Security at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh will be tightened during the visit of a high-level Myanmar delegation this weekend for repatriation talks, officials said Thursday.

Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in nearly three dozen refugee camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar.

Many still fear for their safety if they return to Myanmar, where the Muslim minority has faced decades of repression and erosion of rights.

"We have stepped up security in the camps during their tour," Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told AFP.

He added that the delegation would meet with Rohingya leaders this weekend to inform them of measures they have taken for their return to Rakhine.

The camps -- where the Rohingya population has grown to nearly a million -- have sparked tensions between the neighbouring countries with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees.

The two governments signed a repatriation deal in November 2017, but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to return. Bangladesh has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave.

Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told reporters in the capital Dhaka on Wednesday he hoped the "repatriation will begin by September".

Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the Rohingya to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.&nbsp;

The United Nations has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

Last November a move to start the repatriation process fell through after none of the Rohingya agreed to return to their country. It followed a visit to the camps in October last year by a Myanmar delegation.

The new visit comes in the wake of talks between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

China is a key ally of Myanmar, and Hasina said then that Beijing would "do whatever is required" to help resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Security at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh will be tightened during the visit of a high-level Myanmar delegation this weekend for repatriation talks, officials said Thursday.

Security at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh will be tightened during the visit of a high-level Myanmar delegation this weekend for repatriation talks, officials said Thursday. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a crackdown by Myanmar's military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in nearly three dozen refugee camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar. Many still fear for their safety if they return to Myanmar, where the Muslim minority has faced decades of repression and erosion of rights. "We have stepped up security in the camps during their tour," Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam told AFP. He added that the delegation would meet with Rohingya leaders this weekend to inform them of measures they have taken for their return to Rakhine. The camps -- where the Rohingya population has grown to nearly a million -- have sparked tensions between the neighbouring countries with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees. The two governments signed a repatriation deal in November 2017, but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to return. Bangladesh has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave. Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told reporters in the capital Dhaka on Wednesday he hoped the "repatriation will begin by September". Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the Rohingya to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights. The United Nations has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow. Last November a move to start the repatriation process fell through after none of the Rohingya agreed to return to their country. It followed a visit to the camps in October last year by a Myanmar delegation. The new visit comes in the wake of talks between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Xi Jinping in Beijing. China is a key ally of Myanmar, and Hasina said then that Beijing would "do whatever is required" to help resolve the Rohingya crisis.

Security tightened as Myanmar delegation visits Rohingya camps

The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday against the Myanmar military's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other leaders it said were responsible for extrajudicial killings of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-kill-three-suspected-rohingya-traffickers-rescue-15-refugees-230535">Rohingya Muslims</a>, barring them from entry to the United States.

The steps, which also covered Min Aung Hlaing's deputy, Soe Win, and two other senior commanders and their families, are the strongest the United States has taken in response to massacres of minority Rohingyas in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

It identified the two others as Than Oo and Aung Aung, both brigadier generals.

"We remain concerned that the Burmese government has taken no actions to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, and there are continued reports of the Burmese military committing human rights violations and abuses throughout the country," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

Pompeo said a recent disclosure, first reported by Reuters in May, that Min Aung Hlaing ordered the release of soldiers convicted of extrajudicial killings at the village of Inn Din during the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in 2017 was "one egregious example of the continued and severe lack of accountability for the military and its senior leadership."

"The Commander-in-Chief released these criminals after only months in prison, while the journalists who told the world about the killings in Inn Din were jailed for more than 500 days," Pompeo said.

The Inn Din massacre was uncovered by two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who spent more than 16 months behind bars on charges of obtaining state secrets. The two were released in an amnesty on May 6.

The US announcement came on the first day of an international ministerial conference on religious freedom hosted by Pompeo at the State Department that was attended by Rohingya representatives.

"With this announcement, the United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military," said Pompeo, who has been a strong advocate of religious freedom.

"We designated these individuals based on credible information of these commanders’ involvement in gross violations of human rights," he said.

Sanctions condemned

A spokesman for the Myanmar military, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, said by phone the military had not ignored the accusations, citing internal probes. One army-led investigation in 2017 exonerated security forces of all accusations of atrocities. Another is ongoing.

"Right now we have an investigative committee ... to conduct a detailed investigation," he said. "They should value these facts."

He said the soldiers had been lawfully released.

Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy Party, condemned the decision to impose sanctions.

"This kind of action happened because they don’t understand the real situation of Myanmar," he said. Myanmar’s leaders had not ignored human rights concerns, Myo Nyunt said.

A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. UN investigators have said Myanmar's operation included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson and was executed with "genocidal intent."

The State Department has so far stopped short of calling the abuses genocide, referring instead to ethnic cleansing and a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities.

The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday against the Myanmar military's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other leaders it said were responsible for extrajudicial killings of Rohingya Muslims, barring them from entry to the United States.

The United States announced sanctions on Tuesday against the Myanmar military's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and other leaders it said were responsible for extrajudicial killings of Rohingya Muslims, barring them from entry to the United States. The steps, which also covered Min Aung Hlaing's deputy, Soe Win, and two other senior commanders and their families, are the strongest the United States has taken in response to massacres of minority Rohingyas in Myanmar, also known as Burma. It identified the two others as Than Oo and Aung Aung, both brigadier generals. "We remain concerned that the Burmese government has taken no actions to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, and there are continued reports of the Burmese military committing human rights violations and abuses throughout the country," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. Pompeo said a recent disclosure, first reported by Reuters in May, that Min Aung Hlaing ordered the release of soldiers convicted of extrajudicial killings at the village of Inn Din during the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in 2017 was "one egregious example of the continued and severe lack of accountability for the military and its senior leadership." "The Commander-in-Chief released these criminals after only months in prison, while the journalists who told the world about the killings in Inn Din were jailed for more than 500 days," Pompeo said. The Inn Din massacre was uncovered by two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who spent more than 16 months behind bars on charges of obtaining state secrets. The two were released in an amnesty on May 6. The US announcement came on the first day of an international ministerial conference on religious freedom hosted by Pompeo at the State Department that was attended by Rohingya representatives. "With this announcement, the United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military," said Pompeo, who has been a strong advocate of religious freedom. "We designated these individuals based on credible information of these commanders’ involvement in gross violations of human rights," he said. Sanctions condemned A spokesman for the Myanmar military, Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, said by phone the military had not ignored the accusations, citing internal probes. One army-led investigation in 2017 exonerated security forces of all accusations of atrocities. Another is ongoing. "Right now we have an investigative committee ... to conduct a detailed investigation," he said. "They should value these facts." He said the soldiers had been lawfully released. Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy Party, condemned the decision to impose sanctions. "This kind of action happened because they don’t understand the real situation of Myanmar," he said. Myanmar’s leaders had not ignored human rights concerns, Myo Nyunt said. A 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. UN investigators have said Myanmar's operation included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson and was executed with "genocidal intent." The State Department has so far stopped short of calling the abuses genocide, referring instead to ethnic cleansing and a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities.

US imposes sanctions on Myanmar military leaders over Rohingya abuses

Myanmar has granted early release to seven soldiers jailed for the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys during a 2017 military crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, two prison officials, two former fellow inmates and one of the soldiers told Reuters.

The soldiers were freed in November last year, the two inmates said, meaning they served less than one year of their 10-year prison terms for the killings at Inn Din village.&nbsp;

They also served less jail time than two Reuters reporters who uncovered the killings. The journalists, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/reuters-journalists-jailed-in-myanmar-freed-from-prison-216559">Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo</a>, spent more than 16 months behind bars on charges of obtaining state secrets. The two were released in an amnesty on May 6.

Win Naing, the chief warden at Rakhine's Sittwe Prison, and a senior prison official in the capital, Naypyitaw, confirmed that the convicted soldiers had not been in prison for some months.

"Their punishment was reduced by the military," said the senior Naypyitaw official, who declined to be named.

Both prison officials declined to provide further details and said they did not know the exact date of the release, which was not announced publicly.&nbsp;

Military spokesmen Zaw Min Tun and Tun Tun Nyi declined to comment.

The seven soldiers were the only security personnel the military has said it has punished over the 2017 operation in Rakhine, which drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. UN&nbsp;investigators said the crackdown was executed with "genocidal intent" and included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson.

Myanmar denies widespread wrongdoing and officials have pointed to the jailing of the seven soldiers in the Inn Din case as evidence Myanmar security forces do not enjoy impunity.

"I would say that we took action against every case we could investigate," the military's commander in chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told officials from the UN&nbsp;Security Council in April last year, according to an account posted on his personal website.&nbsp;

The army chief cited the Inn Din case specifically. "The latest crime we punished was killing, and ten years’ imprisonment was given to seven perpetrators," he said. "We will not forgive anyone if they commit (a) crime."

Reached by phone on Thursday, a man named Zin Paing Soe confirmed that he was one of the seven soldiers and that he was now free, but declined to comment further. "We were told to shut up," he said.

'First step'

The 2017 campaign was launched across hundreds of villages in northern Rakhine in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents. Reuters exposed the killings in a report published in February 2018.&nbsp;

Troops from the 33rd Light Infantry Division, a mobile force known for its brutal counter-insurgency campaigns, worked with members of a paramilitary police force and Buddhist vigilantes to drive out the entire Muslim population of Inn Din, burning and looting Rohingya homes and property, according to Buddhist and Muslim villagers and members of the security forces.&nbsp;

On Sept. 1, 2017, soldiers and some villagers detained a group of 10 Rohingya. The military said the men were "terrorists"; their family members said they were farmers, high school students and an Islamic teacher.&nbsp;

The next morning, witnesses said, Buddhist villagers hacked some of the Rohingya men with swords. The rest were shot by Myanmar troops and buried in a shallow grave.&nbsp;

The two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, discovered the grave and obtained pictures of the 10 men before and after they were killed. The journalists were arrested in December 2017 while investigating the killings and later sentenced to seven years in prison under the Official Secrets Act.&nbsp;

Defence lawyers argued their arrest and prosecution were aimed at blocking their reporting, and one police officer testified that a senior police official had ordered that the reporters be set up and arrested.

In April 2018, after launching an investigation into the killings, the military announced that four officers and three soldiers of other ranks had been dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder". Neither their names nor details of their roles in the killing were disclosed.

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed the convictions, telling reporters at the time the sentencing was Myanmar`s "first step on the road of taking responsibility".Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, did not pick up a call seeking comment on the release of the seven soldiers.

'Year that changed my life'

Two men who recently spent time in Sittwe Prison told Reuters the seven soldiers were well-known among prisoners there.

“We were in the same building but different cells," said one of the men, Aung Than Wai, a political activist from Sittwe, who spent nearly six months in prison under a privacy law after he criticised a state official and posted an image of the official online.

Aung Than Wai, who was released from Sittwe in December, said he wanted to speak publicly about the soldiers` early release because an ethnic Rakhine Buddhist villager also jailed over the Inn Din killings was still in prison. The villager, school teacher Tun Aye, is serving a five-year sentence for murder at Buthidaung Prison in northern Rakhine, said his lawyer, Khin Win.

The convicted soldiers in Sittwe were given beer and cigarettes even though such indulgences were off-limits to other prisoners, Aung Than Wai said.

The soldiers were also visited by army officials, said the second man who was in the prison at the time and asked not to be named. In November, the seven men were taken away in a military vehicle, he said.

The same month, Zin Paing Soe, one of the convicted soldiers, set up a new Facebook account, noting in his biography that he attended the military's elite Defence Services Academy.

In one of the account`s first public posts, he said he was looking forward to the end of a year spent mostly in prison.&nbsp;

"When will these unfortunate things end for me?" the post reads.

Myanmar has granted early release to seven soldiers jailed for the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys during a 2017 military crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, two prison officials, two former fellow inmates and one of the soldiers told Reuters.

Myanmar has granted early release to seven soldiers jailed for the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys during a 2017 military crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, two prison officials, two former fellow inmates and one of the soldiers told Reuters. The soldiers were freed in November last year, the two inmates said, meaning they served less than one year of their 10-year prison terms for the killings at Inn Din village. They also served less jail time than two Reuters reporters who uncovered the killings. The journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, spent more than 16 months behind bars on charges of obtaining state secrets. The two were released in an amnesty on May 6. Win Naing, the chief warden at Rakhine's Sittwe Prison, and a senior prison official in the capital, Naypyitaw, confirmed that the convicted soldiers had not been in prison for some months. "Their punishment was reduced by the military," said the senior Naypyitaw official, who declined to be named. Both prison officials declined to provide further details and said they did not know the exact date of the release, which was not announced publicly. Military spokesmen Zaw Min Tun and Tun Tun Nyi declined to comment. The seven soldiers were the only security personnel the military has said it has punished over the 2017 operation in Rakhine, which drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. UN investigators said the crackdown was executed with "genocidal intent" and included mass killings, gang rapes and widespread arson. Myanmar denies widespread wrongdoing and officials have pointed to the jailing of the seven soldiers in the Inn Din case as evidence Myanmar security forces do not enjoy impunity. "I would say that we took action against every case we could investigate," the military's commander in chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told officials from the UN Security Council in April last year, according to an account posted on his personal website. The army chief cited the Inn Din case specifically. "The latest crime we punished was killing, and ten years’ imprisonment was given to seven perpetrators," he said. "We will not forgive anyone if they commit (a) crime." Reached by phone on Thursday, a man named Zin Paing Soe confirmed that he was one of the seven soldiers and that he was now free, but declined to comment further. "We were told to shut up," he said. 'First step' The 2017 campaign was launched across hundreds of villages in northern Rakhine in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents. Reuters exposed the killings in a report published in February 2018. Troops from the 33rd Light Infantry Division, a mobile force known for its brutal counter-insurgency campaigns, worked with members of a paramilitary police force and Buddhist vigilantes to drive out the entire Muslim population of Inn Din, burning and looting Rohingya homes and property, according to Buddhist and Muslim villagers and members of the security forces. On Sept. 1, 2017, soldiers and some villagers detained a group of 10 Rohingya. The military said the men were "terrorists"; their family members said they were farmers, high school students and an Islamic teacher. The next morning, witnesses said, Buddhist villagers hacked some of the Rohingya men with swords. The rest were shot by Myanmar troops and buried in a shallow grave. The two Reuters reporters, Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, discovered the grave and obtained pictures of the 10 men before and after they were killed. The journalists were arrested in December 2017 while investigating the killings and later sentenced to seven years in prison under the Official Secrets Act. Defence lawyers argued their arrest and prosecution were aimed at blocking their reporting, and one police officer testified that a senior police official had ordered that the reporters be set up and arrested. In April 2018, after launching an investigation into the killings, the military announced that four officers and three soldiers of other ranks had been dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder". Neither their names nor details of their roles in the killing were disclosed. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed the convictions, telling reporters at the time the sentencing was Myanmar`s "first step on the road of taking responsibility".Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, did not pick up a call seeking comment on the release of the seven soldiers. 'Year that changed my life' Two men who recently spent time in Sittwe Prison told Reuters the seven soldiers were well-known among prisoners there. “We were in the same building but different cells," said one of the men, Aung Than Wai, a political activist from Sittwe, who spent nearly six months in prison under a privacy law after he criticised a state official and posted an image of the official online. Aung Than Wai, who was released from Sittwe in December, said he wanted to speak publicly about the soldiers` early release because an ethnic Rakhine Buddhist villager also jailed over the Inn Din killings was still in prison. The villager, school teacher Tun Aye, is serving a five-year sentence for murder at Buthidaung Prison in northern Rakhine, said his lawyer, Khin Win. The convicted soldiers in Sittwe were given beer and cigarettes even though such indulgences were off-limits to other prisoners, Aung Than Wai said. The soldiers were also visited by army officials, said the second man who was in the prison at the time and asked not to be named. In November, the seven men were taken away in a military vehicle, he said. The same month, Zin Paing Soe, one of the convicted soldiers, set up a new Facebook account, noting in his biography that he attended the military's elite Defence Services Academy. In one of the account`s first public posts, he said he was looking forward to the end of a year spent mostly in prison. "When will these unfortunate things end for me?" the post reads.

Myanmar soldiers jailed for Rohingya killings freed after less than a year

Myanmar's military commanders should be financially "isolated" and brought to trial to face charges of war crimes and genocide against the Rohingya minority, UN investigators said Tuesday.

The United Nations fact-finding mission on the situation in Myanmar called on the international community to cut off all financial and other support to the country's military.

Marzuki Darusman, who heads the fact-finding mission which just concluded a 10-day visit to surrounding countries, said drastic measures were needed since Myanmar so far had done little to resolve the egregious rights situation in the country.

"There has been no movement toward a resolution of the crisis," Darusman said in a statement. "The situation is at a total standstill."&nbsp;

Some 740,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629">Rohingya refugees</a> fled a military crackdown in August 2017 to cross into Bangladesh where 300,000 members of the persecuted Muslim minority were already in camps.

Many Rohingya refugees who fled said there had been mass rapes and slaughters in the villages, and in a report published last September, the fact-finding mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe the atrocities amounted to "genocide".

The investigators lamented Tuesday that "both military and civilian sides of Myanmar's government persistently deny the facts and disclaim any responsibility for crimes under international law.

"Following this violence, Myanmar authorities have levelled empty Rohingya villages with bulldozers, effectively destroying criminal evidence, while making no substantive progress in resolving the ethnic animosities that have helped fuel the crisis," they said.

The UN fact-finding mission was not granted access to Myanmar itself, but during their visit to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, the investigators met exiled representatives from the Chin, Kachin, Shan and Rakhine ethnic communities.

"Meeting with these different ethnic communities only underscored our findings that the Tatmadaw (the Myanmar military) has over time committed similar atrocities against many of the ethnic groups living within the borders of Myanmar," expert Radhika Coomaraswamy said in the statement.

Another member of the team, Christopher Sidoti, said the investigators so far had "seen no evidence that the Myanmar government is acting in good faith to resolve the crisis or facilitate the safe return of refugees.

"The situation demands an increase in international pressure," he said.

"Due to the gravity of the past and continuing violations, attention must be given to the political, economic and financial ties of the Myanmar military - to identify who and what should be targeted so we can cut off the money supply as a means of increasing the pressure and reducing the violence," he added.

The fact-finding mission is due to present its final report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next September and will hand over its findings to a panel tasked with preparing criminal indictments.

Myanmar's military commanders should be financially "isolated" and brought to trial to face charges of war crimes and genocide against the Rohingya minority, UN investigators said Tuesday.

Myanmar's military commanders should be financially "isolated" and brought to trial to face charges of war crimes and genocide against the Rohingya minority, UN investigators said Tuesday. The United Nations fact-finding mission on the situation in Myanmar called on the international community to cut off all financial and other support to the country's military. Marzuki Darusman, who heads the fact-finding mission which just concluded a 10-day visit to surrounding countries, said drastic measures were needed since Myanmar so far had done little to resolve the egregious rights situation in the country. "There has been no movement toward a resolution of the crisis," Darusman said in a statement. "The situation is at a total standstill." Some 740,000 Rohingya refugees fled a military crackdown in August 2017 to cross into Bangladesh where 300,000 members of the persecuted Muslim minority were already in camps. Many Rohingya refugees who fled said there had been mass rapes and slaughters in the villages, and in a report published last September, the fact-finding mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe the atrocities amounted to "genocide". The investigators lamented Tuesday that "both military and civilian sides of Myanmar's government persistently deny the facts and disclaim any responsibility for crimes under international law. "Following this violence, Myanmar authorities have levelled empty Rohingya villages with bulldozers, effectively destroying criminal evidence, while making no substantive progress in resolving the ethnic animosities that have helped fuel the crisis," they said. The UN fact-finding mission was not granted access to Myanmar itself, but during their visit to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, the investigators met exiled representatives from the Chin, Kachin, Shan and Rakhine ethnic communities. "Meeting with these different ethnic communities only underscored our findings that the Tatmadaw (the Myanmar military) has over time committed similar atrocities against many of the ethnic groups living within the borders of Myanmar," expert Radhika Coomaraswamy said in the statement. Another member of the team, Christopher Sidoti, said the investigators so far had "seen no evidence that the Myanmar government is acting in good faith to resolve the crisis or facilitate the safe return of refugees. "The situation demands an increase in international pressure," he said. "Due to the gravity of the past and continuing violations, attention must be given to the political, economic and financial ties of the Myanmar military - to identify who and what should be targeted so we can cut off the money supply as a means of increasing the pressure and reducing the violence," he added. The fact-finding mission is due to present its final report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next September and will hand over its findings to a panel tasked with preparing criminal indictments.

UN experts urge 'financial isolation' of Myanmar military

Bangladeshi police prevented dozens of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-rescues-23-rohingya-girls-from-traffickers-218061/amp">Rohingya Muslims</a>, most of them women, about to be trafficked to Malaysia by boat, authorities said on Tuesday.

Traffickers had picked up at least 69 Rohingya from refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district, promising them to work in Malaysia where many Rohingya already live, police said.

Scores of Rohingya Muslims have boarded boats in recent months to try to reach Malaysia, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of people smuggling by sea after a 2015 crackdown on trafficking.

An estimated 25,000 Rohingya crossed the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in 2015, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

"After getting information from a secret source, our team carried out an operation last night and rescued them," police officer Abul Khair told Reuters, adding that there were 43 women and 11 children. They would be returned to camps.

Police did not arrest any traffickers.

More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN&nbsp;agencies.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine violence swept the area in 2012.

Bangladeshi police prevented dozens of Rohingya Muslims, most of them women, about to be trafficked to Malaysia by boat, authorities said on Tuesday. Traffickers had picked up at least 69 Rohingya from refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district, promising them to work in Malaysia where many Rohingya already live, police said.

Bangladeshi police prevented dozens of Rohingya Muslims, most of them women, about to be trafficked to Malaysia by boat, authorities said on Tuesday. Traffickers had picked up at least 69 Rohingya from refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district, promising them to work in Malaysia where many Rohingya already live, police said. Scores of Rohingya Muslims have boarded boats in recent months to try to reach Malaysia, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of people smuggling by sea after a 2015 crackdown on trafficking. An estimated 25,000 Rohingya crossed the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia in 2015, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats. "After getting information from a secret source, our team carried out an operation last night and rescued them," police officer Abul Khair told Reuters, adding that there were 43 women and 11 children. They would be returned to camps. Police did not arrest any traffickers. More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN agencies. Buddhist-majority Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine violence swept the area in 2012.

Bangladesh police 'rescue' dozens of Rohingya being trafficked to Malaysia

Bangladesh security forces have shot dead a Rohingya woman in a border town known as a gateway for smuggling meth pills from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said Sunday.

Rights activists said Rumana Akter, 20, was the first Rohingya woman to be killed in a clampdown by Bangladesh authorities against the narcotics trade.

She was one of three alleged smugglers killed in two separate incidents in Teknaf, which is close to refugee camps housing about one million Muslim Rohingya who have fled from Myanmar.

Teknaf is a hub for dealing in "yaba" -- a methamphetamine-based stimulant that translates in Thai as "crazy medicine" -- which has become popular in Bangladesh.

More than 300 people -- including nearly 20 Rohingya -- have been killed in the clampdown launched in May last year.

Impoverished Rohingya refugees are used by dealers to transport the drug from Myanmar, officials say. A military crackdown against the Rohingya in August 2017 sparked an exodus of 740,000 refugees to flee the country and join some 300,000 refugees already in camps in Bangladesh.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said the Rohingya woman was killed during a gunfight between security forces and armed smugglers on the Naf river, which acts as a border between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

BGB spokesman Shariful Islam told reporters the woman's body was found after a 15-minute gunbattle "along with 10,000 pieces of yaba and three sharp knives in her bag". Akter came from a refugee camp in Teknaf.

Rights activists questioned the death, saying the woman's name was not on a list of known drug traders kept by Bangladeshi law agencies.

Two alleged drug traders were killed by police in a separate incident in Teknaf late Saturday. Police said 10,000 pieces of yaba, six guns and 18 rounds of ammunition were found.

As part of the clampdown, Bangladesh authorities in October made yaba a class-A banned substance and parliament passed a law allowing the death penalty for dealing in the drug.

Bangladesh security forces have shot dead a Rohingya woman in a border town known as a gateway for smuggling meth pills from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said Sunday.

Bangladesh security forces have shot dead a Rohingya woman in a border town known as a gateway for smuggling meth pills from neighbouring Myanmar, officials said Sunday. Rights activists said Rumana Akter, 20, was the first Rohingya woman to be killed in a clampdown by Bangladesh authorities against the narcotics trade. She was one of three alleged smugglers killed in two separate incidents in Teknaf, which is close to refugee camps housing about one million Muslim Rohingya who have fled from Myanmar. Teknaf is a hub for dealing in "yaba" -- a methamphetamine-based stimulant that translates in Thai as "crazy medicine" -- which has become popular in Bangladesh. More than 300 people -- including nearly 20 Rohingya -- have been killed in the clampdown launched in May last year. Impoverished Rohingya refugees are used by dealers to transport the drug from Myanmar, officials say. A military crackdown against the Rohingya in August 2017 sparked an exodus of 740,000 refugees to flee the country and join some 300,000 refugees already in camps in Bangladesh. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said the Rohingya woman was killed during a gunfight between security forces and armed smugglers on the Naf river, which acts as a border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. BGB spokesman Shariful Islam told reporters the woman's body was found after a 15-minute gunbattle "along with 10,000 pieces of yaba and three sharp knives in her bag". Akter came from a refugee camp in Teknaf. Rights activists questioned the death, saying the woman's name was not on a list of known drug traders kept by Bangladeshi law agencies. Two alleged drug traders were killed by police in a separate incident in Teknaf late Saturday. Police said 10,000 pieces of yaba, six guns and 18 rounds of ammunition were found. As part of the clampdown, Bangladesh authorities in October made yaba a class-A banned substance and parliament passed a law allowing the death penalty for dealing in the drug.

First Rohingya woman shot dead in Bangladesh drugs clampdown

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - March 26, 2019

An official at the UN refugee agency UNHCR met with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-to-move-rohingya-to-island-next-month-minister-203255">Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh</a> and on Thursday said they were "grateful" to their host country but longed to return to "normalcy and dignity" to Myanmar.

During his five-day visit, Volker Turk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, met with many Rohingya in the Kutupalong refugee settlement - the world's largest - and discussed how they see their futures evolve.

He also met with the government officials in Bangladesh to review the challenges they are facing and discussed finding solutions to the development of conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of refugees to Myanmar.

Rohingya regard themselves as native to western Myanmar's Rakhine State but Myanmar authorities and many citizens regard them as illegal immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.

Many are stateless as a 1982 law restricts citizenship for the Rohingya and other minorities not considered members of one of Myanmar's "national races".

The Myanmar government refuses even to use the word "Rohingya", as that would imply a distinct identity, instead of calling them "Bengali".

A crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017 forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar forces launched their offensive in Rakhine State in response to a series of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border.

A UN fact-finding mission last year said the military campaign was orchestrated with "genocidal intent".

Myanmar is facing growing international calls for accountability over the Rakhine campaign but continues to deny accusations of murder, rape and other abuses by its forces.

Though Myanmar says it is ready to welcome back the refugees, northern Rakhine state, from where they fled, is still riven by ethnic tensions and violence, and the UN has said conditions are not right for them to return.

Rohingya refugees say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement.

An official at the UN refugee agency UNHCR met with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and on Thursday said they were "grateful" to their host country but longed to return to "normalcy and dignity" to Myanmar.

An official at the UN refugee agency UNHCR met with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and on Thursday said they were "grateful" to their host country but longed to return to "normalcy and dignity" to Myanmar. During his five-day visit, Volker Turk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, met with many Rohingya in the Kutupalong refugee settlement - the world's largest - and discussed how they see their futures evolve. He also met with the government officials in Bangladesh to review the challenges they are facing and discussed finding solutions to the development of conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of refugees to Myanmar. Rohingya regard themselves as native to western Myanmar's Rakhine State but Myanmar authorities and many citizens regard them as illegal immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. Many are stateless as a 1982 law restricts citizenship for the Rohingya and other minorities not considered members of one of Myanmar's "national races". The Myanmar government refuses even to use the word "Rohingya", as that would imply a distinct identity, instead of calling them "Bengali". A crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017 forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar forces launched their offensive in Rakhine State in response to a series of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border. A UN fact-finding mission last year said the military campaign was orchestrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar is facing growing international calls for accountability over the Rakhine campaign but continues to deny accusations of murder, rape and other abuses by its forces. Though Myanmar says it is ready to welcome back the refugees, northern Rakhine state, from where they fled, is still riven by ethnic tensions and violence, and the UN has said conditions are not right for them to return. Rohingya refugees say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement.

Grateful to host Bangladesh, but Rohingya refugees belong to Myanmar: UNHCR

Myanmar's Rohingya militants urged their followers on Wednesday to refrain from crime in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, following reports of killings and abductions attributed to the group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

ARSA, which emerged with attacks on border posts in Myanmar`s Rakhine state in 2016, is focused on winning rights for Rohingya, the mostly stateless Muslim minority long persecuted in Myanmar.

The government calls them terrorists and says sweeping military action in the western state of Rakhine, which triggered an exodus of refugees into Bangladesh, was justified.

In recent weeks, Bangladesh-based media has blamed the group for organised violence in the refugee camps, including a series of killings. The group acknowledged the violence but denied that the leadership sanctioned it.

"Those people are not only going against the Bangladesh government but are also making ARSA responsible for their own crimes,” the group said in a video statement posted on Twitter.

“And because of their activities the whole community is being defamed all over the world,” the group said.

ARSA expressed gratitude towards the Bangladesh government and urged refugees to “refrain from any wrongdoing” against authorities there, where close to a million Rohingya are living.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after the insurgents attacked Myanmar security forces in August 2017, triggering an extensive military response.

Since then, the insurgents have been blamed for sporadic attacks in Rakhine State, including an ambush on a border guard post in January that wounded six.

“Our activities for our legitimate rights are ongoing against the Burmese terrorist government and its genocidal military,” the group’s statement said, adding that attacks would continue until basic rights were restored.

The Myanmar military has rejected almost all accusations of rights abuses.

Myanmar's Rohingya militants urged their followers on Wednesday to refrain from crime in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, following reports of killings and abductions attributed to the group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

Myanmar's Rohingya militants urged their followers on Wednesday to refrain from crime in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, following reports of killings and abductions attributed to the group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). ARSA, which emerged with attacks on border posts in Myanmar`s Rakhine state in 2016, is focused on winning rights for Rohingya, the mostly stateless Muslim minority long persecuted in Myanmar. The government calls them terrorists and says sweeping military action in the western state of Rakhine, which triggered an exodus of refugees into Bangladesh, was justified. In recent weeks, Bangladesh-based media has blamed the group for organised violence in the refugee camps, including a series of killings. The group acknowledged the violence but denied that the leadership sanctioned it. "Those people are not only going against the Bangladesh government but are also making ARSA responsible for their own crimes,” the group said in a video statement posted on Twitter. “And because of their activities the whole community is being defamed all over the world,” the group said. ARSA expressed gratitude towards the Bangladesh government and urged refugees to “refrain from any wrongdoing” against authorities there, where close to a million Rohingya are living. More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after the insurgents attacked Myanmar security forces in August 2017, triggering an extensive military response. Since then, the insurgents have been blamed for sporadic attacks in Rakhine State, including an ambush on a border guard post in January that wounded six. “Our activities for our legitimate rights are ongoing against the Burmese terrorist government and its genocidal military,” the group’s statement said, adding that attacks would continue until basic rights were restored. The Myanmar military has rejected almost all accusations of rights abuses.

Rohingya militants condemn violence in refugee camps amid reports of killings

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims. 730000 of these hapless people have fled Myanmar. The United Nation’s suggestion is a prudent one and can be an effective tool to ensure that human rights are not abrogated by states, not only with respect to Myanmar but also in general terms.

Human rights accrue to people by virtue of being human. These are an intrinsic good which must not only be protected but also promoted. But, in practice, what is observed is that there is tension between human rights, states and sovereignty thereof. &nbsp;Overlaying these countervailing forces to human rights is geopolitics which does not attach much import and significance to these. Often times, states, even in the developed world, are in breach of human rights in one form or the other. Consider the United States whose self-perception is that of a liberal democracy wherein the individual rules the roost, so to speak. But, in practice, besides obvious structural and institutional issues with African Americans, access to justice is prohibitively expensive making, in the process, a mockery of individual and human rights. 
 
In the less developed world, especially in conflict zones, there is a deep and visceral tension between human rights and state(s). Owing to the precedence of state interests or raison d’etat, and other prosaic matters, states abrogating and violating human rights do so almost with impunity, usually behind the shield of state sovereignty. 
 
This is a reality that can be observed with empirical precision as far as the killing fields of Syria, Myanmar, and other places. The international state system and the foreign policies of states, oriented as they are toward state interests have proven to be woefully inadequate in protecting and promoting human rights. Where then can relief be found?

In markets. Perhaps. 
&nbsp; 
While much has been made of “de-globalisation” and allied trends, the fact is that even though the large megatrend of globalisation might have slowed down, but it has not disappeared. Globalisation is real and while its momentum might have dissipated, it is a historical reality that can neither be wished away nor be made to disappear. The relevance of globalisation to human rights and to the thematic issue dwelt upon in this essay is that counterintuitively perhaps, the propelling forces of the idea and its practice can be used to protect human rights. The reference here is to markets. 
 
In a globalised world where autarky or self-sufficiency is passé and where interdependence is the norm, markets can be employed to discipline states. Capital flows, both portfolio and foreign direct investment, the quest for the Rate of Return and yield, among other things, constitute the sine qua non of economic growth, in this day and age. And, economic growth not only is essential for obvious reasons but it also accords legitimacy to regimes and governments. Stop the tap, so to speak, a given nation-state can be brought to its knees. Obiter dictum, while financial economists can debate the extent of the correlation between financial markets and the real economy, that there is a link is almost indubitable. If markets take a tumble, the real economy is impinged upon, pretty drastically at times, as was demonstrated all too eloquently in and during the 2008 financial crisis.

The key here lies with investors who, as an assorted and a diverse class, can choose to punish and discipline a given state that is killing, maiming, and persecuting its own people. Minds of the policy and political elite of the “target country” can then be concentrated with such poignancy and alacrity that no sanctions or reproach by other states or non-state organisations can do. The United Nations, as an international body, is hamstrung by issues of a structural nature, the most potent of which is state sovereignty and the shield it accords to states who can do whatever they live within their respective jurisdictions. The states constituting the international system are too caught up by raison d’etat to do anything substantive about human rights. It might, however, be markets that can constitute a robust disciplinary force that not only protect but promote human rights.

It is here that the United Nations’ suggestion to investors, with respect to Myanmar, becomes relevant. Let foreign investors see Myanmar as a test case and let it be the starting point for and of markets to be used for good.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims.

The United Nations has asked foreign investors and social media firms to ensure that they support human rights in Myanmar. The country, as is well known, is in the midst of a brutal conflict with its Rohingya Muslims. 730000 of these hapless people have fled Myanmar. The United Nation’s suggestion is a prudent one and can be an effective tool to ensure that human rights are not abrogated by states, not only with respect to Myanmar but also in general terms. Human rights accrue to people by virtue of being human. These are an intrinsic good which must not only be protected but also promoted. But, in practice, what is observed is that there is tension between human rights, states and sovereignty thereof. Overlaying these countervailing forces to human rights is geopolitics which does not attach much import and significance to these. Often times, states, even in the developed world, are in breach of human rights in one form or the other. Consider the United States whose self-perception is that of a liberal democracy wherein the individual rules the roost, so to speak. But, in practice, besides obvious structural and institutional issues with African Americans, access to justice is prohibitively expensive making, in the process, a mockery of individual and human rights. In the less developed world, especially in conflict zones, there is a deep and visceral tension between human rights and state(s). Owing to the precedence of state interests or raison d’etat, and other prosaic matters, states abrogating and violating human rights do so almost with impunity, usually behind the shield of state sovereignty. This is a reality that can be observed with empirical precision as far as the killing fields of Syria, Myanmar, and other places. The international state system and the foreign policies of states, oriented as they are toward state interests have proven to be woefully inadequate in protecting and promoting human rights. Where then can relief be found? In markets. Perhaps. While much has been made of “de-globalisation” and allied trends, the fact is that even though the large megatrend of globalisation might have slowed down, but it has not disappeared. Globalisation is real and while its momentum might have dissipated, it is a historical reality that can neither be wished away nor be made to disappear. The relevance of globalisation to human rights and to the thematic issue dwelt upon in this essay is that counterintuitively perhaps, the propelling forces of the idea and its practice can be used to protect human rights. The reference here is to markets. In a globalised world where autarky or self-sufficiency is passé and where interdependence is the norm, markets can be employed to discipline states. Capital flows, both portfolio and foreign direct investment, the quest for the Rate of Return and yield, among other things, constitute the sine qua non of economic growth, in this day and age. And, economic growth not only is essential for obvious reasons but it also accords legitimacy to regimes and governments. Stop the tap, so to speak, a given nation-state can be brought to its knees. Obiter dictum, while financial economists can debate the extent of the correlation between financial markets and the real economy, that there is a link is almost indubitable. If markets take a tumble, the real economy is impinged upon, pretty drastically at times, as was demonstrated all too eloquently in and during the 2008 financial crisis. The key here lies with investors who, as an assorted and a diverse class, can choose to punish and discipline a given state that is killing, maiming, and persecuting its own people. Minds of the policy and political elite of the “target country” can then be concentrated with such poignancy and alacrity that no sanctions or reproach by other states or non-state organisations can do. The United Nations, as an international body, is hamstrung by issues of a structural nature, the most potent of which is state sovereignty and the shield it accords to states who can do whatever they live within their respective jurisdictions. The states constituting the international system are too caught up by raison d’etat to do anything substantive about human rights. It might, however, be markets that can constitute a robust disciplinary force that not only protect but promote human rights. It is here that the United Nations’ suggestion to investors, with respect to Myanmar, becomes relevant. Let foreign investors see Myanmar as a test case and let it be the starting point for and of markets to be used for good. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Myanmar crisis: In conflict zones, there exists a deep conflict between human rights and states

Thirty-five people, believed to be <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-plans-to-raise-920-million-in-aid-for-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh-197622">Rohingyas&nbsp;</a>abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea.

In recent months, dozens of Rohingya in Myanmar and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-tells-un-it-will-no-longer-take-in-myanmar-refugees-200371">Bangladesh</a> have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, raising worries of a fresh wave of dangerous sea voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers.

Nine children were among the 35 migrants found stranded on a beach in the northern state of Perlis on Friday, Malaysian police said. The group had been lowered from a fishing boat offshore in the early hours of the morning, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad said.

"They were released in the middle of the ocean so that they could reach the shore during low tide."

All of those rescued were found to be in good health and have been transferred to immigration authorities, he said.

The group will be held at the state's interior affairs headquarters for further investigation, Malaysia's Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud told Reuters.

More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN agencies.

Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine since violence swept the area in 2012.

Officials were not able to say whether the migrants found on Friday had arrived from Myanmar or Bangladesh.

Chris Lewa, the director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said two boats were reported to have left Bangladesh in recent weeks.

"Many refugees are desperate to leave the precarity, insecurity and hopelessness in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in particular, those with relatives in Malaysia. And they have no other way to do so other than undertaking risky journeys by boat, and this, in spite of the vigilance by Bangladesh security forces," she said.

The latest departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriations on Nov. 15, despite widespread opposition from Rohingya, who say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012. That exodus peaked in 2015 when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

Thirty-five people, believed to be Rohingyas abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea.

Thirty-five people, believed to be Rohingyas abandoned at sea, were found safe on a Malaysian beach on Friday, officials said, part of what authorities fear could be a new wave of dangerous people smuggling by sea. In recent months, dozens of Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, raising worries of a fresh wave of dangerous sea voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers. Nine children were among the 35 migrants found stranded on a beach in the northern state of Perlis on Friday, Malaysian police said. The group had been lowered from a fishing boat offshore in the early hours of the morning, Perlis police chief Noor Mushar Mohamad said. "They were released in the middle of the ocean so that they could reach the shore during low tide." All of those rescued were found to be in good health and have been transferred to immigration authorities, he said. The group will be held at the state's interior affairs headquarters for further investigation, Malaysia's Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud told Reuters. More than 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh in 2017 fleeing an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to UN agencies. Myanmar regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and has confined tens of thousands to sprawling camps in Rakhine since violence swept the area in 2012. Officials were not able to say whether the migrants found on Friday had arrived from Myanmar or Bangladesh. Chris Lewa, the director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said two boats were reported to have left Bangladesh in recent weeks. "Many refugees are desperate to leave the precarity, insecurity and hopelessness in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, in particular, those with relatives in Malaysia. And they have no other way to do so other than undertaking risky journeys by boat, and this, in spite of the vigilance by Bangladesh security forces," she said. The latest departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriations on Nov. 15, despite widespread opposition from Rohingya, who say they will not return without guarantees of basic rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of sectarian violence in Rakhine in 2012. That exodus peaked in 2015 when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats.

Dozens of Rohingyas found on Malaysian beach: Officials

Some 102 Bangladeshi meth dealers have surrendered to authorities at a pre-scheduled ceremony in a coastal town, officials said Saturday, as a Philippines-style anti-narcotics crackdown sows fear among kingpins.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-drug-war-death-toll-hits-200-rights-group-152464">Bangladesh last year launched a "war" on drugs</a> following a proliferation of illegal substances in the South Asian nation of 165 million people, mostly of cheap methamphetamine pills known as "yaba".

Police said 24 yaba "godfathers", as well as lieutenants and peddlers, surrendered to the country's home minister in Teknaf town -- the key gateway for smuggling yaba into the country from Myanmar, where the pills are manufactured by the millions.

The dealers also surrendered 350,000 vanilla-scented, small red yaba pills -- whose name comes from a Thai word meaning "crazy medicine" -- and 30 illegal firearms.

The country's police chief Mohammad Javed Patwary said authorities would advocate for lesser prison sentences for those who had surrendered, and would "assist" them in returning to normal life.

But he promised, "harsh upcoming days" for those who had stayed away.

"Those who are in hiding, don't get carried away. You'll not be spared," he told the mass gathering of several thousand locals who came to witness the event.

Teknaf is situated in Cox's Bazar district -- home to around a million Rohingya refugees -- bordering Myanmar.

Cox's Bazar is flooded with yaba, with many of the Rohingya refugees used as "mules" for carrying the pills.

The pills have become an easy source of income for the Rohingya, some 740,000 of whom have poured across the border since Myanmar launched a military crackdown in August 2017 that the UN has described as ethnic cleansing.

The mass surrender comes during a concerted crackdown against drug traffickers, which has left nearly 300 people dead, including 40 from Teknaf, and seen about 25,000 arrested since May last year.

On Friday Bangladesh security forces seized 570,000 yaba pills in separate drives in the border region next to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control, some five million people in Bangladesh are drug users with yaba the most popular substance. The country seized a record 53 million yaba pills last year.

In October, authorities made yaba a class-A banned substance and parliament passed a law allowing the death penalty for dealing the drug.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's highly controversial anti-drug crackdown has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016.

Some 102 Bangladeshi meth dealers have surrendered to authorities at a pre-scheduled ceremony in a coastal town, officials said Saturday, as a Philippines-style anti-narcotics crackdown sows fear among kingpins.

Some 102 Bangladeshi meth dealers have surrendered to authorities at a pre-scheduled ceremony in a coastal town, officials said Saturday, as a Philippines-style anti-narcotics crackdown sows fear among kingpins. Bangladesh last year launched a "war" on drugs following a proliferation of illegal substances in the South Asian nation of 165 million people, mostly of cheap methamphetamine pills known as "yaba". Police said 24 yaba "godfathers", as well as lieutenants and peddlers, surrendered to the country's home minister in Teknaf town -- the key gateway for smuggling yaba into the country from Myanmar, where the pills are manufactured by the millions. The dealers also surrendered 350,000 vanilla-scented, small red yaba pills -- whose name comes from a Thai word meaning "crazy medicine" -- and 30 illegal firearms. The country's police chief Mohammad Javed Patwary said authorities would advocate for lesser prison sentences for those who had surrendered, and would "assist" them in returning to normal life. But he promised, "harsh upcoming days" for those who had stayed away. "Those who are in hiding, don't get carried away. You'll not be spared," he told the mass gathering of several thousand locals who came to witness the event. Teknaf is situated in Cox's Bazar district -- home to around a million Rohingya refugees -- bordering Myanmar. Cox's Bazar is flooded with yaba, with many of the Rohingya refugees used as "mules" for carrying the pills. The pills have become an easy source of income for the Rohingya, some 740,000 of whom have poured across the border since Myanmar launched a military crackdown in August 2017 that the UN has described as ethnic cleansing. The mass surrender comes during a concerted crackdown against drug traffickers, which has left nearly 300 people dead, including 40 from Teknaf, and seen about 25,000 arrested since May last year. On Friday Bangladesh security forces seized 570,000 yaba pills in separate drives in the border region next to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. According to the Department of Narcotics Control, some five million people in Bangladesh are drug users with yaba the most popular substance. The country seized a record 53 million yaba pills last year. In October, authorities made yaba a class-A banned substance and parliament passed a law allowing the death penalty for dealing the drug. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's highly controversial anti-drug crackdown has killed thousands of alleged users and pushers since 2016.

Over 100 drug 'godfathers' surrender to Bangladesh police

Myanmar's powerful army chief has given a rare foreign media interview to insist there was no "certain proof" the military had persecuted the country's stateless Rohingya Muslim community.

Around 740,000 Rohingya fled over the border into Bangladesh after a bloody military campaign in 2017.

The UN condemned the crackdown as ethnic cleansing and investigators called for top military leaders, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to be prosecuted for genocide.

But the military has maintained its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following a series of deadly attacks on police posts and has denied nearly all allegations of wrongdoing.

In an interview Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper published Friday, Min Aung Hlaing doubled down on previous claims, arguing "there is no certain proof that the national army was involved in the persecution" of Rohingya. The army chief added that accusations the military committed atrocities "hurts the nation's dignity".

Min Aung Hlaing rarely speaks to the press and has instead preferred to communicate over Facebook, but the social media giant kicked him off the platform last year for his role in stoking hate speech.

His comments were at odds with testimony from Rohingya in the crowded, sprawling camps in Bangladesh.

The refugees have recounted widespread murder, rape, torture and the burning of entire villages to the ground at the hands of Myanmar soldiers.

A UN probe report released in September also outlined atrocities committed by the military in meticulous and searing detail.

It said Myanmar's "clearance operations" were disproportionate to the insurgent attacks and cited prior troop deployments as evidence of premeditation.

Investigators called for Myanmar to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) but any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties at the UN.

Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government remains in a fragile power-sharing agreement with the military, which holds three key ministries and a quarter of parliamentary seats.

Suu Kyi's international reputation lies in tatters for refusing to stand up for the Rohingya. In Myanmar, the Rohingya are widely seen as interlopers from Bangladesh and have been denied citizenship, rights and access to services for decades under what Amnesty International calls apartheid-like conditions.

Myanmar's powerful army chief has given a rare foreign media interview to insist there was no "certain proof" the military had persecuted the country's stateless Rohingya Muslim community.

Myanmar's powerful army chief has given a rare foreign media interview to insist there was no "certain proof" the military had persecuted the country's stateless Rohingya Muslim community. Around 740,000 Rohingya fled over the border into Bangladesh after a bloody military campaign in 2017. The UN condemned the crackdown as ethnic cleansing and investigators called for top military leaders, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, to be prosecuted for genocide. But the military has maintained its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following a series of deadly attacks on police posts and has denied nearly all allegations of wrongdoing. In an interview Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper published Friday, Min Aung Hlaing doubled down on previous claims, arguing "there is no certain proof that the national army was involved in the persecution" of Rohingya. The army chief added that accusations the military committed atrocities "hurts the nation's dignity". Min Aung Hlaing rarely speaks to the press and has instead preferred to communicate over Facebook, but the social media giant kicked him off the platform last year for his role in stoking hate speech. His comments were at odds with testimony from Rohingya in the crowded, sprawling camps in Bangladesh. The refugees have recounted widespread murder, rape, torture and the burning of entire villages to the ground at the hands of Myanmar soldiers. A UN probe report released in September also outlined atrocities committed by the military in meticulous and searing detail. It said Myanmar's "clearance operations" were disproportionate to the insurgent attacks and cited prior troop deployments as evidence of premeditation. Investigators called for Myanmar to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) but any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties at the UN. Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government remains in a fragile power-sharing agreement with the military, which holds three key ministries and a quarter of parliamentary seats. Suu Kyi's international reputation lies in tatters for refusing to stand up for the Rohingya. In Myanmar, the Rohingya are widely seen as interlopers from Bangladesh and have been denied citizenship, rights and access to services for decades under what Amnesty International calls apartheid-like conditions.

'No proof' Myanmar military persecuted Rohingya: Army chief

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2013-bodh-gaya-blasts-patna-court-finds-all-5-accused-guilty-139635">Bodh Gaya blast in 2018 </a>was carried out in retaliation of alleged atrocities against the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-expert-urges-caution-on-bangladeshs-rohingya-island-relocation-plan-192852"> Rohingyas in Myanmar</a> and to overawe the Indian government by the terrorist act, according to a supplementary charge sheet filed on Monday in a Patna court by the NIA.

It said Bangladesh-based terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen was responsible for hatching the conspiracy to attack <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bodh-gaya-blasts-man-arrested-for-helping-procure-explosive-143687">Bodh Gaya temple</a> and other symbols of Buddhist faith.

In the charge sheet, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named six people behind carrying out the attack.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/unicef-boss-urges-myanmar-to-enact-kofi-annans-recommendations-on-rohingya-crisis-193481">UNICEF chief urges Myanmar to enact Kofi Annan's recommendations on Rohingya crisis</a>

One of them is Bangladesh resident Md Jahidul Islam, and the other five are Md Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim, Mustafizur Rahman and Arif Hussain from West Bengal, according to a statement issued Monday.

The NIA said the investigation has revealed that Md Jahidul Islam alias Kausar along with the other accused formed a terrorist gang and hatched a conspiracy to plant IEDs in the Bodh Gaya temple complex and other symbols of Buddhist faith.

"The motive was to attack symbols of Buddhism in retaliation to the alleged atrocities committed on the Rohingyas in Myanmar and to overawe the government of India by the terrorist act," it said.

Investigations also revealed that the accused Ahmed Ali, Nur Alam, Paigambar Sheikh, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim, Kausar and Mustafizur Rehman travelled to different places in south India, including Hyderabad and Chennai, where the conspiracy to target Bodh Gaya and other Buddhist places of worship was hatched, the NIA said.

"In furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused persons contacted and assembled at various places, took hideouts at Jehanabad and Masaurhi, recceed Bodh Gaya temple complex, procured the explosives and other materials for fabrication of the IEDs," it said.

According to the statement, Jahidul Islam fabricated three improvised explosive device (IED) and two hand grenades.

CCTV footage of the Bodh Gaya temple complex along with evidences collected during the probe established that Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain planted the IEDs in and around the premises of the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya on January 19, 2018, to cause loss of life and property during the auspicious

presence of Dalai Lama and also during the visit of the Governor of Bihar and thus committed a terrorist act, it said.

Dilwar Hossain also put one of the IEDs (hand grenades) in the cistern of a public toilet near Kalachakra maidan which was later recovered, the NIA said.

The investigation also established that the accused used fake and assumed names for travel and for renting hideouts, and used protected text for communication to conceal their real identities. The designs of the conspiracy to wage war against the government, it said.

The probe agency said that investigation also brought out that Jahidul Islam is a Bangladeshi fugitive who was staying in India without any legal documents and used different fake IDs.&nbsp;

It has been revealed that after committing the act of terror, the accused escaped and were hiding in various locations in and around Bengaluru and other places.

"The accused persons also committed a number of dacoities in and around Bengaluru in order to raise funds for their criminal activities. Accused Arif Hussain is still absconding and investigation against him continues," the NIA said.

A charge sheet was filed earlier against three accused Paigambar Sheikh, Ahmad Ali and Nur Alam in the NIA special court, Patna, on September 27, 2018.&nbsp;

The Bodh Gaya blast in 2018 was carried out in retaliation of alleged atrocities against the Rohingyas in Myanmar and to overawe the Indian government by the terrorist act, according to a supplementary charge sheet filed on Monday in a Patna court by the NIA.

The Bodh Gaya blast in 2018 was carried out in retaliation of alleged atrocities against the Rohingyas in Myanmar and to overawe the Indian government by the terrorist act, according to a supplementary charge sheet filed on Monday in a Patna court by the NIA. It said Bangladesh-based terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen was responsible for hatching the conspiracy to attack Bodh Gaya temple and other symbols of Buddhist faith. In the charge sheet, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) named six people behind carrying out the attack. Also read: UNICEF chief urges Myanmar to enact Kofi Annan's recommendations on Rohingya crisis One of them is Bangladesh resident Md Jahidul Islam, and the other five are Md Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim, Mustafizur Rahman and Arif Hussain from West Bengal, according to a statement issued Monday. The NIA said the investigation has revealed that Md Jahidul Islam alias Kausar along with the other accused formed a terrorist gang and hatched a conspiracy to plant IEDs in the Bodh Gaya temple complex and other symbols of Buddhist faith. "The motive was to attack symbols of Buddhism in retaliation to the alleged atrocities committed on the Rohingyas in Myanmar and to overawe the government of India by the terrorist act," it said. Investigations also revealed that the accused Ahmed Ali, Nur Alam, Paigambar Sheikh, Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain, Abdul Karim, Kausar and Mustafizur Rehman travelled to different places in south India, including Hyderabad and Chennai, where the conspiracy to target Bodh Gaya and other Buddhist places of worship was hatched, the NIA said. "In furtherance of the conspiracy, the accused persons contacted and assembled at various places, took hideouts at Jehanabad and Masaurhi, recceed Bodh Gaya temple complex, procured the explosives and other materials for fabrication of the IEDs," it said. According to the statement, Jahidul Islam fabricated three improvised explosive device (IED) and two hand grenades. CCTV footage of the Bodh Gaya temple complex along with evidences collected during the probe established that Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain planted the IEDs in and around the premises of the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya on January 19, 2018, to cause loss of life and property during the auspicious presence of Dalai Lama and also during the visit of the Governor of Bihar and thus committed a terrorist act, it said. Dilwar Hossain also put one of the IEDs (hand grenades) in the cistern of a public toilet near Kalachakra maidan which was later recovered, the NIA said. The investigation also established that the accused used fake and assumed names for travel and for renting hideouts, and used protected text for communication to conceal their real identities. The designs of the conspiracy to wage war against the government, it said. The probe agency said that investigation also brought out that Jahidul Islam is a Bangladeshi fugitive who was staying in India without any legal documents and used different fake IDs. It has been revealed that after committing the act of terror, the accused escaped and were hiding in various locations in and around Bengaluru and other places. "The accused persons also committed a number of dacoities in and around Bengaluru in order to raise funds for their criminal activities. Accused Arif Hussain is still absconding and investigation against him continues," the NIA said. A charge sheet was filed earlier against three accused Paigambar Sheikh, Ahmad Ali and Nur Alam in the NIA special court, Patna, on September 27, 2018.

Bodh Gaya blast in retaliation to alleged atrocities against Rohingyas in Myanmar: NIA to court

Myanmar's army said Friday it killed 13 ethnic Rakhine fighters in counterstrikes after the well-armed group carried out deadly attacks on police posts earlier this month.

Rakhine state has seen new levels of violence in recent weeks between the Arakan Army (AA) -- insurgents fighting for greater autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists -- and security forces.

Many of the battles are taking place in the same region from which more than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh after August 2017 when the army launched a crackdown the UN deemed ethnic cleansing.

The AA are a more formidable force than the fighters claiming to represent the Rohingya and have inflicted historically higher death tolls on the military.

On January 4, also Myanmar's independence day, the AA launched pre-dawn raids that killed 13 police officers and wounded nine before the army stepped in, setting off violence that has displaced thousands.

But the army hit back, killing the same number of AA rebels in total in operations from January 5-16.

"We got 13 dead bodies of enemies and seized three weapons," Major General Tun Tun Nyi said in a rare press conference in the capital Naypyidaw.

"Some officers and soldiers from our side were killed," he added, without releasing the figures.

Myanmar's military almost never provides statistics on casualties suffered in fighting against the country's myriad ethnic armed groups.

The army called a temporary ceasefire against different insurgents in northern Myanmar last month but Rakhine state was excluded from the move because of the AA and the Rohingya militant group, which is called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

The troubled state is a complex patchwork of Rakhine, Rohingya, and other ethnic minorities that intercommunal violence has largely driven apart.

Most of the Rohingya in the northern part of the state have been pushed into Bangladesh, where they refuse to return to Myanmar without guarantees of safety and citizenship.

The United Nations has called for Myanmar's top generals to be investigated for genocide as a result of the operations but they reject the accusation.

The fighting with AA rebels complicates an already fraught repatriation process for the Rohingya.

Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun blamed the AA insurgents for the police post attacks earlier this month and accused them of "stabbing from the back".&nbsp;

Myanmar's army said Friday it killed 13 ethnic Rakhine fighters in counterstrikes after the well-armed group carried out deadly attacks on police posts earlier this month.

Myanmar's army said Friday it killed 13 ethnic Rakhine fighters in counterstrikes after the well-armed group carried out deadly attacks on police posts earlier this month. Rakhine state has seen new levels of violence in recent weeks between the Arakan Army (AA) -- insurgents fighting for greater autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists -- and security forces. Many of the battles are taking place in the same region from which more than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh after August 2017 when the army launched a crackdown the UN deemed ethnic cleansing. The AA are a more formidable force than the fighters claiming to represent the Rohingya and have inflicted historically higher death tolls on the military. On January 4, also Myanmar's independence day, the AA launched pre-dawn raids that killed 13 police officers and wounded nine before the army stepped in, setting off violence that has displaced thousands. But the army hit back, killing the same number of AA rebels in total in operations from January 5-16. "We got 13 dead bodies of enemies and seized three weapons," Major General Tun Tun Nyi said in a rare press conference in the capital Naypyidaw. "Some officers and soldiers from our side were killed," he added, without releasing the figures. Myanmar's military almost never provides statistics on casualties suffered in fighting against the country's myriad ethnic armed groups. The army called a temporary ceasefire against different insurgents in northern Myanmar last month but Rakhine state was excluded from the move because of the AA and the Rohingya militant group, which is called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). The troubled state is a complex patchwork of Rakhine, Rohingya, and other ethnic minorities that intercommunal violence has largely driven apart. Most of the Rohingya in the northern part of the state have been pushed into Bangladesh, where they refuse to return to Myanmar without guarantees of safety and citizenship. The United Nations has called for Myanmar's top generals to be investigated for genocide as a result of the operations but they reject the accusation. The fighting with AA rebels complicates an already fraught repatriation process for the Rohingya. Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun blamed the AA insurgents for the police post attacks earlier this month and accused them of "stabbing from the back".

Myanmar army 'kills 13' in counterattacks on Rakhine rebels

By Daniel Sullivan

The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh. The several hundred thousand who remain in Myanmar face serious restrictions, and what the chair of an independent, international fact-finding mission describes as an “ongoing genocide.”

What will the year 2019 have in store for the Rohingyas? Here are key developments to keep an eye on and some thoughts on what must be done to improve the outlook.

Rohingya returning home

Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is both the most necessary solution to the&nbsp;crisis and the most controversial. It is not a question of whether Rohingyas should be able to return to their homes; it is a question of when and under what conditions. To be clear, those conditions do not currently exist. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Rohingyas in Myanmar continue to face restrictions and abuse. And there is little sign of accountability or a path to citizenship as demanded by Rohingyas who have been forced to flee. In fact, more than 15,000 Rohingyas have continued to flee conditions in Myanmar for Bangladesh in 2018.

More than 40 humanitarian organisations working on the ground in Bangladesh have warned that returning the Rohingyas to their homes now would be dangerous and premature. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been clear that current conditions in Myanmar are not conducive “to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees.”

Still, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh have pushed for returns to move forward. A bilateral deal to start returns by November 15, 2018, fell apart only because Bangladesh was unable to find Rohingyas willing to return voluntarily. Pressure for returns will continue through 2019, but the reality is that more than likely, most Rohingya will not and should not return by the end of 2019. Whether returns can take place in line with international standards — that is safe, voluntary and dignified — will depend mostly on what the government of Myanmar does or does not do.

Reforms in Myanmar

The government of Myanmar has it within its power to create the conditions conducive to safe returns of Rohingyas to Myanmar. It also has a blueprint for how to do so. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, released a final report in August 2017 that was endorsed by the government of Myanmar. The report included recommendations for freedom of movement, recognition of basic rights and a path to citizenship for Rohingyas in Myanmar.

By taking these steps, opening access to humanitarians and independent media and human rights monitors, and working with UNHCR, it may be possible to begin thinking about returns in 2019. But the window for doing so is quickly closing as the next election in Myanmar draws near in 2020. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, already reluctant to reform and address the Rohingya crisis, will be even more so as the military’s party seeks to capitalize on anti-Rohingya sentiment. As this dynamic plays out, it will be even more important that pressure for change comes from outside — the sooner the better.

Accountability for genocide

The push for accountability for the crimes committed by Myanmar’s security forces against the Rohingya gained momentum in the last month of 2018. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the law firm that carried out a US State Department survey of the Rohingyas independently concluded that there was strong evidence that crimes against humanity and genocide were committed. The State Department has not yet made a determination, but the US House of Representatives voted 394 to 1 to declare the crimes as genocide.

In August 2018, an international fact-finding mission, authorised by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), concluded that Myanmar’s top military generals, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The UNHRC then mandated the creation of an independent mechanism to collect evidence of abuses for future prosecution. Now it is vital that this mechanism receive the funding necessary to carry out its mandate.

The International Criminal Court has also begun an investigation into the crimes committed against the Rohingya. And international human rights groups continue to push for a mechanism for carrying out prosecutions. What forms of accountability are ultimately achieved will remain to be seen, but efforts will not go away in 2019.

It is also possible that the US State Department will be pushed to finally make a determination that crimes against humanity, if not genocide, have taken place. This would prompt further targeted sanctions. The United States has already placed sanctions on a handful of Myanmar military and border guard officials and the two army battalions that led the attacks on Rohingya civilians. But these sanctions need to extend to the highest levels, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Monsoon and cyclones

One of the greatest fears faced by Rohingyas in Bangladesh through much of 2018 was the risk of a direct cyclone hit on the Rohingya camps. The worst was avoided in 2018, but flooding and high winds destroyed shelters, injured dozens and displaced thousands. With hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remaining in fragile shelters in crowded camps, that fear will be renewed with the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons. Beyond a direct hit, heavy rains will threaten landslides and flooding, not to mention the risks of the rapid spread of water-borne diseases.

The humanitarian community and government of Bangladesh made great efforts to move the most vulnerable Rohingyas to new areas in 2018. But, as highlighted by Refugees International, coordination and preparedness were limited by restrictions on the side of the government of Bangladesh and inefficiencies on the side of UN agencies. The Bangladeshi government continues to restrict the types of materials available to build more durable shelters. It also continues to push plans to move at least 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char, an island in the historic path of cyclones and prone to flooding through much of the year.

Due to government restrictions, UN agencies have also struggled with a complex, hybrid coordination structure, rather than the usual refugee response. Efforts are underway to assess the response and incorporate lessons learned for the UN response. The outcome of the recent general election in Bangladesh may create further space to address these issues. What is certain is that the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons will arrive and the extent to which space has opened and lessons been learned will be tested.

Another boat crisis?

Finally, 2019 will likely see an increase in Rohingya fleeing conditions both in Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat for other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. With increased maritime monitoring and a break up of trafficking networks, we are unlikely to see something on the scale of the May 2015 crisis, in which thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees and migrants were abandoned at sea. But the same questions of whether countries in the region will accept any abandoned boats or push them back to sea as they did in 2015 will have to be tackled. Already several boats have taken the journey.

Beyond boats, trafficking networks will prey on women in the Rohingya camps. The longer they remain in the camps in Bangladesh, the more vulnerable they will be to such networks. This underscores the regional aspect of the Rohingya crisis. How well Myanmar’s neighbours in Southeast Asia work together to tackle trafficking and pressure Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya will greatly influence how the Rohingya crisis plays out in 2019.

The Rohingya will continue to face dire conditions in 2019. But there are ways that their plight can begin to be addressed. Above all, a positive path forward will depend on the ability of international actors to pressure and encourage Myanmar to create the conditions conducive to returns for the Rohingya.

In the meantime, the government of Bangladesh and UN agencies must continue to work together to improve the conditions for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees living in the country. The year 2019 will not likely be the year that the Rohingya crisis is resolved, but with the right steps there is hope that, a year from now, we can say that the Rohingya have a better outlook for 2020.

[Daniel P. Sullivan is the Senior Advocate for Human Rights at Refugees International (RI)]

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/rohingya-crisis-refugees-genocide-myanmar-bangladesh-asia-world-news-today-21390/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Daniel Sullivan The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh.

By Daniel Sullivan The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh. The several hundred thousand who remain in Myanmar face serious restrictions, and what the chair of an independent, international fact-finding mission describes as an “ongoing genocide.” What will the year 2019 have in store for the Rohingyas? Here are key developments to keep an eye on and some thoughts on what must be done to improve the outlook. Rohingya returning home Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is both the most necessary solution to the crisis and the most controversial. It is not a question of whether Rohingyas should be able to return to their homes; it is a question of when and under what conditions. To be clear, those conditions do not currently exist. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Rohingyas in Myanmar continue to face restrictions and abuse. And there is little sign of accountability or a path to citizenship as demanded by Rohingyas who have been forced to flee. In fact, more than 15,000 Rohingyas have continued to flee conditions in Myanmar for Bangladesh in 2018. More than 40 humanitarian organisations working on the ground in Bangladesh have warned that returning the Rohingyas to their homes now would be dangerous and premature. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been clear that current conditions in Myanmar are not conducive “to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees.” Still, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh have pushed for returns to move forward. A bilateral deal to start returns by November 15, 2018, fell apart only because Bangladesh was unable to find Rohingyas willing to return voluntarily. Pressure for returns will continue through 2019, but the reality is that more than likely, most Rohingya will not and should not return by the end of 2019. Whether returns can take place in line with international standards — that is safe, voluntary and dignified — will depend mostly on what the government of Myanmar does or does not do. Reforms in Myanmar The government of Myanmar has it within its power to create the conditions conducive to safe returns of Rohingyas to Myanmar. It also has a blueprint for how to do so. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, released a final report in August 2017 that was endorsed by the government of Myanmar. The report included recommendations for freedom of movement, recognition of basic rights and a path to citizenship for Rohingyas in Myanmar. By taking these steps, opening access to humanitarians and independent media and human rights monitors, and working with UNHCR, it may be possible to begin thinking about returns in 2019. But the window for doing so is quickly closing as the next election in Myanmar draws near in 2020. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, already reluctant to reform and address the Rohingya crisis, will be even more so as the military’s party seeks to capitalize on anti-Rohingya sentiment. As this dynamic plays out, it will be even more important that pressure for change comes from outside — the sooner the better. Accountability for genocide The push for accountability for the crimes committed by Myanmar’s security forces against the Rohingya gained momentum in the last month of 2018. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the law firm that carried out a US State Department survey of the Rohingyas independently concluded that there was strong evidence that crimes against humanity and genocide were committed. The State Department has not yet made a determination, but the US House of Representatives voted 394 to 1 to declare the crimes as genocide. In August 2018, an international fact-finding mission, authorised by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), concluded that Myanmar’s top military generals, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The UNHRC then mandated the creation of an independent mechanism to collect evidence of abuses for future prosecution. Now it is vital that this mechanism receive the funding necessary to carry out its mandate. The International Criminal Court has also begun an investigation into the crimes committed against the Rohingya. And international human rights groups continue to push for a mechanism for carrying out prosecutions. What forms of accountability are ultimately achieved will remain to be seen, but efforts will not go away in 2019. It is also possible that the US State Department will be pushed to finally make a determination that crimes against humanity, if not genocide, have taken place. This would prompt further targeted sanctions. The United States has already placed sanctions on a handful of Myanmar military and border guard officials and the two army battalions that led the attacks on Rohingya civilians. But these sanctions need to extend to the highest levels, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Monsoon and cyclones One of the greatest fears faced by Rohingyas in Bangladesh through much of 2018 was the risk of a direct cyclone hit on the Rohingya camps. The worst was avoided in 2018, but flooding and high winds destroyed shelters, injured dozens and displaced thousands. With hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remaining in fragile shelters in crowded camps, that fear will be renewed with the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons. Beyond a direct hit, heavy rains will threaten landslides and flooding, not to mention the risks of the rapid spread of water-borne diseases. The humanitarian community and government of Bangladesh made great efforts to move the most vulnerable Rohingyas to new areas in 2018. But, as highlighted by Refugees International, coordination and preparedness were limited by restrictions on the side of the government of Bangladesh and inefficiencies on the side of UN agencies. The Bangladeshi government continues to restrict the types of materials available to build more durable shelters. It also continues to push plans to move at least 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char, an island in the historic path of cyclones and prone to flooding through much of the year. Due to government restrictions, UN agencies have also struggled with a complex, hybrid coordination structure, rather than the usual refugee response. Efforts are underway to assess the response and incorporate lessons learned for the UN response. The outcome of the recent general election in Bangladesh may create further space to address these issues. What is certain is that the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons will arrive and the extent to which space has opened and lessons been learned will be tested. Another boat crisis? Finally, 2019 will likely see an increase in Rohingya fleeing conditions both in Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat for other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. With increased maritime monitoring and a break up of trafficking networks, we are unlikely to see something on the scale of the May 2015 crisis, in which thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees and migrants were abandoned at sea. But the same questions of whether countries in the region will accept any abandoned boats or push them back to sea as they did in 2015 will have to be tackled. Already several boats have taken the journey. Beyond boats, trafficking networks will prey on women in the Rohingya camps. The longer they remain in the camps in Bangladesh, the more vulnerable they will be to such networks. This underscores the regional aspect of the Rohingya crisis. How well Myanmar’s neighbours in Southeast Asia work together to tackle trafficking and pressure Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya will greatly influence how the Rohingya crisis plays out in 2019. The Rohingya will continue to face dire conditions in 2019. But there are ways that their plight can begin to be addressed. Above all, a positive path forward will depend on the ability of international actors to pressure and encourage Myanmar to create the conditions conducive to returns for the Rohingya. In the meantime, the government of Bangladesh and UN agencies must continue to work together to improve the conditions for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees living in the country. The year 2019 will not likely be the year that the Rohingya crisis is resolved, but with the right steps there is hope that, a year from now, we can say that the Rohingya have a better outlook for 2020. [Daniel P. Sullivan is the Senior Advocate for Human Rights at Refugees International (RI)] (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Rohingya crisis: What to watch for in 2019

In a little over a week, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> will go to polls to elect a new parliament.

Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ruling-awami-party-promises-growth-in-bid-for-third-term-in-election-manifesto-185295">Awami League</a> (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote.

Old distinctions of pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces have been blurred with fresh alliances formed that defy understanding.

The AL, which positions itself as the pro-liberation secular force, has allied with the obscurantist Hefajat-e-Islam and other Islamic parties. It has a limited electoral understanding with former president Ershad`s Jatiyo Party.

Also in the AL camp is Bikalpdhara Bangladesh of Badrudozza Chaudhari, who was elected as the country`s President in 2001 by the BNP but was tossed out later. The BNP, long regarded as a platform for remnants of the pre-partition Muslim League, anti-AL and anti-India elements from extreme left to extreme right, has taken on board not only nominees of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami but also stalwarts of the Liberation War- octogenarian Dr Komal Hossain as well as Tiger Kader Siddiqui of the Mukti Bahini.

While Sheikh Hasina`s extended family of cousins and nephews is in the fray, it is the first time that none from the Zia family is in the contest. Convicted in a corruption case and barred from contesting elections, Begum Zia has been in prison since February this year. Her son and heir apparent Tarique Rahman, also convicted in many cases, is in exile in England.

Background of the 600 candidates, nominated by the two main contending groupings, is revealing of the character of Bangladesh`s public representatives.

In declarations filed with the Election Commission, only 22 have described themselves as full-time politicians. Seven more as businessmen-cum-politicians and 329 as simply businessmen. Of these 153, including Salman Rahman- the Mukesh Ambani of Bangladesh, have been nominated by the AL bloc, and 176 by the rival camp.

Almost all are based out of Dhaka. This shows how far the two main political parties have moved from their common worker.

Elections are being held in the background of unprecedented pressure on the opposition parties and denial of legitimate democratic space for dissent.

Nomination papers of almost 300 BNP nominees were rejected during scrutiny by the Election Commission, 15 candidates have been arrested and over 30 attacked.

Opposition candidates are being prevented from campaigning, their workers are being harassed and party offices set on fire. Nearly 21,000 workers of the opposition parties have been arrested.

The Human Rights Watch has come out with a stinging report on the muzzling of the press and the blatantly partisan manner in which the State is conducting these elections. Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has conceded there is no level playing field.

Violence is endemic to elections in Bangladesh. A study carried out reveals an average of 88 persons were killed and 3375 injured in the past parliamentary elections. The figure peaked in 2001 elections that saw 248 getting killed and 11074 injured.

The Hindu minority community bears the brunt of attacks mostly at the hands of BNP and Jamaat cadres. They are looking at the coming elections with trepidation.

The AL record in governance in the last ten years is not unimpressive in terms of macro-level economic and social indicators. It faces anti-incumbency on the count of intolerant arrogance, corruption and patronising criminal elements. Yet it is expected to win largely on the count of its control over the administrative machinery, which it has unhesitatingly used in a partisan manner.

The BNP organisation is dispirited and in disarray. Jamaat is banned and its main leaders hanged or jailed for crimes committed in 1971. Nevertheless electoral arithmetic favours the BNP Jote and it is banking on that. It hopes it will win the elections if voters overcome fear and come out and vote freely.

The voter is in a dilemma. He wants to punish the AL but is frightened of the alternative. Stalwarts of the BNP do not wish to see Tarique Rahman again. The Army, which is accused of literally breaking his back, does not want him to return.

Despite its protests, New Delhi does not seem convinced that the BNP has severed its Pakistan connection. Hence, the Indo- Bangladesh relations that have been assiduously strengthened over the last decade may suffer in the event of BNP coming to power. Even China, seen as a growing challenge to India in its neighbourhood owing to its increasing economic stakes in the country, is said to prefer continuity.

New Delhi must be watching all this closely. Relations with Bangladesh have never been better than in the last ten years. Dhaka`s cooperation has helped in controlling insurgents in the North-East. Dividends of economic collaboration with India is an accepted fact cutting across the Bangladeshi political spectrum.

Yet the anti-India feeling is high largely because of various factors, like the BJP government`s initial stand on the Rohingya refugee influx, a perception that it is anti-Muslim, the NRC issue in Assam, statements of deportation of Bangladeshi illegals and the belief that India condones whatever Sheikh Hasina does.

Lampooning anyone, who opposes AL as pro-Pakistan, too has not helped. This has alienated influential sections of the media including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, most widely-read English and Bangla dailies. Incidentally, both are edited by freedom fighters and staunchly secular individuals.

Going by the manner in which the elections are being conducted, the outcome may not be acceptable to the losing side. If it loses, AL with its street power will not allow any other government to function. If it retains power it would need to be more tolerant of dissent and realise that denying legitimate democratic space will only drive its opponents underground and lead to a violent reaction. This is a prospect New Delhi will have to be mindful of.&nbsp;

In a little over a week, Bangladesh will go to polls to elect a new parliament. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote.

In a little over a week, Bangladesh will go to polls to elect a new parliament. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies are the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections but has cobbled a rainbow coalition under the banner of Jatiya Okiya Jote. Old distinctions of pro-liberation and anti-liberation forces have been blurred with fresh alliances formed that defy understanding. The AL, which positions itself as the pro-liberation secular force, has allied with the obscurantist Hefajat-e-Islam and other Islamic parties. It has a limited electoral understanding with former president Ershad`s Jatiyo Party. Also in the AL camp is Bikalpdhara Bangladesh of Badrudozza Chaudhari, who was elected as the country`s President in 2001 by the BNP but was tossed out later. The BNP, long regarded as a platform for remnants of the pre-partition Muslim League, anti-AL and anti-India elements from extreme left to extreme right, has taken on board not only nominees of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami but also stalwarts of the Liberation War- octogenarian Dr Komal Hossain as well as Tiger Kader Siddiqui of the Mukti Bahini. While Sheikh Hasina`s extended family of cousins and nephews is in the fray, it is the first time that none from the Zia family is in the contest. Convicted in a corruption case and barred from contesting elections, Begum Zia has been in prison since February this year. Her son and heir apparent Tarique Rahman, also convicted in many cases, is in exile in England. Background of the 600 candidates, nominated by the two main contending groupings, is revealing of the character of Bangladesh`s public representatives. In declarations filed with the Election Commission, only 22 have described themselves as full-time politicians. Seven more as businessmen-cum-politicians and 329 as simply businessmen. Of these 153, including Salman Rahman- the Mukesh Ambani of Bangladesh, have been nominated by the AL bloc, and 176 by the rival camp. Almost all are based out of Dhaka. This shows how far the two main political parties have moved from their common worker. Elections are being held in the background of unprecedented pressure on the opposition parties and denial of legitimate democratic space for dissent. Nomination papers of almost 300 BNP nominees were rejected during scrutiny by the Election Commission, 15 candidates have been arrested and over 30 attacked. Opposition candidates are being prevented from campaigning, their workers are being harassed and party offices set on fire. Nearly 21,000 workers of the opposition parties have been arrested. The Human Rights Watch has come out with a stinging report on the muzzling of the press and the blatantly partisan manner in which the State is conducting these elections. Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar has conceded there is no level playing field. Violence is endemic to elections in Bangladesh. A study carried out reveals an average of 88 persons were killed and 3375 injured in the past parliamentary elections. The figure peaked in 2001 elections that saw 248 getting killed and 11074 injured. The Hindu minority community bears the brunt of attacks mostly at the hands of BNP and Jamaat cadres. They are looking at the coming elections with trepidation. The AL record in governance in the last ten years is not unimpressive in terms of macro-level economic and social indicators. It faces anti-incumbency on the count of intolerant arrogance, corruption and patronising criminal elements. Yet it is expected to win largely on the count of its control over the administrative machinery, which it has unhesitatingly used in a partisan manner. The BNP organisation is dispirited and in disarray. Jamaat is banned and its main leaders hanged or jailed for crimes committed in 1971. Nevertheless electoral arithmetic favours the BNP Jote and it is banking on that. It hopes it will win the elections if voters overcome fear and come out and vote freely. The voter is in a dilemma. He wants to punish the AL but is frightened of the alternative. Stalwarts of the BNP do not wish to see Tarique Rahman again. The Army, which is accused of literally breaking his back, does not want him to return. Despite its protests, New Delhi does not seem convinced that the BNP has severed its Pakistan connection. Hence, the Indo- Bangladesh relations that have been assiduously strengthened over the last decade may suffer in the event of BNP coming to power. Even China, seen as a growing challenge to India in its neighbourhood owing to its increasing economic stakes in the country, is said to prefer continuity. New Delhi must be watching all this closely. Relations with Bangladesh have never been better than in the last ten years. Dhaka`s cooperation has helped in controlling insurgents in the North-East. Dividends of economic collaboration with India is an accepted fact cutting across the Bangladeshi political spectrum. Yet the anti-India feeling is high largely because of various factors, like the BJP government`s initial stand on the Rohingya refugee influx, a perception that it is anti-Muslim, the NRC issue in Assam, statements of deportation of Bangladeshi illegals and the belief that India condones whatever Sheikh Hasina does. Lampooning anyone, who opposes AL as pro-Pakistan, too has not helped. This has alienated influential sections of the media including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, most widely-read English and Bangla dailies. Incidentally, both are edited by freedom fighters and staunchly secular individuals. Going by the manner in which the elections are being conducted, the outcome may not be acceptable to the losing side. If it loses, AL with its street power will not allow any other government to function. If it retains power it would need to be more tolerant of dissent and realise that denying legitimate democratic space will only drive its opponents underground and lead to a violent reaction. This is a prospect New Delhi will have to be mindful of.

Bangladesh elections: A rocky road ahead for all parties

A Myanmar court will hear the appeal later this month of two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis, a lawyer said Saturday.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were found guilty under a state secrets act in September after exposing the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men during a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's western Rakhine state last year.

The pair&nbsp;who have been held behind bars for nearly a year since their arrest last December were sentenced to seven years in jail, a verdict that drew widespread condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence.

Lawyer Than Zaw Aung told AFP the date for the appeal hearing has been set for December 24 at the Yangon regional court.

"It is difficult to say how long the appeal can take," he said, estimating that it would run for "at least two weeks", but could stretch to months.&nbsp;

"We are hoping for their unconditional release."

The reporters will remain in prison during the appeal process.

The pair were investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya men by security forces in Inn Din village, an atrocity that the military later admitted in a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing.&nbsp;

And as the much-criticized trial was being held, one whistleblowing police officer told the court how a superior had ordered his men to set up a sting to entrap the reporters&nbsp;testimony the judge chose to ignore.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has remained defiant in the face of criticism and insisted the case upheld the rule of law&nbsp;further tarnishing her image as a democracy icon after her silence over the military's actions against the Rohingya Muslims.

UN investigators have called for senior military generals to be prosecuted for genocide over their handling of the Rohingya crisis, in which more than 720,000 people were forcibly expelled to neighbouring Bangladesh's refugee camps.&nbsp;

A Myanmar court will hear the appeal later this month of two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis, a lawyer said Saturday. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were found guilty under a state secrets act in September after exposing the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men during a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's western Rakhine state last year.

A Myanmar court will hear the appeal later this month of two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis, a lawyer said Saturday. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were found guilty under a state secrets act in September after exposing the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men during a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's western Rakhine state last year. The pair who have been held behind bars for nearly a year since their arrest last December were sentenced to seven years in jail, a verdict that drew widespread condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence. Lawyer Than Zaw Aung told AFP the date for the appeal hearing has been set for December 24 at the Yangon regional court. "It is difficult to say how long the appeal can take," he said, estimating that it would run for "at least two weeks", but could stretch to months. "We are hoping for their unconditional release." The reporters will remain in prison during the appeal process. The pair were investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya men by security forces in Inn Din village, an atrocity that the military later admitted in a rare acknowledgement of wrongdoing. And as the much-criticized trial was being held, one whistleblowing police officer told the court how a superior had ordered his men to set up a sting to entrap the reporters testimony the judge chose to ignore. Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has remained defiant in the face of criticism and insisted the case upheld the rule of law further tarnishing her image as a democracy icon after her silence over the military's actions against the Rohingya Muslims. UN investigators have called for senior military generals to be prosecuted for genocide over their handling of the Rohingya crisis, in which more than 720,000 people were forcibly expelled to neighbouring Bangladesh's refugee camps.

Myanmar court to hear jailed reporters appeal this month

Nearly 130,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still live in crowded camps in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes.

The government of Aung San Suu Kyi, under international pressure to address their plight, said that it is now closing the camps on the grounds that doing so will help development and put the labour of camp residents to good use. But Reuters' interviews with more than a dozen residents from five camps and internal United Nations documents show the move simply means building new, more permanent homes next to the camps -- rather than allowing them to return to the areas from which they fled.

Those that have moved into the new accommodation remain under the same severe movement restrictions as before, residents and staff working in the camps said. A network of official checkpoints and threats of violence by local Buddhists prevent Muslims from moving freely in Rakhine.

The UN chief in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, warned in a September 24 note that camp closures "risk further entrenching segregation while denying IDPs (internally displaced persons) many of their fundamental human rights". It could also drive more people to risk a hazardous maritime escape route. On Tuesday (December 4) a boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya Muslims landed on Indonesia's Sumatra island, part of a series of boat departures from Myanmar and Bangladesh in recent weeks.

Pierre Peron, spokesman for the UN&nbsp;Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in Myanmar, said the government should be focusing on getting the people to return home safely before closing those camps.

"What we are not seeing is people being able to return home to where they fled from," he said, adding that "the people in those places in those camps, still are relying on humanitarian assistance because they still do not have freedom of movement."

Myanmar said it is working with the United Nations on a national strategy to close camps housing people forced out of their homes by violence in Rakhine and elsewhere. It said such closures are in line with the 2017 recommendations of a commission led by the late former UN&nbsp;chief Kofi Annan.

But Rohingya community leaders said that improving conditions for those still living in Rakhine is one of the keys to persuading the hundreds of thousands sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return.

Some 730,000 fled a military crackdown after attacks by Rohingya militants in August 2017. UN-mandated investigators have said the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the accusations against its troops, whom it said were engaged in legitimate operations against terrorists.

Nearly 130,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still live in crowded camps in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes.

Nearly 130,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still live in crowded camps in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes. The government of Aung San Suu Kyi, under international pressure to address their plight, said that it is now closing the camps on the grounds that doing so will help development and put the labour of camp residents to good use. But Reuters' interviews with more than a dozen residents from five camps and internal United Nations documents show the move simply means building new, more permanent homes next to the camps -- rather than allowing them to return to the areas from which they fled. Those that have moved into the new accommodation remain under the same severe movement restrictions as before, residents and staff working in the camps said. A network of official checkpoints and threats of violence by local Buddhists prevent Muslims from moving freely in Rakhine. The UN chief in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, warned in a September 24 note that camp closures "risk further entrenching segregation while denying IDPs (internally displaced persons) many of their fundamental human rights". It could also drive more people to risk a hazardous maritime escape route. On Tuesday (December 4) a boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya Muslims landed on Indonesia's Sumatra island, part of a series of boat departures from Myanmar and Bangladesh in recent weeks. Pierre Peron, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) in Myanmar, said the government should be focusing on getting the people to return home safely before closing those camps. "What we are not seeing is people being able to return home to where they fled from," he said, adding that "the people in those places in those camps, still are relying on humanitarian assistance because they still do not have freedom of movement." Myanmar said it is working with the United Nations on a national strategy to close camps housing people forced out of their homes by violence in Rakhine and elsewhere. It said such closures are in line with the 2017 recommendations of a commission led by the late former UN chief Kofi Annan. But Rohingya community leaders said that improving conditions for those still living in Rakhine is one of the keys to persuading the hundreds of thousands sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return. Some 730,000 fled a military crackdown after attacks by Rohingya militants in August 2017. UN-mandated investigators have said the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the accusations against its troops, whom it said were engaged in legitimate operations against terrorists.

Myanmar’s plan to 'close' Rohingya camps threatens deeper segregation

Paris city will strip Aung San <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-dont-need-their-prize-myanmar-defiant-as-amnesty-pulls-suu-kyi-award-177056">Suu Kyi of her honorary freedom </a>of the French capital over her failure to speak out against a crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority, a mayor's spokeswoman said Friday.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo decided to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/canada-legislators-symbolic-move-vote-strip-myanmars-suu-kyi-citizenship-168059">revoke the honour because </a>of the "multiple violations of human rights recorded in Myanmar and the violence and persecution by Myanmar's security forces against the Rohingya minority," the spokeswoman told AFP.

The move, which follows similar decisions by Glasgow, Edinburgh and Oxford, would make Myanmar's de facto leader the first person to lose the freedom of the French capital, a purely symbolic award.

The move will be finalised by the city council at a meeting in mid-December, the spokeswoman said.

Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, once feted as a democracy icon in the mould of Nelson Mandela for leading opposition to Myanmar's military junta, has fallen out of favour in the West over her inaction in the face of the crackdown on the mostly Muslim Rohingya.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled violence in the Buddhist-majority country last year, mostly to neighbouring Bangladesh.

A UN rights team found evidence of widespread murder, rape, torture and arson and called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Hidalgo's office said the mayor wrote to Suu Kyi late last year to "express her concern and call for respect for the rights of the Rohingya minority", but that the letter went unanswered.

Suu Kyi's supporters argue that she has no powers to rein in the army.

She has already been stripped of her honorary Canadian citizenship and her Amnesty International's "Ambassador of Conscience Award".&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Paris city will strip Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary freedom of the French capital over her failure to speak out against a crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority, a mayor's spokeswoman said Friday.

Paris city will strip Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary freedom of the French capital over her failure to speak out against a crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority, a mayor's spokeswoman said Friday. Mayor Anne Hidalgo decided to revoke the honour because of the "multiple violations of human rights recorded in Myanmar and the violence and persecution by Myanmar's security forces against the Rohingya minority," the spokeswoman told AFP. The move, which follows similar decisions by Glasgow, Edinburgh and Oxford, would make Myanmar's de facto leader the first person to lose the freedom of the French capital, a purely symbolic award. The move will be finalised by the city council at a meeting in mid-December, the spokeswoman said. Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, once feted as a democracy icon in the mould of Nelson Mandela for leading opposition to Myanmar's military junta, has fallen out of favour in the West over her inaction in the face of the crackdown on the mostly Muslim Rohingya. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled violence in the Buddhist-majority country last year, mostly to neighbouring Bangladesh. A UN rights team found evidence of widespread murder, rape, torture and arson and called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hidalgo's office said the mayor wrote to Suu Kyi late last year to "express her concern and call for respect for the rights of the Rohingya minority", but that the letter went unanswered. Suu Kyi's supporters argue that she has no powers to rein in the army. She has already been stripped of her honorary Canadian citizenship and her Amnesty International's "Ambassador of Conscience Award".

Suu Kyi to be stripped of freedom of French capital award: Paris mayor

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements.

Some 120,000 Rohingya have languished in displacement camps near Rakhine's capital, Sittwe, since riots in 2012.&nbsp;

Their movement, access to healthcare, work and education is severely restricted in conditions decried as amounting to apartheid by Amnesty International.

Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown to Bangladesh refuse to return to Rakhine without equal rights, citizenship and safety - fearing similiar long-term confinement if they do.

Villagers told AFP that four Rohingya were shot and wounded as Myanmar police entered the Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state's Pauktaw township Sunday morning.

In an emailed statement Knut Ostby, head of the UN office in Myanmar, called for "calm, non-violence and restraint" in an area which can be accessed only with official permission -- but is believed to suffer from some of the worst conditions in the displacement camps.

One witness said that officers were trying to arrest two Rohingya suspected of links with a boat carrying 106 Rohingya that was found last week off the coast of Myanmar's biggest city Yangon.

The discovery fuelled speculation of a fresh exodus of Rohingya by boat.

The group, who told reporters they were trying to reach Malaysia, were taken back to Rakhine on Sunday by Myanmar's navy.

Noor Hakim, an Ah Nauk Ye resident, told AFP that the trouble started on Sunday soon after 20 police arrived and crowds gathered.&nbsp;

"I am not sure where the police shot but four people got injured and among them, one seriously," he said.

He added that one of the wounded was sent to Sittwe hospital.

Another man told AFP his son was hit on the left thigh.

Police in Sittwe declined to comment.

More than 4,000 people live in Ah Nauk Ye.&nbsp;

The NGO Solidarites International described it last year as a "natural environment unsuitable to human settlement", citing water shortages, hostile host communities, lack of proper shelter and toilets.

For years Rohingya have fled persecution in Myanmar by boat, usually starting around this time of year when the monsoon season ends.&nbsp;

But a crackdown on sea trafficking in 2015 closed the route.

The 720,000 Rohingya living in crowded camps in Bangladesh were last week supposed to begin the complex and controversial process of returning to Myanmar.

But they did not leave Bangladesh after an outcry that conditions in northern Rakhine were still dangerous.

The UN says Myanmar's generals should be prosecuted for genocide in connection with the army campaign that expelled the Rohingya.

Myanmar has denied almost all claims of abuse and says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements.

The UN has called for calm after several Rohingya Muslims were shot and wounded in a Rakhine state camp, in a raid linked to the failed escape of more than 100 of the stateless minority from the grim settlements. Some 120,000 Rohingya have languished in displacement camps near Rakhine's capital, Sittwe, since riots in 2012. Their movement, access to healthcare, work and education is severely restricted in conditions decried as amounting to apartheid by Amnesty International. Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown to Bangladesh refuse to return to Rakhine without equal rights, citizenship and safety - fearing similiar long-term confinement if they do. Villagers told AFP that four Rohingya were shot and wounded as Myanmar police entered the Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state's Pauktaw township Sunday morning. In an emailed statement Knut Ostby, head of the UN office in Myanmar, called for "calm, non-violence and restraint" in an area which can be accessed only with official permission -- but is believed to suffer from some of the worst conditions in the displacement camps. One witness said that officers were trying to arrest two Rohingya suspected of links with a boat carrying 106 Rohingya that was found last week off the coast of Myanmar's biggest city Yangon. The discovery fuelled speculation of a fresh exodus of Rohingya by boat. The group, who told reporters they were trying to reach Malaysia, were taken back to Rakhine on Sunday by Myanmar's navy. Noor Hakim, an Ah Nauk Ye resident, told AFP that the trouble started on Sunday soon after 20 police arrived and crowds gathered. "I am not sure where the police shot but four people got injured and among them, one seriously," he said. He added that one of the wounded was sent to Sittwe hospital. Another man told AFP his son was hit on the left thigh. Police in Sittwe declined to comment. More than 4,000 people live in Ah Nauk Ye. The NGO Solidarites International described it last year as a "natural environment unsuitable to human settlement", citing water shortages, hostile host communities, lack of proper shelter and toilets. For years Rohingya have fled persecution in Myanmar by boat, usually starting around this time of year when the monsoon season ends. But a crackdown on sea trafficking in 2015 closed the route. The 720,000 Rohingya living in crowded camps in Bangladesh were last week supposed to begin the complex and controversial process of returning to Myanmar. But they did not leave Bangladesh after an outcry that conditions in northern Rakhine were still dangerous. The UN says Myanmar's generals should be prosecuted for genocide in connection with the army campaign that expelled the Rohingya. Myanmar has denied almost all claims of abuse and says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

UN calls for calm after shots fired in Rohingya camp in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi's response to the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims is "indefensible", Malaysia's leader said Tuesday in a withering criticism of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate shortly before sharing a stage with her.

Mahathir Mohamad, 93, said he was "very disappointed" by Suu Kyi's failure to defend the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority driven from Myanmar in their hundreds of thousands last year by an army campaign that UN investigators say amounted to genocide.

Mahathir made his remarks less than an hour before standing alongside Suu Kyi for a stoney-faced photo shoot at the start of the ASEAN regional summit in Singapore, the kind of diplomatic gathering where she was once feted by contemporaries as a beacon of democracy.

"Someone who has been detained before should know the sufferings and should not inflict it on the hapless," Mahathir told reporters in a reference to Suu Kyi's long years of house arrest under Myanmar's military junta.

"But it would seem that Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to defend what is indefensible," he added.

Suu Kyi has failed to clearly condemn Myanmar's army for its crackdown and has instead cast doubt on the veracity of Rohingya testimony of atrocities.

Mahathir, the outspoken leader of Malaysia -- a majority Muslim country -- also appealed to Myanmar to accept Rohingya as citizens.

"When Malaysia became independent in 1957, we had people of foreign origin.... but we accepted all of them," he said.&nbsp;

"They are now citizens, they play a full role in the politics of the country, they are free they are not detained because of race or any thing like that."

Myanmar insists the Rohingya are interlopers from Bangladesh despite many living for generations in western Rakhine state and has long denied them basic rights and liberties.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Rohingya crisis has dulled the diplomatic niceties that traditionally govern gatherings of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which is meeting in Singapore this week.

The bloc tends to shy away from any direct criticism of each other and promote consensus diplomacy.

But Mahathir has been much more willing to break with those diplomatic traditions.

Defenders of Suu Kyi say she has little control over Myanmar's military in a country where the generals still have huge political power and independence.

But critics say her failure to use her huge domestic appeal to publicly castigate the generals or push for protection of the Rohingya makes her complicit.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi's arrival in Singapore came a day after Amnesty International stripped her of its top award over her "indifference" to the atrocities committed by the military against the Rohingya.&nbsp;

The first stage of a long-delayed and deeply controversial plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar is due to start on Thursday - despite widespread opposition from rights groups to any&nbsp;forced return.&nbsp;

Aung San Suu Kyi's response to the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims is "indefensible", Malaysia's leader said Tuesday in a withering criticism of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate shortly before sharing a stage with her.

Aung San Suu Kyi's response to the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims is "indefensible", Malaysia's leader said Tuesday in a withering criticism of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate shortly before sharing a stage with her. Mahathir Mohamad, 93, said he was "very disappointed" by Suu Kyi's failure to defend the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority driven from Myanmar in their hundreds of thousands last year by an army campaign that UN investigators say amounted to genocide. Mahathir made his remarks less than an hour before standing alongside Suu Kyi for a stoney-faced photo shoot at the start of the ASEAN regional summit in Singapore, the kind of diplomatic gathering where she was once feted by contemporaries as a beacon of democracy. "Someone who has been detained before should know the sufferings and should not inflict it on the hapless," Mahathir told reporters in a reference to Suu Kyi's long years of house arrest under Myanmar's military junta. "But it would seem that Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to defend what is indefensible," he added. Suu Kyi has failed to clearly condemn Myanmar's army for its crackdown and has instead cast doubt on the veracity of Rohingya testimony of atrocities. Mahathir, the outspoken leader of Malaysia -- a majority Muslim country -- also appealed to Myanmar to accept Rohingya as citizens. "When Malaysia became independent in 1957, we had people of foreign origin.... but we accepted all of them," he said. "They are now citizens, they play a full role in the politics of the country, they are free they are not detained because of race or any thing like that." Myanmar insists the Rohingya are interlopers from Bangladesh despite many living for generations in western Rakhine state and has long denied them basic rights and liberties. The Rohingya crisis has dulled the diplomatic niceties that traditionally govern gatherings of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) which is meeting in Singapore this week. The bloc tends to shy away from any direct criticism of each other and promote consensus diplomacy. But Mahathir has been much more willing to break with those diplomatic traditions. Defenders of Suu Kyi say she has little control over Myanmar's military in a country where the generals still have huge political power and independence. But critics say her failure to use her huge domestic appeal to publicly castigate the generals or push for protection of the Rohingya makes her complicit. Suu Kyi's arrival in Singapore came a day after Amnesty International stripped her of its top award over her "indifference" to the atrocities committed by the military against the Rohingya. The first stage of a long-delayed and deeply controversial plan to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar is due to start on Thursday - despite widespread opposition from rights groups to any forced return.

Suu Kyi stance on Rohingya 'indefensible': Malaysia PM

Rohingya Muslims are fleeing Bangladeshi refugee camps to avoid a controversial drive to repatriate them to Myanmar later this week, where the UN says conditions are still not conducive to their return.&nbsp;

Authorities plan to begin returning Rohingya refugees, who have fled what the UN has called ethnic cleansing, to the Buddhist majority country from Thursday.

But the prospect has created panic in the camps, prompting some families who were due to be among the first to be repatriated to flee, according to community leaders.&nbsp;

"The authorities repeatedly tried to motivate the ones on the returning refugee list to go back. But instead, they were intimidated and fled to other camps," said Nur Islam, from Jamtoli refugee camp.

More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's western Rakhine state following a military crackdown from August last year, bringing with them stories of murders, rapes and torture.

They have joined some 300,000 Rohingya already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeast for years.

Some 2,260 Rohingya are scheduled to enter Myanmar from Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district in the first repatriations from Thursday.

Director general of Bangladesh's foreign ministry Delwar Hossain said the refugees would be repatriated in groups of 150 each day during the initial phase.

"Both sides have agreed to start repatriation on November 15," he told AFP on Tuesday, adding it remained a voluntary process.

Confusion and fear&nbsp;

But Nur Islam said the plan has created "massive confusion and fear" among the Rohingya and many were unwilling to return to Rakhine unless they were guaranteed citizenship and other rights.

An AFP correspondent was able to speak to three families who said they were due to leave this week.

"We are truly disturbed by the entire issue. As the day is coming closer, our tension is rising," Mohammad Khaleque, a Rohingya refugee told AFP.

He said he and his family were fleeing their camp for another makeshift Rohingya settlement in Cox's Bazar, in an effort to avoid being forcibly repatriated.

"I don't see a future for my family if we're forcibly sent back home right now without confirming that we would get full Myanmar citizenship," he said.

"We don't want to go back like this."

But a small number of Hindus from Rakhine, who also fled the violence alongside the Rohingya, said they were ready to return if the passage was safe.

"We have prepared out bags. We would go today, if sufficient security was provided," said 60-year-old Jyotsna Bala Paul, one of roughly 400 Hindu refugees that community leaders say are ready to leave Bangladesh.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which received a list from the Bangladesh government on Monday to assess whether the refugees wanted to go back to Myanmar voluntarily, said the start date of November 15 was an "ambitious plan".

UNHCR senior spokesman Chris Melzer said "logistical problems" needed to be solved first.

"This is the matter of the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Although we still think that the conditions are not conducive now for the refugees to return in Myanmar," he told AFP.

The UN assessment may take at least two more days, according to both UN and Bangladesh officials.

Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said the country was ready to start repatriating the refugees via two transit points they have set up at the border.

An AFP team visited both the centres. One appeared complete while the construction of the second was "over 80 percent" finished, according to builders.

A Bangladeshi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that the Rohingya refugees were not "mentally ready" for returning.

"They often say to us they would rather die here in the (Bangladeshi) camps than to go back and embrace the harrowing pain they have already experienced," he said.

Rohingya Muslims are fleeing Bangladeshi refugee camps to avoid a controversial drive to repatriate them to Myanmar later this week, where the UN says conditions are still not conducive to their return.

Rohingya Muslims are fleeing Bangladeshi refugee camps to avoid a controversial drive to repatriate them to Myanmar later this week, where the UN says conditions are still not conducive to their return. Authorities plan to begin returning Rohingya refugees, who have fled what the UN has called ethnic cleansing, to the Buddhist majority country from Thursday. But the prospect has created panic in the camps, prompting some families who were due to be among the first to be repatriated to flee, according to community leaders. "The authorities repeatedly tried to motivate the ones on the returning refugee list to go back. But instead, they were intimidated and fled to other camps," said Nur Islam, from Jamtoli refugee camp. More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's western Rakhine state following a military crackdown from August last year, bringing with them stories of murders, rapes and torture. They have joined some 300,000 Rohingya already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeast for years. Some 2,260 Rohingya are scheduled to enter Myanmar from Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district in the first repatriations from Thursday. Director general of Bangladesh's foreign ministry Delwar Hossain said the refugees would be repatriated in groups of 150 each day during the initial phase. "Both sides have agreed to start repatriation on November 15," he told AFP on Tuesday, adding it remained a voluntary process. Confusion and fear But Nur Islam said the plan has created "massive confusion and fear" among the Rohingya and many were unwilling to return to Rakhine unless they were guaranteed citizenship and other rights. An AFP correspondent was able to speak to three families who said they were due to leave this week. "We are truly disturbed by the entire issue. As the day is coming closer, our tension is rising," Mohammad Khaleque, a Rohingya refugee told AFP. He said he and his family were fleeing their camp for another makeshift Rohingya settlement in Cox's Bazar, in an effort to avoid being forcibly repatriated. "I don't see a future for my family if we're forcibly sent back home right now without confirming that we would get full Myanmar citizenship," he said. "We don't want to go back like this." But a small number of Hindus from Rakhine, who also fled the violence alongside the Rohingya, said they were ready to return if the passage was safe. "We have prepared out bags. We would go today, if sufficient security was provided," said 60-year-old Jyotsna Bala Paul, one of roughly 400 Hindu refugees that community leaders say are ready to leave Bangladesh. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, which received a list from the Bangladesh government on Monday to assess whether the refugees wanted to go back to Myanmar voluntarily, said the start date of November 15 was an "ambitious plan". UNHCR senior spokesman Chris Melzer said "logistical problems" needed to be solved first. "This is the matter of the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Although we still think that the conditions are not conducive now for the refugees to return in Myanmar," he told AFP. The UN assessment may take at least two more days, according to both UN and Bangladesh officials. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said the country was ready to start repatriating the refugees via two transit points they have set up at the border. An AFP team visited both the centres. One appeared complete while the construction of the second was "over 80 percent" finished, according to builders. A Bangladeshi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that the Rohingya refugees were not "mentally ready" for returning. "They often say to us they would rather die here in the (Bangladeshi) camps than to go back and embrace the harrowing pain they have already experienced," he said.

Rohingya flee camps fearing forcible return to Myanmar

Bangladesh/YANGON (Reuters) - Dozens of Rohingya Muslim families on a list of refugees set to be repatriated to Myanmar later this week have fled from camps in Bangladesh where they were living, a Rohingya leader said on Monday, even as Myanmar prepares to begin receiving them.

"Most of the people on the list have fled to avoid being repatriated," said Abdus Salam, a Rohingya leader at the Jamtoli camp, some 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, adding most have fled to other neighbouring camps to avoid being detected and forced to return against their will.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in late October to begin repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape an army crackdown, even though the United Nations' refugee agency and aid groups say doubts persist about their safety and conditions in Myanmar should they return.

The repatriation of the first batch of 2,000 refugees is set to officially begin on November&nbsp;15 and officials in Myanmar said on Sunday they were ready to begin receiving refugees this week.

"It depends on the other country, whether this will actually happen or not," Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's Minister for Social Welfare and Resettlement, told a news conference, referring to Bangladesh. "But we must be ready from our side. We have done that."

Last week, more than 20 individuals on the list of potential returnees submitted by Bangladesh told Reuters they would refuse to return to Myanmar's western Rakhine state, from where they fled, saying that they were terrified.

Bangladesh has said it would not force anyone to return and has asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to verify whether those shortlisted are willing to go back.

Firas Al-Khateeb, a UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, told Reuters on Sunday that this effort had not yet begun.

AVOIDING PRAYERS

"People are so afraid of being identified, they are avoiding Friday prayers at the mosque," said one refugee, who has fled with his family from Jamtoli to the large Kutupalong camp to evade repatriation.

The United Nations has said conditions are not yet safe for the refugees to go back, in part because Myanmar Buddhists have been protesting against the return of Rohingya.

The UNHCR said late on Sunday that refugees should be allowed to go and see the conditions in Myanmar before they decide whether to return.

Abul Kalam, Bangladesh Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said he was hopeful the process could begin on Thursday.

"The return will be voluntary. Nobody will be forced to go back," he told Reuters.

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar last year. They say soldiers and local Buddhists massacred families, burned hundreds of villages, and carried out gang rapes. U.N-mandated investigators have accused the army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies almost all of the allegations, saying security forces were battling terrorists. Attacks by Rohingya insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the crackdown.

"INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT"

The UNHCR called for Myanmar to allow Rohingya refugees to visit their places of origin or resettlement sites to make their own "independent assessment of whether they feel they can return there in safety and dignity".

"Myanmar authorities should allow these refugees to undertake such go-and-see visits without prejudice to their right to return at a later date," the UNHCR said in a statement late on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Myanmar minister Win Myat Aye said preparations had been made for 2,251 people to be transported to two transit centres by boat on Thursday, while a second group of 2,095 could follow later by road.

Once processed, they would be sent to another centre where they would be housed, fed, and asked to build homes via cash-for-work schemes.

Returnees would only be allowed to travel within Maungdaw township, one of the three areas they fled, and only if they accepted National Verification Cards, an identity document most Rohingya reject because they say it brands them as foreigners.

Many Rohingya, who have been left stateless, oppose going back without guarantees of citizenship and freedom of movement.

Bangladesh/YANGON (Reuters) - Dozens of Rohingya Muslim families on a list of refugees set to be repatriated to Myanmar later this week have fled from camps in Bangladesh where they were living, a Rohingya leader said on Monday, even as Myanmar prepares to begin receiving them.

Bangladesh/YANGON (Reuters) - Dozens of Rohingya Muslim families on a list of refugees set to be repatriated to Myanmar later this week have fled from camps in Bangladesh where they were living, a Rohingya leader said on Monday, even as Myanmar prepares to begin receiving them. "Most of the people on the list have fled to avoid being repatriated," said Abdus Salam, a Rohingya leader at the Jamtoli camp, some 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, adding most have fled to other neighbouring camps to avoid being detected and forced to return against their will. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in late October to begin repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape an army crackdown, even though the United Nations' refugee agency and aid groups say doubts persist about their safety and conditions in Myanmar should they return. The repatriation of the first batch of 2,000 refugees is set to officially begin on November 15 and officials in Myanmar said on Sunday they were ready to begin receiving refugees this week. "It depends on the other country, whether this will actually happen or not," Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's Minister for Social Welfare and Resettlement, told a news conference, referring to Bangladesh. "But we must be ready from our side. We have done that." Last week, more than 20 individuals on the list of potential returnees submitted by Bangladesh told Reuters they would refuse to return to Myanmar's western Rakhine state, from where they fled, saying that they were terrified. Bangladesh has said it would not force anyone to return and has asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to verify whether those shortlisted are willing to go back. Firas Al-Khateeb, a UNHCR representative in Bangladesh, told Reuters on Sunday that this effort had not yet begun. AVOIDING PRAYERS "People are so afraid of being identified, they are avoiding Friday prayers at the mosque," said one refugee, who has fled with his family from Jamtoli to the large Kutupalong camp to evade repatriation. The United Nations has said conditions are not yet safe for the refugees to go back, in part because Myanmar Buddhists have been protesting against the return of Rohingya. The UNHCR said late on Sunday that refugees should be allowed to go and see the conditions in Myanmar before they decide whether to return. Abul Kalam, Bangladesh Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said he was hopeful the process could begin on Thursday. "The return will be voluntary. Nobody will be forced to go back," he told Reuters. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar last year. They say soldiers and local Buddhists massacred families, burned hundreds of villages, and carried out gang rapes. U.N-mandated investigators have accused the army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies almost all of the allegations, saying security forces were battling terrorists. Attacks by Rohingya insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the crackdown. "INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT" The UNHCR called for Myanmar to allow Rohingya refugees to visit their places of origin or resettlement sites to make their own "independent assessment of whether they feel they can return there in safety and dignity". "Myanmar authorities should allow these refugees to undertake such go-and-see visits without prejudice to their right to return at a later date," the UNHCR said in a statement late on Sunday. Meanwhile, Myanmar minister Win Myat Aye said preparations had been made for 2,251 people to be transported to two transit centres by boat on Thursday, while a second group of 2,095 could follow later by road. Once processed, they would be sent to another centre where they would be housed, fed, and asked to build homes via cash-for-work schemes. Returnees would only be allowed to travel within Maungdaw township, one of the three areas they fled, and only if they accepted National Verification Cards, an identity document most Rohingya reject because they say it brands them as foreigners. Many Rohingya, who have been left stateless, oppose going back without guarantees of citizenship and freedom of movement.

Rohingya flee refugee camps in Bangladesh, as Myanmar prepares for first returnees

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office.

Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to power in 2015 in a landslide victory ending decades of military rule.

But her tenure has been marred by a failure to speak up for Rohingya Muslims driven out of the country by the army and stumbling peace talks with insurgent groups in lawless border areas.

A mere 13 positions are in play in the country's second by-election since the national poll three years ago, but they are spread out across the country and include parliamentary and regional assembly seats.

Some two-dozen parties are in the mix and 69 candidates are taking part.

At one polling station in Yangon's Tamwe township residents showed support for Suu Kyi while acknowleding some of the criticism.

"I voted NLD this morning," Maung Maung, 34, a software engineer who lives in Tamwe, told AFP.

"I was a strong supporter of the NLD for years but during the years when NLD took power, there were some failures that they are working on," he added, without going into detail.

Aye Soe, a 52-year-old street vendor, expressed full-throated backing.

"I will support her until I die," she said.

Initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's reputation at home is more secure than it is abroad, where her image as a rights icon has been shattered by the Rohingya crisis.

More than 720,000 from the stateless Muslim minority have fled to Bangladesh since a military crackdown in August 2017.

Huddled in crowded camps, they have recounted stories of murder, rape and villages burned to the ground.

Myanmar has denied almost all of the allegations, saying soldiers were defending themselves against Rohingya militants.

UN investigators have called for the situation to be referred to the International Criminal Court and for senior members of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, to be investigated on genocide charges.

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office.

Myanmar voters cast their ballots in a small but key by-election Saturday, a rare local test of support for embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party more than halfway through her time in office. Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to power in 2015 in a landslide victory ending decades of military rule. But her tenure has been marred by a failure to speak up for Rohingya Muslims driven out of the country by the army and stumbling peace talks with insurgent groups in lawless border areas. A mere 13 positions are in play in the country's second by-election since the national poll three years ago, but they are spread out across the country and include parliamentary and regional assembly seats. Some two-dozen parties are in the mix and 69 candidates are taking part. At one polling station in Yangon's Tamwe township residents showed support for Suu Kyi while acknowleding some of the criticism. "I voted NLD this morning," Maung Maung, 34, a software engineer who lives in Tamwe, told AFP. "I was a strong supporter of the NLD for years but during the years when NLD took power, there were some failures that they are working on," he added, without going into detail. Aye Soe, a 52-year-old street vendor, expressed full-throated backing. "I will support her until I die," she said. Initial results are expected to be announced on Sunday. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi's reputation at home is more secure than it is abroad, where her image as a rights icon has been shattered by the Rohingya crisis. More than 720,000 from the stateless Muslim minority have fled to Bangladesh since a military crackdown in August 2017. Huddled in crowded camps, they have recounted stories of murder, rape and villages burned to the ground. Myanmar has denied almost all of the allegations, saying soldiers were defending themselves against Rohingya militants. UN investigators have called for the situation to be referred to the International Criminal Court and for senior members of the Tatmadaw, as the armed forces are known, to be investigated on genocide charges.

Myanmar by-election rare local test for Aung San Suu Kyi

An ultra-nationalist monk -- dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden" -- on Sunday condemned the international community for their calls to bring Myanmar's generals to justice over the Rohingya crisis.

Firebrand monk Wirathu, known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement, was speaking at a pro-military rally that attracted hundreds of supporters, his first since being barred from giving public sermons last year.

The ban, which ended in March, was issued by a council of senior monks who said Wirathu had "repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife".

The hate speech he espouses -- which includes calling the Rohingya Muslim minority "Bengali" in an attempt to delegitimize their identity as being from Myanmar -- has also caused Facebook to ban him from their platform.

The hardline abbot on Sunday reverted to his signature rhetoric at the rally to protest calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Myanmar's generals for genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

"The day when the ICC comes here...Is the day that Wirathu holds a gun," he said in a speech that often referred to himself in the third person.

He lauded China and Russia in the UN Security Council as "nationalist giants who stand with the truth" in their role of preventing any firm action against Myanmar.

"Don't lie to the world saying that Bengalis are Rohingya because you want to promote Islamisation in Myanmar," Wirathu said.

"Don't destroy our country by creating a fake ethnic group."&nbsp;

The military has said their brutal crackdown -- which led to more than 720,000 Rohingya fleeing across the border carrying accounts of rape, arson and murder -- was warranted for combatting terrorism.

While much of the world has regarded the unfolding Rohingya crisis with horror, the majority of people within Myanmar side with the military as the Muslim minority group is widely detested.

The supporters showed up in force at Sunday's march, with hundreds gathering in front of downtown Yangon's iconic Sule Pagoda carrying giant portraits of army chief General Min Aung Hlaing, who UN investigators say is the most responsible.

"We can't stand the bullying of the army chief and the Tatmadaw by the international community," said protester Khine Thet Mar, 46, using the Myanmar name for the military. The UN Human

Rights Council voted last month to prepare for criminal indictments over the atrocities in Myanmar.

Min Aung Hlaing has remained defiant in the face of international pressure, saying that no country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in" Myanmar's sovereignty.&nbsp;

An ultra-nationalist monk -- dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden" -- on Sunday condemned the international community for their calls to bring Myanmar's generals to justice over the Rohingya crisis.

An ultra-nationalist monk -- dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden" -- on Sunday condemned the international community for their calls to bring Myanmar's generals to justice over the Rohingya crisis. Firebrand monk Wirathu, known as the face of Myanmar's Buddhist nationalist movement, was speaking at a pro-military rally that attracted hundreds of supporters, his first since being barred from giving public sermons last year. The ban, which ended in March, was issued by a council of senior monks who said Wirathu had "repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife". The hate speech he espouses -- which includes calling the Rohingya Muslim minority "Bengali" in an attempt to delegitimize their identity as being from Myanmar -- has also caused Facebook to ban him from their platform. The hardline abbot on Sunday reverted to his signature rhetoric at the rally to protest calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Myanmar's generals for genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority. "The day when the ICC comes here...Is the day that Wirathu holds a gun," he said in a speech that often referred to himself in the third person. He lauded China and Russia in the UN Security Council as "nationalist giants who stand with the truth" in their role of preventing any firm action against Myanmar. "Don't lie to the world saying that Bengalis are Rohingya because you want to promote Islamisation in Myanmar," Wirathu said. "Don't destroy our country by creating a fake ethnic group." The military has said their brutal crackdown -- which led to more than 720,000 Rohingya fleeing across the border carrying accounts of rape, arson and murder -- was warranted for combatting terrorism. While much of the world has regarded the unfolding Rohingya crisis with horror, the majority of people within Myanmar side with the military as the Muslim minority group is widely detested. The supporters showed up in force at Sunday's march, with hundreds gathering in front of downtown Yangon's iconic Sule Pagoda carrying giant portraits of army chief General Min Aung Hlaing, who UN investigators say is the most responsible. "We can't stand the bullying of the army chief and the Tatmadaw by the international community," said protester Khine Thet Mar, 46, using the Myanmar name for the military. The UN Human Rights Council voted last month to prepare for criminal indictments over the atrocities in Myanmar. Min Aung Hlaing has remained defiant in the face of international pressure, saying that no country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in" Myanmar's sovereignty.

Rohingya crisis: Firebrand monk Wirathu hits back at UN, international community

Your Story: Rohingya Refugee with a Dream

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/7-deported-rohingya-will-be-killed-very-soon-rohingya-refugees-in-delhi-169909">7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi</a>

After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".&nbsp;

And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896">Brett Kavanaugh </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896">sworn</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896"> into Supreme Court after </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896">fight</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896"> that divided </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kavanaugh-sworn-in-as-us-supreme-court-justice-169896">US</a>

Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as US Supreme Court justice following the closest Senate confirmation vote in more than a century, marking a major win for President Donald Trump's drive to move the country's political institutions to the right.&nbsp;

The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh as protesters rallied across the country against a nominee who has been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct as a young man and had questions raised over his candour and partisan rhetoric.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-100-per-cent-certain-kavanaugh-accuser-named-wrong-person-169901">Trump '100 per cent' certain Kavanaugh accuser named </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-100-per-cent-certain-kavanaugh-accuser-named-wrong-person-169901">wrong</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-100-per-cent-certain-kavanaugh-accuser-named-wrong-person-169901"> person</a>

Donald Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain Dr Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a US Supreme Court justice on Saturday.&nbsp;

"This is one of the reasons I chose him is because there is no one with a squeaky clean past like Brett Kavanaugh. He is an outstanding person and I'm very honoured to have chosen him," Reuters reported Trump as telling reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to a campaign rally in Kansas.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898">Turkey says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898">journalist</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898"> was killed inside Saudi consulate: Report</a>

Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday.

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Tanushree Dutta on Saturday filed a police complaint against veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, police said.

Dutta, in a recent interview, alleged that Patekar had misbehaved with her while filming a song for the 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss".

She has filed the complaint at the Oshiwara police station against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.

7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".

7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland". And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed. Brett Kavanaugh sworn into Supreme Court after fight that divided US Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as US Supreme Court justice following the closest Senate confirmation vote in more than a century, marking a major win for President Donald Trump's drive to move the country's political institutions to the right. The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh as protesters rallied across the country against a nominee who has been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct as a young man and had questions raised over his candour and partisan rhetoric. Trump '100 per cent' certain Kavanaugh accuser named wrong person Donald Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain Dr Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a US Supreme Court justice on Saturday. "This is one of the reasons I chose him is because there is no one with a squeaky clean past like Brett Kavanaugh. He is an outstanding person and I'm very honoured to have chosen him," Reuters reported Trump as telling reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to a campaign rally in Kansas. Turkey says journalist was killed inside Saudi consulate: Report Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP. Tanushree Dutta files sexual harassment complaint against Nana Patekar Tanushree Dutta on Saturday filed a police complaint against veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, police said. Dutta, in a recent interview, alleged that Patekar had misbehaved with her while filming a song for the 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss". She has filed the complaint at the Oshiwara police station against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.

News brief: Big stories of the day

5 members of a Rohingya family arrested in Kerala

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship on Tuesday over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nation's military against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

The move was made official after Canada's Senate voted to revoke the symbolic honour.

The lower house had already approved a motion to the same effect last week.

The House of Commons granted the privilege to Suu Kyi in 2007, but her international reputation has since been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya.

Canadian lawmakers described the violence against them as a "genocide" in a resolution passed in September.

The ethnic group are treated as foreigners in Burma, a country that is more than 90 per cent Buddhist.&nbsp;

A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps -- fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal.

Many have given accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arson.

Canada has granted honorary citizenship only to five other personalities, including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Malala Yousafzai.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship on Tuesday over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nation's military against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of honorary Canadian citizenship on Tuesday over her refusal to call out atrocities by her nation's military against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The move was made official after Canada's Senate voted to revoke the symbolic honour. The lower house had already approved a motion to the same effect last week. The House of Commons granted the privilege to Suu Kyi in 2007, but her international reputation has since been tarnished by her refusal to call on the Burmese army to put an end to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya. Canadian lawmakers described the violence against them as a "genocide" in a resolution passed in September. The ethnic group are treated as foreigners in Burma, a country that is more than 90 per cent Buddhist. A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps -- fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal. Many have given accounts of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence and arson. Canada has granted honorary citizenship only to five other personalities, including Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Malala Yousafzai.

Aung San Suu Kyi becomes first person stripped of honourary Canadian citizenship

A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

The men have been held in prison in Assam state on charges of illegally entering India and are due to be sent back on October 3, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said Tuesday.

"Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," the law professor said in a statement.

"The Indian government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalised discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection."

Achiume said New Delhi was obliged to refer Rohingyas under its custody to the UN refugee agency to assess their protection needs.

More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority.

The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide".

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents.

The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained.

"Prolonged detention of this kind is prohibited," Achiume said. "It could be considered arbitrary, and could even fall under the category of inhuman and degrading treatment."

The scheduled deportations follow an Indian government order last year to return Rohingyas, but the Supreme Court is still considering a petition challenging the order on the grounds it was unconstitutional.

The UN expert said nearly 200 Rohingyas are known to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry.

"We urge the government of India to abide by the international norm of non-refoulement and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees including Rohingyas," she said.

While successive waves of Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh, small numbers have found their way to India and Nepal while a small community has also been established in Pakistan.

A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

A United Nations legal expert has voiced concern over India's plan to deport on Wednesday seven Rohingyas to Myanmar where the army is accused of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority. The men have been held in prison in Assam state on charges of illegally entering India and are due to be sent back on October 3, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said Tuesday. "Given the ethnic identity of the men, this is a flagrant denial of their right to protection and could amount to refoulement," the law professor said in a statement. "The Indian government has an international legal obligation to fully acknowledge the institutionalised discrimination, persecution, hate and gross human rights violations these people have faced in their country of origin and provide them the necessary protection." Achiume said New Delhi was obliged to refer Rohingyas under its custody to the UN refugee agency to assess their protection needs. More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya fled an offensive by Myanmar troops launched nearly a year ago in reprisal for attacks on border posts by Rohingya rebels who took up arms against the ill-treatment of the stateless minority. The United Nations has termed the repression "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide". Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. The UN expert said she was "appalled" at the amount of time the seven men from Kyauk Daw township in central Rakhine state had been detained. "Prolonged detention of this kind is prohibited," Achiume said. "It could be considered arbitrary, and could even fall under the category of inhuman and degrading treatment." The scheduled deportations follow an Indian government order last year to return Rohingyas, but the Supreme Court is still considering a petition challenging the order on the grounds it was unconstitutional. The UN expert said nearly 200 Rohingyas are known to be detained in India on charges of illegal entry. "We urge the government of India to abide by the international norm of non-refoulement and protect the rights of asylum seekers and refugees including Rohingyas," she said. While successive waves of Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh, small numbers have found their way to India and Nepal while a small community has also been established in Pakistan.

UN expert voices fears for Rohingyas India is set to expel