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

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

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

Bangladesh agrees with Myanmar to complete Rohingya return in two years

A Bangladesh court on Tuesday upheld a government ruling banning marriage between its citizens and refugees from Myanmar&#39;s persecuted Rohingya minority, who have fled ethnic violence in the neighbouring country.&nbsp;

The High Court in Dhaka dismissed a legal challenge from a father whose son married a Rohingya teenager in a Muslim ceremony in September despite laws forbidding such unions.&nbsp;

Marriages with Rohingya were banned in 2014 to try to prevent hundreds of thousands of refugees living in Bangladesh from seeking a back door to citizenship.&nbsp;

Babul Hossain, whose 26-year-old son ran away with his new wife after they married, questioned the legality of the ruling that threatens a seven-year jail term for any Bangladeshi who weds a Rohingya refugee.&nbsp;

But the court rejected his plea and ordered he pay 100,000 taka (USD 1,200) in legal costs.&nbsp;

&quot;The court rejected the petition and has upheld the administrative order, which bans marriage between Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingya people,&quot; deputy attorney general Motaher Hossain Saju said.&nbsp;

Hossain&#39;s request that the court protects his son from arrest was also rejected, Saju added.&nbsp;

About 655,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh since August after the Myanmar army began a campaign of rape and murder in Rakhine state.&nbsp;

They joined the more than 200,000 refugees already living in Bangladesh who had fled previous violence in Rakhine.&nbsp;

Aid groups have reported cases of Bangladeshis offering young women marriage as a way of escaping the overcrowded refugee camps along Bangladesh&#39;s southeastern border.&nbsp;

Hossain could not be contacted after the ruling.&nbsp;

But in a previous statement, he defended his son&#39;s marriage to the 18-year-old Rohingya woman and denied it was driven by a quest for citizenship.&nbsp;

&quot;If Bangladeshis can marry Christians and people of other religions, what&#39;s wrong in my son&#39;s marriage to a Rohingya?&quot; Hossain said.&nbsp;

&quot;He married a Muslim who took shelter in Bangladesh.&quot;

Marriages with Rohingya were banned in 2014 to try to prevent hundreds of thousands of refugees living in Bangladesh from seeking a back door to citizenship

A Bangladesh court on Tuesday upheld a government ruling banning marriage between its citizens and refugees from Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya minority, who have fled ethnic violence in the neighbouring country. The High Court in Dhaka dismissed a legal challenge from a father whose son married a Rohingya teenager in a Muslim ceremony in September despite laws forbidding such unions. Marriages with Rohingya were banned in 2014 to try to prevent hundreds of thousands of refugees living in Bangladesh from seeking a back door to citizenship. Babul Hossain, whose 26-year-old son ran away with his new wife after they married, questioned the legality of the ruling that threatens a seven-year jail term for any Bangladeshi who weds a Rohingya refugee. But the court rejected his plea and ordered he pay 100,000 taka (USD 1,200) in legal costs. "The court rejected the petition and has upheld the administrative order, which bans marriage between Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingya people," deputy attorney general Motaher Hossain Saju said. Hossain's request that the court protects his son from arrest was also rejected, Saju added. About 655,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh since August after the Myanmar army began a campaign of rape and murder in Rakhine state. They joined the more than 200,000 refugees already living in Bangladesh who had fled previous violence in Rakhine. Aid groups have reported cases of Bangladeshis offering young women marriage as a way of escaping the overcrowded refugee camps along Bangladesh's southeastern border. Hossain could not be contacted after the ruling. But in a previous statement, he defended his son's marriage to the 18-year-old Rohingya woman and denied it was driven by a quest for citizenship. "If Bangladeshis can marry Christians and people of other religions, what's wrong in my son's marriage to a Rohingya?" Hossain said. "He married a Muslim who took shelter in Bangladesh."

Bangladesh court upholds ban on Rohingya marriage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opinion: China leveraged Rohingya crisis. India was timid.

Bangladesh and Myanmar on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees from January, despite rights groups warning that their safety is still not assured should they return.

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Myanmar met in Dhaka to finalise the agreement signed on November 23 for the voluntary return of nearly three-quarters of a million stateless Rohingya living in refugee camps along the border.

A new working group would &quot;ensure commencement of repatriation within two months&quot; by developing a timetable for the verification of refugee identities and logistics of their return, Bangladesh&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement.

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&quot;Now, we will start the next step of our work,&quot; Bangladesh foreign minister AH&nbsp;Mahmood Ali told reporters after the meeting.

The reaffirmation comes a day after Human Rights Watch, citing analysis of satellite imagery, said Myanmar&#39;s army burned down dozens of Rohingya homes within days of signing the repatriation deal with Bangladesh.

The watchdog said the deal was &quot;a public relations stunt&quot; and warned it contained no guarantee the Rohingya would be safe should they return to Myanmar&#39;s conflict-wracked Rakhine state.

An estimated 655,000 refugees from the stateless minority group have poured across the border into Bangladesh since August, fleeing what the US and United Nations have described as ethnic cleansing.

Last week the group Doctors Without Borders released a survey which found that nearly 7,000 Rohingya had been killed in the first month of the Rakhine violence.

The military has put the number in the hundreds and denied targeting civilians or committing atrocities, while Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi said major security operations stopped in early September.

Myanmar has in the past blamed fires in villages on Rohingya insurgents who on August 25 attacked security posts, killing a dozen police and triggering fierce army retribution.

Responding to international pressure, Suu Kyi&#39;s civilian government signed an agreement with Bangladesh to start the repatriation of the stateless Muslim refugees within two months.

The agreement promises the &quot;safe and voluntary return&quot; of displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh -- not just the latest 655,000 new arrivals but more than 70,000 from a separate influx in October 2016.

Testimonies gathered by AFP from displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh suggest few refugees wish to return to Myanmar, where many saw their villages burned to ashes and loved ones killed.

The persecuted minority has been the target of past pogroms in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which does not recognise the group as a genuine ethnicity and has stripped them of citizenship.

Aid groups have warned Myanmar they would boycott any new camps for Rohingya returnees, saying refugees must be allowed to settle in their own homes and not forced into ghetto-like conditions.

The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Myanmar met in Dhaka to finalise the agreement signed on November 23 for the voluntary return of nearly 750,000 Rohingya refugees

Bangladesh and Myanmar on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees from January, despite rights groups warning that their safety is still not assured should they return. The foreign secretaries of Bangladesh and Myanmar met in Dhaka to finalise the agreement signed on November 23 for the voluntary return of nearly three-quarters of a million stateless Rohingya living in refugee camps along the border. A new working group would "ensure commencement of repatriation within two months" by developing a timetable for the verification of refugee identities and logistics of their return, Bangladesh's foreign ministry said in a statement. The reaffirmation comes a day after Human Rights Watch, citing analysis of satellite imagery, said Myanmar's army burned down dozens of Rohingya homes within days of signing the repatriation deal with Bangladesh × "Now, we will start the next step of our work," Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali told reporters after the meeting. The reaffirmation comes a day after Human Rights Watch, citing analysis of satellite imagery, said Myanmar's army burned down dozens of Rohingya homes within days of signing the repatriation deal with Bangladesh. The watchdog said the deal was "a public relations stunt" and warned it contained no guarantee the Rohingya would be safe should they return to Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state. An estimated 655,000 refugees from the stateless minority group have poured across the border into Bangladesh since August, fleeing what the US and United Nations have described as ethnic cleansing. Last week the group Doctors Without Borders released a survey which found that nearly 7,000 Rohingya had been killed in the first month of the Rakhine violence. The military has put the number in the hundreds and denied targeting civilians or committing atrocities, while Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi said major security operations stopped in early September. Myanmar has in the past blamed fires in villages on Rohingya insurgents who on August 25 attacked security posts, killing a dozen police and triggering fierce army retribution. Responding to international pressure, Suu Kyi's civilian government signed an agreement with Bangladesh to start the repatriation of the stateless Muslim refugees within two months. The agreement promises the "safe and voluntary return" of displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh -- not just the latest 655,000 new arrivals but more than 70,000 from a separate influx in October 2016. Testimonies gathered by AFP from displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh suggest few refugees wish to return to Myanmar, where many saw their villages burned to ashes and loved ones killed. The persecuted minority has been the target of past pogroms in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which does not recognise the group as a genuine ethnicity and has stripped them of citizenship. Aid groups have warned Myanmar they would boycott any new camps for Rohingya returnees, saying refugees must be allowed to settle in their own homes and not forced into ghetto-like conditions.

Rohingya refugees to start returning to Myanmar from January: Officials

Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has authorised the police to proceed with a case against two detained Reuters reporters accused of violating the country`s colonial-era Official Secrets Act, a senior government spokesman said.

Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar`s largest city, Yangon.

&quot;The Ministry of Home Affairs has already submitted the case to the Office of the President,&quot; Zaw Htay, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi, said by phone late on Sunday. He added that the president`s office had given approval for the case to go ahead.

Zaw Htay could not be reached on Monday to clarify whether Htin Kyaw or Suu Kyi had been personally involved in the decision, or if other officials had signed off on the president`s behalf. 
Suu Kyi, head of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), is barred from the presidency under a constitution written by the military. But she effectively runs the country in the role of &quot;state counsellor&quot;.

Approval from the president`s office is needed before court proceedings can begin in a case brought under the Official Secrets Act.

Section 13 of the Act states: &quot;No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act unless upon complaint made by order of, or under authority from, the President of the Union.&quot; 
A number of governments, including the United States, Canada and Britain, and United Nations` Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler and a host of journalists` and human rights` groups have criticised the arrests as an attack on press freedom and called on Myanmar to release the two men.

Zaw Htay said the journalists` legal rights were being respected. &quot;Your reporters are protected by the rule of the law,&quot; he said. &quot;All I can say is the government can guarantee the rule of law.&quot;

Senior NLD figures join critics

But two senior figures in the NLD on Monday joined the criticism of how the two men are being treated.

Nyan Win, a member of the NLD`s central executive committee and one of Suu Kyi`s defence lawyers during her years of house arrest under junta rule, said it was &quot;unfair&quot; that the families of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were not allowed to contact them or be told where they are being held.

He said the police were being &quot;very secretive&quot; and called for &quot;openness&quot;, although said the NLD was unable to do anything about the issue as it was not being kept informed.

Although an NLD-led civilian government took office in April last year the police and home ministry, which are driving the case, remain under the control of the military.

Win Htein, another senior figure in the NLD, who was also critical of the journalists` detention, suggested they had probably been set up by the police. &quot;In my opinion this is a trap,&quot; he said.

&ldquo;They met with two policemen and then they were arrested somewhere else with the documents.&rdquo;

Asked on Mizzima Television what he would do for the detained journalists, Information Minister Pe Myint said: &quot;When I know all the facts of the current case, I will work to do what I can.&quot; 
Pe Myint is a former editor of the People`s Age in Yangon and was Wa Lone`s boss when the journalist worked at the paper in his first job as a reporter.

The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state.

The Ministry of Information said last week that they had &quot;illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media&quot;, and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs.

It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The ministry said at the same time that two policemen, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing and Police Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, had also been arrested under the same act. No details have been released on whether a case against them is also proceeding.

The authorities have not allowed the journalists any contact with their families, a lawyer or Reuters since their arrest.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on the authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the pair.

&quot;All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members,&quot; said Frederick Rawski, the ICJ`s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, in a statement on Monday.&nbsp;

&quot;Authorities are bound to respect these rights in line with Myanmar law and the State`s international law obligations.&quot;

Police told Wa Lone`s wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon to an undisclosed location by an investigation team shortly after their arrest.

They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in &quot;two to three days at most&quot;. It is now almost six days since they were detained and there has been no further update on their whereabouts.

The authorisation was given by Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar`s civilian President Htin Kyaw, a close ally of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has authorised the police to proceed with a case against two detained Reuters reporters accused of violating the country`s colonial-era Official Secrets Act, a senior government spokesman said. Journalists Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last Tuesday evening after they were invited to dine with police officers on the outskirts of Myanmar`s largest city, Yangon. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has already submitted the case to the Office of the President," Zaw Htay, spokesman for Aung San Suu Kyi, said by phone late on Sunday. He added that the president`s office had given approval for the case to go ahead. Zaw Htay could not be reached on Monday to clarify whether Htin Kyaw or Suu Kyi had been personally involved in the decision, or if other officials had signed off on the president`s behalf. Suu Kyi, head of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), is barred from the presidency under a constitution written by the military. But she effectively runs the country in the role of "state counsellor". Approval from the president`s office is needed before court proceedings can begin in a case brought under the Official Secrets Act. Section 13 of the Act states: "No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act unless upon complaint made by order of, or under authority from, the President of the Union." A number of governments, including the United States, Canada and Britain, and United Nations` Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler and a host of journalists` and human rights` groups have criticised the arrests as an attack on press freedom and called on Myanmar to release the two men. Zaw Htay said the journalists` legal rights were being respected. "Your reporters are protected by the rule of the law," he said. "All I can say is the government can guarantee the rule of law." Senior NLD figures join critics But two senior figures in the NLD on Monday joined the criticism of how the two men are being treated. Nyan Win, a member of the NLD`s central executive committee and one of Suu Kyi`s defence lawyers during her years of house arrest under junta rule, said it was "unfair" that the families of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were not allowed to contact them or be told where they are being held. He said the police were being "very secretive" and called for "openness", although said the NLD was unable to do anything about the issue as it was not being kept informed. Although an NLD-led civilian government took office in April last year the police and home ministry, which are driving the case, remain under the control of the military. Win Htein, another senior figure in the NLD, who was also critical of the journalists` detention, suggested they had probably been set up by the police. "In my opinion this is a trap," he said. “They met with two policemen and then they were arrested somewhere else with the documents.” Asked on Mizzima Television what he would do for the detained journalists, Information Minister Pe Myint said: "When I know all the facts of the current case, I will work to do what I can." Pe Myint is a former editor of the People`s Age in Yangon and was Wa Lone`s boss when the journalist worked at the paper in his first job as a reporter. The two journalists had worked on Reuters coverage of a crisis that has seen an estimated 655,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from a fierce military crackdown on militants in western Rakhine state. The Ministry of Information said last week that they had "illegally acquired information with the intention to share it with foreign media", and released a photo of the pair in handcuffs. It said they were being investigated under the 1923 Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. The ministry said at the same time that two policemen, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing and Police Sergeant Khin Maung Lin, had also been arrested under the same act. No details have been released on whether a case against them is also proceeding. The authorities have not allowed the journalists any contact with their families, a lawyer or Reuters since their arrest. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on the authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the pair. "All detainees must be allowed prompt access to a lawyer and to family members," said Frederick Rawski, the ICJ`s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, in a statement on Monday. "Authorities are bound to respect these rights in line with Myanmar law and the State`s international law obligations." Police told Wa Lone`s wife on Thursday that the reporters were taken from Htaunt Kyant police station in north Yangon to an undisclosed location by an investigation team shortly after their arrest. They added the reporters would be brought back to the station in "two to three days at most". It is now almost six days since they were detained and there has been no further update on their whereabouts.

Myanmar government says case against Reuters journalists can proceed

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group.

The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border.

The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said.

&quot;They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea,&quot; Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said.

&quot;Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking.&quot;

The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia.

Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar.

People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest.

But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution.

Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring.

Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis.

The refugees living in camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority.

Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say.

&quot;We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night,&quot; Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox&#39;s Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said.

He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox&#39;s Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today. Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group. The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border. The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said. "They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea," Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said. "Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking." The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia. Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox's Bazar. People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest. But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution. Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring. Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis. The refugees living in camps in Cox's Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority. Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say. "We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night," Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said. He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox's Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Bangladesh stops Rohingya preparing to board boat to Malaysia

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross said Wednesday.

More than 620,000 of Myanmar&#39;s Muslim minority have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-still-fleeing-from-myanmar-to-bangladesh-unhcr-26177">fled across the border to Bangladesh </a>since late August when the Myanmar army launched a sweeping crackdown on Rohingya rebels in northern Rakhine state.

The Red Cross, the only international aid organisation with broad access on the ground in Rakhine, estimates that only about 300,000 Rohingya remain in the entire state.

But Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the number should be taken with a &quot;big pinch of salt&quot; since a proper count has so far been impossible.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva after a three-day visit to the area, Stillhart said the situation in Rakhine appeared to have &quot;stabilised&quot;, with few incidents of violence.

Yet people are continuing to flee, with around 300 still crossing the border each day, mainly because of fear and anxiety for the future, he said.

He said he was especially struck by a lack of people on the roads, in the markets and out in the fields.

&quot;Life has stopped in its tracks... There are hardly any people moving around and you can really see that life has come to a halt,&quot; Stillhart said.

&#39;Scale of destruction&#39; 
 
While it was no surprise that the remaining Rohingya are living in fear, he said it was striking that Buddhist populations in neighbouring villages also appeared to be frightened.

&quot;You really get a sense that both communities are deeply scared of each other,&quot; he said.

The United Nations has warned that abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar could amount to ethnic cleansing.

Stillhart refrained from commenting on the abuses but did say he had personally seen several burned villages.

&quot;You really see on both sides of the road, villages that are completely destroyed. It just gives you a bit of a sense of the scale of destruction,&quot; he said.

Meanwhile, Red Cross staff in the area had not seen many wounded people in the hospitals, and surprisingly few people appeared to have been rounded up and detained, he said.

&quot;Apparently there wasn&#39;t a huge wave of people arrested. The wave is out to Bangladesh, and not into the detention centres.&quot;

Stillhart also said the area did not seem heavily militarised at the moment, and there was no indication troops or police were restricting people&#39;s movement.

Rather, it appeared that people were restricting their own movement, he said.

&quot;People are deeply traumatised by what has happened and they are full of fear and anxiety,&quot; he said, emphasising the need for &quot;a very clear message from the authorities that it is fine&quot; to move about and that all communities &quot;will be protected&quot;.

Until then, any large return movement from Bangladesh is unlikely.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal last month, but so far, Stillhart said, basically no Muslims have returned home.

There has been concern that Myanmar is planning to build camps to house returnees, as they did in central Rakhine state after a 2012 outbreak of violence.&nbsp;

More than 100,000 Rohingya have been trapped in those squalid camps ever since.

&quot;One thing that we definitely don&#39;t wish to see is people being in camps,&quot; Stillhart said, saying the camps in central Rakhine were &quot;clearly not a model to follow.&quot;&nbsp;

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar's Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross says

Rohingya Muslims remaining in Myanmar's Rakhine state and other communities in the violence-racked region are so terrified of each other that life has basically ground to a halt, the Red Cross said Wednesday. More than 620,000 of Myanmar's Muslim minority have fled across the border to Bangladesh since late August when the Myanmar army launched a sweeping crackdown on Rohingya rebels in northern Rakhine state. The Red Cross, the only international aid organisation with broad access on the ground in Rakhine, estimates that only about 300,000 Rohingya remain in the entire state. But Dominik Stillhart, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the number should be taken with a "big pinch of salt" since a proper count has so far been impossible. Speaking to reporters in Geneva after a three-day visit to the area, Stillhart said the situation in Rakhine appeared to have "stabilised", with few incidents of violence. Yet people are continuing to flee, with around 300 still crossing the border each day, mainly because of fear and anxiety for the future, he said. He said he was especially struck by a lack of people on the roads, in the markets and out in the fields. "Life has stopped in its tracks... There are hardly any people moving around and you can really see that life has come to a halt," Stillhart said. 'Scale of destruction' While it was no surprise that the remaining Rohingya are living in fear, he said it was striking that Buddhist populations in neighbouring villages also appeared to be frightened. "You really get a sense that both communities are deeply scared of each other," he said. The United Nations has warned that abuses against the Rohingya in Myanmar could amount to ethnic cleansing. Stillhart refrained from commenting on the abuses but did say he had personally seen several burned villages. "You really see on both sides of the road, villages that are completely destroyed. It just gives you a bit of a sense of the scale of destruction," he said. Meanwhile, Red Cross staff in the area had not seen many wounded people in the hospitals, and surprisingly few people appeared to have been rounded up and detained, he said. "Apparently there wasn't a huge wave of people arrested. The wave is out to Bangladesh, and not into the detention centres." Stillhart also said the area did not seem heavily militarised at the moment, and there was no indication troops or police were restricting people's movement. Rather, it appeared that people were restricting their own movement, he said. "People are deeply traumatised by what has happened and they are full of fear and anxiety," he said, emphasising the need for "a very clear message from the authorities that it is fine" to move about and that all communities "will be protected". Until then, any large return movement from Bangladesh is unlikely. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal last month, but so far, Stillhart said, basically no Muslims have returned home. There has been concern that Myanmar is planning to build camps to house returnees, as they did in central Rakhine state after a 2012 outbreak of violence. More than 100,000 Rohingya have been trapped in those squalid camps ever since. "One thing that we definitely don't wish to see is people being in camps," Stillhart said, saying the camps in central Rakhine were "clearly not a model to follow."

Life has 'stopped in tracks' in Myanmar's Rakhine state: Red Cross

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN&nbsp;refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

The number of refugees appears to have slowed. 625,000 have arrived since August 25.30,000 came last month and around 1,500 arrived last week, UNHCR said

&quot;The refugee emergency in Bangladesh is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world,&quot; said deputy high commissioner Kelly Clements. &quot;Conditions in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhaine state are not in place to enable a safe and sustainable return ... refugees are still fleeing.&quot;

&quot;Most have little or nothing to go back to. Their homes and villages have been destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed and human access is inadequate,&quot; she said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on November 23 to start the return of Rohingya within two months. It did not say when the process would be complete.

Myanmar&#39;s security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority, according to the top UN&nbsp;human rights official this week. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Muslim Rohingya are its citizens and considers them foreigners.

UNHCR would make a fresh appeal to donors for funds after the end of February in next year, Kelly said.

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN?refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday

Rohingya refugees continue to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh even though both countries set up a timetable last month to allow them to start to return home, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday. The number of refugees appears to have slowed. 625,000 have arrived since August 25.30,000 came last month and around 1,500 arrived last week, UNHCR said "The refugee emergency in Bangladesh is the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the world," said deputy high commissioner Kelly Clements. "Conditions in Myanmar's Rakhaine state are not in place to enable a safe and sustainable return ... refugees are still fleeing." "Most have little or nothing to go back to. Their homes and villages have been destroyed. Deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed and human access is inadequate," she said. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on November 23 to start the return of Rohingya within two months. It did not say when the process would be complete. Myanmar's security forces may be guilty of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority, according to the top UN human rights official this week. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Muslim Rohingya are its citizens and considers them foreigners. UNHCR would make a fresh appeal to donors for funds after the end of February in next year, Kelly said.

Rohingya refugees still fleeing from Myanmar to Bangladesh - UNHCR

Bangladesh has called for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to discuss the human rights issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard, Dhaka Tribune has reported.

Their notice has received support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations.

The move comes just over a week after Sheikh Hasina-led government signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation.

According to the national daily, Bangladesh also wants to discuss the human rights condition of other minorities living in Myanmar`s Rakhine state with the UNHCR members.

Since the military action began in Rakhine in August, after some militants attacked security forces&#39;&nbsp;post, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the state to neighbouring countries, especially to Bangladesh.

As of now, 6.25 lakh refugees have taken shelter in the country.

According to Myanmar`s 1982 Citizenship Act, Rohingyas are not considered naturalised citizens and, repeatedly, have been at the receiving end of the ethnic clashes in the country.

Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard which has received the support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations

Bangladesh has called for a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to discuss the human rights issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Recently, Bangladesh had sent a notice along with Saudi Arabia to the UNHRC in this regard, Dhaka Tribune has reported. Their notice has received support of 33 of the 47 member states, and 40 other non-UNHRC nations. The move comes just over a week after Sheikh Hasina-led government signed a bilateral agreement with Myanmar on Rohingya repatriation. According to the national daily, Bangladesh also wants to discuss the human rights condition of other minorities living in Myanmar`s Rakhine state with the UNHCR members. Since the military action began in Rakhine in August, after some militants attacked security forces' post, over 6 lakh Rohingyas have fled the state to neighbouring countries, especially to Bangladesh. As of now, 6.25 lakh refugees have taken shelter in the country. According to Myanmar`s 1982 Citizenship Act, Rohingyas are not considered naturalised citizens and, repeatedly, have been at the receiving end of the ethnic clashes in the country.

Bangladesh calls for UNHRC meeting to discuss Rohingya crisis

Pope Francis visited a home in Dhaka founded by Mother Teresa for orphans, unwed mothers and destitute elderly on Saturday as he wrapped up his trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The pope, who leaves for Rome later on Saturday, was surrounded by children and nuns wearing the traditional blue-and-white habit of the woman who died in 1997 and became a saint in 2016.

Mother Teresa, who started the Missionaries of Charity to serve &quot;the poorest of the poor,&quot; opened the home in the early 1970s to look after Bengali women who became pregnant as a result of rape by Pakistani soldiers during the war of independence.

Today the home, in one of the world&#39;s poorest cities, looks after orphaned and abandoned children, unwed mothers and sick elderly people.

Francis, who has made outreach to the poor and other people on the margins of society a priority, visited some of the bed-ridden sick.

He later made an impromptu address to nuns and priests during which he praised Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country where Catholics make up less than one percent of its around 169 million people, for having what he called some of the best inter-religious relations in the world.

Francis said he was very pleased by an inter-religious meeting on Friday night, where he held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on his current trip, saying they had God within them and should be respected.

Previously, in Myanmar, he followed the advice of Myanmar Church officials who said his use of the word could prompt a backlash against Christians and hurt Myanmar&#39;s fragile path to democracy.

That had disappointed rights groups such as Amnesty International.

Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the stateless Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity.

At the Saturday morning meeting at the home founded by Mother Teresa, the pope urged the priests and nuns who live in communities to avoid gossip, calling it a form of &quot;terrorism,&quot; a comparison he has made often in the past while visiting religious communities.

His last event in Bangladesh will be a meeting with young people at a college founded by Catholic priests after the war of independence in the early 1970s left the new country with a dearth of places of higher education.

Pope Francis visited a home in Dhaka founded by Mother Teresa for orphans, unwed mothers and destitute elderly on Saturday as he wrapped up his trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh

Pope Francis visited a home in Dhaka founded by Mother Teresa for orphans, unwed mothers and destitute elderly on Saturday as he wrapped up his trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh. The pope, who leaves for Rome later on Saturday, was surrounded by children and nuns wearing the traditional blue-and-white habit of the woman who died in 1997 and became a saint in 2016. Mother Teresa, who started the Missionaries of Charity to serve "the poorest of the poor," opened the home in the early 1970s to look after Bengali women who became pregnant as a result of rape by Pakistani soldiers during the war of independence. Today the home, in one of the world's poorest cities, looks after orphaned and abandoned children, unwed mothers and sick elderly people. Francis, who has made outreach to the poor and other people on the margins of society a priority, visited some of the bed-ridden sick. He later made an impromptu address to nuns and priests during which he praised Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country where Catholics make up less than one percent of its around 169 million people, for having what he called some of the best inter-religious relations in the world. Francis said he was very pleased by an inter-religious meeting on Friday night, where he held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on his current trip, saying they had God within them and should be respected. Previously, in Myanmar, he followed the advice of Myanmar Church officials who said his use of the word could prompt a backlash against Christians and hurt Myanmar's fragile path to democracy. That had disappointed rights groups such as Amnesty International. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the stateless Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity. At the Saturday morning meeting at the home founded by Mother Teresa, the pope urged the priests and nuns who live in communities to avoid gossip, calling it a form of "terrorism," a comparison he has made often in the past while visiting religious communities. His last event in Bangladesh will be a meeting with young people at a college founded by Catholic priests after the war of independence in the early 1970s left the new country with a dearth of places of higher education.

Pope visits Bangladesh orphans on last day of trip headlined by Rohingya crisis

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar.

There will be a special session on December 5,&nbsp;reported by Reuters&nbsp;

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid&nbsp; Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army&#39;s crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement.

So far&nbsp;more than&nbsp;600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

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UN Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on December 5, on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar

United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Rohingya in Myanmar. There will be a special session on December 5, reported by Reuters UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra`ad al-Hussein described the Myanmar army's crakcdown of Rohingya in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. However, the military denied the accusations of murder, rape torture, and forced displacement. So far more than 600,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh since August.

United Nation rights council to hold special session on Rohingya: Reports

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority.

The 80-year-old pontiff, the first to travel to Myanmar, was welcomed by children from different minority groups in bright, bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return.

Nuns in white habits were among the devotees to have travelled from across the country in his honour, waving flags as his motorcade swept by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the archbishop&#39;s residence in downtown Yangon, where the pope will stay on Monday night.

&quot;I saw the pope, he was sitting in the front of the car. I was so pleased, I cried!&quot; Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, said&nbsp; after the pope&rsquo;s convoy passed.

&quot;His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace.&quot;

But the joyful scenes stood in stark contrast to the gravity of the main issue that frames his trip.

Myanmar&#39;s military stands accused of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

More than 620,000 have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months.

The pope&#39;s four-day visit intensifies pressure on Myanmar over its treatment of the stateless minority, a group he has called his &quot;brothers and sisters&quot; in repeated entreaties to ease their plight.

His speeches will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word &quot;Rohingya&quot;, an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are reviled and labelled &quot;Bengalis&quot; -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Francis will meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose luster has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. &nbsp;

He will also hold talks with army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- a meeting between a religious leader, who has championed the rights of refugees, and the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya.

Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: &quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope.&quot;

A few seconds

His visit is a historic chance for Myanmar&#39;s flock to get close to the head of their church.

Myanmar&#39;s estimated 700,000 Catholics makeup just over one percent of the country&#39;s 51 million people and are scattered in far-flung corners of the nation, many of them roiled by conflict.

Around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Yangon, Myanmar&#39;s commercial capital, by plane, train and car ahead of a huge open-air mass on Wednesday.

&quot;People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds,&quot; Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun told AFP.

&quot;I feel very good and proud of our Catholic people and our government for opening the country for his visit.&quot;

&nbsp;Prayers for peace&nbsp;

The Rohingya crisis looms large over the pope&#39;s visit.

The army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya &quot;terrorists&quot; who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers.&nbsp;

But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades.

The deluge of desperate refugees arriving in Bangladesh has carried with them accounts of murder, rape, and arson, at the hands of troops and hardline Buddhist mobs.

Inside the country a different opinion dominates.

&quot;The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we&#39;re seeing in Bangladesh,&quot; said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey.

&quot;If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment,&quot; he added.

Days before the pope&#39;s visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months.&nbsp;

But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights.

Pope Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka.

Nur Mohammad, a 45-year-old Rohingya imam at the Nayapara refugee camp in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar in Bangladesh, said he hoped the pope would tell the Myanmar government to accept Rohingya, &quot;give citizenship to them and end all discriminations against them.&quot;

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority. The 80-year-old pontiff, the first to travel to Myanmar, was welcomed by children from different minority groups in bright, bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return. Nuns in white habits were among the devotees to have travelled from across the country in his honour, waving flags as his motorcade swept by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the archbishop's residence in downtown Yangon, where the pope will stay on Monday night. "I saw the pope, he was sitting in the front of the car. I was so pleased, I cried!" Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, said after the pope’s convoy passed. "His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace." But the joyful scenes stood in stark contrast to the gravity of the main issue that frames his trip. Myanmar's military stands accused of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims. More than 620,000 have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months. The pope's four-day visit intensifies pressure on Myanmar over its treatment of the stateless minority, a group he has called his "brothers and sisters" in repeated entreaties to ease their plight. His speeches will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word "Rohingya", an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are reviled and labelled "Bengalis" -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Francis will meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose luster has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. He will also hold talks with army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- a meeting between a religious leader, who has championed the rights of refugees, and the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya. Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter's Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope." A few seconds His visit is a historic chance for Myanmar's flock to get close to the head of their church. Myanmar's estimated 700,000 Catholics makeup just over one percent of the country's 51 million people and are scattered in far-flung corners of the nation, many of them roiled by conflict. Around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, by plane, train and car ahead of a huge open-air mass on Wednesday. "People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds," Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun told AFP. "I feel very good and proud of our Catholic people and our government for opening the country for his visit." Prayers for peace The Rohingya crisis looms large over the pope's visit. The army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya "terrorists" who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers. But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades. The deluge of desperate refugees arriving in Bangladesh has carried with them accounts of murder, rape, and arson, at the hands of troops and hardline Buddhist mobs. Inside the country a different opinion dominates. "The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we're seeing in Bangladesh," said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey. "If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment," he added. Days before the pope's visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights. Pope Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka. Nur Mohammad, a 45-year-old Rohingya imam at the Nayapara refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, said he hoped the pope would tell the Myanmar government to accept Rohingya, "give citizenship to them and end all discriminations against them."

Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bali-raises-volcano-alert-to-highest-level-officials-25207">Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level</a>

An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia&#39;s resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/federal-law-minister-zahid-hamid-submits-resignation-25211">Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end</a>

Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said.&nbsp;Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end.&nbsp;There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-heads-to-myanmar-as-rohingya-refugee-crisis-unfolds-25210">Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar &amp; Bangladesh</a>

&#39;&#39;My presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;&quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-crush-england-by-10-wickets-in-1st-test-25214">Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test</a>

Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team&#39;s character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England&#39;s agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-love-jihad-hadiya-to-present-her-side-of-story-before-supreme-court-bench-today-25218">Kerala &#39;love jihad&#39; case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today</a>

Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story. 
Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.

Eruption may be imminent, Bali volcano alert raised to highest level An eruption could be imminent at a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, officials warned Monday, as they raised the alert to the highest level and increased the exclusion zone. Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of Mount Agung since Tuesday and senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky early Monday. Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns, says hopes protests will end Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi late on Sunday, media reports said. Hamid said he hoped his resignation would bring the crisis to an end. There had been massive protests against Hamid in the capital Islamabad. Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar & Bangladesh ''My presence is a sign of affinity and hope," said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Ashes: Australia crush England by 10 wickets in 1st Test Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket win over England to go one-up in the Ashes series in the opening Test at the Gabba on Monday, with captain Steve Smith praising his team's character. Openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft added to England's agony by peeling off the required runs without the loss of a wicket before lunch on the final day. Kerala 'love jihad' case: Hadiya to appear in Supreme Court today Kerala woman, Hadiya, who is in the midst of Love Jihad controversy, will depose before the Supreme Court on Monday to tell her side of the story. Hadiya, originally a Hindu, converted to Islam and married a Muslim man Shafin Jahan.

WION morning news brief, November 27, 2017

Foreign minister Wang Yi said China&nbsp;is willing<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-says-rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-shames-suu-kyi-govt-20818"> to help solve the Rohingya crisis </a>between Bangladesh and Myanmar &quot;as soon as possible&quot; to avoid further massive influx of refugees into Bangladesh.

China&#39;s foreign minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-ends-military-operation-against-rohingyas-un-claims-may-be-ethnic-cleansing-12463">Wang Yi on a visit to Bangladesh </a>met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali even as the Rohingya refugee issue continued to spiral out of control.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/chinese-foreign-minister-arrives-in-bangladesh-to-discuss-rakhine-refugees-issue-24547"> Chinese foreign minister said</a>&nbsp;he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between the two Asian neighbours.

&quot;Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue,&quot; China&#39;s foreign minister said.

Wang said it has urged&nbsp;Myanmar to achieve an &quot;in situ ceasefire&quot; to immediately stop the influx of refugees into Bangladesh which has put excessive pressure on its economy as thousands have been streaming into Chittagong everyday since August 25th.

&quot;We have seen now, through the joint efforts by all parties concerned, including China, the ceasefire has been held and the tensions were visibly eased. Bangladesh and Myanmar have conducted multiple rounds of interaction and are expected to cut a deal on the repatriation of the Rohingya people. China is glad and welcomes such a development,&quot; Wang said after meeting Bangladesh&#39;s foreign minister.&nbsp;

In September, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra&rsquo;ad Zeid al-Hussein had said the situation in Myanmar was a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot; as several thousand Rohingyas fled to Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to escape reported atrocities by the Myanmar Army.&nbsp;

Later, the US too condemned the Myanmar government with US secretary of state Rex Tillerson visiting Myanmar last week to put pressure on the Myanmar government to end the crisis.

The UN said over 4,40,000 refugees had already fled to Bangladesh.

China, however, appealed to the international community to help solve the crisis.

&quot;We believe, with the help of the international community, Bangladesh and Myanmar will certainly be able to further ease the situation through dialog and consultation and find a way to fundamentally solve the issue,&quot; said Wang.

China's foreign minister said was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis

Foreign minister Wang Yi said China is willing to help solve the Rohingya crisis between Bangladesh and Myanmar "as soon as possible" to avoid further massive influx of refugees into Bangladesh. China's foreign minister Wang Yi on a visit to Bangladesh met his counterpart AH Mahmood Ali even as the Rohingya refugee issue continued to spiral out of control. The Chinese foreign minister said he was also ready to negotiate with Bangladesh to seek a better solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis which has soured relations between the two Asian neighbours. "Bangladesh and Myanmar are both close neighbours and good friends of China. China is willing to play a role in properly solving this Rohingya issue," China's foreign minister said. Wang said it has urged Myanmar to achieve an "in situ ceasefire" to immediately stop the influx of refugees into Bangladesh which has put excessive pressure on its economy as thousands have been streaming into Chittagong everyday since August 25th. "We have seen now, through the joint efforts by all parties concerned, including China, the ceasefire has been held and the tensions were visibly eased. Bangladesh and Myanmar have conducted multiple rounds of interaction and are expected to cut a deal on the repatriation of the Rohingya people. China is glad and welcomes such a development," Wang said after meeting Bangladesh's foreign minister. In September, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein had said the situation in Myanmar was a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" as several thousand Rohingyas fled to Myanmar's Rakhine state to escape reported atrocities by the Myanmar Army. Later, the US too condemned the Myanmar government with US secretary of state Rex Tillerson visiting Myanmar last week to put pressure on the Myanmar government to end the crisis. The UN said over 4,40,000 refugees had already fled to Bangladesh. China, however, appealed to the international community to help solve the crisis. "We believe, with the help of the international community, Bangladesh and Myanmar will certainly be able to further ease the situation through dialog and consultation and find a way to fundamentally solve the issue," said Wang.

China willing to help solve Rohingya crisis: Foreign minister Wang Yi

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tillerson-to-deliver-warning-in-myanmar-over-rohingya-crisis-24063"> Myanmar</a> leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-denies-atrocities-against-rohingya-24141">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> to return, when they met today at a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asean-summit-modi-meets-several-world-leaders-24151">summit in the Philippines</a>, his office said.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar.

&quot;The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi.

More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine.

But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/wion-morning-news-brief-november-13-2017-24142">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army&#39;s role in the conflict.

Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office.

In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya.

He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a &quot;worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy,&quot; according to the UN statement.

He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar

UN chief Antonio Guterres urged Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to return, when they met today at a summit in the Philippines, his office said. The meeting added to global pressure on Suu Kyi to take action to end the crisis for the Muslim minority, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson due Tuesday also to hold talks with her in Manila then travel to Myanmar. "The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. Authorities have blocked independent access to northern Rakhine. But journalists and UN officials have collected reams of testimony from Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh describing soldiers and Buddhist mobs committing murder, rape and mass arson. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. But she lacks control over the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. The United States has been careful not to place blame on her and has focused instead on the army's role in the conflict. Guterres and Suu Kyi met in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to his office. In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya. He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a "worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy," according to the UN statement. He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalization.

UN chief meets Myanmar's Suu Kyi on Rohingya crisis

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could &quot;seriously harm&quot; its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to &quot;ensure no further excessive use of military force&quot; and expressed &quot;grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State&quot;.

Responding, Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement.

&quot;Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously,&quot; Suu Kyi&#39;s office said in a statement.

In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali &quot;appreciated the recent statement of the UN&nbsp;Security Council&quot; during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister&#39;s visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November&nbsp;20 and November&nbsp;21.

The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution.&nbsp;

A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time.

&quot;For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain,&quot; the official told Reuters. &quot;This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN&rsquo;s involvement in the process is a must.&quot;

A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money.

Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries&#39;&nbsp;parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar.

&quot;I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest,&quot; she said.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November&nbsp;15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests.

In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries.

To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement.

The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar.

Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants&#39;&nbsp;synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25.

Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees&#39;&nbsp;have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated.

Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats.

On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox&#39;s Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military.

Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality.

She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State".

Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could "seriously harm" its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown. In a statement on Monday, the Security Council had urged Myanmar to "ensure no further excessive use of military force" and expressed "grave concern over reports of human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State". Responding, Myanmar's de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, whose less than two-year-old civilian administration shares power with the military, said the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh could only be resolved bilaterally, a point she says was ignored in the Security Council statement. "Furthermore, the (Security Council) Presidential Statement could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously," Suu Kyi's office said in a statement. In contrast, Bangladesh issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali "appreciated the recent statement of the UN Security Council" during a meeting with a new resident coordinator of the United Nations in Bangladesh. The Myanmar statement said Ali had been invited to Myanmar on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, but Bangladeshi officials told Reuters that the earliest the talks were likely to take place was during the minister's visit for a regional meeting in the Myanmar capital of Naypyidaw on November 20 and November 21. The two sides have to agree a process for repatriation of Rohingya, with Bangladesh reluctant to fall back on the drill used for the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in the 1990s, as it wants a more lasting solution. A senior Bangladesh foreign ministry official said the United Nations should be involved in the process this time. "For years, we tried to resolve this issue bilaterally with Myanmar, but it was in vain," the official told Reuters. "This problem is not going to be resolved anytime soon. The UN’s involvement in the process is a must." A sour note was struck over the talks last week, as Bangladesh officials voiced outrage over Suu Kyi's spokesman casting suspicion that Bangladesh might drag its feet over the repatriation process in order to first secure hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid money. Speaking at a conference for Commonwealth countries' parliamentarians in Dhaka on Sunday, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called for more international pressure on Myanmar. "I would request all of you to discuss Rohingya issue with utmost priority and exert pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the persecution of its citizens and take them back at the earliest," she said. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Myanmar on November 15, with moves afoot in Washington to table a bill calling for sanctions on Myanmar that specifically target the military and related business interests. In a nod to China, the Myanmar statement said it appreciated the stand taken by some members of the Security Council who upheld the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries. To appease council veto powers Russia and China, Britain and France dropped a push for the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the situation and the 15-member body instead unanimously agreed on a formal statement. The United Nations has denounced the violence during the past 10 weeks as a classic example of ethnic cleansing to drive the Rohingya Muslims out of Buddhist majority Myanmar. Rejecting that accusation, the military says its counter-insurgency clearance operation was provoked by Rohingya militants' synchronised attacks on 30 security posts in the northern part of Rakhine State on Aug. 25. Rohingya refugees say the military torched their villages, but the military say the arsonists were Rohingya militants. The refugees' have given harrowing accounts of rape and murder. Myanmar says those accusations will have to be investigated. Meantime, the exodus from Rakhine continues. Several thousand Rohingya reached Bangladesh last week, many wading through shallows on the Naf river on the boundary between the two countries, and some making a short, but perilous sea crossing in small boats. On Wednesday, 52 Rohingya came ashore in Bangladesh on a raft lashed together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans, having been unable to find a boat to take them, Shariful Islam, a Bangladesh border guard official, told Reuters. On Tuesday, border guards told Reuters of at least two other boats with 68 Rohingya reaching Cox's Bazar, where they would join the multitude sheltering in refugee camps. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who defied the junta that ruled Myanmar for decades, has been pilloried abroad for not speaking out more forcefully to rein in the military. Last week she visited Rakhine for the first time since the crisis erupted, meeting community leaders and seeing the efforts to deliver aid and return the region to some semblance of normality. She has spoken of plans for repatriation centres at which refugees will have to prove they once lived in Rakhine, before being allowed to return. But having been classed as stateless by former junta rulers, Rohingya could struggle to pass the test.

Myanmar warns UN scolding could harm talks with Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacey-hit-by-new-sexual-harassment-allegations-in-uk-23401" target="_blank">Kevin Spacey hit by new sexual harassment allegations in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/spacey-hit-by-new-sexual-harassment-allegations-in-uk-23401" target="_blank">UK</a>

Kevin Spacey faced fresh allegations of sexual harassment in Britain on Thursday, with an ex-employee accusing his old theatre of turning a blind eye to the Hollywood star&#39;s misconduct.Former workers at The Old Vic, where the US actor ruled the roost as its artistic director from 2003 to 2015, told The Guardian newspaper that the London theatre ignored allegations of groping and inappropriate sexual behaviour. &quot;We were all involved in keeping it quiet. I witnessed him groping men many times in all sorts of different situations,&quot; one said, on condition of anonymity.

J&K government suspends Hizbul chief's son from agriculture department job The Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid Yousuf from his agriculture department job, 10 days after he was arrested by the NIA in a terror-funding case. China to block move to designate Masood 'global terrorist' at UN, India 'deeply disappointed' China's foreign ministry has there was "absence of consensus" to declare Pak-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist, a move being pushed by India at the UN. India's ministry of external affairs said it was "deeply disappointed". Rohingya crisis: Tillerson to visit Myanmar next week US secretary of state Rex Tillerson will visit Myanmar next week. Tillerson's spokeswoman said he would visit Naypyidaw on November 15 for talks on the "humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State and US support for Burma's democratic transition." iPhone X to be launched with severe shortage supply The much-awaited worldwide launch of the Apple iPhone X is here... but the phone isn't. Retail employees have confirmed that stores are carrying limited iPhone X stock -- and that only people with confirmed pre-orders stating the delivery date as November 3 will get the phone by that date. Kevin Spacey hit by new sexual harassment allegations in UK Kevin Spacey faced fresh allegations of sexual harassment in Britain on Thursday, with an ex-employee accusing his old theatre of turning a blind eye to the Hollywood star's misconduct.Former workers at The Old Vic, where the US actor ruled the roost as its artistic director from 2003 to 2015, told The Guardian newspaper that the London theatre ignored allegations of groping and inappropriate sexual behaviour. "We were all involved in keeping it quiet. I witnessed him groping men many times in all sorts of different situations," one said, on condition of anonymity.

WION Morning news brief, Nov 3, 2017

The Rohingya boys and girls shrieked with delight as the clowns juggled hoops and somersaulted, their red-nosed antics provoking a sound rarely heard in the world&#39;s largest refugee camp -- children&#39;s laughter.

The clowns have been providing much-needed levity in the crowded Bangladesh camps, where hundreds of thousands of traumatised Rohingya children spend long days in bleak and difficult conditions.

Mohammad Noor lives with his mother and three siblings in a makeshift shanty in the teeming Kutupalong camp, where a lack of food and water means a constant struggle to survive.

The 10-year-old fled Myanmar last month after his father was killed in brutal violence by the army that the United Nations has likened to ethnic cleansing.

The impromptu circus in a dusty clearing is a welcome distraction from the horror at home.

&quot;It is hilarious. I have never seen anything like it. My friends and I were just laughing and laughing,&quot; he told AFP, as a quartet of painted clowns performed skits before a huge gathered crowd.

Theatre groups in Bangladesh have a record of using &quot;drama therapy&quot; to lift spirits in the most depressing of circumstances.

One troupe performed for the survivors of a factory collapse in 2013 that killed 1100 garment workers, while another hosted shows in a small village in Bangladesh&#39;s south that lost nearly 50 children in a tragic road accident.

In the Rohingya camps, where many lie sick or injured mourning the death of family and loss of their homelands, laughter is sorely needed.

&quot;Our sole aim is to bring laughter to the Rohingya,&quot; said Rina Akter Putul, a veteran acrobat and the lone female member of the group.

&quot;Making people laugh is a tough job, especially for those who lost their parents in the conflict.&quot;

Laughter as medicine&nbsp;

The UN estimates 60 percent of the more than 600,000 refugees to arrive in Bangladesh since late August are children.

Many crossed the border alone from their villages in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost Rakhine State after their parents were murdered and communities driven out by state-sanctioned violence.

Charities on the ground say children are in dire need of emotional and mental support after enduring such trauma on their difficult journeys.

&quot;I am sure our show will live in their memory for some time. It won&#39;t erase their scars, but it will boost their confidence,&quot; said Faker Ali, an acrobat who has worked in drama therapy for more than two decades.

But it&#39;s not just the children who benefit from the visiting performers.

Among the spectators who flocked to a recent show were countless elderly Rohingya refugees, clapping and smiling as the acrobats whirred rings and bars.

Life has been a gruelling quest to survive for older generations of the stateless Muslim minority. Many have escaped past pogroms in Rakhine and lost family and friends in bitter cycles of ethnic violence.

Rohingya are a reviled minority in Myanmar and are denied citizenship, education and opportunity by the Buddhist-majority government that regards them as illegal outsiders.

Most have enjoyed few if any luxuries in their lives -- making the circus performance all the more thrilling.

&quot;We hardly have any fun,&quot; said Nesar Ahmed, 38. Even during major Islamic festivals and weddings, there is little in the way of entertainment, he added.

&quot;Life in Arakan (Rakhine) is grim,&quot; Khairul Amin, a 63-year-old grandfather, told AFP as a boisterous crowd, young and old, jostled to meet the visiting clowns.

&quot;There is no television and no cinema or theatre. And there is this constant fear you&#39;ll be killed or arrested by the military.&quot;

Seated for the show with her youngest child on her lap, Rehana smiled and laughed, saying: &quot;Never in my life have I have seen such fun.&quot;

The clowns have been providing much-needed levity in the crowded Bangladesh camps, where hundreds of thousands of traumatised Rohingya children spend long days in bleak and difficult conditions

The Rohingya boys and girls shrieked with delight as the clowns juggled hoops and somersaulted, their red-nosed antics provoking a sound rarely heard in the world's largest refugee camp -- children's laughter. The clowns have been providing much-needed levity in the crowded Bangladesh camps, where hundreds of thousands of traumatised Rohingya children spend long days in bleak and difficult conditions. Mohammad Noor lives with his mother and three siblings in a makeshift shanty in the teeming Kutupalong camp, where a lack of food and water means a constant struggle to survive. The 10-year-old fled Myanmar last month after his father was killed in brutal violence by the army that the United Nations has likened to ethnic cleansing. The impromptu circus in a dusty clearing is a welcome distraction from the horror at home. "It is hilarious. I have never seen anything like it. My friends and I were just laughing and laughing," he told AFP, as a quartet of painted clowns performed skits before a huge gathered crowd. Theatre groups in Bangladesh have a record of using "drama therapy" to lift spirits in the most depressing of circumstances. One troupe performed for the survivors of a factory collapse in 2013 that killed 1100 garment workers, while another hosted shows in a small village in Bangladesh's south that lost nearly 50 children in a tragic road accident. In the Rohingya camps, where many lie sick or injured mourning the death of family and loss of their homelands, laughter is sorely needed. "Our sole aim is to bring laughter to the Rohingya," said Rina Akter Putul, a veteran acrobat and the lone female member of the group. "Making people laugh is a tough job, especially for those who lost their parents in the conflict." Laughter as medicine The UN estimates 60 percent of the more than 600,000 refugees to arrive in Bangladesh since late August are children. Many crossed the border alone from their villages in Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine State after their parents were murdered and communities driven out by state-sanctioned violence. Charities on the ground say children are in dire need of emotional and mental support after enduring such trauma on their difficult journeys. "I am sure our show will live in their memory for some time. It won't erase their scars, but it will boost their confidence," said Faker Ali, an acrobat who has worked in drama therapy for more than two decades. But it's not just the children who benefit from the visiting performers. Among the spectators who flocked to a recent show were countless elderly Rohingya refugees, clapping and smiling as the acrobats whirred rings and bars. Life has been a gruelling quest to survive for older generations of the stateless Muslim minority. Many have escaped past pogroms in Rakhine and lost family and friends in bitter cycles of ethnic violence. Rohingya are a reviled minority in Myanmar and are denied citizenship, education and opportunity by the Buddhist-majority government that regards them as illegal outsiders. Most have enjoyed few if any luxuries in their lives -- making the circus performance all the more thrilling. "We hardly have any fun," said Nesar Ahmed, 38. Even during major Islamic festivals and weddings, there is little in the way of entertainment, he added. "Life in Arakan (Rakhine) is grim," Khairul Amin, a 63-year-old grandfather, told AFP as a boisterous crowd, young and old, jostled to meet the visiting clowns. "There is no television and no cinema or theatre. And there is this constant fear you'll be killed or arrested by the military." Seated for the show with her youngest child on her lap, Rehana smiled and laughed, saying: "Never in my life have I have seen such fun."

In Bangladesh, clowns bring laughter to traumatised Rohingya children

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

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

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

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

Experience shows that foreign interference in crises does not work and China supports the Myanmar government&#39;s efforts to protect stability, a senior Chinese official said on Saturday, amid ongoing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-rohingya-refugees-pil-challenging-deportation-22374" target="_blank">violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/582000-rohingya-to-bangladesh-from-myanmar-since-august-25-un-22542" target="_blank">More than 500,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled across the border to Bangladesh</a> following a counter-insurgency offensive by Myanmar&#39;s army in the wake of militant attacks on security forces.

UN officials have described Myanmar&#39;s strategy as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States held Myanmar&#39;s military leadership responsible for its harsh crackdown.

Guo Yezhou, a deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party&#39;s international department, told reporters on the sidelines of a party congress that China condemned the attacks in Rakhine and understands and supports Myanmar&#39;s efforts to protect peace and stability there.

China and Myanmar have a deep, long-standing friendship, and China believes Myanmar can handle its problems on its own, he added.

Asked why China&#39;s approach to the Rohingya crisis was different from Western nations, Guo said that China&#39;s principle was not to interfere in the internal affairs of another country.

&quot;Based on experience, you can see recently the consequences when one country interferes in another. We won&#39;t do it,&quot; he said, without offering any examples of when interventions go wrong.

China does not want instability in Myanmar as it inevitably will be affected as they share a long land border, Guo said.

&quot;We condemn violent and terrorist acts,&quot; he added.

Guo&#39;s department has been at the forefront of building relations with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who visited China in 2015 at the Communist Party&#39;s invitation, rather than the Chinese government&#39;s.

Department head Song Tao also visited Myanmar in August and met Suu Kyi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/another-boat-carrying-rohingya-muslims-sinks-5-killed-22471" target="_blank">Rohingya Muslims</a> have fled Myanmar in large numbers since late August when Rohingya insurgent attacks sparked a ferocious military response, with the fleeing people accusing security forces of arson, killings and rape.

The European Union and the United States have been considering targeted sanctions against Myanmar&#39;s military leadership.

Punitive measures aimed specifically at top generals are among a range of options that have been discussed, but they are wary of action that could hurt the wider economy or destabilize already tense ties between Suu Kyi and the army.

Guo Yezhou, a deputy head of the Communist Party's international department, said China understands and supports Myanmar's efforts to protect peace and stability

Experience shows that foreign interference in crises does not work and China supports the Myanmar government's efforts to protect stability, a senior Chinese official said on Saturday, amid ongoing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state. More than 500,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled across the border to Bangladesh following a counter-insurgency offensive by Myanmar's army in the wake of militant attacks on security forces. UN officials have described Myanmar's strategy as "ethnic cleansing". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States held Myanmar's military leadership responsible for its harsh crackdown. Guo Yezhou, a deputy head of the Chinese Communist Party's international department, told reporters on the sidelines of a party congress that China condemned the attacks in Rakhine and understands and supports Myanmar's efforts to protect peace and stability there. China and Myanmar have a deep, long-standing friendship, and China believes Myanmar can handle its problems on its own, he added. Asked why China's approach to the Rohingya crisis was different from Western nations, Guo said that China's principle was not to interfere in the internal affairs of another country. "Based on experience, you can see recently the consequences when one country interferes in another. We won't do it," he said, without offering any examples of when interventions go wrong. China does not want instability in Myanmar as it inevitably will be affected as they share a long land border, Guo said. "We condemn violent and terrorist acts," he added. Guo's department has been at the forefront of building relations with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who visited China in 2015 at the Communist Party's invitation, rather than the Chinese government's. Department head Song Tao also visited Myanmar in August and met Suu Kyi. Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar in large numbers since late August when Rohingya insurgent attacks sparked a ferocious military response, with the fleeing people accusing security forces of arson, killings and rape. The European Union and the United States have been considering targeted sanctions against Myanmar's military leadership. Punitive measures aimed specifically at top generals are among a range of options that have been discussed, but they are wary of action that could hurt the wider economy or destabilize already tense ties between Suu Kyi and the army.

Rohingya crisis: China official says foreign interference does not work

Tortured, sold as a slave three times and haunted with guilt after watching his cousin drown, Bangladeshi teenager Khaled Hossain fears he will never recover from the trauma of his failed attempt to reach Europe.

Even as hundreds of thousands surge into Bangladesh fleeing violence in Myanmar hoping for a better life, there is an exodus of those who feel the country is at breaking point and salvation lies elsewhere.

Experts warn the Rohingya refugee crisis and the strain on resources will push more disaffected Bangladeshis to attempt risky journeys in a bid to make their fortunes elsewhere.

Like Hossain, tens of thousands are travelling from the South Asian nation to Libya to make the perilous boat trip to Italy.

&quot;I was excited that within hours we would be in Italy. All my family&#39;s financial troubles will be over. I thought I could now prove myself worthy to my paralysed father,&quot; the 18-year-old told AFP.

Instead many are sold as slaves before they even reach port, and those that do secure a boat -- like Hossain&#39;s young cousin -- may not survive the journey.

&quot;I am consumed by guilt,&quot; said Hossain, who has returned, broken, to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

&quot;I will have to live with his death for the rest of my life,&quot; he added.

Crushed to death

More than 100 people were squeezed into the tiny boat he and his cousin Farid took from Libya to Italy, many were Africans, but there were dozens from Hossain&#39;s hometown of Beanibazar as well as elsewhere across the country.&nbsp;

Three hours after the 30-foot (10-metre) plastic vessel had set off from Libya, it broke down and started to sink.

There was &quot;panic&quot;, Hossain recounted. One Bangladeshi youth was crushed to death in the rush and other passengers jumped into the sea, never to be seen again.

Several emptied cans of petrol on the boat floor so they could use the containers to float in the water.

&quot;Our feet burned when they dipped in the petrol,&quot; he explained, adding that Farid jumped into the sea to escape the burning.&nbsp;

The teenager saw a ship on the horizon and attempted to swim for help, but did not survive.

&quot;I saw his lifeless body floating,&quot; Hossain recalled.&nbsp;

More than 2,700 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far this year, according to the UN, with Bangladeshis top of the list of people rescued.

Hossain was plucked from the sea by a Libyan gang and spent three months in the war-torn nation working as a slave on construction sites.

He says he was sold at least three times. His father, severely debilitated after a stroke, paid $12,000 in total to secure his release.

Hossain recalled: &quot;We were tortured. Many were raped and sodomised at gunpoint.&quot;

&#39;Deaths don&#39;t matter&#39;

Bangladesh&#39;s population has soared in recent years and despite reasonable growth over the past decade, opportunities for work are limited.&nbsp;

The number of Bangladeshis on the Libya-to-Italy route has risen from a few dozen in 2014 to about 11,000 from June 2016 to March this year, according to official figures, though some estimates put the figure as high as 30,000.&nbsp;

In Beanibazar alone, an estimated 1,000 young men have made the $10,000 journey in the past year, council chairman Ataur Rahman Khan told AFP.

&quot;Young men are desperate to go to Italy via Libya. Fathers are borrowing money and mothers are selling heirlooms to pay the traffickers,&quot; Khan said.

The situation may worsen as the arrival of more than half a million Rohingya refugees who have fled an army crackdown in Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine state since puts an immense strain on Bangladesh&#39;s resources.&nbsp;

Authorities have allocated a huge swathe of land in the country&#39;s southeast in an effort to confine some 800,000 Rohingya into a settlement set to be the world&#39;s largest refugee camp.

Migration expert Jalal Uddin Sikder told AFP that if authorities &quot;failed to find a solution&quot; to the refugee crisis, then the situation would &quot;fuel&quot; the exodus out if Bangladesh.

Sikder added traffickers use rare success stories of migrants who have reached Europe to lure tens of thousands of others to follow suit.

He explained: &quot;They sell stories of success to jobless youths, causing enormous peer pressure in families. One or two deaths at sea or reports of kidnappings just don&#39;t matter anymore.&quot;&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

There is an exodus from Bangladesh of those who feel the country is at breaking point and salvation lies elsewhere

Tortured, sold as a slave three times and haunted with guilt after watching his cousin drown, Bangladeshi teenager Khaled Hossain fears he will never recover from the trauma of his failed attempt to reach Europe. Even as hundreds of thousands surge into Bangladesh fleeing violence in Myanmar hoping for a better life, there is an exodus of those who feel the country is at breaking point and salvation lies elsewhere. Experts warn the Rohingya refugee crisis and the strain on resources will push more disaffected Bangladeshis to attempt risky journeys in a bid to make their fortunes elsewhere. Like Hossain, tens of thousands are travelling from the South Asian nation to Libya to make the perilous boat trip to Italy. "I was excited that within hours we would be in Italy. All my family's financial troubles will be over. I thought I could now prove myself worthy to my paralysed father," the 18-year-old told AFP. Instead many are sold as slaves before they even reach port, and those that do secure a boat -- like Hossain's young cousin -- may not survive the journey. "I am consumed by guilt," said Hossain, who has returned, broken, to Bangladesh. "I will have to live with his death for the rest of my life," he added. Crushed to death More than 100 people were squeezed into the tiny boat he and his cousin Farid took from Libya to Italy, many were Africans, but there were dozens from Hossain's hometown of Beanibazar as well as elsewhere across the country. Three hours after the 30-foot (10-metre) plastic vessel had set off from Libya, it broke down and started to sink. There was "panic", Hossain recounted. One Bangladeshi youth was crushed to death in the rush and other passengers jumped into the sea, never to be seen again. Several emptied cans of petrol on the boat floor so they could use the containers to float in the water. "Our feet burned when they dipped in the petrol," he explained, adding that Farid jumped into the sea to escape the burning. The teenager saw a ship on the horizon and attempted to swim for help, but did not survive. "I saw his lifeless body floating," Hossain recalled. More than 2,700 people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far this year, according to the UN, with Bangladeshis top of the list of people rescued. Hossain was plucked from the sea by a Libyan gang and spent three months in the war-torn nation working as a slave on construction sites. He says he was sold at least three times. His father, severely debilitated after a stroke, paid $12,000 in total to secure his release. Hossain recalled: "We were tortured. Many were raped and sodomised at gunpoint." 'Deaths don't matter' Bangladesh's population has soared in recent years and despite reasonable growth over the past decade, opportunities for work are limited. The number of Bangladeshis on the Libya-to-Italy route has risen from a few dozen in 2014 to about 11,000 from June 2016 to March this year, according to official figures, though some estimates put the figure as high as 30,000. In Beanibazar alone, an estimated 1,000 young men have made the $10,000 journey in the past year, council chairman Ataur Rahman Khan told AFP. "Young men are desperate to go to Italy via Libya. Fathers are borrowing money and mothers are selling heirlooms to pay the traffickers," Khan said. The situation may worsen as the arrival of more than half a million Rohingya refugees who have fled an army crackdown in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state since puts an immense strain on Bangladesh's resources. Authorities have allocated a huge swathe of land in the country's southeast in an effort to confine some 800,000 Rohingya into a settlement set to be the world's largest refugee camp. Migration expert Jalal Uddin Sikder told AFP that if authorities "failed to find a solution" to the refugee crisis, then the situation would "fuel" the exodus out if Bangladesh. Sikder added traffickers use rare success stories of migrants who have reached Europe to lure tens of thousands of others to follow suit. He explained: "They sell stories of success to jobless youths, causing enormous peer pressure in families. One or two deaths at sea or reports of kidnappings just don't matter anymore."

Watch: European dream becomes nightmare mirage for Bangladeshis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UN chief to brief Security Council on Myanmar on Thursday

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh confirmed on Friday that India is building pressure on Myanmar to stop the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/empty-villages-rohingya-on-the-run-who-is-left-in-myanmars-rakhine-20239">persecution of Rohingya Muslims</a>.

India&#39;s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over the phone and conveyed that the Indian government fully backed Bangladesh&#39;s stance on the Rohingyas, Sheikh Hasina&#39;s deputy press secretary Nazrul Islam was quoted by a media outlet as saying.

In her phone call, Sushma Swaraj emphasised that India was trying to build bilateral and multilateral pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of Rohingya Muslims and as to take back the refugees sheltered in Bangladesh.

&quot;The Rohingya problem is not an issue for Bangladesh alone; rather, it has turned into a global matter from a regional one,&quot; Sushma Swaraj apparently told Sheikh Hasina.

Fleeing the barbarous persecution in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State, the Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh&#39;s border areas of Cox&#39;s Bazar and Teknaf.&nbsp;

They are suffering from an absence of food, shelters, medicines, sanitation facilities and clean water.

In response to the humanitarian crisis, India on Thursday sent a consignment of humanitarian assistance to the country.

The assistance comes days after Bangladesh briefed India about the problems it was facing because of the influx of refugees from Myanmar following the ethnic violence in the Buddhist-dominated nation.

Sheikh Hasina has called upon Myanmar to take its citizens back, pointing out that the entire world is raising its voice against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in the country.

The Bangladesh PM will also make a formal proposal at the upcoming UN General Assembly session for an early implementation of recommendations by the Kofi Annan Commission which recommended a number of measures that the Myanmar Government should take to avoid the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims.

The Kofi Annan commission asked the government to take concrete steps to end the enforced segregation of Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, ensure full and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the state, tackle Rohingya statelessness and revisit the 1982 Citizenship Law, hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable, and end restrictions on freedom of movement.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said that Prime Minister Hasina would highlight the root cause behind the long-standing humanitarian crisis and place specific proposals for early solution during her address at the general debate on September 21.

Prime Minister Hasina will also urge the world leaders to play an effective role in stopping the genocide of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.&nbsp;

Sheikh Hasina's Deputy Press Secretary Nazrul Islam said that Sushma spoke to the Bangladesh Prime Minister over the phone and conveyed the message to her

Bangladesh confirmed on Friday that India is building pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over the phone and conveyed that the Indian government fully backed Bangladesh's stance on the Rohingyas, Sheikh Hasina's deputy press secretary Nazrul Islam was quoted by a media outlet as saying. In her phone call, Sushma Swaraj emphasised that India was trying to build bilateral and multilateral pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of Rohingya Muslims and as to take back the refugees sheltered in Bangladesh. "The Rohingya problem is not an issue for Bangladesh alone; rather, it has turned into a global matter from a regional one," Sushma Swaraj apparently told Sheikh Hasina. Fleeing the barbarous persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine State, the Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh's border areas of Cox's Bazar and Teknaf. They are suffering from an absence of food, shelters, medicines, sanitation facilities and clean water. In response to the humanitarian crisis, India on Thursday sent a consignment of humanitarian assistance to the country. The assistance comes days after Bangladesh briefed India about the problems it was facing because of the influx of refugees from Myanmar following the ethnic violence in the Buddhist-dominated nation. Sheikh Hasina has called upon Myanmar to take its citizens back, pointing out that the entire world is raising its voice against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in the country. The Bangladesh PM will also make a formal proposal at the upcoming UN General Assembly session for an early implementation of recommendations by the Kofi Annan Commission which recommended a number of measures that the Myanmar Government should take to avoid the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims. The Kofi Annan commission asked the government to take concrete steps to end the enforced segregation of Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, ensure full and unfettered humanitarian access throughout the state, tackle Rohingya statelessness and revisit the 1982 Citizenship Law, hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable, and end restrictions on freedom of movement. Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said that Prime Minister Hasina would highlight the root cause behind the long-standing humanitarian crisis and place specific proposals for early solution during her address at the general debate on September 21. Prime Minister Hasina will also urge the world leaders to play an effective role in stopping the genocide of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

India building pressure on Myanmar to stop persecution of Rohingyas, confirms Bangladesh

Azizul Haque wanted to scream but could not muster the energy as he fought for his life, his body torn apart by the landmine he stepped on as he and his Rohingya Muslim family fled Myanmar.

Instead, the 15-year-old is so feeble he can barely beg his mother to bring him a juice, which in any case she cannot afford to buy.

Haque is in a hospital bed in the Bangladesh border town of Cox&#39;s Bazar, bandaged virtually from head to toe. He lost both legs and part of a hand in the explosion and suffered shrapnel wounds across his body.

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<h5>We heard a huge explosion as Azizul stepped on the mine,&#39; said his mother Rashida Begum, standing next to his bed, helplessly shedding tears. &#39;I saw his two legs blown away&#39;</h5>
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&quot;We heard a huge explosion as Azizul stepped on the mine,&quot; said his mother Rashida Begum, standing next to his bed, helplessly shedding tears. &quot;I saw his two legs blown away.&quot;

The family is among 379,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh from violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state that started August 25, after Rohingya militants attacked police posts there.&nbsp;

They ran away from their home village of Debinna and were in sight of the frontier when the boy stepped on a mine near the barbed wire border fence.

&quot;Everyone was in a rush. Nobody could look out for others as the Burmese were chasing us from behind and burning the village,&quot; the mother of four told AFP.

While many Rohingya refugees have recounted tales of torture and rape by Myanmar troops and Buddhist militias as they escaped torched villages, landmines are the latest deadly threat to come to light.

Senior Bangladeshi officials believe anti-personnel mines, which were banned by a 1997 global treaty, have been planted by Myanmar security forces to prevent Rohingya from trying to return to their villages.

&quot;Since September 3, we have heard at least 12 landmine explosions. At least three people were killed and seven were injured in the blasts,&quot; Border Guard Bangladesh Commander Manzurul Hasan Khan told AFP.

&quot;All indications point to the Myanmar security forces deliberately targeting locations that Rohingya refugees use as crossing points,&quot; said Tirana Hassan of Amnesty International.

&quot;This a cruel and callous way of adding to the misery of people fleeing a systematic campaign of persecution,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&#39;State of collapse&#39; 
 
The UN Security Council on Wednesday broke its weeks-long silence on the crisis in Myanmar and called for an end to the violence, as UN chief Antonio Guterres said the military campaign amounted to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

The 1.1-million strong Rohingya have suffered years of discrimination in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship even though many have long-lasting roots in the country.

Bangladesh does not want the group either, though it is providing the refugees with temporary shelter.

Border guards let Haque&#39;s family enter when they carried the stricken boy to the fence.

&quot;We rushed him to a nearby Doctors Without Borders clinic and they referred us to this hospital,&quot; said his mother Rashida.

Surgeons have conducted multiple operations on Haque, but do not hold out much hope for the youth. A nurse told AFP he feared Hoque could die before the end of the week.

The hospital has struggled to find supplies of his rare blood type for transfusions. &quot;Ninety per cent of his body is in a state of collapse,&quot; the nurse said.

Haque is just one of at least 20 Rohingya victims of bullet wounds, burns and bomb explosions being treated at the Cox&#39;s charity hospital.

Several others, including another of her Rashida&#39;s sons, also suffered injuries in the same incident, and are being treated nearby.

Sabekun Nahar, 50, suffered leg injuries after she stepped on a suspected landmine near where Hoque was blown up.

&quot;I wonder how I will ever walk again,&quot; she said, tears welling in her eyes.

Myanmarese security forces are believed to have planted land mines along the Bangladesh border, allegedly to prevent fleeing Rohingya from returning

Azizul Haque wanted to scream but could not muster the energy as he fought for his life, his body torn apart by the landmine he stepped on as he and his Rohingya Muslim family fled Myanmar. Instead, the 15-year-old is so feeble he can barely beg his mother to bring him a juice, which in any case she cannot afford to buy. Haque is in a hospital bed in the Bangladesh border town of Cox's Bazar, bandaged virtually from head to toe. He lost both legs and part of a hand in the explosion and suffered shrapnel wounds across his body. We heard a huge explosion as Azizul stepped on the mine,' said his mother Rashida Begum, standing next to his bed, helplessly shedding tears. 'I saw his two legs blown away' × "We heard a huge explosion as Azizul stepped on the mine," said his mother Rashida Begum, standing next to his bed, helplessly shedding tears. "I saw his two legs blown away." The family is among 379,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh from violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state that started August 25, after Rohingya militants attacked police posts there. They ran away from their home village of Debinna and were in sight of the frontier when the boy stepped on a mine near the barbed wire border fence. "Everyone was in a rush. Nobody could look out for others as the Burmese were chasing us from behind and burning the village," the mother of four told AFP. While many Rohingya refugees have recounted tales of torture and rape by Myanmar troops and Buddhist militias as they escaped torched villages, landmines are the latest deadly threat to come to light. Senior Bangladeshi officials believe anti-personnel mines, which were banned by a 1997 global treaty, have been planted by Myanmar security forces to prevent Rohingya from trying to return to their villages. "Since September 3, we have heard at least 12 landmine explosions. At least three people were killed and seven were injured in the blasts," Border Guard Bangladesh Commander Manzurul Hasan Khan told AFP. "All indications point to the Myanmar security forces deliberately targeting locations that Rohingya refugees use as crossing points," said Tirana Hassan of Amnesty International. "This a cruel and callous way of adding to the misery of people fleeing a systematic campaign of persecution," she said. 'State of collapse' The UN Security Council on Wednesday broke its weeks-long silence on the crisis in Myanmar and called for an end to the violence, as UN chief Antonio Guterres said the military campaign amounted to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. The 1.1-million strong Rohingya have suffered years of discrimination in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship even though many have long-lasting roots in the country. Bangladesh does not want the group either, though it is providing the refugees with temporary shelter. Border guards let Haque's family enter when they carried the stricken boy to the fence. "We rushed him to a nearby Doctors Without Borders clinic and they referred us to this hospital," said his mother Rashida. Surgeons have conducted multiple operations on Haque, but do not hold out much hope for the youth. A nurse told AFP he feared Hoque could die before the end of the week. The hospital has struggled to find supplies of his rare blood type for transfusions. "Ninety per cent of his body is in a state of collapse," the nurse said. Haque is just one of at least 20 Rohingya victims of bullet wounds, burns and bomb explosions being treated at the Cox's charity hospital. Several others, including another of her Rashida's sons, also suffered injuries in the same incident, and are being treated nearby. Sabekun Nahar, 50, suffered leg injuries after she stepped on a suspected landmine near where Hoque was blown up. "I wonder how I will ever walk again," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

VIDEO: Rohingya lives and limbs shattered by mines at Myanmar frontier

The emerging humanitarian crisis that has been rocking Myanmar - where an estimated 370,000 Rohingya <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/security-council-discuss-rohingya-situation-170912083144394.html">have been forced out of the country</a> &ndash; has prompted broad <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/myanmar-faces-mounting-pressure-over-rohingya-refugee-exodus.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=117896&amp;NewsCatID=356">international condemnation</a>. But so far it has translated into <a href="https://theconversation.com/rohingya-genocide-the-world-cant-help-until-myanmar-changes-its-ways-83588">little concrete action</a>.

United Nations (UN) human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein has called the Rohingya&rsquo;s plight a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41224108">&ldquo;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&rdquo;</a> following a similar <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-un/u-n-chief-warns-myanmar-violence-could-destabilize-region-idUSKCN1BG2KC">statement from UN Secretary General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres</a>. While Western countries have been slow and hesitant to respond, leaders of Muslim-majority countries &ndash; particularly Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan &ndash; have sought to place as much international pressure as possible on <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/05/asia/rohingya-mass-protest-report/index.html">the Myanmar government</a>.

The strongest and most vocal response of all has come from Turkey. Indeed the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appears to have appointed himself as the international voice of the Rohingya Muslims.

Turkey&rsquo;s aid response

According to a Turkish government statement, Erdogan is the first one that managed to get permission for humanitarian aid to enter <a href="http://thenewturkey.org/myanmar-allows-turkeys-tika-to-distribute-1000-tons-of-aid-to-rohingya/">Myanmar</a>. The Burmese government had, at the peak of the violence, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/04/myanmar-blocks-all-un-aid-to-civilians-at-heart-of-rohingya-crisis">blocked all UN aid</a> towards the Rohingyas.

And so, <a href="https://www.samaa.tv/international/2017/09/first-turkish-aid-shipment-arrives-myanmar-rohingya-muslims/">on September 7</a>, Turkey&rsquo;s foreign aid agency, TIKA, became the first foreign outfit to deliver an initial shipment of 1000 tons of basic <a href="http://www.tika.gov.tr/en/news/tika_will_be_the_first_foreign_body_to_provide_aid_to_rohingya_muslims-37760">foodstuffs and medicine</a> to the conflict zone in Rakhine state, where the majority of Rohingyas live.

Turkey simultaneously announced plans to distribute humanitarian aid to the Rohingya camps <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/228149-Myanmar-allows-Turkey-to-deliver-aid-to-Rohingya-Muslims-spokesman">in Bangladesh</a>. The move was widely publicised as Emine Erdogan, the Turkish president&rsquo;s wife <a href="https://www.trtworld.com/asia/turkey-s-first-lady-visits-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-10295">visited the camps at the same time</a>.

Public denunciation

Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/09/10/534693/Iran-Kazakhstan-Myanmar-Rohingya-Muslims-OIC-summit-Astana">during a meeting in Astana</a>, Kazakhstan, Erdogan as the current chief of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) formally condemned Myanmar&rsquo;s attitude towards Rohingyas, taking the lead on the topic on behalf of the organisation. He had previously called the ongoing violence <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/02/erdogan-accuses-myanmar-of-genocide-against-rohingya">a genocide</a>.

Since the crisis broke on August 25, the Turkish president has taken several actions to gather Muslim leaders across the world to put pressure on the Myanmar government. On August 31, he spoke with the leaders of Mauritania, Pakistan, Iran and Qatar urging them <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/president-erdogan-calls-on-muslim-countries-leaders-to-act-on-rohingya-muslims.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=117421&amp;NewsCatID=357">to join forces to find a way</a> to stop the violence against the Rohingyas.

Alongside Erdogan, other Turkish politicians have addressed the issue. Remarks by Mevl&uuml;t &Ccedil;avusoglu, the foreign minister, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-turkey/myanmars-rohingya-suffered-for-years-need-lasting-solution-turkey-idUSKCN1BH1CC">garnered global attention</a>. Mehmet Simsek, deputy prime minister, even tweeted unrelated images to raise the point, creating a <a href="https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/turkish-deputy-pm-denounced-misleading-twitter-pictures-rakhine-conflict.html">bit of an embarrassment</a>.

So how are we to explain Turkey&rsquo;s ambition to take the lead in this current crisis?

Global ambitions

The political vacuum prompted by the Trump administration&rsquo;s retreat from global leadership has <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/china/21723129-not-long-chinese-officials-remain-shy-world-stage-will-china-fill-vacuum-left">surely played a part</a>. But, more evidently, Turkey&rsquo;s longstanding pro-Western approach has shifted. Turkey is a NATO member and aspired to join the EU for years, but under President Erdogan&rsquo;s lead and the current AKP government, the country&rsquo;s foreign policy <a href="https://theconversation.com/shunned-by-the-west-and-menaced-by-syria-turkish-foreign-policy-turns-south-71828">has shifted towards the global south</a>, seeking new opportunities.

Turkey&rsquo;s foreign policy doctrine now promotes what Bilkent University academics Pinar Bilgen and Ali Bilgi&ccedil; label <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2747/1539-7216.52.2.173?src=recsys">&ldquo;civilisational geopolitics&rdquo;</a>, &ldquo;an understanding of culture and civilisation as preordained determinants of international behaviour&rdquo;.

As Bilgin and Bilgi&ccedil; argue, this new doctrine aims at placing Turkey at the core of geopolitical issues between the West and the rest of Asia, justifying this global engagement by its political heritage &ndash; mainly based on its<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/turks-across-empires-9780198725145?cc=gb&amp;lang=en&amp;"> Central Asian and Ottoman history</a>.

The shift became most obvious at the end of the 2000s. It has been identified most closely with Ahmet Davutoglu, a scholar of geopolitics and Turkey&rsquo;s foreign minister from 2009&ndash;14. In 2010 Foreign Policy called him &ldquo;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101212215853/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/11/29/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers?page=0%2C6">the brains of Turkey&rsquo;s global reawakening</a>&rdquo;.

Under Davutoglu&rsquo;s watch, Turkey&rsquo;s global diplomatic footprint expanded dramatically, especially in Asia and Africa. He opened Turkey&rsquo;s first embassy in Myanmar in 2012 both to take advantage of the potential trade opportunities from the country&rsquo;s post-2008 liberalisation and because of the <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/09/231258.html">Rohingya issue</a>.

A subsequent <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/foreign-minister-davutoglu-visits-myanmars-muslim-minority-in-arakan.aspx?PageID=238&amp;NID=58019&amp;NewsCatID=356%5D">trip in 2013 </a> saw him tour refugee camps and call on the Burmese government to extend citizenship rights to the Rohingya people. This new foreign policy coincides with Turkey&rsquo;s decade-long ambition to become a global humanitarian power or what Turkish scholars E. Fuat Keyman and Onur Zakak call a <a href="http://research.sabanciuniv.edu/31364/1/keyman-turkey-as-a-humanitarian-state.pdf">&ldquo;humanitarian state&rdquo;</a>.

The Turkish humanitarian approach has been cast by journalist and former Somali Minister of Planning, Abdirahman Ali, as a middle way between the Western aid model and its <a href="http://file.insightturkey.com/Files/Pdf/insight_turkey_vol_13_no_4_-2011_ali.pdf">Chinese counterpart</a>. Whereas the former is highly conditional, bureaucratic and often security-focused and the latter tends to bolster corrupt ,authoritarian regimes, the Turkish approach - Ali claims - typically bypasses bureaucracy and emphasises &ldquo;a &lsquo;moral&rsquo; standard anchored in protecting human rights and helping the weak&rdquo;.

Turkey has backed this ambition with increased funding for humanitarian assistance over the last five years. Development Initiatives &ndash; a UK based NGO &ndash; <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2017/06/21/turkey-ranks-second-in-the-world-for-humanitarian-aid-named-most-generous-donor">recently reported</a> that now Turkey ranks second in the world for humanitarian aid, having spent around US$6 billion in 2016 (the top-ranked US spent $6.3 billion).

The champion of Muslims&rsquo; rights

One of the other factors is domestic politics. Indeed, much of Erdogan&rsquo;s public posturing on the Rohingya issue is entirely self-serving. The image of a strong Turkey reaching out to Muslim&rsquo;s everywhere in the world&ndash; plays very <a href="http://www.atimes.com/article/what-turkey-expects-from-myanmars-new-govt/">well at home</a>. During his 15-year tenure as Turkey&rsquo;s leader, the country&rsquo;s once-marginalised pious Muslim citizens have become increasingly prominent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/world/europe/turkeys-islamic-fashion-revolution.html?_r=1">in media</a>, <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2010/03/19/the-happy-story-of-the-anatolian-tigers-2/">business</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/31/turkey-female-mps-headscarves-parliament-end-ban">politics</a>.

Ardent supporters in Turkey &ndash; not to mention large segments of public opinion across <a href="https://www2.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2016/0720/Turkey-s-failed-coup-In-Arab-world-the-rulers-and-the-ruled-react-differently">the Muslim world</a> &ndash; thus see him as a champion of Muslim rights everywhere.

Erdogan has studiously crafted this image throughout other crisis, such as in <a href="http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2093090,00.html">Egypt&rsquo;s during the 2011-12 Morsi regime</a> or in <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/erdogan-calls-israel-policy-palestinians-racist-170508170923015.html">Palestine</a>. His very public spats <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/sep/22/recep-tayyip-erdogan-arabhero-turkey">with Israel</a> and <a href="https://www.memri.org/reports/anti-west-statements-turkish-president-erdogan-and-pm-davutoglu-muslim-countries-must-unite">the West</a> have led some pro-Palestinian columnists <a href="http://turkishpolicy.com/Files/ArticlePDF/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-turkish-model-in-the-arab-world-fall-2013-en.pdf">in Arabic newspapers to call him the &ldquo;new Nasser</a>&rdquo;.

Competition ahead

Nevertheless, in recent days there has been a modest push back from Saudi Arabia, which appears to be chaffing at Turkey&rsquo;s leadership on the crisis. Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s ambassador to Turkey released a statement emphasising the Kingdom&rsquo;s strong, decades-long <a href="http://www.arabnews.com/node/1158161/saudi-arabia">support for the Rohingyas</a>. Iran has followed too, <a href="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/09/iran-turkey-myanmar-rohingya-muslims-aid-refugees.html">promising shipments</a> to reach Myanmar soon.

Erdogan has promised to raise the Rohingya issue on September 19, at the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly &ndash; <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41250057">which Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is avoiding</a>.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83854/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />His calls to protect Muslims worldwide could be a key moment for Turkey&rsquo;s diplomatic leadership but whether other Muslim countries would follow or not will tell the limits of Turkey&rsquo;s so-called &ldquo;humanitarian politics&rdquo;.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the original<a href="https://theconversation.com/turkey-the-rohingya-crisis-and-erdogans-ambitions-to-be-a-global-muslim-leader-83854" nofollow="" rel=""> article</a>.

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Turkey's new foreign policy coincides with the country's decade-long ambition to become a global humanitarian power

The emerging humanitarian crisis that has been rocking Myanmar - where an estimated 370,000 Rohingya have been forced out of the country – has prompted broad international condemnation. But so far it has translated into little concrete action. United Nations (UN) human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein has called the Rohingya’s plight a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” following a similar statement from UN Secretary General António Guterres. While Western countries have been slow and hesitant to respond, leaders of Muslim-majority countries – particularly Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan – have sought to place as much international pressure as possible on the Myanmar government. The strongest and most vocal response of all has come from Turkey. Indeed the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appears to have appointed himself as the international voice of the Rohingya Muslims. Turkey’s aid response According to a Turkish government statement, Erdogan is the first one that managed to get permission for humanitarian aid to enter Myanmar. The Burmese government had, at the peak of the violence, blocked all UN aid towards the Rohingyas. And so, on September 7, Turkey’s foreign aid agency, TIKA, became the first foreign outfit to deliver an initial shipment of 1000 tons of basic foodstuffs and medicine to the conflict zone in Rakhine state, where the majority of Rohingyas live. Turkey simultaneously announced plans to distribute humanitarian aid to the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. The move was widely publicised as Emine Erdogan, the Turkish president’s wife visited the camps at the same time. Public denunciation Meanwhile, during a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, Erdogan as the current chief of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) formally condemned Myanmar’s attitude towards Rohingyas, taking the lead on the topic on behalf of the organisation. He had previously called the ongoing violence a genocide. Since the crisis broke on August 25, the Turkish president has taken several actions to gather Muslim leaders across the world to put pressure on the Myanmar government. On August 31, he spoke with the leaders of Mauritania, Pakistan, Iran and Qatar urging them to join forces to find a way to stop the violence against the Rohingyas. Alongside Erdogan, other Turkish politicians have addressed the issue. Remarks by Mevlüt Çavusoglu, the foreign minister, garnered global attention. Mehmet Simsek, deputy prime minister, even tweeted unrelated images to raise the point, creating a bit of an embarrassment. So how are we to explain Turkey’s ambition to take the lead in this current crisis? Global ambitions The political vacuum prompted by the Trump administration’s retreat from global leadership has surely played a part. But, more evidently, Turkey’s longstanding pro-Western approach has shifted. Turkey is a NATO member and aspired to join the EU for years, but under President Erdogan’s lead and the current AKP government, the country’s foreign policy has shifted towards the global south, seeking new opportunities. Turkey’s foreign policy doctrine now promotes what Bilkent University academics Pinar Bilgen and Ali Bilgiç label “civilisational geopolitics”, “an understanding of culture and civilisation as preordained determinants of international behaviour”. As Bilgin and Bilgiç argue, this new doctrine aims at placing Turkey at the core of geopolitical issues between the West and the rest of Asia, justifying this global engagement by its political heritage – mainly based on its Central Asian and Ottoman history. The shift became most obvious at the end of the 2000s. It has been identified most closely with Ahmet Davutoglu, a scholar of geopolitics and Turkey’s foreign minister from 2009–14. In 2010 Foreign Policy called him “the brains of Turkey’s global reawakening”. Under Davutoglu’s watch, Turkey’s global diplomatic footprint expanded dramatically, especially in Asia and Africa. He opened Turkey’s first embassy in Myanmar in 2012 both to take advantage of the potential trade opportunities from the country’s post-2008 liberalisation and because of the Rohingya issue. A subsequent trip in 2013 saw him tour refugee camps and call on the Burmese government to extend citizenship rights to the Rohingya people. This new foreign policy coincides with Turkey’s decade-long ambition to become a global humanitarian power or what Turkish scholars E. Fuat Keyman and Onur Zakak call a “humanitarian state”. The Turkish humanitarian approach has been cast by journalist and former Somali Minister of Planning, Abdirahman Ali, as a middle way between the Western aid model and its Chinese counterpart. Whereas the former is highly conditional, bureaucratic and often security-focused and the latter tends to bolster corrupt ,authoritarian regimes, the Turkish approach - Ali claims - typically bypasses bureaucracy and emphasises “a ‘moral’ standard anchored in protecting human rights and helping the weak”. Turkey has backed this ambition with increased funding for humanitarian assistance over the last five years. Development Initiatives – a UK based NGO – recently reported that now Turkey ranks second in the world for humanitarian aid, having spent around US$6 billion in 2016 (the top-ranked US spent $6.3 billion). The champion of Muslims’ rights One of the other factors is domestic politics. Indeed, much of Erdogan’s public posturing on the Rohingya issue is entirely self-serving. The image of a strong Turkey reaching out to Muslim’s everywhere in the world– plays very well at home. During his 15-year tenure as Turkey’s leader, the country’s once-marginalised pious Muslim citizens have become increasingly prominent in media, business and politics. Ardent supporters in Turkey – not to mention large segments of public opinion across the Muslim world – thus see him as a champion of Muslim rights everywhere. Erdogan has studiously crafted this image throughout other crisis, such as in Egypt’s during the 2011-12 Morsi regime or in Palestine. His very public spats with Israel and the West have led some pro-Palestinian columnists in Arabic newspapers to call him the “new Nasser”. Competition ahead Nevertheless, in recent days there has been a modest push back from Saudi Arabia, which appears to be chaffing at Turkey’s leadership on the crisis. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Turkey released a statement emphasising the Kingdom’s strong, decades-long support for the Rohingyas. Iran has followed too, promising shipments to reach Myanmar soon. Erdogan has promised to raise the Rohingya issue on September 19, at the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly – which Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is avoiding. His calls to protect Muslims worldwide could be a key moment for Turkey’s diplomatic leadership but whether other Muslim countries would follow or not will tell the limits of Turkey’s so-called “humanitarian politics”. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Turkey, the Rohingya crisis and Erdogan's ambitions to be a global Muslim leader

Myanmar&#39;s de factor leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not attend a United Nations General Assembly meeting later this month.&nbsp;

AFP reported Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman as making the announcement, as global scrutiny of the Rohingya crisis intensifies.&nbsp;

&quot;The state counsellor won&#39;t attend the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly,&quot; AFP reported government spokesman Zaw Htay as saying.

Htay did not give any further details.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-children-beheaded-civlians-burned-alive-by-myanmarese-security-forces-report-19823" target="_blank">Also read: Rohingya children beheaded, civilians burned alive by Myanmarese security forces</a>

As many as 370,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks, amidst allegations that Myanmar is carrying out a &quot;progrom&quot; or &quot;genocide&quot; against them.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,&rdquo; the top UN human rights official recently said.&nbsp;

As many as 370,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks, amidst allegations that Myanmar is carrying out a 'progrom' or 'genocide' against them

Myanmar's de factor leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not attend a United Nations General Assembly meeting later this month. AFP reported Suu Kyi's spokesman as making the announcement, as global scrutiny of the Rohingya crisis intensifies. "The state counsellor won't attend the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly," AFP reported government spokesman Zaw Htay as saying. Htay did not give any further details. Also read: Rohingya children beheaded, civilians burned alive by Myanmarese security forces As many as 370,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent weeks, amidst allegations that Myanmar is carrying out a "progrom" or "genocide" against them. “The situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” the top UN human rights official recently said.

As global scrutiny of Rohingya crisis intensifies, Myanmar's Suu Kyi cancels trip to UN General Assembly

International divisions have emerged ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, with China voicing support for a military crackdown that has been criticised by the US, slammed as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; and forced 370,000 Rohingya to flee the violence.

Beijing&#39;s intervention appears aimed at heading off any attempt to censure Myanmar at the council when it convenes on Wednesday.

China was one of the few foreign friends of Myanmar&#39;s former junta.

Beijing has tightened its embrace under Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s civilian government as part of its giant trade, energy and infrastructure strategy for Southeast Asia.&nbsp;

The exodus from Myanmar&#39;s western Rakine state began after Rohingya militants attacked police posts on August 25, prompting a military backlash that has sent a third of the Muslim minority population fleeing for their lives.

Exhausted Rohingya refugees have given accounts of atrocities at the hands of soldiers and Buddhist mobs who burned their villages to the ground.

They can not be independently verified as access to Rakhine state is heavily controlled.

Myanmar&#39;s government denies any abuses and instead blames militants for burning down thousands of villages, including many belonging to Rohingya.

But international pressure on Myanmar heightened this week after United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said the violence seemed to be a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The US also raised alarm over the violence while the Security Council announced it would meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis.

Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to -- and even abetting -- a humanitarian catastrophe by Western powers who once feted her as well as a slew of fellow Nobel Laureates.

But Beijing offered more encouraging words to her on Tuesday, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang voicing support for her government&#39;s efforts to &quot;uphold peace and stability&quot; in Rakhine.

&quot;We hope order and the normal life there will be recovered as soon as possible,&quot; he told a press briefing.

The Rohingya minority are denied citizenship and have suffered years of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

&quot;An estimated 370,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh,&quot; since August 25 Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told AFP.&nbsp;

The real figure may be higher as many new arrivals are still on the move making it difficult to include them in the count, the UN said, adding 60 percent of refugees are children.

Most are in dire need of food, medical care and shelter after trekking for days through hills and jungles or braving dangerous boat journeys.

In a statement late Monday Suu Kyi&#39;s foreign ministry defended the military for doing their &quot;legitimate duty to restore stability&quot;, saying troops were under orders &quot;to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage.&quot;

Britain and Sweden requested the urgent Security Council meeting amid growing international concern over the ongoing violence.

The council met behind closed doors in late August to discuss the violence, but could not agree a formal statement.

Stop the oppression: Bangladesh&#39;s Sheikh Hasina 
 
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has said the latest violence may have left more than 1,000 dead, most of them Rohingya.

Myanmar says the number of dead is around 430, the majority of them &quot;extremist terrorists&quot; from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

It says a further 30,000 ethnic Rakhine and Hindus have been displaced inside northern Rakhine, where aid programmes have been severely curtailed due to the violence.

The exodus of Rohingya has saddled Bangladesh with its own humanitarian crisis, as aid workers scramble to provide food and shelter to a daily stream of bedraggled refugees.

The UN-run refugee camps in its Cox&#39;s Bazar district were already packed with Rohingya who had fled from previous waves of persecution.

Dhaka is providing them temporary shelter.&nbsp;

But Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who visited a Rohingya camp on Tuesday, stressed it was up to Myanmar to &quot;resolve&quot; the issue.

&quot;We will request the Myanmar government to stop oppressing innocent people,&quot; she said during a tour of a camp in Cox&#39;s Bazar, according to local outlet bdnews24.com.

Dhaka, which has refused to permanently absorb the Rohingya, said it plans to build a huge new camp that will house a quarter of a million refugees.

But it remains unclear if or when they will be able to return.

Plumes of smoke continued to rise on the Myanmar side of the border this week despite the militants&#39; announcement on Sunday of a unilateral ceasefire.&nbsp;

There was no direct response from Myanmar&#39;s military, though government spokesman Zaw Htay tweeted: &quot;We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists.&quot;

Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to a humanitarian catastrophe

International divisions have emerged ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, with China voicing support for a military crackdown that has been criticised by the US, slammed as "ethnic cleansing" and forced 370,000 Rohingya to flee the violence. Beijing's intervention appears aimed at heading off any attempt to censure Myanmar at the council when it convenes on Wednesday. China was one of the few foreign friends of Myanmar's former junta. Beijing has tightened its embrace under Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government as part of its giant trade, energy and infrastructure strategy for Southeast Asia. The exodus from Myanmar's western Rakine state began after Rohingya militants attacked police posts on August 25, prompting a military backlash that has sent a third of the Muslim minority population fleeing for their lives. Exhausted Rohingya refugees have given accounts of atrocities at the hands of soldiers and Buddhist mobs who burned their villages to the ground. They can not be independently verified as access to Rakhine state is heavily controlled. Myanmar's government denies any abuses and instead blames militants for burning down thousands of villages, including many belonging to Rohingya. But international pressure on Myanmar heightened this week after United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said the violence seemed to be a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The US also raised alarm over the violence while the Security Council announced it would meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis. Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to -- and even abetting -- a humanitarian catastrophe by Western powers who once feted her as well as a slew of fellow Nobel Laureates. But Beijing offered more encouraging words to her on Tuesday, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang voicing support for her government's efforts to "uphold peace and stability" in Rakhine. "We hope order and the normal life there will be recovered as soon as possible," he told a press briefing. The Rohingya minority are denied citizenship and have suffered years of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. "An estimated 370,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh," since August 25 Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told AFP. The real figure may be higher as many new arrivals are still on the move making it difficult to include them in the count, the UN said, adding 60 percent of refugees are children. Most are in dire need of food, medical care and shelter after trekking for days through hills and jungles or braving dangerous boat journeys. In a statement late Monday Suu Kyi's foreign ministry defended the military for doing their "legitimate duty to restore stability", saying troops were under orders "to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage." Britain and Sweden requested the urgent Security Council meeting amid growing international concern over the ongoing violence. The council met behind closed doors in late August to discuss the violence, but could not agree a formal statement. Stop the oppression: Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has said the latest violence may have left more than 1,000 dead, most of them Rohingya. Myanmar says the number of dead is around 430, the majority of them "extremist terrorists" from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). It says a further 30,000 ethnic Rakhine and Hindus have been displaced inside northern Rakhine, where aid programmes have been severely curtailed due to the violence. The exodus of Rohingya has saddled Bangladesh with its own humanitarian crisis, as aid workers scramble to provide food and shelter to a daily stream of bedraggled refugees. The UN-run refugee camps in its Cox's Bazar district were already packed with Rohingya who had fled from previous waves of persecution. Dhaka is providing them temporary shelter. But Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who visited a Rohingya camp on Tuesday, stressed it was up to Myanmar to "resolve" the issue. "We will request the Myanmar government to stop oppressing innocent people," she said during a tour of a camp in Cox's Bazar, according to local outlet bdnews24.com. Dhaka, which has refused to permanently absorb the Rohingya, said it plans to build a huge new camp that will house a quarter of a million refugees. But it remains unclear if or when they will be able to return. Plumes of smoke continued to rise on the Myanmar side of the border this week despite the militants' announcement on Sunday of a unilateral ceasefire. There was no direct response from Myanmar's military, though government spokesman Zaw Htay tweeted: "We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists."

Global split over Rohingya crisis as China backs Myanmar crackdown

A &quot;deeply concerned&quot; India on Saturday&nbsp;asked Myanmar to handle the situation in the Rakhine state with &quot;maturity and restraint&quot; while focusing on the welfare of the civilian population along with that of the security forces and asserted that it was imperative that violence ends there.

The Indian statement came in the backdrop of the continuous exodus of Rohingya Muslims from the Buddhist-majority country in the wake of violence against them.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India remains &quot;deeply concerned&quot; about the situation in the Rakhine state and the outflow of refugees from that region.

&quot;We would urge that the situation in Rakhine state be handled with restraint and maturity, focusing on the welfare of the civilian population alongside those of security forces. It is imperative that violence is ended and normalcy in the state restored expeditiously,&quot; the statement said.

The statement also referred to India&#39;s strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks on Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine state.

The two countries have since affirmed their shared determination to combat terrorism and not allow its justification under any pretext, it said.

The Indian statement came even as Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali called on Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to discuss the issue.

Nearly 300,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state since August 25 when the fresh wave of violence erupted.

However, the MEA statement made no mention of the meeting. 
 
During prime minister&#39;s recent visit to Myanmar this week, he had expressed his concern at the casualties of security forces as well as other innocent lives, the MEA statement said. 
 
He had also urged a solution based on respect for peace, communal harmony, justice, dignity and democratic values, it added. 
 
The statement also noted that during the prime minister&#39;s Myanmar visit it was agreed that India would provide assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme in conjunction with the Myanmarese government. 
 
India had refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference recently in Indonesia as it carried &quot;inappropriate&quot; reference to violence in Rakhine state. 
 
An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the &#39;Bali Declaration&#39; adopted at the &#39;World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development&#39; held in Indonesia. 
 
According to media reports, the violence began when Rohingya militants attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine state. 
 
Rohingya residents -- a stateless mostly Muslim minority -- allege that the military and Rakhine Buddhists responded with a brutal campaign against them, according to the reports.&nbsp;

India's statement comes in the backdrop of the continuous exodus of Rohingya Muslims from the Buddhist-majority country in the wake of violence against them

A "deeply concerned" India on Saturday asked Myanmar to handle the situation in the Rakhine state with "maturity and restraint" while focusing on the welfare of the civilian population along with that of the security forces and asserted that it was imperative that violence ends there. The Indian statement came in the backdrop of the continuous exodus of Rohingya Muslims from the Buddhist-majority country in the wake of violence against them. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India remains "deeply concerned" about the situation in the Rakhine state and the outflow of refugees from that region. "We would urge that the situation in Rakhine state be handled with restraint and maturity, focusing on the welfare of the civilian population alongside those of security forces. It is imperative that violence is ended and normalcy in the state restored expeditiously," the statement said. The statement also referred to India's strong condemnation of the terrorist attacks on Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine state. The two countries have since affirmed their shared determination to combat terrorism and not allow its justification under any pretext, it said. The Indian statement came even as Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali called on Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to discuss the issue. Nearly 300,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25 when the fresh wave of violence erupted. However, the MEA statement made no mention of the meeting. During prime minister's recent visit to Myanmar this week, he had expressed his concern at the casualties of security forces as well as other innocent lives, the MEA statement said. He had also urged a solution based on respect for peace, communal harmony, justice, dignity and democratic values, it added. The statement also noted that during the prime minister's Myanmar visit it was agreed that India would provide assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme in conjunction with the Myanmarese government. India had refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference recently in Indonesia as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state. An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adopted at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held in Indonesia. According to media reports, the violence began when Rohingya militants attacked police posts in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. Rohingya residents -- a stateless mostly Muslim minority -- allege that the military and Rakhine Buddhists responded with a brutal campaign against them, according to the reports.

India asks Myanmar to handle situation in Rakhine state with 'maturity'

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