp;escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future.

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/rohingya-refugees-bangladesh-myanmar-crisis-news-10010/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>

Image Credit:&nbsp;Shahidul Alam

There are close to a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in desperate need of food, shelter and medical attention

The flight of the Rohingya people is an exodus of unprecedented scale and speed. Since August, over 600,000 refugees have fled Rakhine State in Myanmar. Around 300,000 of them are children, 20,000 who are completely alone, orphaned by the brutality of the Myanmar military. Every refugee has been driven by violence, terror and the threat of death. Loved ones have been lost along the way, homes destroyed, funeral pyres made of entire villages. Many of the people we spoke to told the same stories — throats slit, bodies burned (sometimes alive), women raped, neither children nor the elderly spared, with men at highest risk of brutal summary execution. We saw the smoke rising from the burning villages near the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Bangladeshi locals told us they see about 20 such fires every day. I was accompanied by a remarkable photographer and campaigner, Shahidul Alam, with whom we had worked over many years on different and challenging issues — the stigma of HIV/AIDS, the impact of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake. I recently met up with him in London, and he shared with me his anger and anguish about the Rohingya who have found refuge in his country, Bangladesh. In his determination to focus attention on their suffering, to drive change and build support for these persecuted people in their exodus of pain, he asked if I would go with him and help in any way possible. I volunteered immediately, knowing that his understanding of the context in Bangladesh and his commitment to challenging injustice would bring a special energy and focus and that I would learn so much from him because we would be moving in very different circles to those I had experienced working with established international charities. Through Shahidul I met a young journalist from Myanmar, who cannot be named for his protection. He explained that when land is burned, it reverts to government ownership, so it is no accident that torching is the favoured method of destruction in Rakhine State, where valuable minerals are ready for exploitation once the farmers have been scorched off their land, murdered or banished. The journalist also gave an explanation for the acceptance by so many people in Myanmar of the longstanding cruelty and discrimination inflicted on the Rohingya, with decades of dictatorship having blunted critical thinking and years of sanctions having poisoned trust in Western media. The people of Myanmar have become easy prey for propaganda by those in power, who still comprise many of the military figures from the dark days of the dictatorship, including some of the closest advisors at the highest level of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government. The consequences of this have been dire. In their flight, the Rohingya are leaving behind all they know and love. At the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar, a young woman said to me: “I did not want to leave my home to come here. I had two cows and land, and now I have nothing.” Looking at the rain-soaked bare earth, seeing her shivering, emaciated children, the prospect of returning to a life where she could milk her cows and tend to her crops seemed a distant dream. The lost children Walking through the sparkling green paddy fields near Teknaf, a small town on the river Naf that borders Myanmar, the calm swishing of the boats rowing downstream ushers in an awareness of the scale of what these Rohingya had lost and left behind: Homes, rivers to fish, fields to plough, animals to tend, space for children to play, and the friendship and comfort of families and neighbors. Standing atop an old Bangladeshi army watchtower, overlooking the burning villages across the water, no more than half a mile away, looking backward at the simple but peaceful villages of Cox’s Bazar, you have a vivid sense of their past and their painful present — hungry, dislocated and alone, families separated in the flight or murdered before they escaped, villages broken up and social life destroyed. The most painful of all is to see the lost and frightened children in the camps. Even those who have not been orphaned or lost, they no longer have their smiles. I saw a child of about age 3 piteously crying for his mother. I saw a mother crying for her lost children. Were they connected? Was the lost child hers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The toddler had already disappeared into the chaos, and the woman was still looking for her children. Thankfully, Handicap International and other charities have set up projects to reunite loved ones — an immense job in the vast, overcrowded camps. Later at the Sadar Hospital in Cox’s Bazar, we met a woman named Senowara Begum. She had been shot three times and deeply traumatised by the loss of two of her three children, adding intolerable grief to the pain of her wounds. At Tefnar, we met Abdul Basar, struggling with clumsy adult wooden crutches, his leg amputated after severe burns. His father was also injured and in a hospital far away, his mother died and his cousin Abdul Basar — just an inch taller and a year older — was the only person to care for him as he struggled to walk, his delicate face pinched with pain and anxiety. Trauma trap The logistical challenges of the makeshift camps are overwhelming. The tarpaulins have been hastily fixed to bamboo poles, the trees torn from the hills to make space, narrow, winding steps hacked into the sandy soil. Water flows over latrines, spreading the stench of sewage everywhere and with it the fatal risk of cholera, with other diseases like measles and polio waiting in the wings. There is a risk of a major setback to the advances fought so hard for in Bangladesh, which has managed to eradicate polio despite extreme poverty but is now facing the prospect of it returning with more pain and maiming. The lack of clean water, pollution and the urgent need for medical care and food is frightening. Even the most experienced aid workers have said that this is the worst refugee crisis they have ever seen. After the flight to safety other terrors await: The risk of hunger, trafficking, loneliness, loss and death. Some of the sickest and most traumatically injured have managed to get to the hospital. The Sadar District Hospital in Cox’s Bazar is overcrowded and short on both staff and medicine. The heroic health workers are doing their best to help. The resident medical officer, Dr. Shaheen Chowdury, has immaculate records of the injured and sick: gunshot wounds, burns, pneumonia, near drowning, obstructed labour. The hard journey and the camp conditions have taken their toll on the weakest and the most vulnerable. Narshida, a lively young girl, no more than 10 years old, was smiling at us, glad of a break from her sad task of caring for her handsome young father as he lay immobile on a mattress on the floor, too weak to respond to his daughter’s loving ministrations. As we left, she was carefully stroking his forehead. Fatima was cradling her tiny baby, delicately trying to encourage her little girl to eat. She had traveled for 20 days, and the journey had taken a terrible toll on her child’s health. Another father held his daughter, Nurkajol, who is only 9, in his arms, her broken leg immobilised, weighted by a simple plastic bottle filled with water to help the healing and prevent the pain. But on her face agony was vivid and present, her eyes listless, her limbs so thin and the trauma of her experience at the hands of the military an unwelcome and constant companion. Her father explained that when the military came and attacked their village, in the panic they lost Nurkajol. Then, before fleeing across the border, they crept back into the village and found her alone, a frail little girl that the military had beaten with their rifle butts. The life force and curiosity of these children shine through the pain of their exile. In northern Rakhine State they suffered severe discrimination, having access to only the most minimal education, but right now there are thousands of children in these camps across Bangladesh with even fewer opportunities. Amidst the pressure of so many people and so many children, schooling has not yet been given priority. Education must be properly provided to help these children survive and thrive. In the chaos of the camps, this is a challenge, with so much else needing to be done. But these children are the future, and education can provide a way out of the trap of trauma. Well-meaning, ill-advised The government of Bangladesh has brought some order to the camps that have spontaneously sprung up, housing over 800,000 Rohingya. Longer-term plans being discussed by the government have suggested moving refugees off the hills to build a proper camp, but this presents a major logistical challenge. The Bangladeshi government and nongovernmental organisations are doing their best with the problematic geography of an unstable hilly environment, which makes it difficult to move people or services effectively and also makes the job of water engineers designing latrines and wells difficult. The Bangladeshi military is also organising and building basic infrastructure and doing crowd control, which is badly needed when so many frightened people are trapped together in cramped conditions. Local and international organisations desperately need to scale up the relief effort, but the government needs to be assured that the organisations coming in are the right ones for the job. Bangladeshi charities such as Brac are significant players, with a local and international presence, and other local charities are providing important services, including specialist help for those who have become overwhelmed by trauma. The clinical psychologists I met at a mental health service centre run by Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a local medical charity working in partnership with Médecins du Monde, said they believed everybody in the camp was traumatised. But they were only able to treat the very worst affected, like the young girl lying outside the tent clinic who had been rendered speechless by the violence she had witnessed and, in her torment, was violently attacking her own mother. She is only one of the endless thousands in need of mental-health assistance. The United Kingdom has the advantage of the Disasters Emergency Committee that, when it comes to crises of this scale, enables a unified approach to raising funds and support by coordinating major charities like Oxfam, Care International, Concern, ActionAid, Islamic Relief and half a dozen other experienced organisations. Doctors Without Borders has set up clinics, and UN agencies are also on the ground in Bangladesh, but it still is not enough when the continuing exodus of pain is driving tens of thousands of new refugees every day into the already seriously overcrowded camps. The logistics and transport links are a challenge. Well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to contribute have not helped: When we were there, the Rohingya were busy trying to clear endless piles of muddy and useless clothing that have been tossed out of the windows of passing cars by well-intentioned local people. A trampled sweater in the mud was a sad sign that expert help is needed, not woollen clothes in the brutal heat of the Asian summer. The Rohingya have suffered decades of discrimination and stigma and have endured so much on their tortuous journey to safety. Just the other day I heard from the talented Bangladeshi photojournalist, Mohammad Shahnewaz Khan, who worked with us in Cox’s Bazar, that he had been back to the border and was devastated to see those new refugees escaping the brutality in Myanmar were being prevented from entering Bangladesh. It is the duty of the international community, governments, national and international charities and all of us as citizens of the world to put our best efforts into helping the Rohingya and to raise our voices wherever we are to defend their right to return to their lost lives, lands and to a better future. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer Image Credit: Shahidul Alam

The Rohingya: When the land you love burns

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.

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

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

Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh amid a fresh exodus from strife-torn Myanmar have described whole villages being emptied and thousands marching to the border as security forces redouble efforts to drive remaining Muslims from their homes.

More than 500,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled ethnic bloodshed in Myanmar in the past month and numbers are again swelling, with Bangladesh reporting 4-5,000 civilians now crossing the border each day after a brief lull in arrivals.

An estimated 10,000 more have reportedly massed in Myanmar near a crossing point into Bangladesh, and are poised to join the hundreds of thousands of mainly Rohingya refugees eking out survival in wretched camps over the border.

The spike in new arrivals -- prompted by what Rohingya say is a fresh drive to purge Muslims still in westernmost Rakhine state -- casts doubt on a Myanmar proposal aired this week to start repatriating the persecuted minority.

Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks, and more are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave villages that have so far been spared the worst of the violence ripping through the state.

Rashida Begum, who arrived in Bangladesh late Monday, said local officials assured the Rohingya community for weeks they would be safe if they remained in their village.

&quot;(But then) the army came and went door to door, ordering us to leave,&quot; she told AFP of the military sweep in Maungdaw on Friday.

&quot;They said they wouldn&#39;t harm us, but eventually they drove us out and burned our houses.&quot;

Begum, 30, fled with her daughter to the coast, where hundreds of Rohingya waited to cross the Naf River dividing Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Myanmar state media said the fleeing Rohingya had left &quot;of their own accord&quot; despite assurances they would be safe.

&quot;I wanted to stay in my village,&quot; Hasina Khatun, 25, told AFP in the coastal border town of Shah Porir Dwip.

&quot;They (local officials) said &#39;don&#39;t go to Bangladesh. Everything will be fine&#39;. We believed them, but nothing improved. Eventually, we had to leave.&quot;

Sumaya Bibi, a softly spoken Rohingya teenager, described more than a thousand civilians hiding along the riverbank late Monday.

She said they boarded about 10 wooden fishing boats, many overloaded and carrying mainly women and children, and drifted under the cover of darkness across the Naf where they washed up on a remote beach.

Reports are difficult to independently verify due to reporting restrictions in Rakhine.

Fazlul Haq, a local councillor in the area, said the flow of boats had almost stopped by late September but has resumed in recent days, bringing scores of Rohingya families reporting threats and intimidation by the army.

The UN said Tuesday that 509,000 refugees had crossed into Bangladesh as of September 30.

The influx began after August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Myanmar&#39;s government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group and considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

On Monday a Myanmar minister proposed taking back hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, many of whom are at risk of disease in packed makeshift camps along the border but offered no timeline.

Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still blocked by an army lockdown, but fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain.

Nurul Amin, who arrived Sunday after the military ordered his village to be evacuated, described a long column of Rohingya civilians growing in size as it snaked toward the coast.

&quot;As we left, people from villages all around us started joining. They (the Myanmar army) weren&#39;t killing anyone, just burning houses,&quot; he told AFP.

Thick plumes of smoke could be seen from Bangladesh rising beyond the border on Tuesday. An EU delegation in Rakhine earlier this week urged an end to the violence after seeing &quot;villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants&quot;.

Amin said there were just &quot;two, maybe three families in hiding, but no houses&quot; in the villages surrounding his razed home in Maungdaw.

&quot;They too will come in time,&quot; he said.

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled ethnic bloodshed in Myanmar in the past month

Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh amid a fresh exodus from strife-torn Myanmar have described whole villages being emptied and thousands marching to the border as security forces redouble efforts to drive remaining Muslims from their homes. More than 500,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled ethnic bloodshed in Myanmar in the past month and numbers are again swelling, with Bangladesh reporting 4-5,000 civilians now crossing the border each day after a brief lull in arrivals. An estimated 10,000 more have reportedly massed in Myanmar near a crossing point into Bangladesh, and are poised to join the hundreds of thousands of mainly Rohingya refugees eking out survival in wretched camps over the border. The spike in new arrivals -- prompted by what Rohingya say is a fresh drive to purge Muslims still in westernmost Rakhine state -- casts doubt on a Myanmar proposal aired this week to start repatriating the persecuted minority. Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks, and more are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave villages that have so far been spared the worst of the violence ripping through the state. Rashida Begum, who arrived in Bangladesh late Monday, said local officials assured the Rohingya community for weeks they would be safe if they remained in their village. "(But then) the army came and went door to door, ordering us to leave," she told AFP of the military sweep in Maungdaw on Friday. "They said they wouldn't harm us, but eventually they drove us out and burned our houses." Begum, 30, fled with her daughter to the coast, where hundreds of Rohingya waited to cross the Naf River dividing Myanmar and Bangladesh. Myanmar state media said the fleeing Rohingya had left "of their own accord" despite assurances they would be safe. "I wanted to stay in my village," Hasina Khatun, 25, told AFP in the coastal border town of Shah Porir Dwip. "They (local officials) said 'don't go to Bangladesh. Everything will be fine'. We believed them, but nothing improved. Eventually, we had to leave." Sumaya Bibi, a softly spoken Rohingya teenager, described more than a thousand civilians hiding along the riverbank late Monday. She said they boarded about 10 wooden fishing boats, many overloaded and carrying mainly women and children, and drifted under the cover of darkness across the Naf where they washed up on a remote beach. Reports are difficult to independently verify due to reporting restrictions in Rakhine. Fazlul Haq, a local councillor in the area, said the flow of boats had almost stopped by late September but has resumed in recent days, bringing scores of Rohingya families reporting threats and intimidation by the army. The UN said Tuesday that 509,000 refugees had crossed into Bangladesh as of September 30. The influx began after August 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar's government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group and considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh. On Monday a Myanmar minister proposed taking back hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, many of whom are at risk of disease in packed makeshift camps along the border but offered no timeline. Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still blocked by an army lockdown, but fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain. Nurul Amin, who arrived Sunday after the military ordered his village to be evacuated, described a long column of Rohingya civilians growing in size as it snaked toward the coast. "As we left, people from villages all around us started joining. They (the Myanmar army) weren't killing anyone, just burning houses," he told AFP. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen from Bangladesh rising beyond the border on Tuesday. An EU delegation in Rakhine earlier this week urged an end to the violence after seeing "villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants". Amin said there were just "two, maybe three families in hiding, but no houses" in the villages surrounding his razed home in Maungdaw. "They too will come in time," he said.

Rohingya fleeing Myanmar say Army redoubling efforts to clear out those who remain

Bangladesh police have rescued 20 Rohingya after busting a gang which ferried the refugees from Myanmar but demanded thousands of dollars for the boat ride, an official said Tuesday.

The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin.&nbsp;

The RAB chief who led the operation at Sabrung near Cox&#39;s Bazar told AFP the 20 included seven women, five men and eight children.

&quot;They were held there by a gang of boat owners and crew who demanded 20,000 takas ($250) per person for a two-hour boat ride from Myanmar,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

A boat ride between Maungdaw and Bangladesh&#39;s main landing station at Shah Porir Dwip would cost no more than five dollars normally.

Amin said they arrested three members of the gang for profiteering. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The UN estimates that 507,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine into Bangladesh since late August after the latest eruption of violence in the northern Myanmar state.

Many have arrived on rickety boats crossing the Naf river, which marks the border between Bangladesh&#39;s Cox&#39;s Bazar district and Rakhine.

Police said boat owners, crew and fishermen have charged exorbitant prices for the rides.

&quot;It has become a common phenomenon&quot; since the influx began, Amin said.

Authorities have deployed mobile courts to crack down on the profiteering gangs and handed down sentences of up to six months&#39; jail on nearly 200 people.

&quot;We have arrested 20 brokers and freed nearly 2,000 people in raids in the coastal villages. In one raid we rescued about 1,000 Rohingya who were held at six houses,&quot; Amin said.

Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh said the boatmen extracted every last penny from them for the ferry and threatened to throw them overboard if they refused to surrender valuables including gold ornaments

Media reports have mentioned Rohingya being held by boatmen and agents for hours in coastal villages until they made inflated payments for the trip.&nbsp;

Rohingya living in established refugee camps in Bangladesh have also been accused of joining the profiteering.

The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin

Bangladesh police have rescued 20 Rohingya after busting a gang which ferried the refugees from Myanmar but demanded thousands of dollars for the boat ride, an official said Tuesday. The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin. The RAB chief who led the operation at Sabrung near Cox's Bazar told AFP the 20 included seven women, five men and eight children. "They were held there by a gang of boat owners and crew who demanded 20,000 takas ($250) per person for a two-hour boat ride from Myanmar," he said. A boat ride between Maungdaw and Bangladesh's main landing station at Shah Porir Dwip would cost no more than five dollars normally. Amin said they arrested three members of the gang for profiteering. The UN estimates that 507,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine into Bangladesh since late August after the latest eruption of violence in the northern Myanmar state. Many have arrived on rickety boats crossing the Naf river, which marks the border between Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district and Rakhine. Police said boat owners, crew and fishermen have charged exorbitant prices for the rides. "It has become a common phenomenon" since the influx began, Amin said. Authorities have deployed mobile courts to crack down on the profiteering gangs and handed down sentences of up to six months' jail on nearly 200 people. "We have arrested 20 brokers and freed nearly 2,000 people in raids in the coastal villages. In one raid we rescued about 1,000 Rohingya who were held at six houses," Amin said. Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh said the boatmen extracted every last penny from them for the ferry and threatened to throw them overboard if they refused to surrender valuables including gold ornaments Media reports have mentioned Rohingya being held by boatmen and agents for hours in coastal villages until they made inflated payments for the trip. Rohingya living in established refugee camps in Bangladesh have also been accused of joining the profiteering.

Bangladesh rescues 20 Rohingya held by refugee racket gang

The UN has said the death toll from the capsizing of the boat carrying Rohingya refugees is likely to cross 60.&nbsp;

The boat capsized off the coast of Bangladesh on Thursday.&nbsp;

AFP reported&nbsp;Internation Organisation for Migration spokesman Joel Millman as saying 23 people had been confirmed dead.&nbsp;

There are 40 people missing; they are for the moment presumed dead.&nbsp;

Witnesses and survivors said the boat was just metres from the Bangladesh coast when it was lashed by high winds and rain.&nbsp;

&quot;Survivors described being at sea all night, having no food,&quot; AFP quoted Millman as saying.&nbsp;

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A man watches as the bodies of the dead are brought ashore. (Reuters)
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So far, 23 people have been confirmed dead. (Reuters)
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The boat was carrying almost 80 Rohingya refugees, including 50 children.&nbsp;

AFP quoted Millman as saying the captain of the boat, a suspected trafficker, was also missing.&nbsp;

He too is presumed dead, although he has not been included in the IOM death toll which counts only migrants.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The boat capsized just metres off the coast of Bangladesh on Thursday

The UN has said the death toll from the capsizing of the boat carrying Rohingya refugees is likely to cross 60. The boat capsized off the coast of Bangladesh on Thursday. AFP reported Internation Organisation for Migration spokesman Joel Millman as saying 23 people had been confirmed dead. There are 40 people missing; they are for the moment presumed dead. Witnesses and survivors said the boat was just metres from the Bangladesh coast when it was lashed by high winds and rain. "Survivors described being at sea all night, having no food," AFP quoted Millman as saying. A man watches as the bodies of the dead are brought ashore. (Reuters) × So far, 23 people have been confirmed dead. (Reuters) × The boat was carrying almost 80 Rohingya refugees, including 50 children. AFP quoted Millman as saying the captain of the boat, a suspected trafficker, was also missing. He too is presumed dead, although he has not been included in the IOM death toll which counts only migrants.

Rohingya boat capsize: Death toll likely to cross 60, says UN

Whether all insurgencies are acts of terrorism (or not) is an issue that has many facets: from political to moral, conceptual to propaganda. The political and moral angles tend to get a greater share of attention in public discourse. For instance, according to the official Indian version, Kashmiri militants are the Jihadi terrorist but to many others, they are freedom fighters. Another example is Palestinian militants, who are treated polar opposite ways by Israel and the Arab countries. UK and Spain see IRA and Basque separatists as a terrorist, whereas many Irish and Basque countrymen differ.&nbsp;

There are hundreds of such examples, where one category of interest groups or countries view certain activities as terrorism and others don&#39;t. Those who don&#39;t, often consider it as a legitimate armed political act called &lsquo;insurgency&rsquo;. The insurgency can evolve into a war for independence or greater political power. This can also transform into a civil war.&nbsp;

While both insurgents and terrorists advocate violence as a form of political act, there are fundamental differences between the two. The most important difference lies in the target of violence; security forces employed against the insurgents as well as physical structures and facilities related to security operation are widely considered to be the legitimate target for insurgents.&nbsp;

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<h5>While both insurgents and terrorists advocate violence as a form of political act, there are fundamental differences between the two.</h5>
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Insurgents live within their focus community like a fish in the water and often aim to graduate their struggle to a full-fledged war of independence or autonomy through the attrition of authority&rsquo;s military and administrative strength. Political scientists and security experts consider insurgency, to a considerable extent, as a natural outcome of long or intensive oppression of a community. In that sense, insurgents enjoy the support and political legitimacy to a certain extent.&nbsp;

Unlike the insurgents, however, the terrorists also target civilians and their properties. Jihadi terrorists bring in a new angle in the complexity. They aim to establish a regressive Islamic theocracy in their targeted land.&nbsp;

An insurgency is a natural tool of political bargain and rearrangements. But insurgency, with the basic principle of not targeting civilians, remains till date a legitimate and sometimes essential instrument of political wish, particularly in constrained and difficult environments. Centralised powers of a preexisting state tend to resist the formation of new political units by their own logic, propaganda and even force; yet widespread and spontaneous insurgencies do represent people&rsquo;s will where there are no other fair channels of its surfacing. In fact, there are recent examples of de facto states or political units achieved through armed struggle doing relatively better for its people e.g. Somali Land, Iraqi Kurdistan, Abkhazia etc.&nbsp;

&nbsp;In spite of the existing distinctions, sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between insurgency and terrorism. This mistake in categorisation happens when a well-known insurgent group or isolated fractions of such a group carry out terror attacks, killing innocent civilians. While, it&#39;s important to judge them by their acts, picking a few incidents rather than a trend to make a conclusive judgment about a group could be a big mistake.&nbsp;

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<h5>It is difficult to distinguish between insurgency and terrorism. This mistake in categorisation happens when a well-known insurgent group or isolated fractions of such a group carry out terror attacks.</h5>
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Often it so happens that because of their semi-formal and loose command structure, insurgent groups fail to exercise required control over all its dispersed components. Sometimes, they make ideological mistakes and later correct themselves. Premature de-legitimisation of an insurgent group and branding it as a terror outfit is unfair and dangerous as it might still want to be a regular insurgent group and not a terrorist outfit. It might keep receiving support from its population. Wrong and mistimed ascribing into categories may push it towards full-fledged terrorism. Even allowing terrorists to come back to the regular fold, with conditions and if they demonstrate enough commitment, should not be off the table as it might prevent further violence on civilians. &nbsp;

Neutral and liberal media and civil society have a great responsibility in promoting the truth and fair assessments. Governments in developing world often tend to adopt a narrative that suits their conservative and uninformed vote bank. That brings more bad than good. Mistreatment of a complex matter often engenders other related problems and issues.&nbsp;

Indian media and civil society vis-&agrave;-vis Rohingya are a case in point on the matter. While Indian government and the right-wing elements of Indian society and media are hastily linking the entire two million strong Rohingya population to terrorism, reputed media houses are asking difficult yet legitimate questions about the principles behind India&rsquo;s policy towards Rohingya struggle and refugee.&nbsp;

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<h5>Were all the Tamils who took refuge in India terrorists?</h5>
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Were all the Tamils who took refuge in India terrorists? Didn&rsquo;t India negotiate with the LTTE to find out a political settlement? What about harbouring and arming Bangladeshi freedom fighters of 1971? On the other hand, some big-name journalists are showing cracks in their resolve and giving into the official Myanmar line with regards to Rohingya. For instance, Praveen Swami of the Indian Express visited Cox&rsquo;s Bazar and wrote an article to establish remote, unsure and weak terror links of Rohingya insurgents, ignoring completely the several decades long intense political and economic persecution of these people. Rohingyas are an utterly disorganised community for these reasons.&nbsp;

The deprivation of Rohingya was so high in Rakhine that they were not given admission beyond primary schools. If one has noticed how the BBC exposed the raw theatrics of Burmese military even in that stage-managed tour of journalists in northern Rakhine, the viewers would know that the Myanmar authority is the most doubtful source of any credible information. They are also trying to take advantage of the global anti-Jihadi sentiment caused by the events in the Middle-East and the Af-Pak region.&nbsp;

Making a category swap between a terrorist and an insurgent carries a dangerous trap. It can lead us to forget how oppression breeds insurgency. In our bid to focus on the violence, we forget the oppression part and the need to ameliorate such suffocating situation so that insurgencies don&#39;t transform itself into violent acts of terrorism.

&nbsp;

While both insurgency and terrorism advocate violence as a form of political act, there are fundamental differences between the two.

Whether all insurgencies are acts of terrorism (or not) is an issue that has many facets: from political to moral, conceptual to propaganda. The political and moral angles tend to get a greater share of attention in public discourse. For instance, according to the official Indian version, Kashmiri militants are the Jihadi terrorist but to many others, they are freedom fighters. Another example is Palestinian militants, who are treated polar opposite ways by Israel and the Arab countries. UK and Spain see IRA and Basque separatists as a terrorist, whereas many Irish and Basque countrymen differ. There are hundreds of such examples, where one category of interest groups or countries view certain activities as terrorism and others don't. Those who don't, often consider it as a legitimate armed political act called ‘insurgency’. The insurgency can evolve into a war for independence or greater political power. This can also transform into a civil war. While both insurgents and terrorists advocate violence as a form of political act, there are fundamental differences between the two. The most important difference lies in the target of violence; security forces employed against the insurgents as well as physical structures and facilities related to security operation are widely considered to be the legitimate target for insurgents. While both insurgents and terrorists advocate violence as a form of political act, there are fundamental differences between the two. × Insurgents live within their focus community like a fish in the water and often aim to graduate their struggle to a full-fledged war of independence or autonomy through the attrition of authority’s military and administrative strength. Political scientists and security experts consider insurgency, to a considerable extent, as a natural outcome of long or intensive oppression of a community. In that sense, insurgents enjoy the support and political legitimacy to a certain extent. Unlike the insurgents, however, the terrorists also target civilians and their properties. Jihadi terrorists bring in a new angle in the complexity. They aim to establish a regressive Islamic theocracy in their targeted land. An insurgency is a natural tool of political bargain and rearrangements. But insurgency, with the basic principle of not targeting civilians, remains till date a legitimate and sometimes essential instrument of political wish, particularly in constrained and difficult environments. Centralised powers of a preexisting state tend to resist the formation of new political units by their own logic, propaganda and even force; yet widespread and spontaneous insurgencies do represent people’s will where there are no other fair channels of its surfacing. In fact, there are recent examples of de facto states or political units achieved through armed struggle doing relatively better for its people e.g. Somali Land, Iraqi Kurdistan, Abkhazia etc. In spite of the existing distinctions, sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between insurgency and terrorism. This mistake in categorisation happens when a well-known insurgent group or isolated fractions of such a group carry out terror attacks, killing innocent civilians. While, it's important to judge them by their acts, picking a few incidents rather than a trend to make a conclusive judgment about a group could be a big mistake. It is difficult to distinguish between insurgency and terrorism. This mistake in categorisation happens when a well-known insurgent group or isolated fractions of such a group carry out terror attacks. × Often it so happens that because of their semi-formal and loose command structure, insurgent groups fail to exercise required control over all its dispersed components. Sometimes, they make ideological mistakes and later correct themselves. Premature de-legitimisation of an insurgent group and branding it as a terror outfit is unfair and dangerous as it might still want to be a regular insurgent group and not a terrorist outfit. It might keep receiving support from its population. Wrong and mistimed ascribing into categories may push it towards full-fledged terrorism. Even allowing terrorists to come back to the regular fold, with conditions and if they demonstrate enough commitment, should not be off the table as it might prevent further violence on civilians. Neutral and liberal media and civil society have a great responsibility in promoting the truth and fair assessments. Governments in developing world often tend to adopt a narrative that suits their conservative and uninformed vote bank. That brings more bad than good. Mistreatment of a complex matter often engenders other related problems and issues. Indian media and civil society vis-à-vis Rohingya are a case in point on the matter. While Indian government and the right-wing elements of Indian society and media are hastily linking the entire two million strong Rohingya population to terrorism, reputed media houses are asking difficult yet legitimate questions about the principles behind India’s policy towards Rohingya struggle and refugee. Were all the Tamils who took refuge in India terrorists? × Were all the Tamils who took refuge in India terrorists? Didn’t India negotiate with the LTTE to find out a political settlement? What about harbouring and arming Bangladeshi freedom fighters of 1971? On the other hand, some big-name journalists are showing cracks in their resolve and giving into the official Myanmar line with regards to Rohingya. For instance, Praveen Swami of the Indian Express visited Cox’s Bazar and wrote an article to establish remote, unsure and weak terror links of Rohingya insurgents, ignoring completely the several decades long intense political and economic persecution of these people. Rohingyas are an utterly disorganised community for these reasons. The deprivation of Rohingya was so high in Rakhine that they were not given admission beyond primary schools. If one has noticed how the BBC exposed the raw theatrics of Burmese military even in that stage-managed tour of journalists in northern Rakhine, the viewers would know that the Myanmar authority is the most doubtful source of any credible information. They are also trying to take advantage of the global anti-Jihadi sentiment caused by the events in the Middle-East and the Af-Pak region. Making a category swap between a terrorist and an insurgent carries a dangerous trap. It can lead us to forget how oppression breeds insurgency. In our bid to focus on the violence, we forget the oppression part and the need to ameliorate such suffocating situation so that insurgencies don't transform itself into violent acts of terrorism.

Rohingyas: Insurgents or Terrorists

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&#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

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