Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s peace prize over the Myanmar government&#39;s treatment of its Rohingya Muslims.

But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account.

The Change.Org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of today, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants.

&quot;The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country,&quot; the petition says.

Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar&#39;s military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country&#39;s first credible elections since independence.

But her government has faced international condemnation for the army&#39;s response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers.

The United Nations said today that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October.

Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called &quot;a huge iceberg of misinformation&quot; over the crisis, &quot;with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists&quot;.

In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed.

&quot;Neither Alfred Nobel&#39;s will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize -- whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace -- can be revoked,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee,&quot; he said, and not any subsequent actions.&nbsp;

The Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account

Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's peace prize over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims. But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account. The Change.Org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of today, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants. "The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition says. Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country's first credible elections since independence. But her government has faced international condemnation for the army's response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers. The United Nations said today that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October. Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called "a huge iceberg of misinformation" over the crisis, "with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists". In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed. "Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize -- whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace -- can be revoked," he told AFP. "Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee," he said, and not any subsequent actions.

Petition seeks to revoke Suu Kyi's Nobel over Rohingya crisis

At least 32 people including 11 security forces were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar&#39;s army chief said Friday, in the worst violence in months in the febrile zone. 
 
The state is bisected by religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled by many Buddhists and perceived as illegal immigrants.&nbsp; 
 
Recent weeks have seen tensions surge with near daily killings by shadowy groups operating in remote villages, while Myanmar`s army has poured more troops into the area.&nbsp; 
 
In the early hours of Friday more than 20 police posts came under attack by an estimated 150 insurgents, some carrying guns and using homemade explosives. 
 
&quot;One soldier and 10 police sacrificed their lives for the country,&quot; Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a statement circulated on Facebook, adding 21 militants also died although others made away with guns. 
 
&quot;Fighting is ongoing at police posts in Kyar Gaung Taung and Nat Chaung villages. The military and police members are fighting back together against extremist Bengali terrorists.&quot; 
 
&quot;Bengali terrorists&quot; is the state`s description of the Rohingya militants.

They emerged as a force last October under the banner of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which claims to be leading an insurgency based in the remote May Yu mountain range bordering Bangladesh. 
 
Confirming the unrest an unnamed police officer in Buthidaung town, close to the worst violence, said border posts remained surrounded by militants as day broke in a fluid, dangerous and &quot;complicated situation&quot;. 
 
The flare up follows a milestone report on the conditions inside Rakhine by a commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. 
 
It urged immediate action to heal the divide including scrapping the restrictions of movement and citizenship imposed on the roughly one million-strong Rohingya community in Rakhine. 
 
The wedge of Rakhine closest to Bangladesh has been in lockdown since October 2016. 
 
Deadly attacks by the militants on border police sparked a military response that left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee to Bangladesh. 
 
The UN believes those security `clearances` may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, a mainly Muslim minority living in Buddhist Myanmar. 
 
The army and Aung San Suu Kyi`s civilian government vehemently deny allegations of widespread abuses including rapes and murders.

Myanmar security forces have conducted sporadic operations to flush out suspected militants throughout this year, often resulting in casualties among Rohingya villagers. 
 
They have spoken of their fear at being trapped in between security forces and the militants, who are accused of conducting a shadowy assassination campaign against perceived collaborators with the state.

At least 32 people including 11 security forces were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar's army chief said

At least 32 people including 11 security forces were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar's army chief said Friday, in the worst violence in months in the febrile zone. The state is bisected by religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled by many Buddhists and perceived as illegal immigrants. Recent weeks have seen tensions surge with near daily killings by shadowy groups operating in remote villages, while Myanmar`s army has poured more troops into the area. In the early hours of Friday more than 20 police posts came under attack by an estimated 150 insurgents, some carrying guns and using homemade explosives. "One soldier and 10 police sacrificed their lives for the country," Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a statement circulated on Facebook, adding 21 militants also died although others made away with guns. "Fighting is ongoing at police posts in Kyar Gaung Taung and Nat Chaung villages. The military and police members are fighting back together against extremist Bengali terrorists." "Bengali terrorists" is the state`s description of the Rohingya militants. They emerged as a force last October under the banner of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which claims to be leading an insurgency based in the remote May Yu mountain range bordering Bangladesh. Confirming the unrest an unnamed police officer in Buthidaung town, close to the worst violence, said border posts remained surrounded by militants as day broke in a fluid, dangerous and "complicated situation". The flare up follows a milestone report on the conditions inside Rakhine by a commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. It urged immediate action to heal the divide including scrapping the restrictions of movement and citizenship imposed on the roughly one million-strong Rohingya community in Rakhine. The wedge of Rakhine closest to Bangladesh has been in lockdown since October 2016. Deadly attacks by the militants on border police sparked a military response that left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee to Bangladesh. The UN believes those security `clearances` may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, a mainly Muslim minority living in Buddhist Myanmar. The army and Aung San Suu Kyi`s civilian government vehemently deny allegations of widespread abuses including rapes and murders. Myanmar security forces have conducted sporadic operations to flush out suspected militants throughout this year, often resulting in casualties among Rohingya villagers. They have spoken of their fear at being trapped in between security forces and the militants, who are accused of conducting a shadowy assassination campaign against perceived collaborators with the state.

Myanmar: 32 dead in violence by Rohingya militants in Rakhine

A special envoy of Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months.

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar&#39;s deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi&#39;s nine-month-old administration.

The stream of new refugees&nbsp;and reports that Myanmar&#39;s navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen&nbsp;have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side&#39;s problem.

The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar&#39;s reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis.

Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State.

Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi&#39;s government has denied almost all abuse allegations.

During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the &quot;complicated&quot; issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

&quot;For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don&#39;t think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;

International pressure:

Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit &quot;so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums,&quot; such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

Southeast Asia&#39;s Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis.

&quot;Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship,&quot; the Bangladeshi official said.

Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9.

Myanmar&#39;s Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN&nbsp;figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised.

She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens.

&quot;We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly,&quot; she said.

(Reuters)

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to Dhaka

A special envoy of Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months. Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi's nine-month-old administration. The stream of new refugees and reports that Myanmar's navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side's problem. The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar's reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis. Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State. Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi's government has denied almost all abuse allegations. During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the "complicated" issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don't think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting," she said. International pressure: Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit "so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums," such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. Southeast Asia's Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis. "Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship," the Bangladeshi official said. Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9. Myanmar's Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised. She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens. "We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly," she said. (Reuters)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi sends envoy to Bangladesh as Rohingya crisis deepens

Twenty-three Nobel laureates and global leaders have jointly issued a letter on Thursday to the president of the United Nations Security Council urging the United Nations to take actions to stop persecution against Rohingya Muslim minorities in Myanmar and end the crisis there.

Signatories of the letter include Nobel peace laureates Muhammad Yunus, Jody Williams, Jos&eacute; Ramos-Horta, founder and editor of The Huffington Post Arianna Huffington and former Italian prime minister Romano Prodi among others.

The letter expressed disappointment at Myanmar&rsquo;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, herself a Nobel peace prize laureate, for turning a blind eye to the persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority.

It states, &ldquo;Despite repeated appeals to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingyas. Daw Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion.

&ldquo;We urge the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Government of Myanmar to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, so that people receive emergency assistance. Access for journalists and human rights monitors should also be permitted, and an independent, international inquiry to establish the truth about the current situation should be established.

&ldquo;Furthermore, we urge the members of UN Security Council to put this crisis on Security Council&rsquo;s agenda as a matter of urgency, and to call upon the Secretary-General to visit Myanmar in the coming weeks as a priority. If the current Secretary-General is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new Secretary-General to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January.

&ldquo;It is time for the international community as a whole to speak out much more strongly. After Rwanda, world leaders said &lsquo;never again&rsquo;. If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of crimes against humanity which will lead us once again to wring our hands belatedly and say &lsquo;never again&rsquo; all over again.&rdquo;

Some 50,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, Bangladeshi foreign ministry in Dhaka said on Thursday. The ministry summoned Myanmar&rsquo;s ambassador to express &ldquo;deep concern at the continued influx&rdquo; of tens of thousands of members of the stateless ethnic minority into its territory.

Myanmar&rsquo;s armed security forces launched an&nbsp;offensive in the western state of Rakhine after 10 border policemen were killed in the state allegedly by members of the Rohingya community on October 9. The entire community has been made to pay the price as the security forces razed their homes, raped the women and assaulted members of the community.&nbsp;

&ldquo;When you persecute people like that and push [them] into Bangladesh by torturing them Bangladesh would definitely have a concern and I would say India should also be concerned because some of them [Rohingyas] have gone there as well,&rdquo; said Brigadier General (R) Sakhawat Hussain.

Bangladesh has been accommodating between 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to unofficial estimates for years.

(WION)

They expressed disappointment at Myanmar leader Suu Kyi for turning a blind eye to the persecution of the Rohingya minority

Twenty-three Nobel laureates and global leaders have jointly issued a letter on Thursday to the president of the United Nations Security Council urging the United Nations to take actions to stop persecution against Rohingya Muslim minorities in Myanmar and end the crisis there. Signatories of the letter include Nobel peace laureates Muhammad Yunus, Jody Williams, José Ramos-Horta, founder and editor of The Huffington Post Arianna Huffington and former Italian prime minister Romano Prodi among others. The letter expressed disappointment at Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi, herself a Nobel peace prize laureate, for turning a blind eye to the persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority. It states, “Despite repeated appeals to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingyas. Daw Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion. “We urge the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Government of Myanmar to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, so that people receive emergency assistance. Access for journalists and human rights monitors should also be permitted, and an independent, international inquiry to establish the truth about the current situation should be established. “Furthermore, we urge the members of UN Security Council to put this crisis on Security Council’s agenda as a matter of urgency, and to call upon the Secretary-General to visit Myanmar in the coming weeks as a priority. If the current Secretary-General is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new Secretary-General to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January. “It is time for the international community as a whole to speak out much more strongly. After Rwanda, world leaders said ‘never again’. If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of crimes against humanity which will lead us once again to wring our hands belatedly and say ‘never again’ all over again.” Some 50,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, Bangladeshi foreign ministry in Dhaka said on Thursday. The ministry summoned Myanmar’s ambassador to express “deep concern at the continued influx” of tens of thousands of members of the stateless ethnic minority into its territory. Myanmar’s armed security forces launched an offensive in the western state of Rakhine after 10 border policemen were killed in the state allegedly by members of the Rohingya community on October 9. The entire community has been made to pay the price as the security forces razed their homes, raped the women and assaulted members of the community. “When you persecute people like that and push [them] into Bangladesh by torturing them Bangladesh would definitely have a concern and I would say India should also be concerned because some of them [Rohingyas] have gone there as well,” said Brigadier General (R) Sakhawat Hussain. Bangladesh has been accommodating between 300,000 to 500,000 Rohingya Muslims, according to unofficial estimates for years. (WION)

Global leaders urge UN to resolve Rohingya crisis

The United Nations is getting daily reports of rapes and killings of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, although the government was insultingly dismissing the claims and making the situation worse, the UN human rights office said on Friday.

Zeid said in a statement that the government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, had taken a &quot;short-sighted, counterproductive, even callous&quot; approach to the crisis, which could have grave long-term repercussions for the region.&nbsp;

At least 86 people have been killed, according to state media, and the United Nations has estimated 27,000 members of the largely stateless Rohingya minority have fled across the border to Bangladesh.

(Reuters)

The government has taken a 'short-sighted, counterproductive, even callous' approach to the crisis, said Human Rights office

The United Nations is getting daily reports of rapes and killings of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, although the government was insultingly dismissing the claims and making the situation worse, the UN human rights office said on Friday. Zeid said in a statement that the government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, had taken a "short-sighted, counterproductive, even callous" approach to the crisis, which could have grave long-term repercussions for the region. At least 86 people have been killed, according to state media, and the United Nations has estimated 27,000 members of the largely stateless Rohingya minority have fled across the border to Bangladesh. (Reuters)

UN says it gets daily reports of killings and rapes of Rohingyas in Myanmar

rohingya-crisis

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

rohingya crisis

Petition seeks to revoke Suu Kyi's Nobel over Rohingya crisis

Myanmar: 32 dead in violence by Rohingya militants in Rakhine

Myanmar's Suu Kyi sends envoy to Bangladesh as Rohingya crisis deepens

Global leaders urge UN to resolve Rohingya crisis

UN says it gets daily reports of killings and rapes of Rohingyas in Myanmar