Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes.

Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar.

A fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat last week, with no-one turning up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state.

Briefing foreign diplomats in the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh's foreign minister AK&nbsp;Abdul Momen questioned Naypyidaw's resolve in taking back the Rohingya.

He said that Myanmar had failed to "effectively dismantle" the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Rakhine and resettle people to their original homes.&nbsp;

The lack of action was a "clear manifestation of lack of will on the part of Myanmar to repatriate and integrate these persecuted people", the foreign ministry said in a statement quoting Momen's briefing to the diplomats.&nbsp;

The region remains riven by religious and ethnic conflict.&nbsp;

Myanmar earlier blamed Dhaka for the failure, saying it had not followed correct procedure when distributing so-called "verification forms" to potential returnees -- a controversial form of identification that falls short of granting Rohingya citizenship.

Bangladesh retorted saying Myanmar's claims were baseless.

The two countries signed an agreement in November 2017 to send back all Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh in the past two years. The first repatriation offer was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October.

The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes.

Bangladesh on Thursday accused Myanmar of lacking the "will" to repatriate the Rohingya, as the spat between the countries grew over the recent failed attempt to return the stateless minority to their homes. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. A fresh push to repatriate the refugees to Myanmar fell flat last week, with no-one turning up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state. Briefing foreign diplomats in the capital Dhaka, Bangladesh's foreign minister AK Abdul Momen questioned Naypyidaw's resolve in taking back the Rohingya. He said that Myanmar had failed to "effectively dismantle" the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Rakhine and resettle people to their original homes. The lack of action was a "clear manifestation of lack of will on the part of Myanmar to repatriate and integrate these persecuted people", the foreign ministry said in a statement quoting Momen's briefing to the diplomats. The region remains riven by religious and ethnic conflict. Myanmar earlier blamed Dhaka for the failure, saying it had not followed correct procedure when distributing so-called "verification forms" to potential returnees -- a controversial form of identification that falls short of granting Rohingya citizenship. Bangladesh retorted saying Myanmar's claims were baseless. The two countries signed an agreement in November 2017 to send back all Rohingya who had fled to Bangladesh in the past two years. The first repatriation offer was rejected by refugee camp leaders in October. The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Bangladesh says Myanmar lacks 'will' to repatriate Rohingya

Heavily pregnant Rohingya mother Rashida Khatun fled her home in a remote village in Myanmar's Rakhine state two years ago, bone-tired but desperate to find a safe place to give birth.

After walking for hours with her husband and three children, Khatun took a treacherous sea journey in bad weather to reach the southeastern tip of Bangladesh.

The family took shelter beside a road and erected a makeshift roof with twigs and a polythene sheet.

Several hours later, Khatun gave birth to Ahmad Shah in the pouring rain, helped by other Rohingya women also sheltering nearby.

"I was so tired. Yet I wanted to give a safe birth to my unborn baby," the 29-year-old mother told AFP.

"I thought he wouldn't survive because we were getting drenched by the rain."

Shah turned two on Sunday -- the second anniversary of the mass exodus of some 740,000 Rohingya who fled a brutal military crackdown in western Myanmar and took refuge in vast, squalid camps in Bangladesh.

His birth, and his family's ordeal, are a reminder of the struggles the stateless Muslim minority went through to flee their homeland.

Some 200,000 Rohingya took part in a rally at the world's largest refugee settlement on Sunday to mark what the refugees describe as "Genocide Day".

Shah's father Mohammad Selim said his son was a miracle child.

"Allah saved my kid that night. All praise to Him," said Selim, an imam at a mosque at Balukhali refugee camp.

He said his other children still remembered the trauma of the perilous journey.

"I am so happy for Shah that he didn't have to go through those woes. I will make him an Islamic scholar someday," he added.

Heavily pregnant Rohingya mother Rashida Khatun fled her home in a remote village in Myanmar's Rakhine state two years ago, bone-tired but desperate to find a safe place to give birth.

Heavily pregnant Rohingya mother Rashida Khatun fled her home in a remote village in Myanmar's Rakhine state two years ago, bone-tired but desperate to find a safe place to give birth. After walking for hours with her husband and three children, Khatun took a treacherous sea journey in bad weather to reach the southeastern tip of Bangladesh. The family took shelter beside a road and erected a makeshift roof with twigs and a polythene sheet. Several hours later, Khatun gave birth to Ahmad Shah in the pouring rain, helped by other Rohingya women also sheltering nearby. "I was so tired. Yet I wanted to give a safe birth to my unborn baby," the 29-year-old mother told AFP. "I thought he wouldn't survive because we were getting drenched by the rain." Shah turned two on Sunday -- the second anniversary of the mass exodus of some 740,000 Rohingya who fled a brutal military crackdown in western Myanmar and took refuge in vast, squalid camps in Bangladesh. His birth, and his family's ordeal, are a reminder of the struggles the stateless Muslim minority went through to flee their homeland. Some 200,000 Rohingya took part in a rally at the world's largest refugee settlement on Sunday to mark what the refugees describe as "Genocide Day". Shah's father Mohammad Selim said his son was a miracle child. "Allah saved my kid that night. All praise to Him," said Selim, an imam at a mosque at Balukhali refugee camp. He said his other children still remembered the trauma of the perilous journey. "I am so happy for Shah that he didn't have to go through those woes. I will make him an Islamic scholar someday," he added.

'Miracle' Rohingya baby turns two on crackdown anniversary

Bangladesh police shot dead a third Rohingya refugee on Monday after they were accused of the murder of a ruling party official that has sparked anger among the local population.

Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in south-east Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar.

Police said Mohammad Hasan, a suspected Rohingya "dacoit" or gang member, was shot dead after he allegedly opened fire at officers during a raid to arrest him at Jadimura refugee camp.

"He is an accused in the murder of Omar Faruk," local police chief Prodeep Kumar Das told AFP, referring to a ruling Awami League party youth wing official who was shot in the head by suspected Rohingya criminals on Thursday.

On Saturday police said they had shot dead two Rohingya refugees at the same refugee camp in the Cox's Bazar district over their alleged roles in the murder. &nbsp;

Rights activists, who asked not to be named, said they believe the two Rohingya men were killed by police in what appeared to be a staged encounter.

The incident comes days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state.

On Sunday, the Rohingya marked two years since the military crackdown in Myanmar with some 200,000 rallying in a refugee camp where refugee leaders vowed they won't return home unless their rights and security are ensured. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Faruk's murder had sparked anger among the local population, with hundreds of furious people blocking a key highway leading to the camp for hours on Thursday, burning tyres and vandalising shops visited by refugees.

Rohingya refugees have said the recent bloodshed has created an atmosphere of fear in the camp, where security has been tightened.

With the latest death, at least 33 Rohingya have been killed by Bangladeshi police and security forces since the exodus in August 2017, a police inspector Ruhul Amin told AFP.&nbsp;

He said that most were suspected drug traffickers, accused of smuggling yaba, a popular methamphetamine pill from across the Myanmar border. &nbsp;&nbsp;

UN investigators have said the 2017 violence warrants the prosecution of top Myanmar generals for "genocide".

Bangladesh police shot dead a third Rohingya refugee on Monday after they were accused of the murder of a ruling party official that has sparked anger among the local population.

Bangladesh police shot dead a third Rohingya refugee on Monday after they were accused of the murder of a ruling party official that has sparked anger among the local population. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in south-east Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. Police said Mohammad Hasan, a suspected Rohingya "dacoit" or gang member, was shot dead after he allegedly opened fire at officers during a raid to arrest him at Jadimura refugee camp. "He is an accused in the murder of Omar Faruk," local police chief Prodeep Kumar Das told AFP, referring to a ruling Awami League party youth wing official who was shot in the head by suspected Rohingya criminals on Thursday. On Saturday police said they had shot dead two Rohingya refugees at the same refugee camp in the Cox's Bazar district over their alleged roles in the murder. Rights activists, who asked not to be named, said they believe the two Rohingya men were killed by police in what appeared to be a staged encounter. The incident comes days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border to conflict-scarred Rakhine state. On Sunday, the Rohingya marked two years since the military crackdown in Myanmar with some 200,000 rallying in a refugee camp where refugee leaders vowed they won't return home unless their rights and security are ensured. Faruk's murder had sparked anger among the local population, with hundreds of furious people blocking a key highway leading to the camp for hours on Thursday, burning tyres and vandalising shops visited by refugees. Rohingya refugees have said the recent bloodshed has created an atmosphere of fear in the camp, where security has been tightened. With the latest death, at least 33 Rohingya have been killed by Bangladeshi police and security forces since the exodus in August 2017, a police inspector Ruhul Amin told AFP. He said that most were suspected drug traffickers, accused of smuggling yaba, a popular methamphetamine pill from across the Myanmar border. UN investigators have said the 2017 violence warrants the prosecution of top Myanmar generals for "genocide".

Third Rohingya shot dead in Bangladesh refugee camp

Some 200,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/two-years-on-rohingyas-still-without-rights-status-or-justice-244567">Rohingya </a>rallied in a Bangladesh refugee camp to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees.

Around 740,000<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-blames-rohingya-repatriation-failure-on-bangladesh-245158"> Rohingya</a> from Myanmar's Rakhine state escaped in August 2017 during the brutal offensive, joining another 200,000 who fled earlier persecution in vast camps in southeast Bangladesh.

Children, hijab-wearing women, and men in long-skirt lungis shouted "God is Great, Long Live Rohingya" as they marched at the heart of the world's largest refugee camp to commemorate what they described as "Genocide Day".

Under the scorching sun, thousands joined in a popular song with the lyrics "the world does not listen to the woes of Rohingya".

"I have come here to seek justice for the murder of my two sons. I will continue to seek justice till my last breath," 50-year-old Tayaba Khatun said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Myanmar had said they were conducting counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya extremists after they attacked police posts, but the UN last year called for Myanmar's top generals to be prosecuted for genocide over the crisis.

Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah said the stateless minority wanted to return home, but only after they were granted citizenship, their security was ensured and they were allowed to settle back in their villages.

"We have asked the Burmese government for dialogue. But we haven't got any response from them yet," Ullah told the rally.

"We were beaten, killed and raped in Rakhine. But still, that is our home. And we want to go back."

Police officer Zakir Hassan told AFP some 200,000 Rohingya took part in the peaceful gathering.

Security has been tight across Kutupalang camp, the world's largest refugee settlement and home to more than 600,000 Rohingya.

"Hundreds of police, army and border guards have been deployed to prevent any violence," local police chief Abul Monsur told AFP.

The rally came three days after the failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border.

On Saturday, Bangladesh police said they shot dead two refugees during a gunfight in a camp after the pair were accused of killing a ruling party official.

The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

Some 200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh refugee camp to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees.

Some 200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh refugee camp to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees. Around 740,000 Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state escaped in August 2017 during the brutal offensive, joining another 200,000 who fled earlier persecution in vast camps in southeast Bangladesh. Children, hijab-wearing women, and men in long-skirt lungis shouted "God is Great, Long Live Rohingya" as they marched at the heart of the world's largest refugee camp to commemorate what they described as "Genocide Day". Under the scorching sun, thousands joined in a popular song with the lyrics "the world does not listen to the woes of Rohingya". "I have come here to seek justice for the murder of my two sons. I will continue to seek justice till my last breath," 50-year-old Tayaba Khatun said as tears rolled down her cheeks. Myanmar had said they were conducting counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya extremists after they attacked police posts, but the UN last year called for Myanmar's top generals to be prosecuted for genocide over the crisis. Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah said the stateless minority wanted to return home, but only after they were granted citizenship, their security was ensured and they were allowed to settle back in their villages. "We have asked the Burmese government for dialogue. But we haven't got any response from them yet," Ullah told the rally. "We were beaten, killed and raped in Rakhine. But still, that is our home. And we want to go back." Police officer Zakir Hassan told AFP some 200,000 Rohingya took part in the peaceful gathering. Security has been tight across Kutupalang camp, the world's largest refugee settlement and home to more than 600,000 Rohingya. "Hundreds of police, army and border guards have been deployed to prevent any violence," local police chief Abul Monsur told AFP. The rally came three days after the failed attempt to repatriate the refugees, which saw not a single Rohingya turn up to return across the border. On Saturday, Bangladesh police said they shot dead two refugees during a gunfight in a camp after the pair were accused of killing a ruling party official. The Rohingya are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government, which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in the country for generations.

200,000 Rohingya rally to mark 'Genocide Day' in Bangladesh camps

The Rohingya refugee crisis in key dates

When<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/security-tightened-as-myanmar-delegation-visits-rohingya-camps-238712"> Myanmar officials toured refugee camps in Bangladesh </a>last month, inviting Rohingya Muslims who fled the country to return, they brought with them pamphlets adorned with cartoons showing hijab-wearing women passing through checkpoints and happily grasping identity cards.

They did not mention the new war being waged at home.

While the majority of Rohingya residents of northwestern Myanmar were driven out by a military campaign that began in August 2017, a scattered community of some 200,000 remained behind in Rakhine state, in villages that were spared the violence.

Two years on, many of them are now trapped by a new conflict.

Since late last year, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-bangladesh-agree-to-start-rohingya-repatriation-next-week-243215">government troops have been battling the Arakan Army</a>, an ethnic armed group that recruits from the mostly Buddhist Rakhine, who make up the majority in the region.

The worsening fighting has left Rohingya caught in the middle and facing threats from both sides, a dozen villagers told Reuters, making returns ever more unlikely.

"We are stuck in the middle of their fight," said Tin Shwe, a villager from Buthidaung township, where clashes have been intense.

"There has been no improvement in our lives over the past two years, only degradation. Only trouble."

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar's armed forces launched a crackdown following attacks on security posts on Aug. 25, 2017.

United Nations' investigators have said the army campaign included mass killings and gang-rapes and was carried out with "genocidal intent".

The military denies almost all the allegations made by refugees during what it said was a legitimate counterterrorism operation.

On Thursday, a third attempt to begin the repatriation of 3,450 Rohingya cleared by the authorities to return to Myanmar failed when the refugees refused to go back.

Min Thein, director of Myanmar's social welfare ministry, said security measurements were in place for returning refugees.

"The Myanmar police force will guard them," he said.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

Information blackout

Authorities have shut northern Rakhine off from journalists and most humanitarian agencies, and imposed an internet blackout since late June, citing the need to avert unrest.

The restrictions make information difficult to verify, but Reuters spoke to a dozen Rohingya still in central and northern Rakhine and refugees in Bangladesh with relatives who stayed behind.

Some described landmine blasts and shells falling in Muslim villages, as well as intimidation from combatants on both sides of the conflict.

Two told Reuters they would flee to Bangladesh if they could, but routes out of the country used during the previous exodus have been rendered unsafe by the violence.

More than 1,000 Rohingya have arrived in the camps in Bangladesh since January, according to the United Nations refugee agency, a figure that also includes arrivals from India, which has in recent months been cracking down on what it says are illegal Rohingya immigrants.

Those from Myanmar cited violence linked to fighting between Arakan Army insurgents and the military as well as poor living conditions, spokeswoman Louise Donovan said.

Many refugees living in the crowded Bangladesh camps say they want to return home, but under specific conditions, including guarantees of citizenship and security and improvements in the lives of Rohingya still in Myanmar.

Denigrated as illegal immigrants, although many can trace their ancestry in Myanmar back centuries, the Rohingya there are mostly denied citizenship and subject to tight restrictions on movement that keep them confined to camps and villages.

Caught in crossfire

The Arakan Army has been fighting for greater autonomy for Rakhine, a region that was an independent kingdom for centuries.

In its calls for an armed "revolution", the group draws on deep-seated historical resentment felt by some Rakhines towards the ethnic Bamar majority that dominates the central government.

Rohingya still living in the area say they have been caught in the middle of the conflict.

Government troops battling the insurgents have set up camp in Muslim villages in parts of northern Rakhine, five villagers told Reuters.

Soldiers ask Muslim residents to bring them food and firewood, or to show them the roads, villagers said, putting them in danger of retribution from the Arakan Army.

"If they say they will stay, we have to accept it," said one Rohingya living in Rathedaung township, who like others asked not to be named for safety reasons.

Another in Buthidaung township said soldiers had asked him to guide troops, as he was a proficient Burmese speaker.

Some of the Muslim population, particularly from poorer communities, speak only the Rohingya dialect.

Afterwards, the villager said, he got a call from an unknown number, warning that anyone who helped the military would face consequences.

He said the speaker told him: "We will kill you. We will burn your village."

Two Rohingya were shot dead in Rathedaung township's Sin Khone Taing village in early August after escorting troops, five locals told Reuters. Officials from the village could not be reached for comment.

"We are hostages, stuck between two groups," said one Muslim who fled the village.

"We are not safe. It has been three times already that we have fled from the village since June ... The government cannot control this area."

Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Ka denied the organisation had killed civilians, blaming Myanmar forces for the deaths.

"We don't kill our civilians like that," he said.

"As we heard, the Burmese military took them and eliminated like them ... There are too many cases like that."

Aid&nbsp;shortages

Many Rohingya in Myanmar have been reliant on international non-profit organizations for medical care and deliveries of food since a previous bout of violence in 2012 that forced many into camps.

Since the start of the Arakan Army conflict, little has been getting through.

In Rathedaung's Sin Khone Taing village, Rohingya said they last received a delivery of food in May.

"People are living off rice porridge," said one villager.

Kyaw Win, executive director of Burma Human Rights Network, which monitors the Rohingya crisis, said it had received reports of landmines and improved explosive devices placed on the roads near the exits of Rohingya villages.

In a joint statement last week, 61 NGOs including Save the Children and Oxfam said there had been "no meaningful progress on freedom of movement or human rights" for the Rohingya still in Myanmar, while the recent "upsurge in violence has worsened the already precarious humanitarian situation in central and northern Rakhine state".

Across the border, in the sprawling Bangladesh camps, refugees keep in touch with their relatives in Myanmar via phone, now that the internet connection has been cut.

Nobody is urging them to come home.

"All of the people want to flee as there is no security," Tin Shwe said.

"The government cannot help the few Rohingya left behind. So how could anyone believe they could help hundreds of thousands?"

'We are hostages': Two years on, Rohingya still in Myanmar trapped by a new war

When Myanmar officials toured refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, inviting Rohingya Muslims who fled the country to return, they brought with them pamphlets adorned with cartoons showing hijab-wearing women passing through checkpoints and happily grasping identity cards.

When Myanmar officials toured refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, inviting Rohingya Muslims who fled the country to return, they brought with them pamphlets adorned with cartoons showing hijab-wearing women passing through checkpoints and happily grasping identity cards. They did not mention the new war being waged at home. While the majority of Rohingya residents of northwestern Myanmar were driven out by a military campaign that began in August 2017, a scattered community of some 200,000 remained behind in Rakhine state, in villages that were spared the violence. Two years on, many of them are now trapped by a new conflict. Since late last year, government troops have been battling the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that recruits from the mostly Buddhist Rakhine, who make up the majority in the region. The worsening fighting has left Rohingya caught in the middle and facing threats from both sides, a dozen villagers told Reuters, making returns ever more unlikely. "We are stuck in the middle of their fight," said Tin Shwe, a villager from Buthidaung township, where clashes have been intense. "There has been no improvement in our lives over the past two years, only degradation. Only trouble." More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar's armed forces launched a crackdown following attacks on security posts on Aug. 25, 2017. United Nations' investigators have said the army campaign included mass killings and gang-rapes and was carried out with "genocidal intent". The military denies almost all the allegations made by refugees during what it said was a legitimate counterterrorism operation. On Thursday, a third attempt to begin the repatriation of 3,450 Rohingya cleared by the authorities to return to Myanmar failed when the refugees refused to go back. Min Thein, director of Myanmar's social welfare ministry, said security measurements were in place for returning refugees. "The Myanmar police force will guard them," he said. A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment. Information blackout Authorities have shut northern Rakhine off from journalists and most humanitarian agencies, and imposed an internet blackout since late June, citing the need to avert unrest. The restrictions make information difficult to verify, but Reuters spoke to a dozen Rohingya still in central and northern Rakhine and refugees in Bangladesh with relatives who stayed behind. Some described landmine blasts and shells falling in Muslim villages, as well as intimidation from combatants on both sides of the conflict. Two told Reuters they would flee to Bangladesh if they could, but routes out of the country used during the previous exodus have been rendered unsafe by the violence. More than 1,000 Rohingya have arrived in the camps in Bangladesh since January, according to the United Nations refugee agency, a figure that also includes arrivals from India, which has in recent months been cracking down on what it says are illegal Rohingya immigrants. Those from Myanmar cited violence linked to fighting between Arakan Army insurgents and the military as well as poor living conditions, spokeswoman Louise Donovan said. Many refugees living in the crowded Bangladesh camps say they want to return home, but under specific conditions, including guarantees of citizenship and security and improvements in the lives of Rohingya still in Myanmar. Denigrated as illegal immigrants, although many can trace their ancestry in Myanmar back centuries, the Rohingya there are mostly denied citizenship and subject to tight restrictions on movement that keep them confined to camps and villages. Caught in crossfire The Arakan Army has been fighting for greater autonomy for Rakhine, a region that was an independent kingdom for centuries. In its calls for an armed "revolution", the group draws on deep-seated historical resentment felt by some Rakhines towards the ethnic Bamar majority that dominates the central government. Rohingya still living in the area say they have been caught in the middle of the conflict. Government troops battling the insurgents have set up camp in Muslim villages in parts of northern Rakhine, five villagers told Reuters. Soldiers ask Muslim residents to bring them food and firewood, or to show them the roads, villagers said, putting them in danger of retribution from the Arakan Army. "If they say they will stay, we have to accept it," said one Rohingya living in Rathedaung township, who like others asked not to be named for safety reasons. Another in Buthidaung township said soldiers had asked him to guide troops, as he was a proficient Burmese speaker. Some of the Muslim population, particularly from poorer communities, speak only the Rohingya dialect. Afterwards, the villager said, he got a call from an unknown number, warning that anyone who helped the military would face consequences. He said the speaker told him: "We will kill you. We will burn your village." Two Rohingya were shot dead in Rathedaung township's Sin Khone Taing village in early August after escorting troops, five locals told Reuters. Officials from the village could not be reached for comment. "We are hostages, stuck between two groups," said one Muslim who fled the village. "We are not safe. It has been three times already that we have fled from the village since June ... The government cannot control this area." Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Ka denied the organisation had killed civilians, blaming Myanmar forces for the deaths. "We don't kill our civilians like that," he said. "As we heard, the Burmese military took them and eliminated like them ... There are too many cases like that." Aid shortages Many Rohingya in Myanmar have been reliant on international non-profit organizations for medical care and deliveries of food since a previous bout of violence in 2012 that forced many into camps. Since the start of the Arakan Army conflict, little has been getting through. In Rathedaung's Sin Khone Taing village, Rohingya said they last received a delivery of food in May. "People are living off rice porridge," said one villager. Kyaw Win, executive director of Burma Human Rights Network, which monitors the Rohingya crisis, said it had received reports of landmines and improved explosive devices placed on the roads near the exits of Rohingya villages. In a joint statement last week, 61 NGOs including Save the Children and Oxfam said there had been "no meaningful progress on freedom of movement or human rights" for the Rohingya still in Myanmar, while the recent "upsurge in violence has worsened the already precarious humanitarian situation in central and northern Rakhine state". Across the border, in the sprawling Bangladesh camps, refugees keep in touch with their relatives in Myanmar via phone, now that the internet connection has been cut. Nobody is urging them to come home. "All of the people want to flee as there is no security," Tin Shwe said. "The government cannot help the few Rohingya left behind. So how could anyone believe they could help hundreds of thousands?" 'We are hostages': Two years on, Rohingya still in Myanmar trapped by a new war

'We are hostages': Two years on, Rohingya still in Myanmar trapped by new war

More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and 19 have been killed since fighting broke out between government troops and ethnic minority insurgents in northern Myanmar last week, government officials said Wednesday.

The escalation in hostilities in Myanmar’s fractured north is another setback for civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s bid to bring peace amid a stuttering transition from full military rule.

The people displaced in the latest fighting are sheltering in monasteries around Lashio town in the north of Shan State, and are depending on aid groups and the government for their supplies, aid workers said.

"We are providing basic rescue materials as well as cash to displaced people in the camps, the injured people and also to family members of those who got killed," Soe Naing, director of the Department of Disaster Management in Shan State, told Reuters.

Aid would be delivered as long as people needed to stay in the camps, he said.

Tension in the region has risen since Thursday, when a coalition of anti-government insurgent groups known as the Northern Alliance staged attacks including on an elite army college that killed more than a dozen people, mostly security forces personnel.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi came to power following a landslide election win in late 2016, vowing to prioritise peace talks between ethnic minority guerrilla groups, the military and civilian government.

But the conflict has escalated in Kachin State in the north and in Shan State, as the western Rakhine region on the border with Bangladesh.

More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and 19 have been killed since fighting broke out between government troops and ethnic minority insurgents in northern Myanmar last week, government officials said Wednesday.

More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and 19 have been killed since fighting broke out between government troops and ethnic minority insurgents in northern Myanmar last week, government officials said Wednesday. The escalation in hostilities in Myanmar’s fractured north is another setback for civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s bid to bring peace amid a stuttering transition from full military rule. The people displaced in the latest fighting are sheltering in monasteries around Lashio town in the north of Shan State, and are depending on aid groups and the government for their supplies, aid workers said. "We are providing basic rescue materials as well as cash to displaced people in the camps, the injured people and also to family members of those who got killed," Soe Naing, director of the Department of Disaster Management in Shan State, told Reuters. Aid would be delivered as long as people needed to stay in the camps, he said. Tension in the region has risen since Thursday, when a coalition of anti-government insurgent groups known as the Northern Alliance staged attacks including on an elite army college that killed more than a dozen people, mostly security forces personnel. Nobel laureate Suu Kyi came to power following a landslide election win in late 2016, vowing to prioritise peace talks between ethnic minority guerrilla groups, the military and civilian government. But the conflict has escalated in Kachin State in the north and in Shan State, as the western Rakhine region on the border with Bangladesh.

More than 2,000 people displaced, 19 killed in Myanmar fighting

Some 3,500 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been cleared to return home to Myanmar beginning this week, a top official said Monday, nearly two years after a military crackdown sparked their exodus.

Some <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/security-tightened-as-myanmar-delegation-visits-rohingya-camps-238712">740,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh</a> in August 2017 from a military offensive in Myanmar -- joining 200,000 already there -- but virtually none have volunteered to return despite the countries signing a repatriation deal.

Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, however, said he was "optimistic" about a new repatriation process scheduled to start on Thursday.

A previous attempt in November 2018 to return 2,260 Rohingya failed after they refused to leave the camp without guarantees for their safety.

"Everything is ready... the land transit point has been prepared," Kalam told reporters after a meeting with Myanmar officials in Cox's Bazar, southeast Bangladesh, where the refugees live in vast camps.

"Nobody will be forced to return unless they volunteer," he said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar officials plan to repatriate 300 Rohingya each day, with some 3,500 refugees cleared to make the journey home, Kalam said.

The new push follows a visit last month to the camps by high-ranking officials from Myanmar led by Permanent Foreign Secretary Myint Thu.

Sunday will mark the second anniversary of the crackdown that sparked the mass exodus to the Bangladesh camps.

Kalam said Myanmar and United Nations officials were meeting with selected refugees on Tuesday to encourage them to return to Rakhine state.&nbsp;

The Rohingya, who are mostly Muslim, are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in Rakhine for generations.

Some 3,500 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been cleared to return home to Myanmar beginning this week, a top official said Monday, nearly two years after a military crackdown sparked their exodus.

Some 3,500 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been cleared to return home to Myanmar beginning this week, a top official said Monday, nearly two years after a military crackdown sparked their exodus. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 from a military offensive in Myanmar -- joining 200,000 already there -- but virtually none have volunteered to return despite the countries signing a repatriation deal. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, however, said he was "optimistic" about a new repatriation process scheduled to start on Thursday. A previous attempt in November 2018 to return 2,260 Rohingya failed after they refused to leave the camp without guarantees for their safety. "Everything is ready... the land transit point has been prepared," Kalam told reporters after a meeting with Myanmar officials in Cox's Bazar, southeast Bangladesh, where the refugees live in vast camps. "Nobody will be forced to return unless they volunteer," he said. Bangladesh and Myanmar officials plan to repatriate 300 Rohingya each day, with some 3,500 refugees cleared to make the journey home, Kalam said. The new push follows a visit last month to the camps by high-ranking officials from Myanmar led by Permanent Foreign Secretary Myint Thu. Sunday will mark the second anniversary of the crackdown that sparked the mass exodus to the Bangladesh camps. Kalam said Myanmar and United Nations officials were meeting with selected refugees on Tuesday to encourage them to return to Rakhine state. The Rohingya, who are mostly Muslim, are not recognised as an official minority by the Myanmar government which considers them Bengali interlopers despite many families having lived in Rakhine for generations.

Around 3,500 Rohingya cleared to return home to Myanmar starting this week: Source

The United Nations' refugee agency and Bangladesh authorities on Tuesday started to consult more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to determine if any want to return home, officials said, as a fresh repatriation bid was launched.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/around-3500-rohingya-cleared-to-return-home-to-myanmar-starting-this-week-source-244272">Myanmar cleared 3,450 people to return</a>, from a list of more than 22,000 provided by Bangladesh, authorities said.

"The intentions surveys are beginning today," Louise Donovan, a UNHCR spokeswoman in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, told Reuters.

"Together, the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR will ask these refugees to come forward and discuss the option of repatriation."

The agency will hold a second confidential interview with those who express a wish to return, she added, to discuss their intentions, and ensure the decision is voluntary, she said.

"They will be asked to complete a voluntary repatriation form," she added.

A representative of Bangladesh's refugee relief effort will also attend the interviews, a government official said.

"The UN refugee agency has started interviewing the Rohingya on the list," Mohammad Abul Kalam, the country's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, said by telephone.

"Transit centres, transport facilities…everything is ready to start the repatriation on Thursday," he added.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council is set to discuss the latest repatriation plan behind closed doors on Wednesday, at the request of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and the United States, diplomats said.

British charity Oxfam called for the international community to step up diplomatic pressure on Myanmar and expressed concern about human rights violations there. 
 
"Oxfam remains concerned about human rights violations in Myanmar and hopes the government will take this opportunity to recognise the equal rights of Rohingya people and to lift the heavy restrictions on their movement," said Elizabeth Hallinan, an official of the charity.

"Refugees long to return to their homes, but they tell us they fear going back without rights and justice," Hallinan said in a statement.

Last week, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said officials had scrutinized the list of refugees to determine whether they had lived in Myanmar and had been involved in attacks on the military.

The 2017 crackdown was preceded by attacks on security forces by insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar has classified as a terrorist organization.

Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps, and finally failed after refugee protests. 
&nbsp;

The United Nations' refugee agency and Bangladesh authorities on Tuesday started to consult more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to determine if any want to return home, officials said, as a fresh repatriation bid was launched.

The United Nations' refugee agency and Bangladesh authorities on Tuesday started to consult more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar to determine if any want to return home, officials said, as a fresh repatriation bid was launched. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence. Myanmar cleared 3,450 people to return, from a list of more than 22,000 provided by Bangladesh, authorities said. "The intentions surveys are beginning today," Louise Donovan, a UNHCR spokeswoman in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh, told Reuters. "Together, the government of Bangladesh and UNHCR will ask these refugees to come forward and discuss the option of repatriation." The agency will hold a second confidential interview with those who express a wish to return, she added, to discuss their intentions, and ensure the decision is voluntary, she said. "They will be asked to complete a voluntary repatriation form," she added. A representative of Bangladesh's refugee relief effort will also attend the interviews, a government official said. "The UN refugee agency has started interviewing the Rohingya on the list," Mohammad Abul Kalam, the country's refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, said by telephone. "Transit centres, transport facilities…everything is ready to start the repatriation on Thursday," he added. The UN Security Council is set to discuss the latest repatriation plan behind closed doors on Wednesday, at the request of Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and the United States, diplomats said. British charity Oxfam called for the international community to step up diplomatic pressure on Myanmar and expressed concern about human rights violations there. "Oxfam remains concerned about human rights violations in Myanmar and hopes the government will take this opportunity to recognise the equal rights of Rohingya people and to lift the heavy restrictions on their movement," said Elizabeth Hallinan, an official of the charity. "Refugees long to return to their homes, but they tell us they fear going back without rights and justice," Hallinan said in a statement. Last week, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said officials had scrutinized the list of refugees to determine whether they had lived in Myanmar and had been involved in attacks on the military. The 2017 crackdown was preceded by attacks on security forces by insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar has classified as a terrorist organization. Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps, and finally failed after refugee protests.

UN agency, Bangladesh begin survey of Rohingya over return to Myanmar

When Mohammad Rafiq spotted two Rohingya refugee girls dusting their faces with circles of traditional thanaka powder under the warm morning light, he quickly took out his smartphone to capture the moment.

The 19-year-old budding photographer, who fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 after a military crackdown in Myanmar, uses his mobile phone to record the daily lives of nearly one million stateless Rohingya in a vast camp in southern Bangladesh.

"I loved the photo instantly as it reflects our culture and the innocence of the little girls who barely want to remember the crisis we are facing," Rafiq told AFP.

Rafiq is among some 30 Rohingya youths selected by the World Food Programme for its "Storytellers" project.

For two weeks, they are taught smartphone photo and video-shooting techniques -- such as understanding light, exposure and angles -- as well as writing skills.

The refugees then share their stories directly with the public through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with audiences around the world posting comments and asking questions.

"The idea behind it is to be able to hand back the narrative to the people that we are already assisting," WFP spokeswoman Gemma Snowdon told AFP.

The Storytellers Page on Facebook has more than 30,000 followers and includes similar schemes rolled out in Chad and Uganda.

All the Rohingya posters have a similar goal -- to share with the outside world the raw, emotional ups and downs they face living in the world's largest refugee camp.

Minara, who was four months' pregnant when she fled Myanmar, shares videos of how refugees are given ropes to tie their makeshift tarpaulin roofs to bamboo poles so they are not blown away by strong winds.

Another post, by Hafsa Aktar, is a heartrending letter to her father who was left behind, in which she writes of the difficult conditions in the camp and her deep longing to return to her homeland.

Life through the lens

Being able to take photos again has put a spring in the steps of Rafiq, who wanted to continue his schooling after the 10th grade in Myanmar but was blocked by authorities.

When he was 15, Rafiq's father bought him his first-ever smartphone as a present. Thrilled with the device, he explored his town in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, taking photos of everything he loved.

But Rafiq's life was turned upside down in 2017 when the brutal army campaign drove some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Cox's Bazar, where another 200,000 refugees were already living in squalid camps.

During the arduous journey to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape the violence, the teenager lost his favourite possession -- his smartphone.

"I arrived in Bangladesh with my mother and three younger siblings after 10 days of harrowing walks through the hills," Rafiq recalled as he sat in a shanty inside the camp.

"I wish I could have captured the moments of anguish we had to suffer on our way out of Myanmar."

Now Rafiq is becoming a star on Facebook through his photos.

In one post that has attracted some 180,000 views, Rafiq captures a woman meditating during the month of Ramadan to show how the Muslim minority are now free to practise their religion even as they grapple with the hardships in the crammed shelters.

"International media is covering the stories in the camps but they are not here 24/7 but I am," he said, adding that his stories were more authentic.

"People learn from my stories that we are seeking justice and want to return home."

On some days, Rafiq walks to a vantage point in the camps where he can see the hills of Myanmar shrouded by clouds in the distance, and thinks of home.

"I see flashbacks of how my friends and I used to roam around the place. I feel very sad," he said, adding that he hopes to return one day and be a photojournalist.

"That will be the fulfilment of my dream."

When Mohammad Rafiq spotted two Rohingya refugee girls dusting their faces with circles of traditional thanaka powder under the warm morning light, he quickly took out his smartphone to capture the moment.

When Mohammad Rafiq spotted two Rohingya refugee girls dusting their faces with circles of traditional thanaka powder under the warm morning light, he quickly took out his smartphone to capture the moment. The 19-year-old budding photographer, who fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 after a military crackdown in Myanmar, uses his mobile phone to record the daily lives of nearly one million stateless Rohingya in a vast camp in southern Bangladesh. "I loved the photo instantly as it reflects our culture and the innocence of the little girls who barely want to remember the crisis we are facing," Rafiq told AFP. Rafiq is among some 30 Rohingya youths selected by the World Food Programme for its "Storytellers" project. For two weeks, they are taught smartphone photo and video-shooting techniques -- such as understanding light, exposure and angles -- as well as writing skills. The refugees then share their stories directly with the public through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with audiences around the world posting comments and asking questions. "The idea behind it is to be able to hand back the narrative to the people that we are already assisting," WFP spokeswoman Gemma Snowdon told AFP. The Storytellers Page on Facebook has more than 30,000 followers and includes similar schemes rolled out in Chad and Uganda. All the Rohingya posters have a similar goal -- to share with the outside world the raw, emotional ups and downs they face living in the world's largest refugee camp. Minara, who was four months' pregnant when she fled Myanmar, shares videos of how refugees are given ropes to tie their makeshift tarpaulin roofs to bamboo poles so they are not blown away by strong winds. Another post, by Hafsa Aktar, is a heartrending letter to her father who was left behind, in which she writes of the difficult conditions in the camp and her deep longing to return to her homeland. Life through the lens Being able to take photos again has put a spring in the steps of Rafiq, who wanted to continue his schooling after the 10th grade in Myanmar but was blocked by authorities. When he was 15, Rafiq's father bought him his first-ever smartphone as a present. Thrilled with the device, he explored his town in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, taking photos of everything he loved. But Rafiq's life was turned upside down in 2017 when the brutal army campaign drove some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Cox's Bazar, where another 200,000 refugees were already living in squalid camps. During the arduous journey to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape the violence, the teenager lost his favourite possession -- his smartphone. "I arrived in Bangladesh with my mother and three younger siblings after 10 days of harrowing walks through the hills," Rafiq recalled as he sat in a shanty inside the camp. "I wish I could have captured the moments of anguish we had to suffer on our way out of Myanmar." Now Rafiq is becoming a star on Facebook through his photos. In one post that has attracted some 180,000 views, Rafiq captures a woman meditating during the month of Ramadan to show how the Muslim minority are now free to practise their religion even as they grapple with the hardships in the crammed shelters. "International media is covering the stories in the camps but they are not here 24/7 but I am," he said, adding that his stories were more authentic. "People learn from my stories that we are seeking justice and want to return home." On some days, Rafiq walks to a vantage point in the camps where he can see the hills of Myanmar shrouded by clouds in the distance, and thinks of home. "I see flashbacks of how my friends and I used to roam around the place. I feel very sad," he said, adding that he hopes to return one day and be a photojournalist. "That will be the fulfilment of my dream."

'I'm here 24/7': Rohingya youths share their stories on social media

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-bangladesh-agree-to-start-rohingya-repatriation-next-week-243215">Bangladesh will work with the United Nations refugee agency</a> to determine if more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees will accept Myanmar's offer to return home, an official said on Monday, nearly a year after a major repatriation plan failed.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for camps in Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence.

"It will be a joint exercise led by UNHCR," Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, told Reuters by telephone on Monday, referring to the refugee agency.

Myanmar has cleared 3,450 people from a list of more than 22,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh, government spokesman Zaw Htay told a news conference in the capital Naypyitaw on Friday.

"We have already negotiated with Bangladesh to accept these 3,450 people on August 22," he said, adding they would be divided into seven groups for repatriation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/afghan-foreign-ministry-lauds-indias-role-in-afghan-peace-process-220479">A foreign ministry</a> spokesman previously gave Reuters a figure of 3,540 refugees verified under the plan.

Zaw Htay said officials had scrutinized the list to determine whether the refugees had lived in Myanmar and whether they had been involved in attacks on the military.

The 2017 crackdown was preceded by attacks on security forces by insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar has classified as a terrorist organization.

Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps and finally failed after refugee protests. 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh will work with the United Nations refugee agency to determine if more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees will accept Myanmar's offer to return home, an official said on Monday, nearly a year after a major repatriation plan failed.

Bangladesh will work with the United Nations refugee agency to determine if more than 3,000 Rohingya refugees will accept Myanmar's offer to return home, an official said on Monday, nearly a year after a major repatriation plan failed. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for camps in Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence. "It will be a joint exercise led by UNHCR," Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, told Reuters by telephone on Monday, referring to the refugee agency. Myanmar has cleared 3,450 people from a list of more than 22,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh, government spokesman Zaw Htay told a news conference in the capital Naypyitaw on Friday. "We have already negotiated with Bangladesh to accept these 3,450 people on August 22," he said, adding they would be divided into seven groups for repatriation. A foreign ministry spokesman previously gave Reuters a figure of 3,540 refugees verified under the plan. Zaw Htay said officials had scrutinized the list to determine whether the refugees had lived in Myanmar and whether they had been involved in attacks on the military. The 2017 crackdown was preceded by attacks on security forces by insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar has classified as a terrorist organization. Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps and finally failed after refugee protests.

Bangladesh, UNHCR to survey Rohingya regarding return to Myanmar

Bangladesh and Myanmar are considering a fresh attempt next week to repatriate a few of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown two years ago, Dhaka officials said Friday.

Some 740,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 from a military offensive in Myanmar that the United Nations likened to ethnic cleansing, joining 200,000 already there.

The two nations signed a repatriation deal later that year but virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to return to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression.

A previous attempt in November 2018 to return 2,260 Rohingya on a repatriation list fell flat, with those earmarked to return refusing to leave without guarantees for their safety.

The mooted new push follows a visit last month to hill camps that are home to the Rohingya by high-ranking officials from Myanmar led by Permanent Foreign Secretary Myint Thu.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry has forwarded a list of more than 22,000 refugees to Myanmar for verification and Naypyidaw cleared 3,450 individuals for "return".

Dhaka later forwarded the list to the UN's refugee agency seeking its assistance to survey the refugees' "intentions regarding repatriation".

Kimberley Phillips, the UNHCR spokeswoman in Yangon, said they would "meet with those who express an interest in returning -– in a confidential setting –- to confirm that voluntariness".

Top Bangladeshi foreign ministry official Delowar Hossain told AFP there were "possibilities" for the repatriation of the cleared individuals within a few days.

"However we cannot confirm anything yet," he said.

Another top official from the ministry said on condition of anonymity that the possible repatriation has been slated for Thursday, August 22.

However, Rohingya community leaders expressed "grave concern" saying they were not aware of any repatriation plan.

They said no refugees would return without confirmation of their preconditions -- safety, security and citizenship.

Mohib Ullah, a top community leader, said nobody shared any information about the repatriation attempt.

"We don't know what is happening... We will only repatriate through dialogues (about the preconditions). Without dialogues, no repatriation," he told AFP.

Myanmar has til now denied the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

The massive camps in southeast Bangladesh have sparked tensions between the neighbours, with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees.

Dhaka said it would not force any Rohingya to leave while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the refugees to return and grant them citizenship rights.

The UN complained the progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are considering a fresh attempt next week to repatriate a few of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown two years ago, Dhaka officials said Friday.

Bangladesh and Myanmar are considering a fresh attempt next week to repatriate a few of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled a military crackdown two years ago, Dhaka officials said Friday. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 from a military offensive in Myanmar that the United Nations likened to ethnic cleansing, joining 200,000 already there. The two nations signed a repatriation deal later that year but virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to return to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression. A previous attempt in November 2018 to return 2,260 Rohingya on a repatriation list fell flat, with those earmarked to return refusing to leave without guarantees for their safety. The mooted new push follows a visit last month to hill camps that are home to the Rohingya by high-ranking officials from Myanmar led by Permanent Foreign Secretary Myint Thu. Bangladesh's foreign ministry has forwarded a list of more than 22,000 refugees to Myanmar for verification and Naypyidaw cleared 3,450 individuals for "return". Dhaka later forwarded the list to the UN's refugee agency seeking its assistance to survey the refugees' "intentions regarding repatriation". Kimberley Phillips, the UNHCR spokeswoman in Yangon, said they would "meet with those who express an interest in returning -– in a confidential setting –- to confirm that voluntariness". Top Bangladeshi foreign ministry official Delowar Hossain told AFP there were "possibilities" for the repatriation of the cleared individuals within a few days. "However we cannot confirm anything yet," he said. Another top official from the ministry said on condition of anonymity that the possible repatriation has been slated for Thursday, August 22. However, Rohingya community leaders expressed "grave concern" saying they were not aware of any repatriation plan. They said no refugees would return without confirmation of their preconditions -- safety, security and citizenship. Mohib Ullah, a top community leader, said nobody shared any information about the repatriation attempt. "We don't know what is happening... We will only repatriate through dialogues (about the preconditions). Without dialogues, no repatriation," he told AFP. Myanmar has til now denied the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The massive camps in southeast Bangladesh have sparked tensions between the neighbours, with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees. Dhaka said it would not force any Rohingya to leave while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the refugees to return and grant them citizenship rights. The UN complained the progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

Bangladesh eyes new Rohingya repatriation attempt next week

Cradling her one-year-old daughter in a house in southern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-bangladesh-agree-to-start-rohingya-repatriation-next-week-243215">Myanmar</a>, 22-year-old Nu Nu Aye recalled the reasons her husband gave for beating her. She hadn`t looked after his rooster. She wouldn`t have sex with him.

In a meeting brokered by a village elder, he said he would beat her when "necessary". "His abuse got worse after that," she said. Finally, he tried to strangle her while she was sleeping.

In Myanmar, where the US-funded Demographic and Health Survey suggested at least one-fifth of women are abused by a partner - a figure activists say is likely an underestimate because many cases are not reported – there is no specific law against domestic violence.

Women such as Nu Nu Aye, whose account Reuters could not independently verify, usually rely on intervention by local leaders to arrange settlements with partners whose abuse is largely regarded as a private affair.

Activists hope the first National Prevention and Protection of Violence Against Women law, which the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been working on, will give women more protection from violence, including domestic abuse.

But the law, first proposed in 2013, remains stuck in the drafting stage, its provisions debated and revised over issues such as whether to outlaw marital rape.

The delays are a growing source of frustration for activists disappointed by the sluggish pace of reforms in an area entirely under the control of the civilian government, which rules with the military in an awkward power-sharing arrangement.

"We have been waiting too long for this law and are still waiting," said one of the activists, Nang Phyu Phyu Lin.

The Ministry for Social Welfare and Resettlement did not respond to questions sent by Reuters and did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

"No protection"

Socially conservative and male-dominated, Myanmar lived under military rule for half a century until the election of the first fully civilian government in 2015.&nbsp;

With the obvious exception of Suu Kyi, women are largely absent from public leadership roles - there are no other women in the cabinet and just 10 per cent of lawmakers elected in 2015 were female.

A local saying, sometimes used in jest and sometimes seriously, posits, "If you beat your wife until her bones are broken, she will love with all her heart."

Myanmar`s Penal Code, which dates back to the British colonial era, is vague and rarely used to prosecute cases of domestic violence. Its definition of rape is narrow and excludes marital rape.

"There is no protection as a woman in Myanmar society," one 28-year-old woman, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, told Reuters.&nbsp;

When arguing with her husband over his drug use, she was forced to protect herself and her baby son with a kitchen knife, she said. "I didn`t know who to call for help."

Enforcement of the law is especially weak in conservative rural areas, where women are often regarded as the property of their husbands, activists say.

Of 27 cases of domestic violence reported to police in southeastern Karen state in recent years, for example, just one reached the courts, said Naw Htoo Htoo, the programme director at Karen Human Rights Defenders. The other cases were settled by a village elder, imposing "little or no fine" on perpetrators, she said, adding that those reported likely represent just a fraction of the total number cases.&nbsp;

In Dawei, a sleepy coastal town further to the south, 31-year-old Kyu Kyu Win recalled how her husband, accusing her of flirting with other men, dragged her along the ground by her hair. "If we have to stay together again, I will kill myself," she said.

As she spoke, her brother interrupted. "I don`t believe her," he said. "Why do people always talk about women`s rights? What about men`s rights?"

Local police often ignore or play down complaints of domestic abuse, said Nu Nu Hlaing, the general secretary of the Tavoyan Women`s Union, which runs one of the country`s nine safe houses in the town.

Police at the two stations in Dawei declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

"Duties after marriage"

During discussions between government officials and women`s rights activists drafting the Prevention of Violence Against Women Law, both men and women disputed whether rape within marriage should be a crime, several people present in the meetings said.

"They said this is one of our duties after marriage, whether we like it or not," said Pansy Tun Thein, an activist on the drafting committee.&nbsp;

Some men questioned what the problem was with a man hitting his wife, said May Sabe Phyu, director of the Gender Equality Network, another member of the committee.

Three activists said the draft has been approved by the attorney general's office and would likely pass, but a date for debate in parliament has not been set. The attorney-general`s office did not return a request for comment from Reuters.

Under the current draft, they said, marital rape would finally be outlawed. The pending law would also include guarantees of services for survivors of domestic violence, such as legal and medical support and access to safe houses.&nbsp;

In the meantime, Nu Nu Aye and her baby daughter are sheltering at the home of two elderly women. "She can stay as long as she wants," one of the women, Po Kyi, said. "We have deep sympathy for her, as we are women."

Cradling her one-year-old daughter in a house in southern Myanmar, 22-year-old Nu Nu Aye recalled the reasons her husband gave for beating her. She hadn`t looked after his rooster.

Cradling her one-year-old daughter in a house in southern Myanmar, 22-year-old Nu Nu Aye recalled the reasons her husband gave for beating her. She hadn`t looked after his rooster. She wouldn`t have sex with him. In a meeting brokered by a village elder, he said he would beat her when "necessary". "His abuse got worse after that," she said. Finally, he tried to strangle her while she was sleeping. In Myanmar, where the US-funded Demographic and Health Survey suggested at least one-fifth of women are abused by a partner - a figure activists say is likely an underestimate because many cases are not reported – there is no specific law against domestic violence. Women such as Nu Nu Aye, whose account Reuters could not independently verify, usually rely on intervention by local leaders to arrange settlements with partners whose abuse is largely regarded as a private affair. Activists hope the first National Prevention and Protection of Violence Against Women law, which the government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been working on, will give women more protection from violence, including domestic abuse. But the law, first proposed in 2013, remains stuck in the drafting stage, its provisions debated and revised over issues such as whether to outlaw marital rape. The delays are a growing source of frustration for activists disappointed by the sluggish pace of reforms in an area entirely under the control of the civilian government, which rules with the military in an awkward power-sharing arrangement. "We have been waiting too long for this law and are still waiting," said one of the activists, Nang Phyu Phyu Lin. The Ministry for Social Welfare and Resettlement did not respond to questions sent by Reuters and did not answer phone calls seeking comment. "No protection" Socially conservative and male-dominated, Myanmar lived under military rule for half a century until the election of the first fully civilian government in 2015. With the obvious exception of Suu Kyi, women are largely absent from public leadership roles - there are no other women in the cabinet and just 10 per cent of lawmakers elected in 2015 were female. A local saying, sometimes used in jest and sometimes seriously, posits, "If you beat your wife until her bones are broken, she will love with all her heart." Myanmar`s Penal Code, which dates back to the British colonial era, is vague and rarely used to prosecute cases of domestic violence. Its definition of rape is narrow and excludes marital rape. "There is no protection as a woman in Myanmar society," one 28-year-old woman, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, told Reuters. When arguing with her husband over his drug use, she was forced to protect herself and her baby son with a kitchen knife, she said. "I didn`t know who to call for help." Enforcement of the law is especially weak in conservative rural areas, where women are often regarded as the property of their husbands, activists say. Of 27 cases of domestic violence reported to police in southeastern Karen state in recent years, for example, just one reached the courts, said Naw Htoo Htoo, the programme director at Karen Human Rights Defenders. The other cases were settled by a village elder, imposing "little or no fine" on perpetrators, she said, adding that those reported likely represent just a fraction of the total number cases. In Dawei, a sleepy coastal town further to the south, 31-year-old Kyu Kyu Win recalled how her husband, accusing her of flirting with other men, dragged her along the ground by her hair. "If we have to stay together again, I will kill myself," she said. As she spoke, her brother interrupted. "I don`t believe her," he said. "Why do people always talk about women`s rights? What about men`s rights?" Local police often ignore or play down complaints of domestic abuse, said Nu Nu Hlaing, the general secretary of the Tavoyan Women`s Union, which runs one of the country`s nine safe houses in the town. Police at the two stations in Dawei declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. "Duties after marriage" During discussions between government officials and women`s rights activists drafting the Prevention of Violence Against Women Law, both men and women disputed whether rape within marriage should be a crime, several people present in the meetings said. "They said this is one of our duties after marriage, whether we like it or not," said Pansy Tun Thein, an activist on the drafting committee. Some men questioned what the problem was with a man hitting his wife, said May Sabe Phyu, director of the Gender Equality Network, another member of the committee. Three activists said the draft has been approved by the attorney general's office and would likely pass, but a date for debate in parliament has not been set. The attorney-general`s office did not return a request for comment from Reuters. Under the current draft, they said, marital rape would finally be outlawed. The pending law would also include guarantees of services for survivors of domestic violence, such as legal and medical support and access to safe houses. In the meantime, Nu Nu Aye and her baby daughter are sheltering at the home of two elderly women. "She can stay as long as she wants," one of the women, Po Kyi, said. "We have deep sympathy for her, as we are women."

'Until her bones are broken': Myanmar activists fight to outlaw domestic violence

Myanmar and Bangladesh will start a fresh attempt next week to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/talks-were-positive-says-bangladesh-refugee-commissioner-after-myanmar-rohingya-discussion-over-repatriation-239048">repatriate thousands of Rohingya Muslims</a> who fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, officials said on Thursday, nearly a year after a major attempt failed.&nbsp;

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence.

A total of 3,540 refugees have been cleared for return by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-14-dead-in-unprecedented-rebel-attack-on-myanmar-military-town-243181">Myanmar</a> from a list of more than 22,000 names recently sent by Bangladesh, officials from both countries told Reuters.

The first group of refugees would return to Myanmar next week, providing any agree to go back.

"We have agreed to the repatriation of 3,540 people on August 22," Myint Thu, a spokesman for Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters by phone.

Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps and finally failed after refugee protests.

A senior Bangladeshi official told Reuters the new effort was a "small-scale" repatriation plan, adding that nobody will be forced to return.

"Bangladesh wants nothing but safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation," said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.

Mohammed Eleyas, a Rohingya activist with the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, said refugees had not been consulted about the process.

Myanmar should agree to the key demands of the community before repatriation begins, he said in a message.

UN officials have been asked to survey the refugees verified by Myanmar to determine whether they want to return, according to internal emails by the refugee agency, UNHCR, seen by Reuters.

"UNHCR will provide refugees with the relevant and reliable information available on the conditions in Myanmar, subject to current constraint on access in the areas of return," one of the emails said.

A UNHCR spokeswoman referred questions to Myanmar's ministry of foreign affairs.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya remain inside Myanmar, confined to camps and villages across Rakhine state where they are denied citizenship and their movements restricted.

Cleaning camps

The UN has said conditions in Rakhine state, where government troops have been fighting an insurgency for months, are not conducive for the return of refugees.&nbsp;

The region has been enveloped in a new war, with government troops fighting Arakan Army insurgents, members of an ethnic armed group that recruits from the mostly Buddhist Rakhine, who make up the majority in the area.

A UN investigator said in July that human rights violations against civilians by security forces and insurgents may amount to fresh war crimes, citing reports of deaths during army interrogations.

Myanmar authorities have blocked most humanitarian agencies, including the UN, from the area.

In July, an Australian think-tank said the government had made "minimal preparations" for the return of refugees.

An analysis of satellite imagery showed no signs of reconstruction in the overwhelming majority of former Rohingya settlements, while destruction of homes continued as recently as this year, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said.&nbsp;

Min Thein, a director at Myanmar's social welfare ministry, said officials had been sent to reinforce several centres built on the border with Bangladesh that have sat empty for months.

"We are preparing to be ready – cleaning the transit camps, reinforcing the staff levels," said Min Thein.

Myanmar and Bangladesh will start a fresh attempt next week to repatriate thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, officials said on Thursday, nearly a year after a major attempt failed.

Myanmar and Bangladesh will start a fresh attempt next week to repatriate thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state, officials said on Thursday, nearly a year after a major attempt failed. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine for neighbouring Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent", but many refugees refuse to go back, fearing more violence. A total of 3,540 refugees have been cleared for return by Myanmar from a list of more than 22,000 names recently sent by Bangladesh, officials from both countries told Reuters. The first group of refugees would return to Myanmar next week, providing any agree to go back. "We have agreed to the repatriation of 3,540 people on August 22," Myint Thu, a spokesman for Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Reuters by phone. Previous attempts at persuading Rohingya to return to Rakhine have failed due to opposition from refugees. An effort in November sowed fear and confusion in the camps and finally failed after refugee protests. A senior Bangladeshi official told Reuters the new effort was a "small-scale" repatriation plan, adding that nobody will be forced to return. "Bangladesh wants nothing but safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable repatriation," said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media. Mohammed Eleyas, a Rohingya activist with the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, said refugees had not been consulted about the process. Myanmar should agree to the key demands of the community before repatriation begins, he said in a message. UN officials have been asked to survey the refugees verified by Myanmar to determine whether they want to return, according to internal emails by the refugee agency, UNHCR, seen by Reuters. "UNHCR will provide refugees with the relevant and reliable information available on the conditions in Myanmar, subject to current constraint on access in the areas of return," one of the emails said. A UNHCR spokeswoman referred questions to Myanmar's ministry of foreign affairs. Tens of thousands of Rohingya remain inside Myanmar, confined to camps and villages across Rakhine state where they are denied citizenship and their movements restricted. Cleaning camps The UN has said conditions in Rakhine state, where government troops have been fighting an insurgency for months, are not conducive for the return of refugees. The region has been enveloped in a new war, with government troops fighting Arakan Army insurgents, members of an ethnic armed group that recruits from the mostly Buddhist Rakhine, who make up the majority in the area. A UN investigator said in July that human rights violations against civilians by security forces and insurgents may amount to fresh war crimes, citing reports of deaths during army interrogations. Myanmar authorities have blocked most humanitarian agencies, including the UN, from the area. In July, an Australian think-tank said the government had made "minimal preparations" for the return of refugees. An analysis of satellite imagery showed no signs of reconstruction in the overwhelming majority of former Rohingya settlements, while destruction of homes continued as recently as this year, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said. Min Thein, a director at Myanmar's social welfare ministry, said officials had been sent to reinforce several centres built on the border with Bangladesh that have sat empty for months. "We are preparing to be ready – cleaning the transit camps, reinforcing the staff levels," said Min Thein.

Myanmar, Bangladesh agree to start Rohingya repatriation next week

A Myanmar court on Friday charged eight people with financing terrorism, including six deported from Singapore last month over allegations they had sent money to ethnic rebels in the conflict-torn Rakhine region.

Rakhine state came to global attention after about 730,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed into Bangladesh fleeing a military crackdown in response to militant attacks in 2017.

More recently, civilians have been caught up in clashes between the military and the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that recruits from the mainly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine population and is fighting for greater autonomy for the state.

Myanmar has designated the Arakan Army a terrorist organisation and authorities have deployed thousands of troops to the region.

Speaking outside the courtroom in the commercial capital of Yangon, one defendant said they ran a legitimate association in Singapore raising funds for people displaced by the fighting. The UN says 35,000 people have been forced from their homes.

"We are the Arakan Association. They mixed us up with the Arakan Army," said Tin Hlaing Oo, one of the six deported from Singapore.

Their lawyer, Kyaw Myo Tun, said they were sending money to support those displaced by the violence and recent flooding in the region.

Singapore's home ministry said in July the group - five men and one woman - had "organized and mobilised" some members of the Myanmar community in the city-state to support the Arakan Army.

The Myanmar army has battled various autonomy-seeking ethnic minority insurgent groups for decades but several have agreed to make peace in recent years.

&nbsp;

A Myanmar court on Friday charged eight people with financing terrorism, including six deported from Singapore last month over allegations they had sent money to ethnic rebels in the conflict-torn Rakhine region.

A Myanmar court on Friday charged eight people with financing terrorism, including six deported from Singapore last month over allegations they had sent money to ethnic rebels in the conflict-torn Rakhine region. Rakhine state came to global attention after about 730,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed into Bangladesh fleeing a military crackdown in response to militant attacks in 2017. More recently, civilians have been caught up in clashes between the military and the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that recruits from the mainly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine population and is fighting for greater autonomy for the state. Myanmar has designated the Arakan Army a terrorist organisation and authorities have deployed thousands of troops to the region. Speaking outside the courtroom in the commercial capital of Yangon, one defendant said they ran a legitimate association in Singapore raising funds for people displaced by the fighting. The UN says 35,000 people have been forced from their homes. "We are the Arakan Association. They mixed us up with the Arakan Army," said Tin Hlaing Oo, one of the six deported from Singapore. Their lawyer, Kyaw Myo Tun, said they were sending money to support those displaced by the violence and recent flooding in the region. Singapore's home ministry said in July the group - five men and one woman - had "organized and mobilised" some members of the Myanmar community in the city-state to support the Arakan Army. The Myanmar army has battled various autonomy-seeking ethnic minority insurgent groups for decades but several have agreed to make peace in recent years.

Myanmar court charges eight over alleged ties to insurgents

Myanmar's foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced a United Nations report that urged world leaders to cut ties with military-linked companies and impose an arms embargo over the Rohingya crisis, saying it was intended to harm the country.

A panel of UN experts urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes.

More than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and western countries have said included mass killings and gang-rapes.

The investigators identified at least 59 foreign companies with commercial ties to the Myanmar military and 14 companies that have sold weapons and related equipment to security forces since 2016, including state-owned entities in Israel, India, North Korea and China.

Any foreign business activity involving the army and its conglomerates "posts a high risk of contributing to, or being linked to, violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law", the report said.

Myanmar's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the UN had exceeded its mandate in setting up the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which produced the report. The same panel in 2018 determined the crackdown on Rohingya was carried out with "genocidal intent".

"The Government of Myanmar categorically rejects the latest report and its conclusions," the ministry said in a statement, calling the report an "action intended to harm the interests of Myanmar and its people".

"We adhere firmly to the position that cooperation should be the basis for the resolution of international issues, including that of human rights," the ministry said.

"We do not believe that economic sanctions will resolve the challenges that need to be overcome," it added.

Myanmar's foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced a United Nations report that urged world leaders to cut ties with military-linked companies and impose an arms embargo over the Rohingya crisis, saying it was intended to harm the country.

Myanmar's foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced a United Nations report that urged world leaders to cut ties with military-linked companies and impose an arms embargo over the Rohingya crisis, saying it was intended to harm the country. A panel of UN experts urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes. More than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and western countries have said included mass killings and gang-rapes. The investigators identified at least 59 foreign companies with commercial ties to the Myanmar military and 14 companies that have sold weapons and related equipment to security forces since 2016, including state-owned entities in Israel, India, North Korea and China. Any foreign business activity involving the army and its conglomerates "posts a high risk of contributing to, or being linked to, violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law", the report said. Myanmar's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the UN had exceeded its mandate in setting up the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which produced the report. The same panel in 2018 determined the crackdown on Rohingya was carried out with "genocidal intent". "The Government of Myanmar categorically rejects the latest report and its conclusions," the ministry said in a statement, calling the report an "action intended to harm the interests of Myanmar and its people". "We adhere firmly to the position that cooperation should be the basis for the resolution of international issues, including that of human rights," the ministry said. "We do not believe that economic sanctions will resolve the challenges that need to be overcome," it added.

Myanmar says UN calls for sanctions, arms embargo bid to harm country

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-east-asia/southeast-asian-leaders-meet-expected-to-discuss-rohingyas-south-china-sea-229680">Myanmar's foreign ministry</a> on Tuesday denounced a United Nations report that urged world leaders to cut ties with military-linked companies and impose an arms embargo over the Rohingya crisis, saying it was intended to harm the country.

A panel of UN experts urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes.&nbsp;

More than 730,000<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-japan-offers-to-play-mediator-between-bangladesh-and-myanmar-239627"> Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority</a>, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and Western countries have said included mass killings and gang-rapes.

The investigators identified at least 59 foreign companies with commercial ties to the Myanmar military and 14 companies that have sold weapons and related equipment to security forces since 2016, including state-owned entities in Israel, India, North Korea, and China.

Any foreign business activity involving the army and its conglomerates 'posts a high risk of contributing to, or being linked to, violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law', the report said.

Myanmar's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the UN had exceeded its mandate in setting up the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which produced the report.&nbsp;

The same panel in 2018 determined the crackdown on Rohingya was carried out with 'genocidal intent'.

'The Government of Myanmar categorically rejects the latest report and its conclusions,' the ministry said in a statement, calling the report an 'action intended to harm the interests of Myanmar and its people'.

'We adhere firmly to the position that cooperation should be the basis for the resolution of international issues, including that of human rights,' the ministry said.

'We do not believe that economic sanctions will resolve the challenges that need to be overcome,' it added.

Myanmar's foreign ministry on Tuesday denounced a United Nations report that urged world leaders to cut ties with military-linked companies and impose an arms embargo over the Rohingya crisis, saying it was intended to harm the country. A panel of UN experts urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes. More than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and Western countries have said included mass killings and gang-rapes. The investigators identified at least 59 foreign companies with commercial ties to the Myanmar military and 14 companies that have sold weapons and related equipment to security forces since 2016, including state-owned entities in Israel, India, North Korea, and China. Any foreign business activity involving the army and its conglomerates 'posts a high risk of contributing to, or being linked to, violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law', the report said. Myanmar's foreign ministry said on Tuesday the UN had exceeded its mandate in setting up the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which produced the report. The same panel in 2018 determined the crackdown on Rohingya was carried out with 'genocidal intent'. 'The Government of Myanmar categorically rejects the latest report and its conclusions,' the ministry said in a statement, calling the report an 'action intended to harm the interests of Myanmar and its people'. 'We adhere firmly to the position that cooperation should be the basis for the resolution of international issues, including that of human rights,' the ministry said. 'We do not believe that economic sanctions will resolve the challenges that need to be overcome,' it added.

Myanmar says UN calls for sanctions, arms embargo a bid to harm country

United Nations investigators urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military in Myanmar and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes. 
&nbsp; 
A panel of human rights experts identified scores of companies tied to the army, which controls vast swathes of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/despite-myanmar-economy-rebound-investors-wary-of-rohingya-sanctions-risk-imf-128189/amp">Myanmar's economy</a> through holding firms and their subsidiaries, and is accused by the UN of executing a campaign with "genocidal intent" against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-delegation-holds-repatriation-talks-with-rohingya-in-bangladesh-238936">Rohingya minority</a>. 
&nbsp; 
More than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and Western countries have said included mass killings and gang rapes. 
&nbsp; 
The UN investigatory panel condemned the violence in a report last year that called for the economic isolation of the military. Investigators said the purpose of the new report was to help countries cut financial ties with all army linked companies. 
&nbsp; 
"For the first time, this report comes out with a clear picture of the involvement of specific European and Asian companies, and makes a point that in fact there is this relationship and it's a violation of UN treaties and UN norms," panel chairman Marzuki Darusman said in an interview in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Sunday.

United Nations investigators urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military in Myanmar and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes.

United Nations investigators urged world leaders on Monday to impose targeted financial sanctions on companies linked to the military in Myanmar and said foreign firms doing business with them could be complicit in international crimes. A panel of human rights experts identified scores of companies tied to the army, which controls vast swathes of Myanmar's economy through holding firms and their subsidiaries, and is accused by the UN of executing a campaign with "genocidal intent" against the Rohingya minority. More than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh amid a military led crackdown in August 2017 that the UN and Western countries have said included mass killings and gang rapes. The UN investigatory panel condemned the violence in a report last year that called for the economic isolation of the military. Investigators said the purpose of the new report was to help countries cut financial ties with all army linked companies. "For the first time, this report comes out with a clear picture of the involvement of specific European and Asian companies, and makes a point that in fact there is this relationship and it's a violation of UN treaties and UN norms," panel chairman Marzuki Darusman said in an interview in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Sunday.

United Nations urges sanctions on Myanmar army businesses, says foreign partners could be complicit

Australia pledged US $55 million to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia on Thursday, vowing to tackle "modern slavery" ensnaring vulnerable populations across the region, from low-paid workers to underage brides and Rohingya refugees.

The funding is part of a 10-year scheme that includes training for police and judges to probe criminal networks, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-planning-additional-military-infrastructure-in-australia-foreign-minister-marise-payne-239432">Australia's foreign affairs minister Marise Payne</a> said at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Bangkok.

"The initiative will also support joint international investigations to help rescue victims and ensure traffickers are charged," she said.&nbsp;

Rising demand for cheap labour, especially in the fishing and construction industries, has spurred trafficking networks across Southeast Asia where porous borders allow for the easy movement of people.&nbsp;

China's thirst for brides from the Mekong region has also fuelled an illicit trade of mostly young women, thanks to Beijing's decades-long one-child policy and preference for boys.&nbsp;

"There are many deep-rooted factors that enable transnational crime, from corruption through to the unequal status of children and other vulnerable groups," Payne added.

The persecution of Rohingya Muslims in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-ngo-worker-shot-in-restive-rakhine-state-239511">Myanmar's restive Rakhine state</a> is also prompting new and dangerous networks to form.

Some 740,000 of the stateless Rohingya fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, following a brutal military crackdown in 2017 but many are leaving the squalid refugee camps in an attempt to reach Malaysia and Indonesia for work, where they are vulnerable to exploitation.

The sophisticated and lucrative trafficking trade in Southeast Asia was exposed in 2015 when Thailand tried to shut down a million-dollar people-smuggling route for Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.&nbsp;

The route came to light after the discovery of the migrants' mass graves in southern Thailand.&nbsp;

Payne highlighted the Rohingya's plight on Thursday.

"We are also concerned about the situation in Rakhine State. We're committed to working with Myanmar, with Bangladesh, with ASEAN, and other partners towards a long term and durable solution," she said.&nbsp;

John Quinley from Fortify Rights, which documents trafficking cases in the region, called on ASEAN countries to boost cooperation and punish perpetrators.&nbsp;

"Human trafficking is a transnational crime that needs a transnational solution," he said.

In 2016, there were an estimated 25 million people trapped in modern slavery across Asia-Pacific, according to the Global Slavery Index.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Australia pledged US $55 million to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia on Thursday, vowing to tackle "modern slavery" ensnaring vulnerable populations across the region, from low-paid workers to underage brides and Rohingya refugees.

Australia pledged US $55 million to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia on Thursday, vowing to tackle "modern slavery" ensnaring vulnerable populations across the region, from low-paid workers to underage brides and Rohingya refugees. The funding is part of a 10-year scheme that includes training for police and judges to probe criminal networks, Australia's foreign affairs minister Marise Payne said at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Bangkok. "The initiative will also support joint international investigations to help rescue victims and ensure traffickers are charged," she said. Rising demand for cheap labour, especially in the fishing and construction industries, has spurred trafficking networks across Southeast Asia where porous borders allow for the easy movement of people. China's thirst for brides from the Mekong region has also fuelled an illicit trade of mostly young women, thanks to Beijing's decades-long one-child policy and preference for boys. "There are many deep-rooted factors that enable transnational crime, from corruption through to the unequal status of children and other vulnerable groups," Payne added. The persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state is also prompting new and dangerous networks to form. Some 740,000 of the stateless Rohingya fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, following a brutal military crackdown in 2017 but many are leaving the squalid refugee camps in an attempt to reach Malaysia and Indonesia for work, where they are vulnerable to exploitation. The sophisticated and lucrative trafficking trade in Southeast Asia was exposed in 2015 when Thailand tried to shut down a million-dollar people-smuggling route for Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar. The route came to light after the discovery of the migrants' mass graves in southern Thailand. Payne highlighted the Rohingya's plight on Thursday. "We are also concerned about the situation in Rakhine State. We're committed to working with Myanmar, with Bangladesh, with ASEAN, and other partners towards a long term and durable solution," she said. John Quinley from Fortify Rights, which documents trafficking cases in the region, called on ASEAN countries to boost cooperation and punish perpetrators. "Human trafficking is a transnational crime that needs a transnational solution," he said. In 2016, there were an estimated 25 million people trapped in modern slavery across Asia-Pacific, according to the Global Slavery Index.

Australia pledges US $55 million to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japans-abe-unlikely-to-meet-south-koreas-moon-at-un-in-september-source-239155">Japan</a> on Tuesday offered to play a role of mediator between Bangladesh and Myanmar to ensure peaceful and smooth repatriation of Rohingya people to their place of origin in Rakhine State.

The said offer was proposed during a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and his Japanese counterpart Tara Kono here on Tuesday.

At a joint press conference following the bilateral, the two diplomats stressed on the need for necessary steps to be taken by the Myanmar government to create an environment conducive to the return of the Rohingyas, reported Dhaka Tribune.

Kono, who is on a three-day official visit to Bangladesh, visited <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-delegation-holds-repatriation-talks-with-rohingya-in-bangladesh-238936">Rohingya settlements</a> in Cox`s Bazar earlier in the day and talked to many people living there to understand their situation first hand.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday told the United Nations (UN) that the flow of Rohingyas into Bangladesh, although low, continues still.

More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee the northern Rakhine in western Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown in 2017. The United Nations said that the offensive against the ethnic group included mass killings and gang rapes executed with "genocidal intent".

Followingly, the minorities took shelter in three dozen camps in Bangladesh`s Cox`s Bazar, pushing the number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to above 1.2 million. Many still fear for their safety if they return to Myanmar where the Muslim minority has faced decades of repression.

It may be noted that Bangladesh and Myanmar had 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 the country.

On Saturday, a 15-member delegation of Myanmar government officials visited Cox`s Bazar and held repatriation talks with the Muslim community.

Last November, a move to start the repatriation process fell through after none of the Rohingya agreed to return to Myanmar. It followed a visit to the camps in October last year by a Myanmar delegation.

Japan on Tuesday offered to play a role of mediator between Bangladesh and Myanmar to ensure peaceful and smooth repatriation of Rohingya people to their place of origin in Rakhine State.

Japan on Tuesday offered to play a role of mediator between Bangladesh and Myanmar to ensure peaceful and smooth repatriation of Rohingya people to their place of origin in Rakhine State. The said offer was proposed during a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and his Japanese counterpart Tara Kono here on Tuesday. At a joint press conference following the bilateral, the two diplomats stressed on the need for necessary steps to be taken by the Myanmar government to create an environment conducive to the return of the Rohingyas, reported Dhaka Tribune. Kono, who is on a three-day official visit to Bangladesh, visited Rohingya settlements in Cox`s Bazar earlier in the day and talked to many people living there to understand their situation first hand. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq on Tuesday told the United Nations (UN) that the flow of Rohingyas into Bangladesh, although low, continues still. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee the northern Rakhine in western Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown in 2017. The United Nations said that the offensive against the ethnic group included mass killings and gang rapes executed with "genocidal intent". Followingly, the minorities took shelter in three dozen camps in Bangladesh`s Cox`s Bazar, pushing the number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh to above 1.2 million. Many still fear for their safety if they return to Myanmar where the Muslim minority has faced decades of repression. It may be noted that Bangladesh and Myanmar had 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 the country. On Saturday, a 15-member delegation of Myanmar government officials visited Cox`s Bazar and held repatriation talks with the Muslim community. Last November, a move to start the repatriation process fell through after none of the Rohingya agreed to return to Myanmar. It followed a visit to the camps in October last year by a Myanmar delegation.

Rohingya crisis: Japan offers to play mediator between Bangladesh and Myanmar

A top-level Myanmar government delegation began repatriation talks with Rohingya leaders in a Bangladesh refugee camp on Saturday, an official said, with many of the Muslim minority fearing for their safety if they return home.

Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military and are living in squalid conditions in camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar.

The two countries signed a repatriation deal in November 2017 but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to go back to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression.

The Myanmar team, led by permanent foreign secretary U Myint Thu, arrived in Cox's Bazar on Saturday amid tightened security in the camps.

The delegation visited Kutupalong -- the world's largest refugee settlement -- where they discussed repatriation with Rohingya community leaders over several hours, said Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam.

"Both parties seemed positive about it and the discussion will continue tomorrow (Sunday)," he told AFP.

One of the Rohingya leaders who joined the talks, Dil Mohammad, said they "went well" as he reiterated demands for Myanmar to recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group.

"We hope this discussion will be fruitful. We told them that we won't return unless we are recognised as Rohingya in Myanmar," he said.

Myanmar denies the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

It is the second time in less than a year that Myanmar officials were trying to convince Rohingya refugees to return to their homeland in violence-wracked Rakhine state, after a repatriation offer was rejected by Rohingya leaders in October.

The massive camps have sparked tensions between the neighbouring nations with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees.

Dhaka has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave, while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the Rohingya to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights.

The UN has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

The new visit comes in the wake of talks between Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese 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.

A top-level Myanmar government delegation began repatriation talks with Rohingya leaders in a Bangladesh refugee camp on Saturday, an official said, with many of the Muslim minority fearing for their safety if they return home.

A top-level Myanmar government delegation began repatriation talks with Rohingya leaders in a Bangladesh refugee camp on Saturday, an official said, with many of the Muslim minority fearing for their safety if they return home. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military and are living in squalid conditions in camps in Bangladesh's southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar. The two countries signed a repatriation deal in November 2017 but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to go back to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression. The Myanmar team, led by permanent foreign secretary U Myint Thu, arrived in Cox's Bazar on Saturday amid tightened security in the camps. The delegation visited Kutupalong -- the world's largest refugee settlement -- where they discussed repatriation with Rohingya community leaders over several hours, said Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam. "Both parties seemed positive about it and the discussion will continue tomorrow (Sunday)," he told AFP. One of the Rohingya leaders who joined the talks, Dil Mohammad, said they "went well" as he reiterated demands for Myanmar to recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group. "We hope this discussion will be fruitful. We told them that we won't return unless we are recognised as Rohingya in Myanmar," he said. Myanmar denies the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It is the second time in less than a year that Myanmar officials were trying to convince Rohingya refugees to return to their homeland in violence-wracked Rakhine state, after a repatriation offer was rejected by Rohingya leaders in October. The massive camps have sparked tensions between the neighbouring nations with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees. Dhaka has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave, while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the Rohingya to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights. The UN has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow. The new visit comes in the wake of talks between Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese 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.

Myanmar delegation holds repatriation talks with Rohingya in Bangladesh

Talks between Myanmar and Rohingya leaders will be extended after "positive" discussions about the refugees' return to their homeland, Bangladesh officials said Sunday.

Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military and joined another 200,000 already living in squalid conditions in nearly three dozen camps in Bangladesh's coastal Cox's Bazar district.

The two nations signed a repatriation deal two years ago but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to go back to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression.

The delegation, led by the country's permanent foreign secretary U Myint Thu, arrived at Cox's Bazar district on Saturday to "explain the preparations" for the Rohingyas' return to northern Rakhine state.

"We have in principle agreed to discuss further on three areas," Thu told reporters after the group -- which included other representatives from Southeast Asian nations -- visited the world's largest refugee settlement Kutupalong.

The three areas are extending the dialogue between the two parties, involving delegates from Southeast Asian nations in the discussions, and holding talks with Bangladeshi ministries over the repatriation of Hindu and Christian Rohingyas.

Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said the talks were "positive".

"If the refugees continue to press for talks, they (Myanmar) will listen. It is exactly what is happening now," he said.

Rohingya Muslim community leader Mohib Ullah said he told the delegation people wanted citizenship, safety and security as preconditions for their return to Rakhine.

They also wanted to return to their villages and not to camps constructed by the government, he added.

"They patiently listened to us. We requested them to return with an answer after two months and to continue the talks," he told AFP.

Rohingya Christian leader Abu Taher said his community also demanded freedom to practice their religion in Rakhine.

Myanmar so far denies the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

It is the second time in less than a year officials have tried to convince the Rohingya to return to violence-wracked Rakhine, with the first repatriation offer rejected by camp leaders in October.

The massive camps have sparked tensions between the neighbours, with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees.

Dhaka has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave, while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the refugees to return and grant them citizenship rights.

The UN has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

Talks between Myanmar and Rohingya leaders will be extended after "positive" discussions about the refugees' return to their homeland, Bangladesh officials said Sunday.

Talks between Myanmar and Rohingya leaders will be extended after "positive" discussions about the refugees' return to their homeland, Bangladesh officials said Sunday. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled a 2017 crackdown by Myanmar's military and joined another 200,000 already living in squalid conditions in nearly three dozen camps in Bangladesh's coastal Cox's Bazar district. The two nations signed a repatriation deal two years ago but so far virtually no Rohingya have volunteered to go back to Myanmar, where the group has faced decades of repression. The delegation, led by the country's permanent foreign secretary U Myint Thu, arrived at Cox's Bazar district on Saturday to "explain the preparations" for the Rohingyas' return to northern Rakhine state. "We have in principle agreed to discuss further on three areas," Thu told reporters after the group -- which included other representatives from Southeast Asian nations -- visited the world's largest refugee settlement Kutupalong. The three areas are extending the dialogue between the two parties, involving delegates from Southeast Asian nations in the discussions, and holding talks with Bangladeshi ministries over the repatriation of Hindu and Christian Rohingyas. Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said the talks were "positive". "If the refugees continue to press for talks, they (Myanmar) will listen. It is exactly what is happening now," he said. Rohingya Muslim community leader Mohib Ullah said he told the delegation people wanted citizenship, safety and security as preconditions for their return to Rakhine. They also wanted to return to their villages and not to camps constructed by the government, he added. "They patiently listened to us. We requested them to return with an answer after two months and to continue the talks," he told AFP. Rohingya Christian leader Abu Taher said his community also demanded freedom to practice their religion in Rakhine. Myanmar so far denies the minority citizenship and refers to them as "Bengalis" -- inferring that the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It is the second time in less than a year officials have tried to convince the Rohingya to return to violence-wracked Rakhine, with the first repatriation offer rejected by camp leaders in October. The massive camps have sparked tensions between the neighbours, with Bangladesh blaming Myanmar for delays in repatriating the refugees. Dhaka has said it will not force any Rohingya to leave, while Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow the refugees to return and grant them citizenship rights. The UN has complained that progress to address the refugee crisis has been far too slow.

Talks were 'positive', says Bangladesh refugee commissioner after Myanmar-Rohingya discussion over repatriation

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation.

More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in western Myanmar during a 2017 military-led crackdown the United Nations has said included mass killings and gang-rapes executed with "genocidal intent". Almost 400 Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence.

While authorities have promised to resettle the refugees, analysis of satellite imagery shows “no sign of reconstruction” in the overwhelming majority of their former settlements while, in some areas, destruction of residential buildings has continued, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released late on Tuesday.

"The continued destruction of residential areas across 2018 and 2019 – clearly identifiable through our longitudinal satellite analysis – raises serious questions about the willingness of the Myanmar government to facilitate a safe and dignified repatriation process,"&nbsp;Nathan Ruser, one of the researchers at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre, said in a statement.

Spokesmen for the Myanmar government did not answer calls seeking comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine General Administration Department, declined to comment.

Myanmar has repeatedly said it is ready to take back refugees, blaming Bangladesh for failed efforts to kick-start returns.

A report by the disaster management unit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - a 10 nation regional body that includes Myanmar - had praised the country's efforts to ensure “smooth and orderly” returns.

The AHA Centre report, leaked to media in June, predicted that half a million refugees would come back within two years.

Human rights groups said the assessment glossed over atrocities and ignored ongoing conflict in the region. The UN has said conditions in Rakhine are not yet conducive for returns.

Government troops in the northern part of the state are now battling insurgents belonging to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for the region that recruits from the mostly Buddhist majority.

ASPI’s report described a pattern of "securitisation"&nbsp;in the region since 2017, with six facilities suspected to be military bases built on top of former Rohingya settlements.

A Reuters investigation in December 2018 found authorities have built houses for Buddhists in former Rohingya areas. A resettlement map drafted by the government revealed that refugees, rather than returning to their original villages, would be herded into several dozen Rohingya-only settlements.

In early July, the Indian government handed over 250 prefabricated houses in several villages in northern Rakhine to Hindu families displaced by the violence. None of the homes was for Rohingya.

"Hindus and Rakhine people lost their houses and we also lost ours," Zuyarman, a Rohingya villager in Maungdaw township, told Reuters at the time. "We Rohingya wish that we would have houses like them."

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation.

Myanmar has made “minimal” preparations for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees sheltering in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to an Australian think-tank, despite the country saying it is ready to start repatriation. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee northern Rakhine state in western Myanmar during a 2017 military-led crackdown the United Nations has said included mass killings and gang-rapes executed with "genocidal intent". Almost 400 Rohingya villages were burned to the ground during the violence. While authorities have promised to resettle the refugees, analysis of satellite imagery shows “no sign of reconstruction” in the overwhelming majority of their former settlements while, in some areas, destruction of residential buildings has continued, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) said in a report released late on Tuesday. "The continued destruction of residential areas across 2018 and 2019 – clearly identifiable through our longitudinal satellite analysis – raises serious questions about the willingness of the Myanmar government to facilitate a safe and dignified repatriation process," Nathan Ruser, one of the researchers at ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre, said in a statement. Spokesmen for the Myanmar government did not answer calls seeking comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine General Administration Department, declined to comment. Myanmar has repeatedly said it is ready to take back refugees, blaming Bangladesh for failed efforts to kick-start returns. A report by the disaster management unit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) - a 10 nation regional body that includes Myanmar - had praised the country's efforts to ensure “smooth and orderly” returns. The AHA Centre report, leaked to media in June, predicted that half a million refugees would come back within two years. Human rights groups said the assessment glossed over atrocities and ignored ongoing conflict in the region. The UN has said conditions in Rakhine are not yet conducive for returns. Government troops in the northern part of the state are now battling insurgents belonging to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking greater autonomy for the region that recruits from the mostly Buddhist majority. ASPI’s report described a pattern of "securitisation" in the region since 2017, with six facilities suspected to be military bases built on top of former Rohingya settlements. A Reuters investigation in December 2018 found authorities have built houses for Buddhists in former Rohingya areas. A resettlement map drafted by the government revealed that refugees, rather than returning to their original villages, would be herded into several dozen Rohingya-only settlements. In early July, the Indian government handed over 250 prefabricated houses in several villages in northern Rakhine to Hindu families displaced by the violence. None of the homes was for Rohingya. "Hindus and Rakhine people lost their houses and we also lost ours," Zuyarman, a Rohingya villager in Maungdaw township, told Reuters at the time. "We Rohingya wish that we would have houses like them."

Satellite images show Myanmar's 'minimal preparations' for Rohingya return: Report

rohingya

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