British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Thursday called for justice on the Rohingya crisis after his visit to Myanmar's Rakhine state, telling embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi the world "won't let it rest".&nbsp;

Hunt's rallying cry for accountability comes at the end of a busy two-day visit during which he visited Rakhine -- the epicentre of a brutal military campaign that drove out more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims -- and met with Suu Kyi.

"Burma needs to know the international community won't let it rest," said Hunt using Myanmar's former name.&nbsp;

Myanmar has set up an "independent" commission to address the army's crackdown against the Rohingya, rejecting the UN probe and calls for the International Criminal Court to investigate.&nbsp;

"If we don't see that process happening, we will use all the tools at our disposal to make sure there is justice... the world is watching," Hunt said after the meeting, which he said was "lively" and "frank".&nbsp;

The British foreign minister's visit came the same week UN investigators released a damning and meticulous report detailing why six Myanmar generals should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they joined about 300,000 already in cramped refugee camps, carrying accounts of extrajudicial killings, extreme sexual violence and arson.&nbsp;

The evidence warrants the charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, UN investigators said.

Hunt also brought up with Suu Kyi his "concerns" on the jailing of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were sentenced earlier this month to seven years each under the state secrets act.&nbsp;

The pair had uncovered the extrajudicial killings of 10 Rohingya men in the Rakhine village of Inn Din -- something the army has since acknowledged.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, who endured a total of 15 years of house arrest under the previous junta-led regime, said last week Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo's sentencing upheld the rule of law.

"She said she would look into it," Hunt said Thursday.

Tightly-managed tour 
Before the meeting, the foreign minister was led on a three-hour, tightly-managed tour of Rakhine via helicopter, which included the Taung Pyo Letwe returnee reception centre, opened to receive the refugees even though virtually no Rohingya have come back.&nbsp;

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement last year to repatriate the Muslim minority but it has stalled as they fear returning to Rakhine without their safety and rights guaranteed.

In each of the three other locations Hunt was shepherded to, he found a pre-selected group of locals waiting to speak to him. At Pan Taw Pyin village, the final stop, he walked off to try to speak with nearby residents about their experiences despite the heavy security presence.&nbsp;

The military has consistently denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting that its campaign was justified to root out militants, and Myanmar's ambassador to the UN on Tuesday slammed the UN probe as "one-sided" and "flawed".

Suu Kyi, a former pro-democracy icon, has seen a sharp fall from grace internationally due to her failure to address the Rohingya crisis.&nbsp;

Her supporters say her hands are tied by a still powerful military, which controls a quarter of parliament's seats and three ministries.&nbsp;

UN investigators say her government's "acts and omissions" contributed to the "atrocity crimes" in the crisis.

Hunt will head to New York next week for the UN General Assembly, where he will chair a foreign ministers' meeting Monday on Myanmar.

Suu Kyi will not be travelling to New York for the UN top meeting.&nbsp;

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Thursday called for justice on the Rohingya crisis after his visit to Myanmar's Rakhine state, telling embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi the world "won't let it rest".

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Thursday called for justice on the Rohingya crisis after his visit to Myanmar's Rakhine state, telling embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi the world "won't let it rest". Hunt's rallying cry for accountability comes at the end of a busy two-day visit during which he visited Rakhine -- the epicentre of a brutal military campaign that drove out more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims -- and met with Suu Kyi. "Burma needs to know the international community won't let it rest," said Hunt using Myanmar's former name. Myanmar has set up an "independent" commission to address the army's crackdown against the Rohingya, rejecting the UN probe and calls for the International Criminal Court to investigate. "If we don't see that process happening, we will use all the tools at our disposal to make sure there is justice... the world is watching," Hunt said after the meeting, which he said was "lively" and "frank". The British foreign minister's visit came the same week UN investigators released a damning and meticulous report detailing why six Myanmar generals should be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they joined about 300,000 already in cramped refugee camps, carrying accounts of extrajudicial killings, extreme sexual violence and arson. The evidence warrants the charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, UN investigators said. Hunt also brought up with Suu Kyi his "concerns" on the jailing of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were sentenced earlier this month to seven years each under the state secrets act. The pair had uncovered the extrajudicial killings of 10 Rohingya men in the Rakhine village of Inn Din -- something the army has since acknowledged. Suu Kyi, who endured a total of 15 years of house arrest under the previous junta-led regime, said last week Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo's sentencing upheld the rule of law. "She said she would look into it," Hunt said Thursday. Tightly-managed tour Before the meeting, the foreign minister was led on a three-hour, tightly-managed tour of Rakhine via helicopter, which included the Taung Pyo Letwe returnee reception centre, opened to receive the refugees even though virtually no Rohingya have come back. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement last year to repatriate the Muslim minority but it has stalled as they fear returning to Rakhine without their safety and rights guaranteed. In each of the three other locations Hunt was shepherded to, he found a pre-selected group of locals waiting to speak to him. At Pan Taw Pyin village, the final stop, he walked off to try to speak with nearby residents about their experiences despite the heavy security presence. The military has consistently denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting that its campaign was justified to root out militants, and Myanmar's ambassador to the UN on Tuesday slammed the UN probe as "one-sided" and "flawed". Suu Kyi, a former pro-democracy icon, has seen a sharp fall from grace internationally due to her failure to address the Rohingya crisis. Her supporters say her hands are tied by a still powerful military, which controls a quarter of parliament's seats and three ministries. UN investigators say her government's "acts and omissions" contributed to the "atrocity crimes" in the crisis. Hunt will head to New York next week for the UN General Assembly, where he will chair a foreign ministers' meeting Monday on Myanmar. Suu Kyi will not be travelling to New York for the UN top meeting.

World 'won't rest' on Rohingya crisis, UK Foreign Minister tells Suu Kyi

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

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

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

Rohingyas are upset over UN agreement not addressing citizenship demand

Marooned on a dusty slope in the world's largest refugee camp, Osiur Rahman looked to the hill where a Rohingya girl was buried in a landslide just days earlier and contemplated his chances should the earth give way beneath his feet.

"Our families would be killed. There are children everywhere around here. We constantly fear that rain could trigger a landslide," the 53-year-old told AFP on the steep embankment where he lives with nine family members in a bamboo shack.

For the 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to southeast Bangladesh in the past nine months, the approaching monsoon season poses the most serious threat since they were violently expelled from Myanmar.

Close to one million of the stateless Muslim minority live in the Cox's Bazar district but the new arrivals, stranded on unstable hills in bamboo and plastic shacks, are especially vulnerable.

A massive operation to shore up the camps against disaster is in overdrive, with bulldozers levelling hills and refugees bunkering down however they can.

But as the rains approach, the young girl's death this month in a torrent of mud and rock has heightened fears of a much greater tragedy.

There is a dearth of safe land to relocate the estimated 200,000 refugees in direct danger of floods and landslides, and just 21,000 have been moved so far.

"We could literally have lives lost as people slide down hillsides and valleys are flooded with water," Kevin J&nbspAllen, head of the UNHCR refugee agency's operations in Cox's Bazar, told AFP.

"They could face yet again another emergency, this time driven by mother nature."

The camps' makeshift homes are predicted to receive more than 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rainfall over three months starting June -- roughly triple what Britain gets in a year.

Cox's Bazar has been battered by cyclones for three years running, having already suffered astonishing devastation in the past.

Cyclones have killed tens of thousands along the Bangladesh coast in recent decades and countless more have been swept to their deaths in floods and landslides.

This time, nature is on a collision course with refugees who have nowhere to run -- no higher ground and no cyclone shelters.

Nowhere to go&nbsp

The first storms underscored the fragility of the camps: the brief rains turned roads into quagmires, crumbled hillsides and flooded low-lying areas.

The huge endeavour to prevent disaster has seen slopes vulnerable to collapse flattened and extensive canal systems carved throughout the camps.

Toilets are being fortified with sandbags to prevent a major disease outbreak should floodwater meet overflowing latrines.

But there are limits to how much can be done.

Bangladesh has restricted the use of sturdier materials for shelters because it may suggest the Rohingya plan to stay, contrary to Dhaka's desire to return them to Myanmar.

The roof was blown clean off Noor Mohammad's shack in a recent squall. He had gathered chunks of wood and rocks to weigh it down but was "scared of what could pass" when Bangladesh's wild weather barrels through.

The Rohingya are no strangers to the monsoon, he said. But in Myanmar, villages were built to withstand its ferocity and trees provided a bulwark against the elements.

"Here, there is nothing to stop the wind," he said, gesturing to the deforested hills stretching for miles.

Bangladesh has freed up hundreds of hectares (acres) but most is hilly and was prone to landslides even before the Rohingya uprooted trees for shelters and firewood.

We will die

Mosques and community centres could shelter 150,000 people if needed, said Kazi Abdur Rahman, acting district administrator of Cox's Bazar.

"But if there is a big cyclone, and all these people need relocating, there is not a system for that yet. It is not possible to shift one million people," he told AFP.

The Rohingya, who have fled persecution time and again, fear being on the run once more.

"Everybody is afraid, wondering where we'll go if our houses are destroyed," Rohingya imam Muhammad Yusuf told AFP.

Aid groups say a cyclone or devastating storm could cut access to the camps for a week -- restricting food and supplies to a tent city with a population greater than San Francisco.

The World Food Programme's emergency coordinator Peter Guest said thousands of porters were being assembled to carry food on foot if access roads were cut.

Those left homeless or starving will have nowhere to run anyway: the Rohingya are encircled by military checkpoints and prohibited from leaving.

"What else can we do? If Allah does not protect us, we will die," said 60-year-old refugee Dil Mohammad.

For the 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to southeast Bangladesh in the past nine months, the approaching monsoon season poses the most serious threat since they were violently expelled from Myanmar

Marooned on a dusty slope in the world's largest refugee camp, Osiur Rahman looked to the hill where a Rohingya girl was buried in a landslide just days earlier and contemplated his chances should the earth give way beneath his feet. "Our families would be killed. There are children everywhere around here. We constantly fear that rain could trigger a landslide," the 53-year-old told AFP on the steep embankment where he lives with nine family members in a bamboo shack. For the 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to southeast Bangladesh in the past nine months, the approaching monsoon season poses the most serious threat since they were violently expelled from Myanmar. Close to one million of the stateless Muslim minority live in the Cox's Bazar district but the new arrivals, stranded on unstable hills in bamboo and plastic shacks, are especially vulnerable. A massive operation to shore up the camps against disaster is in overdrive, with bulldozers levelling hills and refugees bunkering down however they can. But as the rains approach, the young girl's death this month in a torrent of mud and rock has heightened fears of a much greater tragedy. There is a dearth of safe land to relocate the estimated 200,000 refugees in direct danger of floods and landslides, and just 21,000 have been moved so far. "We could literally have lives lost as people slide down hillsides and valleys are flooded with water," Kevin J&nbspAllen, head of the UNHCR refugee agency's operations in Cox's Bazar, told AFP. "They could face yet again another emergency, this time driven by mother nature." The camps' makeshift homes are predicted to receive more than 2.5 metres (eight feet) of rainfall over three months starting June -- roughly triple what Britain gets in a year. Cox's Bazar has been battered by cyclones for three years running, having already suffered astonishing devastation in the past. Cyclones have killed tens of thousands along the Bangladesh coast in recent decades and countless more have been swept to their deaths in floods and landslides. This time, nature is on a collision course with refugees who have nowhere to run -- no higher ground and no cyclone shelters. Nowhere to go The first storms underscored the fragility of the camps: the brief rains turned roads into quagmires, crumbled hillsides and flooded low-lying areas. The huge endeavour to prevent disaster has seen slopes vulnerable to collapse flattened and extensive canal systems carved throughout the camps. Toilets are being fortified with sandbags to prevent a major disease outbreak should floodwater meet overflowing latrines. But there are limits to how much can be done. Bangladesh has restricted the use of sturdier materials for shelters because it may suggest the Rohingya plan to stay, contrary to Dhaka's desire to return them to Myanmar. The roof was blown clean off Noor Mohammad's shack in a recent squall. He had gathered chunks of wood and rocks to weigh it down but was "scared of what could pass" when Bangladesh's wild weather barrels through. The Rohingya are no strangers to the monsoon, he said. But in Myanmar, villages were built to withstand its ferocity and trees provided a bulwark against the elements. "Here, there is nothing to stop the wind," he said, gesturing to the deforested hills stretching for miles. Bangladesh has freed up hundreds of hectares (acres) but most is hilly and was prone to landslides even before the Rohingya uprooted trees for shelters and firewood. We will die Mosques and community centres could shelter 150,000 people if needed, said Kazi Abdur Rahman, acting district administrator of Cox's Bazar. "But if there is a big cyclone, and all these people need relocating, there is not a system for that yet. It is not possible to shift one million people," he told AFP. The Rohingya, who have fled persecution time and again, fear being on the run once more. "Everybody is afraid, wondering where we'll go if our houses are destroyed," Rohingya imam Muhammad Yusuf told AFP. Aid groups say a cyclone or devastating storm could cut access to the camps for a week -- restricting food and supplies to a tent city with a population greater than San Francisco. The World Food Programme's emergency coordinator Peter Guest said thousands of porters were being assembled to carry food on foot if access roads were cut. Those left homeless or starving will have nowhere to run anyway: the Rohingya are encircled by military checkpoints and prohibited from leaving. "What else can we do? If Allah does not protect us, we will die," said 60-year-old refugee Dil Mohammad.

'Our families would be killed': Rohingya brace for monsoon

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar.

"We were still a family then under one roof, in one country," the 16-year-old says, from his current home -- a bamboo shack in a Bangladesh refugee camp.

By then Myanmar had already lurched into a dark new phase of an old conflict between their Muslim Rohingya minority and the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine.

Violence unravelled after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men neighbour turned on the neighbour as villages across Rakhine state were set ablaze.

Still, where they could, Rohingya families celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Robi recalls being carried on his older siblings' shoulders as they went door-to-door through the village of Yale Twin Kyun in Maungdaw district gorging on snacks.

Nearly six years on, the eight brothers are now split across four countries: Bangladesh, India, the United States and Myanmar.

One is in a Myanmar jail, another has vanished on the treacherous trafficking route south -- a painful family history that traces the key events in the dispossession of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and their dispersal overseas.&nbsp;

When the brothers were last united, in 2012, there were around 1.2 million Rohingya living in Rakhine state.

Now fewer than a third remain.

Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship, drove most of the minority out in October 2016 and August 2017 in army-led crackdowns that the United Nations has said may amount to "ethnic cleansing".

Separated from their four older brothers, the younger siblings - Robi, Jaber, 18, Hashim, 17, and Faiz, 12 -- are starting new lives as refugees.

For now, the home remains a 10-metre (30 foot) hut covered by a UN-branded tarpaulin in the Kutupalong camp, which the brothers share with 15 other relatives including their mother.

"We can't work here, it's a place we know nothing about," says Robi. "But how do we go back to Myanmar again?"

Mohammad Rashid

The first of the brothers to flee Rakhine was Mohammad Rashid.

It was early 2013, and by then conditions described as "apartheid-like" by Amnesty International were biting hard, with Rohingya locked out from hospitals, schools and their own farms.

Worn down by the asphyxiating security controls, Rashid crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, paying a broker 30,000 Taka ($355) to take him to Malaysia, where menial jobs await Rohingya.

Robi shows a photo on his mobile phone of the 25-year-old on the day of his departure -- staring confidently back, an arm slung around a cousin.

"We haven't heard from him since."

Rashid disappeared as a transnational trafficking network was at its peak, spinning a fortune carrying a desperate human cargo of Rohingya and Bangladeshi economic migrants south by sea.

They docked in Thailand, where gangs -- including a powerful southern army general -- corralled the migrants overland to Malaysia.&nbsp;

That escape route collapsed in May 2015, when shallow graves of migrants were found pitting the hills along the Thai-Malaysia border.

Authorities closed in on the traffickers, who abandoned migrant boats in the Andaman Sea, leaving starving and dehydrated passengers to drift south, hoping for rescue by Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities.

No one knows exactly how many died in the migrant camps or at sea.

Abdur Rashid

His older brother had disappeared, but Abdur Rashid chose the same escape route.

"I tried to stop him, I begged him," his mother Khadija Begum says.

"But he is stubborn. He said 'I will swim to Malaysia if I can't get a boat' and so he went."

His months-long odyssey, which began around early 2014, eventually led to resettlement in the United States, via detention in Thai immigration facilities.

"I wasn't scared. It was pre-destined," the 23-year-old told AFP from Colorado, where he is now learning English and working in a cake factory.

"After 10 days at sea we were near Thailand... we came to shore in smaller boats, 50-60 people on each, but when we landed Thai police, military and even journalists were there," he said.

Thailand does not accept refugees and so, after several months in immigration detention, the UNHCR secured the US move -- but resettlement is open to only a tiny number of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

He moved in 2017 and, when he can, sends money to his brothers 8,000 miles away in the world's biggest refugee camp.

Abul Kashim

Violence and repression have hit the Rohingya in waves since the late 1970s.

In 1982 Myanmar's ruling junta stripped the Muslim minority of citizenship, stirring up hatred towards the group and casting them as "Bengali" infiltrators to the Buddhist-majority country.

As such, life in Rakhine has always been hard, says Jaber, the oldest of the four brothers in the Kutupalong camp.

"But after the violence started in 2012, the "Moghs" (a pejorative word for ethnic Rakhine) gradually took everything."

Rohingya who strayed from their villages were frequently lynched or beaten, he says -- allegations backed up by rights monitors.&nbsp;

One of the brothers, Abul Kashim, now 19, suffered a beating while fishing with friends.

A teenager at the time, he was jolted into leaving by the brutality of the attack, first for Bangladesh, then overland to join an uncle in India.

For now, he has a made a decent life -- he is married and works as a mason in Haryana state.

But India has threatened to deport 40,000 of the minority.&nbsp;

"I miss my family," he told AFP, saying each phone call leaves a yearning to travel to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

"But I can't. I don't have any travel documents."

Hamid Hussein

On October 9, 2016, Rakhine again went up in flames as a nascent Rohingya militant group -- known now as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) -- raided border posts.

The army response was swift and unforgiving.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven into Bangladesh, fleeing murders, rapes and mass arrests.

The crackdown visited more tragedy on Robi Alam's family.

Their 60-year-old father Nagu Miah was arrested and, the family alleges, beaten to death in police custody.

Confined to their homes with food running scarce, the oldest brother Hamid Hussein, 28, defied a strict curfew and went fishing after his children complained of eating rice every day.

He was arrested by soldiers and taken to Buthidaung jail.

Soon after, soldiers swarmed their village, ordering Rohingya residents to sit hands on their heads in a field as they ransacked homes.&nbsp;

"Then they started to burn our homes, they raped some women and pushed them inside burning homes," says 17-year-old Mohammad Hashim, from Kutupalong camp.

"We could not stay any longer."

Over the next six weeks, the extended family crept over to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

In August 2017, another 700,000 others began to join them after an even more ferocious army crackdown.

With their land taken and security still parlous, Robi and his family have little expectation of returning to Rakhine.

Instead, they are preparing for long-term life as refugees.

And in their freshly trimmed haircuts, football shirts and fixation with mobile phones, there are even flickers of teenage normality in the most abnormal of circumstances.

But the fragmentation of their family is never far away.

Through the smudged memories of life in Rakhine, the youngest brother Abul Faiz recalls flecks of freedom -- playing football or fishing -- as a child in Rakhine.

"My older brothers would hug me, give me money for the shop," the watchful youngster adds in a near-whisper.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

"I miss them."

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar

It takes a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar. "We were still a family then under one roof, in one country," the 16-year-old says, from his current home -- a bamboo shack in a Bangladesh refugee camp. By then Myanmar had already lurched into a dark new phase of an old conflict between their Muslim Rohingya minority and the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine. Violence unravelled after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men neighbour turned on the neighbour as villages across Rakhine state were set ablaze. Still, where they could, Rohingya families celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Robi recalls being carried on his older siblings' shoulders as they went door-to-door through the village of Yale Twin Kyun in Maungdaw district gorging on snacks. Nearly six years on, the eight brothers are now split across four countries: Bangladesh, India, the United States and Myanmar. One is in a Myanmar jail, another has vanished on the treacherous trafficking route south -- a painful family history that traces the key events in the dispossession of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and their dispersal overseas. When the brothers were last united, in 2012, there were around 1.2 million Rohingya living in Rakhine state. Now fewer than a third remain. Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship, drove most of the minority out in October 2016 and August 2017 in army-led crackdowns that the United Nations has said may amount to "ethnic cleansing". Separated from their four older brothers, the younger siblings - Robi, Jaber, 18, Hashim, 17, and Faiz, 12 -- are starting new lives as refugees. For now, the home remains a 10-metre (30 foot) hut covered by a UN-branded tarpaulin in the Kutupalong camp, which the brothers share with 15 other relatives including their mother. "We can't work here, it's a place we know nothing about," says Robi. "But how do we go back to Myanmar again?" Mohammad Rashid The first of the brothers to flee Rakhine was Mohammad Rashid. It was early 2013, and by then conditions described as "apartheid-like" by Amnesty International were biting hard, with Rohingya locked out from hospitals, schools and their own farms. Worn down by the asphyxiating security controls, Rashid crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, paying a broker 30,000 Taka ($355) to take him to Malaysia, where menial jobs await Rohingya. Robi shows a photo on his mobile phone of the 25-year-old on the day of his departure -- staring confidently back, an arm slung around a cousin. "We haven't heard from him since." Rashid disappeared as a transnational trafficking network was at its peak, spinning a fortune carrying a desperate human cargo of Rohingya and Bangladeshi economic migrants south by sea. They docked in Thailand, where gangs -- including a powerful southern army general -- corralled the migrants overland to Malaysia. That escape route collapsed in May 2015, when shallow graves of migrants were found pitting the hills along the Thai-Malaysia border. Authorities closed in on the traffickers, who abandoned migrant boats in the Andaman Sea, leaving starving and dehydrated passengers to drift south, hoping for rescue by Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities. No one knows exactly how many died in the migrant camps or at sea. Abdur Rashid His older brother had disappeared, but Abdur Rashid chose the same escape route. "I tried to stop him, I begged him," his mother Khadija Begum says. "But he is stubborn. He said 'I will swim to Malaysia if I can't get a boat' and so he went." His months-long odyssey, which began around early 2014, eventually led to resettlement in the United States, via detention in Thai immigration facilities. "I wasn't scared. It was pre-destined," the 23-year-old told AFP from Colorado, where he is now learning English and working in a cake factory. "After 10 days at sea we were near Thailand... we came to shore in smaller boats, 50-60 people on each, but when we landed Thai police, military and even journalists were there," he said. Thailand does not accept refugees and so, after several months in immigration detention, the UNHCR secured the US move -- but resettlement is open to only a tiny number of Rohingya refugees. He moved in 2017 and, when he can, sends money to his brothers 8,000 miles away in the world's biggest refugee camp. Abul Kashim Violence and repression have hit the Rohingya in waves since the late 1970s. In 1982 Myanmar's ruling junta stripped the Muslim minority of citizenship, stirring up hatred towards the group and casting them as "Bengali" infiltrators to the Buddhist-majority country. As such, life in Rakhine has always been hard, says Jaber, the oldest of the four brothers in the Kutupalong camp. "But after the violence started in 2012, the "Moghs" (a pejorative word for ethnic Rakhine) gradually took everything." Rohingya who strayed from their villages were frequently lynched or beaten, he says -- allegations backed up by rights monitors. One of the brothers, Abul Kashim, now 19, suffered a beating while fishing with friends. A teenager at the time, he was jolted into leaving by the brutality of the attack, first for Bangladesh, then overland to join an uncle in India. For now, he has a made a decent life -- he is married and works as a mason in Haryana state. But India has threatened to deport 40,000 of the minority. "I miss my family," he told AFP, saying each phone call leaves a yearning to travel to Bangladesh. "But I can't. I don't have any travel documents." Hamid Hussein On October 9, 2016, Rakhine again went up in flames as a nascent Rohingya militant group -- known now as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) -- raided border posts. The army response was swift and unforgiving. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven into Bangladesh, fleeing murders, rapes and mass arrests. The crackdown visited more tragedy on Robi Alam's family. Their 60-year-old father Nagu Miah was arrested and, the family alleges, beaten to death in police custody. Confined to their homes with food running scarce, the oldest brother Hamid Hussein, 28, defied a strict curfew and went fishing after his children complained of eating rice every day. He was arrested by soldiers and taken to Buthidaung jail. Soon after, soldiers swarmed their village, ordering Rohingya residents to sit hands on their heads in a field as they ransacked homes. "Then they started to burn our homes, they raped some women and pushed them inside burning homes," says 17-year-old Mohammad Hashim, from Kutupalong camp. "We could not stay any longer." Over the next six weeks, the extended family crept over to Bangladesh. In August 2017, another 700,000 others began to join them after an even more ferocious army crackdown. With their land taken and security still parlous, Robi and his family have little expectation of returning to Rakhine. Instead, they are preparing for long-term life as refugees. And in their freshly trimmed haircuts, football shirts and fixation with mobile phones, there are even flickers of teenage normality in the most abnormal of circumstances. But the fragmentation of their family is never far away. Through the smudged memories of life in Rakhine, the youngest brother Abul Faiz recalls flecks of freedom -- playing football or fishing -- as a child in Rakhine. "My older brothers would hug me, give me money for the shop," the watchful youngster adds in a near-whisper. "I miss them."

One family, four countries: The dispossession of the Rohingya

Deeply concerned over the Amnesty International report on the alleged killing of Hindu villagers by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the US on Friday said there was an urgent need for a credible and independent investigation into the human rights violations in Myanmar's restive Rakhine province.

"We are deeply concerned by Amnesty's report on the killing of Hindu villagers by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Accountability for all those responsible for human rights abuses and violations in northern Rakhine state remains critical," a US State Department spokesperson told PTI.

He said the report further highlights the urgent need for a credible and independent investigation in Rakhine state to further determine all facts on the ground to fix accountability and provide justice to victims. "The United States continues to support such an investigation," the spokesperson said.

In its report early this week, the Amnesty International said a Rohingya armed group brandishing guns and swords was responsible for at least one, and potentially a second, massacre of up to 99 Hindu women, men and children as well as additional unlawful killings and abductions of Hindu villagers in August 2017.

"At around 8 am on 25 August 2017, ARSA attacked the Hindu community in the village of Ah Nauk Kha Maung Seik, in a cluster of villages known as Kha Maung Seik in northern Maungdaw Township. At the time of the attack, the Hindu villagers lived in close proximity to Rohingya villagers, who are predominantly Muslim. Rakhine villagers, who are predominantly Buddhist, also lived in the same area," Amnesty said in its latest report.

In a statement Burma Task Force, a coalition of 19 US and Canadian Muslim organisations, slammed the Amnesty International for "such a report".

"It is a major public relations bonanza for the genocidal Burmese regime. It puts 60,000 Rohingyas in India even at more risk than they already are," it said.

"The Amnesty International report presents, as fact, evidence and conclusions that are both seriously questionable, and by doing so it aids the propaganda efforts of a regime whose every action suggests it is bent on carrying out genocide," the task force said.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorisation Act 2019, which addresses the issue of alleged ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. &nbsp"This provision imposes new sanctions on Burmese military officials and bars their forces from US joint drills," Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. &nbsp

Over the past year, the Burmese military has escalated its decades-long campaign against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority. More than 7,00,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee and thousands have been slaughtered. Entire villages have been burned and bulldozed, he said.&nbsp

There was an urgent need for a credible and independent investigation into the human rights violations in Myanmar's restive Rakhine province, US said

Deeply concerned over the Amnesty International report on the alleged killing of Hindu villagers by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the US on Friday said there was an urgent need for a credible and independent investigation into the human rights violations in Myanmar's restive Rakhine province. "We are deeply concerned by Amnesty's report on the killing of Hindu villagers by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Accountability for all those responsible for human rights abuses and violations in northern Rakhine state remains critical," a US State Department spokesperson told PTI. He said the report further highlights the urgent need for a credible and independent investigation in Rakhine state to further determine all facts on the ground to fix accountability and provide justice to victims. "The United States continues to support such an investigation," the spokesperson said. In its report early this week, the Amnesty International said a Rohingya armed group brandishing guns and swords was responsible for at least one, and potentially a second, massacre of up to 99 Hindu women, men and children as well as additional unlawful killings and abductions of Hindu villagers in August 2017. "At around 8 am on 25 August 2017, ARSA attacked the Hindu community in the village of Ah Nauk Kha Maung Seik, in a cluster of villages known as Kha Maung Seik in northern Maungdaw Township. At the time of the attack, the Hindu villagers lived in close proximity to Rohingya villagers, who are predominantly Muslim. Rakhine villagers, who are predominantly Buddhist, also lived in the same area," Amnesty said in its latest report. In a statement Burma Task Force, a coalition of 19 US and Canadian Muslim organisations, slammed the Amnesty International for "such a report". "It is a major public relations bonanza for the genocidal Burmese regime. It puts 60,000 Rohingyas in India even at more risk than they already are," it said. "The Amnesty International report presents, as fact, evidence and conclusions that are both seriously questionable, and by doing so it aids the propaganda efforts of a regime whose every action suggests it is bent on carrying out genocide," the task force said. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorisation Act 2019, which addresses the issue of alleged ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. "This provision imposes new sanctions on Burmese military officials and bars their forces from US joint drills," Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said. Over the past year, the Burmese military has escalated its decades-long campaign against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority. More than 7,00,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee and thousands have been slaughtered. Entire villages have been burned and bulldozed, he said.

US seeks credible investigation into killing of Hindus by ARSA in Myanmar

Myanmar security forces have resumed loudspeaker broadcasts near its border with Bangladesh ordering Rohingya Muslims to immediately leave a strip of no-man's land between the two countries, refugees said Sunday.

Around 6,000 refugees from the persecuted minority have been camping on the narrow stretch of land since fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's west last August.

The majority of the nearly 700,000 Rohingya who escaped the violence settled in huge camps in Bangladesh but a smaller number insisted on staying put in the buffer zone between the borders.

Myanmar had agreed in February to stop using loudspeakers to order the stranded Muslims to leave the area immediately and cross into Bangladesh.

The army also withdrew some of its heavy forces from the edge of no-man's land, where refugees camped on the other side of a barbed wire fence had complained of intimidation.

But the loudspeaker messages resumed this weekend without warning, Rohingya community leaders said, exacerbating tension along the restive border zone.

"They played it several times yesterday, and have been repeating it this morning. It's very disturbing and creates panic," said Mohammad Arif, one of the leaders camped in no-man's land.

The messages -- broadcast in Burmese and Rohingya -- warned the refugees to "leave the area under Myanmar's jurisdiction or face prosecution". "We're citizens of Myanmar. It's our fatherland. We have every right to remain here. Why should we go elsewhere?" said another community leader, Dil Mohammad.

The broadcasts also refer to the refugees as "Bengalis", the term used by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refer to the Rohingya, whom they consider interlopers from Bangladesh.

Lieutenant Colonel Manzurul Hasan Khan, a local Border Guard Bangladesh commander, said the situation was being closely monitored.

"We have noticed that they tied loudhailers to the trees along their border fences near the camp," Khan said.

The refugee crisis has strained ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The neighbours had agreed in November to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar but the process has stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the delays.

Those living in no-man's land -- and many in the Bangladeshi refugee camps -- refuse to return to Myanmar until their safety and citizenship is assured and compensation granted for past injustices.&nbsp

Around 6,000 refugees from the persecuted minority have been camping on the narrow stretch of land since fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's west last August

Myanmar security forces have resumed loudspeaker broadcasts near its border with Bangladesh ordering Rohingya Muslims to immediately leave a strip of no-man's land between the two countries, refugees said Sunday. Around 6,000 refugees from the persecuted minority have been camping on the narrow stretch of land since fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's west last August. The majority of the nearly 700,000 Rohingya who escaped the violence settled in huge camps in Bangladesh but a smaller number insisted on staying put in the buffer zone between the borders. Myanmar had agreed in February to stop using loudspeakers to order the stranded Muslims to leave the area immediately and cross into Bangladesh. The army also withdrew some of its heavy forces from the edge of no-man's land, where refugees camped on the other side of a barbed wire fence had complained of intimidation. But the loudspeaker messages resumed this weekend without warning, Rohingya community leaders said, exacerbating tension along the restive border zone. "They played it several times yesterday, and have been repeating it this morning. It's very disturbing and creates panic," said Mohammad Arif, one of the leaders camped in no-man's land. The messages -- broadcast in Burmese and Rohingya -- warned the refugees to "leave the area under Myanmar's jurisdiction or face prosecution". "We're citizens of Myanmar. It's our fatherland. We have every right to remain here. Why should we go elsewhere?" said another community leader, Dil Mohammad. The broadcasts also refer to the refugees as "Bengalis", the term used by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refer to the Rohingya, whom they consider interlopers from Bangladesh. Lieutenant Colonel Manzurul Hasan Khan, a local Border Guard Bangladesh commander, said the situation was being closely monitored. "We have noticed that they tied loudhailers to the trees along their border fences near the camp," Khan said. The refugee crisis has strained ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The neighbours had agreed in November to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees to Myanmar but the process has stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the delays. Those living in no-man's land -- and many in the Bangladeshi refugee camps -- refuse to return to Myanmar until their safety and citizenship is assured and compensation granted for past injustices.

Myanmar orders Rohingya to leave tense border zone

For Rohingya Muslim refugee Imtiaz Fatema, sitting in her makeshift camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the holy month of Ramadan has become a period of uncertainty and melancholy.

Living in tough conditions -- most of the refugees reside in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures -- Fatema reflects on her previous life in Myanmar, where they were able to work and buy a delectable spread for their families, "during Ramadan we used to have good food there -- crispy food while we sit for Iftar (breaking fast) in the early morning."

Now, her young toddler and her life on handouts from aid agencies in the refugee camps, cooking meals consisting of mostly rice, dal, and salt on a flimsy pot in front of her shelter.

Ramadan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is marked by fasting and visiting friends and family. At sunset, Muslims around the world gather for 'Iftar', the fast-breaking meal of the day.

"We are just thinking about how we will buy food for Iftar (breaking fast) and for dinner during the coming Ramadan. We have nothing. We need help," said Fatema.

Ramadan is expected to start this week, subject to the sighting of the moon. Rohingya Muslims residing in refugee camps have also been getting ready for the start of the holy month by repairing their shelters.

According to the United Nations and rights groups, attacks from insurgents in Myanmar had sent nearly 700,000 Rohingyas fleeing to camps in Bangladesh.

Ramzan is expected to start this week, subject to the sighting of the moon. Rohingya Muslims residing in refugee camps have also been getting ready for the start of the holy month by repairing their shelters

For Rohingya Muslim refugee Imtiaz Fatema, sitting in her makeshift camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, the holy month of Ramadan has become a period of uncertainty and melancholy. Living in tough conditions -- most of the refugees reside in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures -- Fatema reflects on her previous life in Myanmar, where they were able to work and buy a delectable spread for their families, "during Ramadan we used to have good food there -- crispy food while we sit for Iftar (breaking fast) in the early morning." Now, her young toddler and her life on handouts from aid agencies in the refugee camps, cooking meals consisting of mostly rice, dal, and salt on a flimsy pot in front of her shelter. Ramadan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is marked by fasting and visiting friends and family. At sunset, Muslims around the world gather for 'Iftar', the fast-breaking meal of the day. "We are just thinking about how we will buy food for Iftar (breaking fast) and for dinner during the coming Ramadan. We have nothing. We need help," said Fatema. Ramadan is expected to start this week, subject to the sighting of the moon. Rohingya Muslims residing in refugee camps have also been getting ready for the start of the holy month by repairing their shelters. According to the United Nations and rights groups, attacks from insurgents in Myanmar had sent nearly 700,000 Rohingyas fleeing to camps in Bangladesh.

Rohingya Muslim refugee worries about food for breaking fast during Ramzan

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Swaraj arrived in Myanmar yesterday on a two-day visit where she aims to discuss key bilateral and regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Shortly after reaching Myanmar yesterday, Sushma Swaraj called on Myanmar President U Win Myint.&nbsp;

"Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Neighbourhood First! EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors. <a href="https://t.co/p2u9ho2lla">pic.twitter.com/p2u9ho2lla</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/994850338585890816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Swaraj arrived in Myanmar yesterday on a two-day visit where she aims to discuss key bilateral and regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis. Shortly after reaching Myanmar yesterday, Sushma Swaraj called on Myanmar President U Win Myint. "Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors. pic.twitter.com/p2u9ho2lla — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) May 11, 2018 × According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces. (With inputs from PTI)

Sushma Swaraj meets Myanmar State Counsellor Suu Kyi, discusses Rohingya crisis, bilateral ties

US President Donald Trump has assured Bangladesh of US&nbspsupport in dealing with the Myanmar Rohingya refugee crisis, a Bangladeshi official said on Friday.

A letter from Trump was handed to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting with US&nbspAmbassador Marcia Bernicat in Dhaka on Thursday, said Ihsanul Karim, the Prime Minister's press secretary, and a US&nbspembassy official.&nbsp

"The United States will continue to pressure Myanmar to create necessary conditions for the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya people to their homeland," Trump said in the letter, according to Karim.&nbsp 
 
Last month, Hasina said more international pressure was needed on Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees.&nbsp

UN&nbspofficials say some 700,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar`s Rakhine state to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes in actions which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing".

Myanmar has denied nearly all allegations, saying it has been waging a legitimate counter-insurgency operation.

In the letter, Trump also said those in Myanmar responsible for instigating the crisis must be held accountable, said Karim.

He said Hasina reiterated her call for the international community to continue to pressure the Myanmar government to repatriate its people from Bangladesh.

A letter from Trump was handed to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting with US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat in Dhaka on Thursday

US President Donald Trump has assured Bangladesh of US&nbspsupport in dealing with the Myanmar Rohingya refugee crisis, a Bangladeshi official said on Friday. A letter from Trump was handed to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a meeting with US&nbspAmbassador Marcia Bernicat in Dhaka on Thursday, said Ihsanul Karim, the Prime Minister's press secretary, and a US&nbspembassy official. "The United States will continue to pressure Myanmar to create necessary conditions for the safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya people to their homeland," Trump said in the letter, according to Karim. Last month, Hasina said more international pressure was needed on Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees. UN&nbspofficials say some 700,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Myanmar`s Rakhine state to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes in actions which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar has denied nearly all allegations, saying it has been waging a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. In the letter, Trump also said those in Myanmar responsible for instigating the crisis must be held accountable, said Karim. He said Hasina reiterated her call for the international community to continue to pressure the Myanmar government to repatriate its people from Bangladesh.

Trump assures Bangladesh of US support amid Rohingya crisis

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 UN&nbsprefugee agency called a Myanmar minister's visit to Bangladesh to meet Muslim Rohingya refugees a confidence-building measure, but said conditions in Myanmar were not ready for their return.

Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who heads rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar's troubled western Rakhine state, told about 50 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that getting the repatriation process moving was top priority.

But the UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday Myanmar was not prepared.

"Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees," it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions.

According to UN&nbspofficials, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Rakhine to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing".

Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a legitimate counter-insurgency operation on Aug. 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

The refugees are living in cramped camps in the port of Cox's Bazar and Bangladesh is keen for them to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps.

The UNHCR called on Myanmar to provide the agency unhindered access in Rakhine to assess the situation and monitor the return and reintegration of refugees if and when they voluntarily return.

Acknowledging the mistrust and fear of the Rohingya of Myanmar, Win Myat Aye told the group of refugees on Wednesday to set aside the past and to prepare to go back, promising new villages would be built with hospitals and schools.

But some refugees have said they are worried about going back, fearing persecution.

'Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees,' it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions

The UN&nbsprefugee agency called a Myanmar minister's visit to Bangladesh to meet Muslim Rohingya refugees a confidence-building measure, but said conditions in Myanmar were not ready for their return. Myanmar Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye, who heads rehabilitation efforts in Myanmar's troubled western Rakhine state, told about 50 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday that getting the repatriation process moving was top priority. But the UN&nbspHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday Myanmar was not prepared. "Conditions in Myanmar are not yet conducive for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees," it said in a statement, adding that the responsibility remains with the government to create such conditions. According to UN&nbspofficials, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh from Rakhine to escape a military crackdown since August, amid reports of murder, rape and arson by Myanmar troops and Buddhist vigilantes which the United Nations has likened to "ethnic cleansing". Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a legitimate counter-insurgency operation on Aug. 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks. The refugees are living in cramped camps in the port of Cox's Bazar and Bangladesh is keen for them to return home soon, especially with the oncoming monsoons expected to cause major devastation at the camps. The UNHCR called on Myanmar to provide the agency unhindered access in Rakhine to assess the situation and monitor the return and reintegration of refugees if and when they voluntarily return. Acknowledging the mistrust and fear of the Rohingya of Myanmar, Win Myat Aye told the group of refugees on Wednesday to set aside the past and to prepare to go back, promising new villages would be built with hospitals and schools. But some refugees have said they are worried about going back, fearing persecution.

Myanmar not ready for return of Rohingya Muslims, says UNHCR

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 

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is likely to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh later this month to take stock of the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

The Myanmar government has welcomed UNSC's visit and is in the process of finalising the details of the visit.

The Council's will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state. UN officials will also visit Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar where a majority of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter.

The UN described the Rohingyas fleeing -- triggered by widespread attacks -- as "ethnic cleansing."

UNSC has been grappling with internal divisions in its stance on the crisis due to which the council has not been able to take any decisive action. UNSC officials will also visit Iraq this month.

The Council will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is likely to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh later this month to take stock of the ongoing Rohingya crisis. The Myanmar government has welcomed UNSC's visit and is in the process of finalising the details of the visit. The Council's will aim at visiting the tension-gripped Rakhine state. UN officials will also visit Bangladesh's Cox Bazaar where a majority of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter. The UN described the Rohingyas fleeing -- triggered by widespread attacks -- as "ethnic cleansing." UNSC has been grappling with internal divisions in its stance on the crisis due to which the council has not been able to take any decisive action. UNSC officials will also visit Iraq this month.

Rohingya crisis: UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month

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

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-appeals-for-contributions-for-health-services-to-rohingya-refugees-127032">WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees</a>

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation.

Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar.

Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin.

"No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea".

The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since.

It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar.

Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state.

Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat.

Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added.

But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed.&nbsp

Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed.

Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November.&nbsp

This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin. Also read: WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation. Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar. Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin. "No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea". The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since. It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar. Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state. Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat. Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added. But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed. Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed. Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November. This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

Myanmar clears some Rohingya for return but no date on horizon

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the international community to contribute generously to enable appropriate health services to the 1.3 million "highly vulnerable" Rohingyas in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar as the refugees face "grave" risks to their lives and health in view of the coming rainy season.

This is one of the "biggest" humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka.

"No single agency or the Bangladesh government alone can meet the massive health needs of such a large population group. The Rohingya population are settled in an area that is prone to cyclone, and a terrain that would be flooded as soon as rains begin," the official said.

"The risk of outbreak of life threatening water and vector borne diseases under such conditions is huge," Singh said.

Coordinating the work of over a 100 partners along with the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has facilitated a contingency plan for the rainy season and coordinated a simulation around it.

The plan aims to ensure continuity of health services during rains and floods to minimise the risk of disease and deaths among the affected population, a WHO statement said.

All 207 health facilities in the area have been assessed for vulnerability during rains, following which nearly 25 per cent of them are being relocated.

Another cholera and measles vaccination campaign is being planned in April as a preventive measure for the vulnerable population, the statement said.

Earlier, 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine were administered to the refugees and their host communities, in addition to two vaccination campaigns for measles and three for diphtheria which concluded earlier this week with WHO's support.

Since the start of the Rohingya crisis, the WHO has provided over 120 tons of supplies and logistics support to its partners.

"However, much of the health sector's capacity to respond depends on availability of resources," said Singh who visited Rohingya camps earlier this week.

Besides risks posed by floods and rain, the vulnerable population would need continued services for reproductive, maternal and child health, for communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as psychosocial support, the regional director said.

Earlier in Cox's Bazar, Singh visited the warehouse where the WHO has pre-positioned supplies.

She observed the diphtheria vaccination campaign, inaugurated a fixed immunization site for children, visited a primary health centre and a diphtheria treatment centre run by Samaritan's Purse.

The WHO has appealed for $16.5 million from partners to facilitate its support to the Rohingya response in 2018, the statement said.

This is part of the $113.1 million being sought by all health partners under the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis, it said.&nbsp;

This is one of the 'biggest' humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the international community to contribute generously to enable appropriate health services to the 1.3 million "highly vulnerable" Rohingyas in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar as the refugees face "grave" risks to their lives and health in view of the coming rainy season. This is one of the "biggest" humanitarian crisis in recent times, the WHO's South East Asia Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, said at a meeting of partners in Dhaka. "No single agency or the Bangladesh government alone can meet the massive health needs of such a large population group. The Rohingya population are settled in an area that is prone to cyclone, and a terrain that would be flooded as soon as rains begin," the official said. "The risk of outbreak of life threatening water and vector borne diseases under such conditions is huge," Singh said. Coordinating the work of over a 100 partners along with the Ministry of Health, Bangladesh, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has facilitated a contingency plan for the rainy season and coordinated a simulation around it. The plan aims to ensure continuity of health services during rains and floods to minimise the risk of disease and deaths among the affected population, a WHO statement said. All 207 health facilities in the area have been assessed for vulnerability during rains, following which nearly 25 per cent of them are being relocated. Another cholera and measles vaccination campaign is being planned in April as a preventive measure for the vulnerable population, the statement said. Earlier, 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine were administered to the refugees and their host communities, in addition to two vaccination campaigns for measles and three for diphtheria which concluded earlier this week with WHO's support. Since the start of the Rohingya crisis, the WHO has provided over 120 tons of supplies and logistics support to its partners. "However, much of the health sector's capacity to respond depends on availability of resources," said Singh who visited Rohingya camps earlier this week. Besides risks posed by floods and rain, the vulnerable population would need continued services for reproductive, maternal and child health, for communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as psychosocial support, the regional director said. Earlier in Cox's Bazar, Singh visited the warehouse where the WHO has pre-positioned supplies. She observed the diphtheria vaccination campaign, inaugurated a fixed immunization site for children, visited a primary health centre and a diphtheria treatment centre run by Samaritan's Purse. The WHO has appealed for $16.5 million from partners to facilitate its support to the Rohingya response in 2018, the statement said. This is part of the $113.1 million being sought by all health partners under the Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya crisis, it said.

WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of "unemployed" refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday.

"We would like to see India play a major role in resolving the refugee crisis," he said, during a media interaction.

"It is our problem today. It might be your problem tomorrow. Because if we keep another thousand Rohingya refugees unemployed in our region, then it will be a threat for you as well," Ali said.

The Rohingya refugee influx into Bangladesh is not a matter of whether something is legal or illegal, he said, adding, "A group of people were driven out of their country and they had to take shelter in our country for their lives."

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown "maximum magnanimity" by letting the Rohingyas come in, he said.

"But she had mentioned quite clearly that this will be a temporary shelter and the solution to the Rohingya issue must be found in Myanmar itself as this is where they have been living for a couple of centuries," Ali said.

There were some agreements for rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees, Ali said.

"India had signed some agreements with Myanmar government and we are trying to put pressure on Myanmar jointly as well as individually for the early repatriation of these Rohingya refugees," he said.

Expressing concern about the possibility of refugees being misled, Ali said, "It is better for all of us for them to remain in their own country instead of falling in the wrong hands."

"If they (Rohingyas) go to the Middle East, I don't know where they will end up, because we have seen ISIS in the past and I am quite concerned that these people should not be found in wrong hands", he said.

On terrorism, Ali said Sheikh Hasina has shown zero tolerance to the menace and has banned several terror outfits. At the moment, there are no terrorist outfits operating from Bangladesh, he added.

Sheikh Hasina has firmly controlled the situation and also handed over some terrorists to Indian authorities, he said.

"India hasn't expressed any security concerns to us," Ali said.

Security agencies of both the countries have checked smuggling of fake currency and drug syndicates, he said.

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of 'unemployed' refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of "unemployed" refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday. "We would like to see India play a major role in resolving the refugee crisis," he said, during a media interaction. "It is our problem today. It might be your problem tomorrow. Because if we keep another thousand Rohingya refugees unemployed in our region, then it will be a threat for you as well," Ali said. The Rohingya refugee influx into Bangladesh is not a matter of whether something is legal or illegal, he said, adding, "A group of people were driven out of their country and they had to take shelter in our country for their lives." Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown "maximum magnanimity" by letting the Rohingyas come in, he said. "But she had mentioned quite clearly that this will be a temporary shelter and the solution to the Rohingya issue must be found in Myanmar itself as this is where they have been living for a couple of centuries," Ali said. There were some agreements for rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees, Ali said. "India had signed some agreements with Myanmar government and we are trying to put pressure on Myanmar jointly as well as individually for the early repatriation of these Rohingya refugees," he said. Expressing concern about the possibility of refugees being misled, Ali said, "It is better for all of us for them to remain in their own country instead of falling in the wrong hands." "If they (Rohingyas) go to the Middle East, I don't know where they will end up, because we have seen ISIS in the past and I am quite concerned that these people should not be found in wrong hands", he said. On terrorism, Ali said Sheikh Hasina has shown zero tolerance to the menace and has banned several terror outfits. At the moment, there are no terrorist outfits operating from Bangladesh, he added. Sheikh Hasina has firmly controlled the situation and also handed over some terrorists to Indian authorities, he said. "India hasn't expressed any security concerns to us," Ali said. Security agencies of both the countries have checked smuggling of fake currency and drug syndicates, he said.

Resolving Rohingya crisis in interest of both India and Bangladesh: Envoy

Burmese politician and diplomat, Aung San Suu Kyi, has reportedly sought help with the ongoing Rohingya crisis, from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations and Australia, in a closed-door meeting.

At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue &quot;comprehensively [and] at some considerable length,&quot; The Guardian quoted the Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying.

&quot;Aung San Suu Kyi ... seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point-of-view. Everyone seeks to end the suffering,&quot; Turnbull said.

Over 650,000 of the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August, escaping systemic violence from the country&#39;s military, including murder, rape and the deliberate torching of villages.

Suu Kyi has spoken little publicly about the conflict and pointedly refused to use the word Rohingya, which is not a minority recognised by the Myanmar government.

&quot;It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abnegate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence,&quot; she had said earlier.

ASEAN had a declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said the ongoing persecution of Rohingya was of international concern.

&quot;Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region,&quot; The Guardian quoted Razak as saying.

Further, the ASEAN chairman, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said instability in one ASEAN state held ramifications for all.

&quot;All of us in the region, we will be anxious if there is any instability if there is trouble in any of our member countries. We are also concerned as human beings if there&#39;s a humanitarian situation which has developed and people&#39;s welfare and lives and safety are at stake. And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquillity in the situation,&quot; he said.

He, however, said he was not aware of specific security threats posed by the ongoing displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar.

Malcolm Turnbull said the issue of the Rohingya crisis was &quot;discussed constructively&quot; and that Australia and ASEAN member states were ready to assist.

At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue

Burmese politician and diplomat, Aung San Suu Kyi, has reportedly sought help with the ongoing Rohingya crisis, from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations and Australia, in a closed-door meeting. At a meeting of leaders at the Australia-ASEAN summit in Sydney on Sunday, Suu Kyi addressed the issue "comprehensively [and] at some considerable length," The Guardian quoted the Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as saying. "Aung San Suu Kyi ... seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point-of-view. Everyone seeks to end the suffering," Turnbull said. Over 650,000 of the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August, escaping systemic violence from the country's military, including murder, rape and the deliberate torching of villages. Suu Kyi has spoken little publicly about the conflict and pointedly refused to use the word Rohingya, which is not a minority recognised by the Myanmar government. "It is not the intention of the Myanmar government to apportion blame or to abnegate responsibility. We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful violence," she had said earlier. ASEAN had a declared policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states but the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said the ongoing persecution of Rohingya was of international concern. "Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region," The Guardian quoted Razak as saying. Further, the ASEAN chairman, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said instability in one ASEAN state held ramifications for all. "All of us in the region, we will be anxious if there is any instability if there is trouble in any of our member countries. We are also concerned as human beings if there's a humanitarian situation which has developed and people's welfare and lives and safety are at stake. And we do our best to help the governments to re-establish stability and tranquillity in the situation," he said. He, however, said he was not aware of specific security threats posed by the ongoing displacement of Rohingya from Myanmar. Malcolm Turnbull said the issue of the Rohingya crisis was "discussed constructively" and that Australia and ASEAN member states were ready to assist.

Rohingya crisis: Aung San Suu Kyi asks ASEAN, Australia for help

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun&#39;s farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes.

&quot;I really regret that,&quot; she said. &quot;They said they would stay for only a month. They&#39;re still here and more are coming.&quot; Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp.

Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back.

Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border.

&quot;We&#39;ve accommodated them, but for how long?&quot; said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox&#39;s Bazar. &quot;Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It&#39;s a huge impact on the whole community.&quot;

So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful.

But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. 
Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. &quot;It&#39;s for our security, so they can&#39;t get up to any terrorist activity,&quot; he said.

He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and &quot;very vulnerable to evil forces&quot;.

THE CHEAPEST WORKER

Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one.

Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh&#39;s poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses.

Seven in 10 families &ndash; both Bangladeshi and Rohingya &ndash; struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found.

Little of the land around Cox&#39;s Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS.

The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said.

&quot;The local people are now silent. They&#39;re not shouting now. But they&#39;re not happy,&quot; said Chowdhury. &quot;Tensions will definitely rise.&quot; 
Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population.

Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working.

&quot;Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;ll hire the cheapest worker.&quot;

ROHINGYA ISLAND

Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.

H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. &quot;In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems,&quot; he said.

Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community.

Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf.

There are &quot;no major signals yet&quot; of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts.

The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun&#39;s land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. 
The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. &quot;But we still pay,&quot; said Alam.

Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. &quot;They will say &#39;go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,&#39;&quot; he said.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun's farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes. "I really regret that," she said. "They said they would stay for only a month. They're still here and more are coming." Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables. Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp. Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back. Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border. "We've accommodated them, but for how long?" said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox's Bazar. "Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It's a huge impact on the whole community." So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful. But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. "It's for our security, so they can't get up to any terrorist activity," he said. He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and "very vulnerable to evil forces". THE CHEAPEST WORKER Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one. Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh's poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses. Seven in 10 families – both Bangladeshi and Rohingya – struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found. Little of the land around Cox's Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS. The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said. "The local people are now silent. They're not shouting now. But they're not happy," said Chowdhury. "Tensions will definitely rise." Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population. Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working. "Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas," he said. "I'll hire the cheapest worker." ROHINGYA ISLAND Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. "In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems," he said. Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community. Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf. There are "no major signals yet" of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox's Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts. The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun's land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. "But we still pay," said Alam. Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. "They will say 'go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,'" he said.

Rohingya refugees test Bangladeshi welcome as prices rise and repatriation stalls

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that &quot;hate-filled rhetoric&quot; by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities.

&quot;We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar,&quot; said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty.

Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN.

More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to &quot;crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen&quot;.&nbsp;

It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were &quot;callously undermining the rights of millions&quot;.

Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as &quot;transparently hateful&quot;.

Last year`s report accused Trump of &quot;poisonous&quot; rhetoric.&nbsp;

Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said.&nbsp;

Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists.

Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing.

&quot;In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous,&quot; Shetty said. 
&nbsp;

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen".

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday. The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that "hate-filled rhetoric" by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities. "We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty. Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN. More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen". It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were "callously undermining the rights of millions". Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as "transparently hateful". Last year`s report accused Trump of "poisonous" rhetoric. Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said. Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists. Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing. "In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous," Shetty said.

Amnesty says Rohingya crisis consequence of society 'encouraged to hate'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-goes-to-polls-left-front-faces-stiffest-challenge-in-25-years-from-bjp-33214">Tripura goes to polls, Left Front faces </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-goes-to-polls-left-front-faces-stiffest-challenge-in-25-years-from-bjp-33214">stiffest</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-goes-to-polls-left-front-faces-stiffest-challenge-in-25-years-from-bjp-33214"> challenge in 25 years from BJP</a>

People in Tripura are all prepared to cast their votes as the northeastern hill state goes to polls today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/shame-on-you-florida-school-shooting-survivor-tells-trump-at-anti-gun-rally-33213">&#39;Shame on you!&#39; Florida school shooting survivor tells Trump at anti-gun rally</a>

A student survivor of the Parkland school shooting called out US President Donald Trump today over his ties to the powerful National Rifle Association, in a poignant address to an anti-gun rally in Florida.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-spree-of-up-encounters-criminals-run-to-jail-for-safety-33222">After spree of UP encounters, criminals run to jail for safety</a>

Fearing getting killed in a Police encounter, wanted criminals in Uttar Pradesh state are on a surrender spree.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-hands-list-of-8000-rohingya-refugees-to-myanmar-for-repatriation-33209">Bangladesh hands over list of 8,000 Rohingyas, Myanmar says will start repatriation</a>

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.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/florida-school-shooter-was-on-police-radar-in-2016-report-33221">Florida school shooter was on police radar in 2016: Report</a>

A teenager accused of shooting to death 17 people at a Florida high school was investigated by police and state officials as far back as 2016 after slashing his arm in a social media video, and saying he wanted to buy a gun, but authorities determined he was receiving sufficient support, a newspaper said on Saturday. 
&nbsp;

Tripura goes to polls, Left Front faces stiffest challenge in 25 years from BJP People in Tripura are all prepared to cast their votes as the northeastern hill state goes to polls today. 'Shame on you!' Florida school shooting survivor tells Trump at anti-gun rally A student survivor of the Parkland school shooting called out US President Donald Trump today over his ties to the powerful National Rifle Association, in a poignant address to an anti-gun rally in Florida. After spree of UP encounters, criminals run to jail for safety Fearing getting killed in a Police encounter, wanted criminals in Uttar Pradesh state are on a surrender spree. Bangladesh hands over list of 8,000 Rohingyas, Myanmar says will start repatriation 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. Florida school shooter was on police radar in 2016: Report A teenager accused of shooting to death 17 people at a Florida high school was investigated by police and state officials as far back as 2016 after slashing his arm in a social media video, and saying he wanted to buy a gun, but authorities determined he was receiving sufficient support, a newspaper said on Saturday.

WION Morning News Brief, February 18, 2018

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

The United States on Tuesday described Myanmar denials of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims as &quot;preposterous&quot; as it called on the UN&nbsp;Security Council to hold the military accountable and pressure leader Aung San Suu Kyi &quot;to acknowledge these horrific acts that are taking place in her country.&quot;

&quot;Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State,&quot; US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council.

&quot;To make sure no one contradicts their preposterous denials, they are preventing access to Rakhine to anyone or any organization that might bear witness to their atrocities, including the UN&nbsp;Security Council,&quot; Haley said.

Haley also called for the release of Reuters news agency reporters arrested for reporting on the massacre of Rohingya Muslims.

&quot;We strongly call for their immediate and unconditional release,&quot; she said. In a reference to Myanmar`s reason for detaining the journalists, Haley added, &quot;On top of it all, they have the gall to blame the media.&quot;

The Reuters special report, published last week, lays out events leading up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men from Inn Din village in Rakhine state who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

French UN&nbsp;Ambassador Francois Delattre also told the Security Council that a massacre of Rohingya Muslims reported by Reuters could &quot;constitute crimes against humanity.&quot; 
Myanmar has denied that ethnic cleansing has taken place.

Any push for UN&nbsp;Security Council action is likely to face resistance from council veto powers Russia and China, who both said on Tuesday the situation in Rakhine state was stable and under control.

&quot;Using labels and attempts to use contradictory and subjective reports of the media ... to find out who`s guilty and condemn them only move us farther away from a solution,&quot; Russia`s Deputy UN&nbsp;Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy warned.&nbsp;

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since last August when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

&quot;Conditions are not yet conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees,&quot; UN&nbsp;refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council.

Calls for journalists release

While Myanmar UN&nbsp;Ambassador Hau Do Suan said that some diplomats had been able to travel to Rakhine state but also told the UN&nbsp;Security Council not to visit during February because it was &quot;not the right time,&quot; Kuwait`s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said this month.&nbsp;

Myanmar`s Hau Do Suan said that an inquiry by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, had found that 10 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants had been arrested in Inn Din and executed and buried a day later.

&quot;Actions are being taken against 16 individuals, including army and police officers and some villagers who had acted in violation of standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement. This action of the Tatmadaw is positive step forward in taking responsibility and deserves encouragement,&quot; he said.

With reference to Reuters journalists arrested for reporting on the Rohingya, Hau Do Suan said Myanmar recognises freedom of the press and the journalists were not arrested in December for reporting a story, but were accused of &quot;illegally possessing confidential government documents.&quot;

&quot;Every citizen is bound by the existing law of the land. It is important that the actions of the journalists must also within the bound of the law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan all called for the release of the Reuters journalists during the Security Council meeting on Tuesday.&nbsp;

'Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State,' US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council

The United States on Tuesday described Myanmar denials of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims as "preposterous" as it called on the UN Security Council to hold the military accountable and pressure leader Aung San Suu Kyi "to acknowledge these horrific acts that are taking place in her country." "Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council. "To make sure no one contradicts their preposterous denials, they are preventing access to Rakhine to anyone or any organization that might bear witness to their atrocities, including the UN Security Council," Haley said. Haley also called for the release of Reuters news agency reporters arrested for reporting on the massacre of Rohingya Muslims. "We strongly call for their immediate and unconditional release," she said. In a reference to Myanmar`s reason for detaining the journalists, Haley added, "On top of it all, they have the gall to blame the media." The Reuters special report, published last week, lays out events leading up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men from Inn Din village in Rakhine state who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre also told the Security Council that a massacre of Rohingya Muslims reported by Reuters could "constitute crimes against humanity." Myanmar has denied that ethnic cleansing has taken place. Any push for UN Security Council action is likely to face resistance from council veto powers Russia and China, who both said on Tuesday the situation in Rakhine state was stable and under control. "Using labels and attempts to use contradictory and subjective reports of the media ... to find out who`s guilty and condemn them only move us farther away from a solution," Russia`s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy warned. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since last August when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide. "Conditions are not yet conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees," UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council. Calls for journalists release While Myanmar UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan said that some diplomats had been able to travel to Rakhine state but also told the UN Security Council not to visit during February because it was "not the right time," Kuwait`s UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said this month. Myanmar`s Hau Do Suan said that an inquiry by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, had found that 10 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants had been arrested in Inn Din and executed and buried a day later. "Actions are being taken against 16 individuals, including army and police officers and some villagers who had acted in violation of standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement. This action of the Tatmadaw is positive step forward in taking responsibility and deserves encouragement," he said. With reference to Reuters journalists arrested for reporting on the Rohingya, Hau Do Suan said Myanmar recognises freedom of the press and the journalists were not arrested in December for reporting a story, but were accused of "illegally possessing confidential government documents." "Every citizen is bound by the existing law of the land. It is important that the actions of the journalists must also within the bound of the law," he said. Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan all called for the release of the Reuters journalists during the Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

US urges UN to hold Myanmar military accountable for 'ethnic cleansing'

Veteran US&nbsp;diplomat Bill Richardson has resigned from an international panel set up by Myanmar to advise on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a &quot;whitewash&quot; and accusing the country&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking &quot;moral leadership&quot;.

Richardson, a former Clinton administration cabinet member, quit as the 10-member advisory board was making its first visit to western Rakhine State, from where nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled in recent months.

&quot;The main reason I am resigning is that this advisory board is a whitewash,&quot; Richardson told Reuters in an interview, adding he did not want to be part of &quot;a cheerleading squad for the government&quot;.

Richardson said he got into an argument with Suu Kyi during a meeting on Monday with other members of the board, when he brought up the case of two Reuters reporters who are on trial accused of breaching the country&#39;s Officials Secrets Act.

He said Suu Kyi&#39;s response was &quot;furious&quot;, saying the case of the reporters &quot;was not part of the work of the advisory board&quot;. The argument continued at a dinner later that evening, the former New Mexico governor said.

Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman, Zaw Htay, told Reuters on Thursday that the Advisory Board was meeting about the &quot;Rakhine issue&quot;.

&quot;(Richardson) talked on a topic outside the agenda of the meetings and went beyond the framework,&quot; Zaw Htay said. &quot;We feel sorry for his resignation due to the misunderstanding.&quot; Reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of the crisis in Rakhine, from where 688,000 Rohingya have fled an army crackdown on insurgents since late August, according to estimates by the United Nations.

They were detained on December&nbsp;12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. The government has cited police as saying they were arrested for possessing secret documents relating to the security situation in Rakhine.

&#39;Good faith efforts&#39;

US&nbsp;State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called Richardson&#39;s decision to resign from the board and his reasons for doing so &quot;cause for concern&quot;, but noted he had been acting as a private citizen in joining the board and visiting Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

&quot;Ultimately, the Burmese government and military have the authority to determine whether the Advisory Board will succeed,&quot; Nauert said. &quot;The United States has made clear that we are willing to support good faith efforts to implement the Annan Commission recommendations.&rdquo;

The Advisory Board for the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State was set up by Myanmar last year, to advise on enacting the findings of an earlier commission headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The armed forces have been accused by Rohingya witnesses and human rights activists of carrying out killings, rapes and arson in a campaign senior officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that label and has denied nearly all the allegations.

Richardson said he was also &quot;taken aback by the vigour with which the media, the United Nations, human rights groups and in general the international community were disparaged&quot; during the last three days of meetings the board held with Myanmar officials.

&quot;She&#39;s not getting good advice from her team,&quot; Richardson said of Suu Kyi, whom he said he has known since the 1980s. &quot;I like her enormously and respect her. But she has not shown moral leadership on the Rakhine issue and the allegations made, and I regret that.&quot;

Suu Kyi&#39;s national security adviser, Thaung Tun, told Reuters he had escorted the other board members on a trip to Rakhine on Wednesday, but that Richardson had not taken part.

&quot;He said he was unhappy about the situation but I am not sure what he was unhappy about,&quot; he said. &quot;This is just the initial stage, this is the start of a whole year of business so I don&#39;t know what happened to make him feel like that.&quot;

Panel chairman slammed&nbsp;

Before Richardson quit the advisory board had 10 members, including five from overseas, chaired by former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart.

The board chairman, he said, was not &quot;genuinely committed&quot; to implementing recommendations regarding the issues of Rohingya safety, citizenship, peace, stability and development.

&quot;He parroted the dangerous and untrue notion that international NGOs employ radicals and that humanitarian agencies are providing material support to ARSA,&quot; Richardson said, referring to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants.

Surakiart was travelling with other members of the board in Rakhine and did not respond to requests for comment.

Another board member, former South African Defence Minister Roelof Meyer, told Reuters the visit to Rakhine had been &quot;very constructive&quot;.

&quot;If anybody would say that we are just a rubber stamp or a voice on behalf of the government that would be completely untrue, unfair,&quot; he said. &quot;We haven&#39;t done any recommendations so far.&quot;

Other members of the board, which also includes British doctor and politician Lord Darzi of Denham and speaker of the Swedish parliament Urban Ahlin, were not immediately available for comment.

Richardson said he declined to join the advisory board&#39;s tour of a new repatriation camp in Rakhine State on Wednesday, instead of travelling to Yangon.

Mass grave

Myanmar&#39;s military said earlier this month its soldiers had taken part in the killings of 10 captured Muslim &quot;terrorists&quot; during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug.

It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing during its operations in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which said legal action would be taken against members of the security forces who violated their rules of engagement and the villagers involved.

Richardson said he has asked the board to recommend that the Myanmar government set up an independent investigation into &quot;the mass grave issue, especially as it pertained to ... the involvement of the military&quot;. He did not say how the board had responded.

The Rohingya crisis erupted after ARSA attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered a fierce military response. Myanmar says its troops were engaged in legitimate counterinsurgency operations.

The UN&nbsp;on Wednesday called on Myanmar to give aid agencies unhindered access to camps it has built for tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees after agreeing to a deal with Bangladesh on their return.

Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart

Veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson has resigned from an international panel set up by Myanmar to advise on the Rohingya crisis, saying it was conducting a "whitewash" and accusing the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking "moral leadership". Richardson, a former Clinton administration cabinet member, quit as the 10-member advisory board was making its first visit to western Rakhine State, from where nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled in recent months. "The main reason I am resigning is that this advisory board is a whitewash," Richardson told Reuters in an interview, adding he did not want to be part of "a cheerleading squad for the government". Richardson said he got into an argument with Suu Kyi during a meeting on Monday with other members of the board, when he brought up the case of two Reuters reporters who are on trial accused of breaching the country's Officials Secrets Act. He said Suu Kyi's response was "furious", saying the case of the reporters "was not part of the work of the advisory board". The argument continued at a dinner later that evening, the former New Mexico governor said. Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, told Reuters on Thursday that the Advisory Board was meeting about the "Rakhine issue". "(Richardson) talked on a topic outside the agenda of the meetings and went beyond the framework," Zaw Htay said. "We feel sorry for his resignation due to the misunderstanding." Reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, had worked on Reuters coverage of the crisis in Rakhine, from where 688,000 Rohingya have fled an army crackdown on insurgents since late August, according to estimates by the United Nations. They were detained on December 12 after they had been invited to meet police officers over dinner in Yangon. The government has cited police as saying they were arrested for possessing secret documents relating to the security situation in Rakhine. 'Good faith efforts' US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert called Richardson's decision to resign from the board and his reasons for doing so "cause for concern", but noted he had been acting as a private citizen in joining the board and visiting Myanmar, which is also known as Burma. "Ultimately, the Burmese government and military have the authority to determine whether the Advisory Board will succeed," Nauert said. "The United States has made clear that we are willing to support good faith efforts to implement the Annan Commission recommendations.” The Advisory Board for the Committee for Implementation of the Recommendations on Rakhine State was set up by Myanmar last year, to advise on enacting the findings of an earlier commission headed by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The armed forces have been accused by Rohingya witnesses and human rights activists of carrying out killings, rapes and arson in a campaign senior officials in the United Nations and United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that label and has denied nearly all the allegations. Richardson said he was also "taken aback by the vigour with which the media, the United Nations, human rights groups and in general the international community were disparaged" during the last three days of meetings the board held with Myanmar officials. "She's not getting good advice from her team," Richardson said of Suu Kyi, whom he said he has known since the 1980s. "I like her enormously and respect her. But she has not shown moral leadership on the Rakhine issue and the allegations made, and I regret that." Suu Kyi's national security adviser, Thaung Tun, told Reuters he had escorted the other board members on a trip to Rakhine on Wednesday, but that Richardson had not taken part. "He said he was unhappy about the situation but I am not sure what he was unhappy about," he said. "This is just the initial stage, this is the start of a whole year of business so I don't know what happened to make him feel like that." Panel chairman slammed Before Richardson quit the advisory board had 10 members, including five from overseas, chaired by former Thai Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai. Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, also had harsh words for Surakiart. The board chairman, he said, was not "genuinely committed" to implementing recommendations regarding the issues of Rohingya safety, citizenship, peace, stability and development. "He parroted the dangerous and untrue notion that international NGOs employ radicals and that humanitarian agencies are providing material support to ARSA," Richardson said, referring to Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants. Surakiart was travelling with other members of the board in Rakhine and did not respond to requests for comment. Another board member, former South African Defence Minister Roelof Meyer, told Reuters the visit to Rakhine had been "very constructive". "If anybody would say that we are just a rubber stamp or a voice on behalf of the government that would be completely untrue, unfair," he said. "We haven't done any recommendations so far." Other members of the board, which also includes British doctor and politician Lord Darzi of Denham and speaker of the Swedish parliament Urban Ahlin, were not immediately available for comment. Richardson said he declined to join the advisory board's tour of a new repatriation camp in Rakhine State on Wednesday, instead of travelling to Yangon. Mass grave Myanmar's military said earlier this month its soldiers had taken part in the killings of 10 captured Muslim "terrorists" during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave the villagers had dug. It was a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing during its operations in Rakhine by the Myanmar military, which said legal action would be taken against members of the security forces who violated their rules of engagement and the villagers involved. Richardson said he has asked the board to recommend that the Myanmar government set up an independent investigation into "the mass grave issue, especially as it pertained to ... the involvement of the military". He did not say how the board had responded. The Rohingya crisis erupted after ARSA attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 triggered a fierce military response. Myanmar says its troops were engaged in legitimate counterinsurgency operations. The UN on Wednesday called on Myanmar to give aid agencies unhindered access to camps it has built for tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees after agreeing to a deal with Bangladesh on their return.

US diplomat quits Rohingya panel, accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of lacking 'moral leadership'

Myanmar is making final preparations to take back the first batch of Rohingya Muslims who had fled conflict in troubled Rakhine state, state media said on Saturday, despite growing doubts about the plan among refugees and in the United Nations.

Rakhine state chief minister Nyi Pu &ldquo;insisted on completion of the finishing touches on buildings, medical clinics and sanitation infrastructures&rdquo; during a visit to repatriation camps in the state on Friday, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.

It published a photo of his delegation standing by a long, wooden house that will be used to house returnees at the camp near the town of Maungtaw. A wire-mesh fence topped by barbed wire appears in the background of the photo.

Over 655,500 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military cracked down in the northern part of Rakhine in response to militant attacks on security forces on August 25. The United Nations described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, which Myanmar denies.

Myanmar will start receiving Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centres and the temporary camp near Maungtaw starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years, under an agreement the two countries signed this week.

Bangladesh will provide an advance list of prospective returnees with forms attesting to their residency in Myanmar, the newspaper said. Some returnees will cross over by land and others via a river along the border, it said.

Rohingya refugees at the sprawling Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh are balking at going back until Myanmar can guarantee their safety, among other demands listed in a petition drawn up by camp leaders and shown to Reuters.

Even as Myanmar gets ready to start receiving the Rohingya next week, more of them are fleeing continued military operations in Rakhine, newly arrived refugees camp have told Reuters.

More than 100 Rohingya Muslims from northern Rakhine fled into Bangladesh and scores more were waiting to cross the Naf river that forms the border, they said.

&lsquo;Concentration camps&rsquo;

Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Saturday the repatriation plan was &ldquo;not acceptable&rdquo; and &ldquo;the Burmese terrorist government is deceitfully and crookedly offering Rohingya refugees to settle down in so-called temporary camps&rdquo;. Burma is the former name of Myanmar.

&ldquo;Repatriated Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh will never be able to settle down in their own ancestral lands and villages, rather than spending not only the rest of their lives but also the lives of their next generations to come in those concentration camps,&rdquo; the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) said in a statement on Twitter.

Myanmar has said it would build a transit camp that can house 30,000 returnees before they are allowed to return to their &ldquo;place of origin&rdquo; or &ldquo;nearest to their place of origin.&rdquo;

Government spokesman Zaw Htay did not respond to requests for comment on the ARSA statement.

Paul Vrieze, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman in Myanmar, cautioned that the returnees must not be rushed out of Bangladesh prematurely &ldquo;without the informed consent of refugees or the basic elements of lasting solutions in place&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Further measures are also required to ensure safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of refugees to their places of origin and to address the underlying root causes of the crisis,&rdquo; he told Reuters.

The UNHCR, which is helping to administer the refugee camps, is not involved in the repatriation exercise between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Rohingya refugees at the sprawling Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh are balking at going back until Myanmar can guarantee their safety

Myanmar is making final preparations to take back the first batch of Rohingya Muslims who had fled conflict in troubled Rakhine state, state media said on Saturday, despite growing doubts about the plan among refugees and in the United Nations. Rakhine state chief minister Nyi Pu “insisted on completion of the finishing touches on buildings, medical clinics and sanitation infrastructures” during a visit to repatriation camps in the state on Friday, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. It published a photo of his delegation standing by a long, wooden house that will be used to house returnees at the camp near the town of Maungtaw. A wire-mesh fence topped by barbed wire appears in the background of the photo. Over 655,500 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military cracked down in the northern part of Rakhine in response to militant attacks on security forces on August 25. The United Nations described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, which Myanmar denies. Myanmar will start receiving Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centres and the temporary camp near Maungtaw starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years, under an agreement the two countries signed this week. Bangladesh will provide an advance list of prospective returnees with forms attesting to their residency in Myanmar, the newspaper said. Some returnees will cross over by land and others via a river along the border, it said. Rohingya refugees at the sprawling Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh are balking at going back until Myanmar can guarantee their safety, among other demands listed in a petition drawn up by camp leaders and shown to Reuters. Even as Myanmar gets ready to start receiving the Rohingya next week, more of them are fleeing continued military operations in Rakhine, newly arrived refugees camp have told Reuters. More than 100 Rohingya Muslims from northern Rakhine fled into Bangladesh and scores more were waiting to cross the Naf river that forms the border, they said. ‘Concentration camps’ Rohingya Muslim insurgents said on Saturday the repatriation plan was “not acceptable” and “the Burmese terrorist government is deceitfully and crookedly offering Rohingya refugees to settle down in so-called temporary camps”. Burma is the former name of Myanmar. “Repatriated Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh will never be able to settle down in their own ancestral lands and villages, rather than spending not only the rest of their lives but also the lives of their next generations to come in those concentration camps,” the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) said in a statement on Twitter. Myanmar has said it would build a transit camp that can house 30,000 returnees before they are allowed to return to their “place of origin” or “nearest to their place of origin.” Government spokesman Zaw Htay did not respond to requests for comment on the ARSA statement. Paul Vrieze, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman in Myanmar, cautioned that the returnees must not be rushed out of Bangladesh prematurely “without the informed consent of refugees or the basic elements of lasting solutions in place”. “Further measures are also required to ensure safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation of refugees to their places of origin and to address the underlying root causes of the crisis,” he told Reuters. The UNHCR, which is helping to administer the refugee camps, is not involved in the repatriation exercise between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Myanmar finalises preparations for repatriation of Rohingya Muslims

The Bangladesh government has&nbsp;been holding multilateral talks to have a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis, said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali.

The minister told the parliament on Sunday that the issue was taken up in the United Nations Security Council several times in line with diplomatic efforts of the government.

He said that amid intense pressure, Myanmar took steps to discuss the repatriation process of Rohingyas with Bangladesh bilaterally.

Bangladesh signed &quot;Arrangement on Return of Displaced Persons from Rakhine State&quot;&nbsp;with Myanmar on November 23 last year, the Dhaka Tribune quoted the minister as saying.

Since late August, more than 688,000 Rohingyas, among them 58 per cent children, have arrived in Cox&#39;s Bazar alone, marking the largest mass refugee movement in the region in decades, it reported. 
&nbsp;

The Bangladesh government has been holding multilateral talks to have a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis, said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali

The Bangladesh government has been holding multilateral talks to have a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis, said Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali. The minister told the parliament on Sunday that the issue was taken up in the United Nations Security Council several times in line with diplomatic efforts of the government. He said that amid intense pressure, Myanmar took steps to discuss the repatriation process of Rohingyas with Bangladesh bilaterally. Bangladesh signed "Arrangement on Return of Displaced Persons from Rakhine State" with Myanmar on November 23 last year, the Dhaka Tribune quoted the minister as saying. Since late August, more than 688,000 Rohingyas, among them 58 per cent children, have arrived in Cox's Bazar alone, marking the largest mass refugee movement in the region in decades, it reported.

Diplomacy to resolve Rohingya crisis is on: Bangladesh

The UN human rights chief warned today that possible acts of &quot;genocide and ethnic cleansing&quot; against Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslim minority could fuel a religious-based conflict that spreads beyond the country&#39;s borders.

&quot;Myanmar faces a very serious crisis -- with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region,&quot; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said during a speech in Jakarta.

His remarks follow the publication of a report last week about mass graves of Rohingya in Myanmar&#39;s crisis-hit Rakhine state, where government troops have been accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the minority.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled to bordering Bangladesh since last August.

Myanmar denied the mass grave report and wider allegations of rights abuses, saying it launched a proportionate crackdown on Rohingya rebels.

But it has blocked reporters and UN investigators from independently accessing the conflict zone and investigating refugee claims about a genocide.

Zeid on Monday said Myanmar had enjoyed strong growth including a focus on socio-economic development in the Rakhine region, but that this could not mask &quot;institutionalised discrimination&quot; against the minority.

The UN rights chief is due to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo as well as top government officials and rights groups during his three-day visit.

Among the issues expected to be discussed is a crackdown on the LGBT community in Indonesia, the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority country.

Parliament is set to pass a long-dormant bill to make sex outside marriage illegal. Gay marriage does not exist in Indonesia, meaning homosexual relations would be effectively outlawed.&nbsp;

'Myanmar faces a very serious crisis -- with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region,' said Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein

The UN human rights chief warned today that possible acts of "genocide and ethnic cleansing" against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority could fuel a religious-based conflict that spreads beyond the country's borders. "Myanmar faces a very serious crisis -- with a potentially severe impact on the security of the region," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said during a speech in Jakarta. His remarks follow the publication of a report last week about mass graves of Rohingya in Myanmar's crisis-hit Rakhine state, where government troops have been accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the minority. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled to bordering Bangladesh since last August. Myanmar denied the mass grave report and wider allegations of rights abuses, saying it launched a proportionate crackdown on Rohingya rebels. But it has blocked reporters and UN investigators from independently accessing the conflict zone and investigating refugee claims about a genocide. Zeid on Monday said Myanmar had enjoyed strong growth including a focus on socio-economic development in the Rakhine region, but that this could not mask "institutionalised discrimination" against the minority. The UN rights chief is due to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo as well as top government officials and rights groups during his three-day visit. Among the issues expected to be discussed is a crackdown on the LGBT community in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country. Parliament is set to pass a long-dormant bill to make sex outside marriage illegal. Gay marriage does not exist in Indonesia, meaning homosexual relations would be effectively outlawed.

Rohingya abuses could spark regional conflict: UN rights chief

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

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

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

Myanmar turns down UN Security Council visit

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?

rohingya-crisis

Rohingya Crisis, News on Rohingya Crisis, stories on Rohingya Crisis, articles on Rohingya Crisis, Rohingya Crisis stories at Wion, Rohingya Crisis news, Rohingya Crisis latest news

rohingya crisis