Villagers and a lawmaker in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state said on Thursday that a military helicopter attacked a group of Rohingya Muslims gathering bamboo, killing five and wounding 13, but a military spokesman declined to comment.

Major-General Tun Tun Nyi said the army would release "true news" about the alleged incident in time.

Myanmar's western Rakhine state came to global attention in 2017, when the army drove about 730,000 ethnic Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh following attacks by Rohingya insurgents on police posts.

The United Nations has accused the army of cracking down on the Muslim minority with "genocidal intent".

More recently, the military has been fighting another armed group, the Arakan Army, which recruits mostly from the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population.

The latest incident occurred in a valley in Buthidaung township, near a village that was home to Rohingya Muslim families.

"A military airstrike killed five people, including one of our villagers, at around 4 pm yesterday," Zaw Kir Ahmed, a community leader from Kin Taung village told Reuters by telephone.

"People in the village don’t dare to go out and are frightened," he added.

Many villages around Buthidaung were razed during the 2017 campaign against Rohingya, though the village that was home to the casualties from Wednesday's attack was spared at that time.

Myanmar’s leaders have vowed to crush all the rebels fighting for autonomy in Rakhine State, an area long scarred by complex ethnic divisions, and authorities have blocked most aid agencies' access to the area, raising fears of more civilian suffering.

Stephan Sakalian, head of delegation in Myanmar at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said teams from the organization had visited Buthidaung Hospital where 13 people were being treated for wounds, some of them in "urgent need of surgery".

"ICRC and Myanmar Red Cross teams are following the situation very closely and offered our services in case of need, including medical supplies or transfer to the Sittwe hospital, as we did two weeks ago with 5 wounded civilians," he said.

Rashid Ahmed, a labourer who spoke by telephone to Reuters, said his elder brother, uncle and nephew had been shot while they were working at Sai Din valley.

"A helicopter attacked them while they were working there, cutting and collecting bamboo," he said. Two other villagers said a helicopter had attacked the group.

Some of the wounded were brought to Buthidaung town, but several died before they reached the hospital, said Maung Kyaw Zan, a lawmaker for the township, adding that five bodies had been recovered.

"When I talked to the wounded people they said the shooting came from the air, there were no clashes on the ground," the lawmaker said.

More than 17,000 people have been displaced by the violence in Rakhine since December, the US&nbsp;embassy said in a statement on Tuesday that urged authorities to allow humanitarian relief for those affected.

"The United States is deeply concerned about the harm to civilians of the ongoing conflict in Rakhine and Chin States between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military," it said.

"We call on all parties to renew their efforts to end the fighting and work toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict."

Villagers and a lawmaker in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state said on Thursday that a military helicopter attacked a group of Rohingya Muslims gathering bamboo, killing five and wounding 13, but a military spokesman declined to comment.

Villagers and a lawmaker in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state said on Thursday that a military helicopter attacked a group of Rohingya Muslims gathering bamboo, killing five and wounding 13, but a military spokesman declined to comment. Major-General Tun Tun Nyi said the army would release "true news" about the alleged incident in time. Myanmar's western Rakhine state came to global attention in 2017, when the army drove about 730,000 ethnic Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh following attacks by Rohingya insurgents on police posts. The United Nations has accused the army of cracking down on the Muslim minority with "genocidal intent". More recently, the military has been fighting another armed group, the Arakan Army, which recruits mostly from the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population. The latest incident occurred in a valley in Buthidaung township, near a village that was home to Rohingya Muslim families. "A military airstrike killed five people, including one of our villagers, at around 4 pm yesterday," Zaw Kir Ahmed, a community leader from Kin Taung village told Reuters by telephone. "People in the village don’t dare to go out and are frightened," he added. Many villages around Buthidaung were razed during the 2017 campaign against Rohingya, though the village that was home to the casualties from Wednesday's attack was spared at that time. Myanmar’s leaders have vowed to crush all the rebels fighting for autonomy in Rakhine State, an area long scarred by complex ethnic divisions, and authorities have blocked most aid agencies' access to the area, raising fears of more civilian suffering. Stephan Sakalian, head of delegation in Myanmar at the International Committee of the Red Cross, said teams from the organization had visited Buthidaung Hospital where 13 people were being treated for wounds, some of them in "urgent need of surgery". "ICRC and Myanmar Red Cross teams are following the situation very closely and offered our services in case of need, including medical supplies or transfer to the Sittwe hospital, as we did two weeks ago with 5 wounded civilians," he said. Rashid Ahmed, a labourer who spoke by telephone to Reuters, said his elder brother, uncle and nephew had been shot while they were working at Sai Din valley. "A helicopter attacked them while they were working there, cutting and collecting bamboo," he said. Two other villagers said a helicopter had attacked the group. Some of the wounded were brought to Buthidaung town, but several died before they reached the hospital, said Maung Kyaw Zan, a lawmaker for the township, adding that five bodies had been recovered. "When I talked to the wounded people they said the shooting came from the air, there were no clashes on the ground," the lawmaker said. More than 17,000 people have been displaced by the violence in Rakhine since December, the US embassy said in a statement on Tuesday that urged authorities to allow humanitarian relief for those affected. "The United States is deeply concerned about the harm to civilians of the ongoing conflict in Rakhine and Chin States between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military," it said. "We call on all parties to renew their efforts to end the fighting and work toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict."

Myanmar villagers, lawmaker say 'helicopter attack' kills five Rohingya, wounds 13

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

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

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

First Rohingya woman shot dead in Bangladesh drugs clampdown

The United Nations is making plans to help Bangladesh relocate thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote island off its coast, documents seen by Reuters show, a move opposed by many refugees and that some human rights experts fear could spark a new crisis.

Bangladesh says transporting refugees to Bhasan Char – a Bay of Bengal island hours by boat from the mainland – will ease chronic overcrowding in its camps at Cox's Bazar, which are home to more than 1 million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who have fled neighbouring Myanmar.

Humanitarian and human rights groups have criticized the relocation proposal, saying the island is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during high tide.

A document was drawn up by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN's food aid arm, shows the agency has supplied the Bangladesh government with detailed plans – including a timeline and budget – of how it could provide for thousands of Rohingya transported to the island within weeks. It stresses that any relocation should be voluntary and done "in accordance with humanitarian principles and code of conduct".

The document, labelled as a "Concept of Operations" and dated March 12, outlines how the organization and its partners "may facilitate the identification, staging, forward movement, reception, and sustainment of refugees" on Bhasan Char, estimating an initial appeal for donor funding of between $8.6 and $19 million.

More detailed operational planning would be needed it says, noting the Concept of Operations had been "developed quickly and without the benefit of any recent on-site assessment".

Gemma Snowdon, communications officer for WFP in Cox's Bazar, said the organization was part of "ongoing discussions" with the government over the future of the refugee response.

"The viability of safely relocating people to Bhasan Char needs to be thoroughly assessed and WFP is investigating the potential operational needs, financial costs, and challenges in several areas that we traditionally support in emergencies: food security, emergency telecommunications and logistics," she said.

Refugee influx

The numbers of refugees in the Cox's Bazar camps have grown dramatically since August 2017, when a Myanmar military-led crackdown that UN investigators have said was conducted with "genocidal intent" prompted some 730,000 Rohingya to flee. Myanmar has denied almost all allegations of atrocities made by refugees during what is says was a legitimate counterterrorism operation by its security forces.

Bangladesh says it is struggling to cope with the influx and wants to start relocating thousands of refugees to the island, which it says has been secured with flood defence embankments and cyclone shelters.

A senior UN official told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Thursday the organization welcomed the fact the government had "taken steps to identify alternative settlements".

"As you also know if you have been to Kutapalong and the various camps in Cox's Bazar area, it is clear that there is huge congestion," said Volker Turk, Assistant High Commissioner for the UN refugee agency.

Mozammel Haque, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, told Reuters in an interview the government planned to start moving refugees next month.

"We are in talks with UN agencies and they have agreed," he said. "Now we are working on other things like how to move them and other strategies. We are the host country. We will decide where to keep them. And we are doing everything to ensure their safety and security."

Abul Kalam, the Relief and Repatriation Commission chief based in Cox's Bazar, told Reuters preparations were "still going on" and the site was not ready.

Flood-prone island

Bhasan Char, a flat and featureless island that emerged from the sea 20 years ago, has never been inhabited.

Humanitarians have not visited since a four-hour trip in September 2018, according to WFP. An internal report produced after that visit, also seen by Reuters, found a 1,500-acre area of the 13,000-acre island had been encircled by a nine-foot (3 metre) embankment, short of the 21-foot barrier recommended by WFP.

Housing with corrugated iron roofs and concrete floors and walls for about 70,000 people had been built, but there were only enough cyclone shelters for 17,000.

A UN human rights investigator who visited in January said earlier this month she feared a "new crisis" if Rohingya were taken to the island.

"There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar.

In Cox's Bazar, local officials are compiling lists of the first refugees to be moved, District Administrator Mohammad Kamal Hossain told Reuters.

On Thursday, a poem by a Rohingya refugee titled 'Do Not Send Me to the Island' was posted to social media. "I'm a human being, I deserve all human rights," it read.

"You know, we are refugees, surviving in refugee camp for two years," the author, 22-year-old Mohammed Rezuwan, told Reuters in a message. "Still we are tolerating so much tragedies."

The United Nations is making plans to help Bangladesh relocate thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote island off its coast, documents seen by Reuters show, a move opposed by many refugees and that some human rights experts fear could spark a new crisis.

The United Nations is making plans to help Bangladesh relocate thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote island off its coast, documents seen by Reuters show, a move opposed by many refugees and that some human rights experts fear could spark a new crisis. Bangladesh says transporting refugees to Bhasan Char – a Bay of Bengal island hours by boat from the mainland – will ease chronic overcrowding in its camps at Cox's Bazar, which are home to more than 1 million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who have fled neighbouring Myanmar. Humanitarian and human rights groups have criticized the relocation proposal, saying the island is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during high tide. A document was drawn up by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN's food aid arm, shows the agency has supplied the Bangladesh government with detailed plans – including a timeline and budget – of how it could provide for thousands of Rohingya transported to the island within weeks. It stresses that any relocation should be voluntary and done "in accordance with humanitarian principles and code of conduct". The document, labelled as a "Concept of Operations" and dated March 12, outlines how the organization and its partners "may facilitate the identification, staging, forward movement, reception, and sustainment of refugees" on Bhasan Char, estimating an initial appeal for donor funding of between $8.6 and $19 million. More detailed operational planning would be needed it says, noting the Concept of Operations had been "developed quickly and without the benefit of any recent on-site assessment". Gemma Snowdon, communications officer for WFP in Cox's Bazar, said the organization was part of "ongoing discussions" with the government over the future of the refugee response. "The viability of safely relocating people to Bhasan Char needs to be thoroughly assessed and WFP is investigating the potential operational needs, financial costs, and challenges in several areas that we traditionally support in emergencies: food security, emergency telecommunications and logistics," she said. Refugee influx The numbers of refugees in the Cox's Bazar camps have grown dramatically since August 2017, when a Myanmar military-led crackdown that UN investigators have said was conducted with "genocidal intent" prompted some 730,000 Rohingya to flee. Myanmar has denied almost all allegations of atrocities made by refugees during what is says was a legitimate counterterrorism operation by its security forces. Bangladesh says it is struggling to cope with the influx and wants to start relocating thousands of refugees to the island, which it says has been secured with flood defence embankments and cyclone shelters. A senior UN official told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Thursday the organization welcomed the fact the government had "taken steps to identify alternative settlements". "As you also know if you have been to Kutapalong and the various camps in Cox's Bazar area, it is clear that there is huge congestion," said Volker Turk, Assistant High Commissioner for the UN refugee agency. Mozammel Haque, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, told Reuters in an interview the government planned to start moving refugees next month. "We are in talks with UN agencies and they have agreed," he said. "Now we are working on other things like how to move them and other strategies. We are the host country. We will decide where to keep them. And we are doing everything to ensure their safety and security." Abul Kalam, the Relief and Repatriation Commission chief based in Cox's Bazar, told Reuters preparations were "still going on" and the site was not ready. Flood-prone island Bhasan Char, a flat and featureless island that emerged from the sea 20 years ago, has never been inhabited. Humanitarians have not visited since a four-hour trip in September 2018, according to WFP. An internal report produced after that visit, also seen by Reuters, found a 1,500-acre area of the 13,000-acre island had been encircled by a nine-foot (3 metre) embankment, short of the 21-foot barrier recommended by WFP. Housing with corrugated iron roofs and concrete floors and walls for about 70,000 people had been built, but there were only enough cyclone shelters for 17,000. A UN human rights investigator who visited in January said earlier this month she feared a "new crisis" if Rohingya were taken to the island. "There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," said Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. In Cox's Bazar, local officials are compiling lists of the first refugees to be moved, District Administrator Mohammad Kamal Hossain told Reuters. On Thursday, a poem by a Rohingya refugee titled 'Do Not Send Me to the Island' was posted to social media. "I'm a human being, I deserve all human rights," it read. "You know, we are refugees, surviving in refugee camp for two years," the author, 22-year-old Mohammed Rezuwan, told Reuters in a message. "Still we are tolerating so much tragedies."

UN draws up plans to ‘facilitate’ Rohingya relocation to island

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning, March 22, 2019

Senators have called for the United States to slap sanctions on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/video-know-the-myanmar-army-chief-min-aung-hlaing-whom-un-blames-for-rohingya-genocide-161862">Myanmar's army chief</a>, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators Wednesday said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority.

Senators including Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat, said that sanctions against Myanmar's army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as other top officers would demonstrate "US intolerance for behaviour that contravenes fundamental human rights."&nbsp;

"The Trump administration has taken no action against these senior officials even though sanctions designations would send a strong message that the United States supports accountability for those perpetrating well-documented human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities," wrote the group that also included Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana, which has become a hub for refugees from Myanmar.

The Treasury Department in August imposed sanctions on four commanders accused of orchestrating massacres, but the senators said the move was insufficient.

They urged sanctions against Min Aung Hlaing under the Magnitsky Act, a US law named after a Russian accountant who died in prison that lays out the seizure of assets and a US travel ban for foreign officials who violate human rights.

Around 740,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 in a military campaign that the UN called ethnic cleansing.

In a rare foreign media interview last month, Min Aung Hlaing told Japan's Asahi Shimbun that there was "no certain proof" the army had persecuted the Rohingya.

The military shares power with a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a former heroine in the West when she was under house arrest who has been widely condemned for not speaking up on behalf of the Rohingya.

Senators have called for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya.

Senators have called for the United States to slap sanctions on Myanmar's army chief, saying more needed to be done to bring accountability over the campaign against the Rohingya. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the four senators Wednesday said Myanmar has shown "no credible signs of progress" despite widespread international condemnation of the killings and sexual violence against members of the mostly Muslim minority. Senators including Dick Durbin, the number-two Democrat, said that sanctions against Myanmar's army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as well as other top officers would demonstrate "US intolerance for behaviour that contravenes fundamental human rights." "The Trump administration has taken no action against these senior officials even though sanctions designations would send a strong message that the United States supports accountability for those perpetrating well-documented human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities," wrote the group that also included Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana, which has become a hub for refugees from Myanmar. The Treasury Department in August imposed sanctions on four commanders accused of orchestrating massacres, but the senators said the move was insufficient. They urged sanctions against Min Aung Hlaing under the Magnitsky Act, a US law named after a Russian accountant who died in prison that lays out the seizure of assets and a US travel ban for foreign officials who violate human rights. Around 740,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 in a military campaign that the UN called ethnic cleansing. In a rare foreign media interview last month, Min Aung Hlaing told Japan's Asahi Shimbun that there was "no certain proof" the army had persecuted the Rohingya. The military shares power with a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a former heroine in the West when she was under house arrest who has been widely condemned for not speaking up on behalf of the Rohingya.

Senators ask US to sanction Myanmar army chief

A Myanmar court on Tuesday sentenced a prominent ethnic Rakhine leader to 20 years in jail for treason, a verdict likely to intensify anger amid fighting between the ethnic group and the army.

Security forces tried to calm hundreds of supporters outside the court in Rakhine state capital Sittwe as Aye Maung was escorted to a waiting police van following the verdict.

Aye Maung, the former chairman of the Arakan National Party -- which is renowned for hardline views against the Rohingya Muslim minority -- was sentenced for treason and defamation over an allegedly inflammatory speech in January 2018, a day before deadly riots.

State-backed media at the time said he railed against the central government for treating the ethnic Rakhine as "slaves" and said it was the "right time" for the community to launch an armed struggle.

The following evening, Rakhine protesters briefly seized a government building and police opened fire, killing seven people.

Aye Maung and a fellow detainee -- writer Wai Hin Aung, who also gave a speech at the same rally -- were detained days later.

"Both Dr Aye Maung and writer Wai Hin Aung were sentenced to 20 years each... for the charge of high treason and two years each for defamation of the state," Wai Hin Aung's defence lawyer Aye Nu Sein told AFP.

Myanmar's Rakhine state is cut by violence and hatred.

A brutal military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh.

Yet the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, some of whom are accused of aiding soldiers in the anti-Rohingya campaign, also feels marginalised by the state.

The lawyer said they were discussing whether to appeal.

Treason can carry the death sentence.

'Oppression and bullying'

Supporters of the pair were enraged by the perceived persecution of two prominent Rakhine figures.

"This is not fair. This is oppression and bullying of ethnic Rakhine people," one woman shouted in front of court, as the protesters spread to the centre of the town.

In recent weeks, the military has waged war on the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group claiming to represent the ethnic Rakhine.

The group launched a brazen attack on police posts in early January that killed 13 officers and killed nine more policemen earlier this month.

The violence has spread to the ancient temple city of Mrauk U, the former capital of the Rakhine kingdom and a popular tourist site -- the same town where Aye Maung gave his controversial speech last year.

Support for the AA has grown with the fighting, even though several thousand Rakhine have been forced from their homes by the violence.

A further 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine without citizenship, restricted to either camps or their villages, many unable to access medical care.

Much of northern Rakhine is in lockdown and information is difficult to verify independently.

A Myanmar court on Tuesday sentenced a prominent ethnic Rakhine leader to 20 years in jail for treason, a verdict likely to intensify anger amid fighting between the ethnic group and the army.

A Myanmar court on Tuesday sentenced a prominent ethnic Rakhine leader to 20 years in jail for treason, a verdict likely to intensify anger amid fighting between the ethnic group and the army. Security forces tried to calm hundreds of supporters outside the court in Rakhine state capital Sittwe as Aye Maung was escorted to a waiting police van following the verdict. Aye Maung, the former chairman of the Arakan National Party -- which is renowned for hardline views against the Rohingya Muslim minority -- was sentenced for treason and defamation over an allegedly inflammatory speech in January 2018, a day before deadly riots. State-backed media at the time said he railed against the central government for treating the ethnic Rakhine as "slaves" and said it was the "right time" for the community to launch an armed struggle. The following evening, Rakhine protesters briefly seized a government building and police opened fire, killing seven people. Aye Maung and a fellow detainee -- writer Wai Hin Aung, who also gave a speech at the same rally -- were detained days later. "Both Dr Aye Maung and writer Wai Hin Aung were sentenced to 20 years each... for the charge of high treason and two years each for defamation of the state," Wai Hin Aung's defence lawyer Aye Nu Sein told AFP. Myanmar's Rakhine state is cut by violence and hatred. A brutal military crackdown in 2017 forced some 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh. Yet the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population, some of whom are accused of aiding soldiers in the anti-Rohingya campaign, also feels marginalised by the state. The lawyer said they were discussing whether to appeal. Treason can carry the death sentence. 'Oppression and bullying' Supporters of the pair were enraged by the perceived persecution of two prominent Rakhine figures. "This is not fair. This is oppression and bullying of ethnic Rakhine people," one woman shouted in front of court, as the protesters spread to the centre of the town. In recent weeks, the military has waged war on the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group claiming to represent the ethnic Rakhine. The group launched a brazen attack on police posts in early January that killed 13 officers and killed nine more policemen earlier this month. The violence has spread to the ancient temple city of Mrauk U, the former capital of the Rakhine kingdom and a popular tourist site -- the same town where Aye Maung gave his controversial speech last year. Support for the AA has grown with the fighting, even though several thousand Rakhine have been forced from their homes by the violence. A further 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine without citizenship, restricted to either camps or their villages, many unable to access medical care. Much of northern Rakhine is in lockdown and information is difficult to verify independently.

Myanmar court jails Arakan National Party's former chairman Aye Maung for 20 years for treason

Myanmar's army said on Monday it had set up a military court to investigate its conduct during a crackdown on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-to-move-rohingya-to-island-next-month-minister-203255">Rohingya Muslim minority</a> in 2017 that forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The court comprising a major-general and two colonels will investigate events in western Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017, the military said in a statement posted on the website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander-in-chief.

"The information is released that the investigation court was formed with the following persons to further scrutinize and confirm the respective incidents," the military said.

The court will respond to allegations made by the United Nations and rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing security forces of mass killings, rape and arson.

Myanmar forces launched their offensive in Rakhine State in response to a series of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border.

A UN fact-finding mission last year said the military campaign was orchestrated with "genocidal intent" and recommended charging Min Aung Hlaing and five other generals with the "gravest crimes under international law".

Myanmar has denied the accusations of murder, rape and other abuses by its forces though Min Aung Hlaing said last month "a number of security men may have been involved".

A previous military investigation in 2017 exonerated the security forces of any crimes.

The new court is "another bad faith manoeuvre" to fend off international pressure, said Nicholas Bequelin, Southeast Asia and Pacific Director of Amnesty International.

"The military stands accused of the gravest crimes under international law and has shown no sign of reform," he said.

"The idea that the Tatmadaw could investigate itself and ensure justice and accountability is both dangerous and delusional," Bequelin added, referring to the army.

The military information unit did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Myanmar is facing growing international calls for accountability over the Rakhine campaign.

The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary examination into the violence, while a commission of enquiry formed by Myanmar and including Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and Kenzo Oshima, Japan's former ambassador to the UN, is due to publish its findings this year.

The creation of the military court was based on assessments and suggestions from the military-appointed Judge Advocate-General, as well the allegations contained in human rights reports, according to the army statement.

Myanmar's army said on Monday it had set up a military court to investigate its conduct during a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017 that forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar's army said on Monday it had set up a military court to investigate its conduct during a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017 that forced more than 730,000 to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. The court comprising a major-general and two colonels will investigate events in western Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017, the military said in a statement posted on the website of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the army commander-in-chief. "The information is released that the investigation court was formed with the following persons to further scrutinize and confirm the respective incidents," the military said. The court will respond to allegations made by the United Nations and rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accusing security forces of mass killings, rape and arson. Myanmar forces launched their offensive in Rakhine State in response to a series of attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security posts near the Bangladesh border. A UN fact-finding mission last year said the military campaign was orchestrated with "genocidal intent" and recommended charging Min Aung Hlaing and five other generals with the "gravest crimes under international law". Myanmar has denied the accusations of murder, rape and other abuses by its forces though Min Aung Hlaing said last month "a number of security men may have been involved". A previous military investigation in 2017 exonerated the security forces of any crimes. The new court is "another bad faith manoeuvre" to fend off international pressure, said Nicholas Bequelin, Southeast Asia and Pacific Director of Amnesty International. "The military stands accused of the gravest crimes under international law and has shown no sign of reform," he said. "The idea that the Tatmadaw could investigate itself and ensure justice and accountability is both dangerous and delusional," Bequelin added, referring to the army. The military information unit did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Myanmar is facing growing international calls for accountability over the Rakhine campaign. The International Criminal Court has opened a preliminary examination into the violence, while a commission of enquiry formed by Myanmar and including Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and Kenzo Oshima, Japan's former ambassador to the UN, is due to publish its findings this year. The creation of the military court was based on assessments and suggestions from the military-appointed Judge Advocate-General, as well the allegations contained in human rights reports, according to the army statement.

Myanmar military court to probe Rohingya atrocity allegations

In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations.

NSCN (K) is Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and a designated terror group in India.&nbsp;

The groups had planned attacks against India's connectivity projects in the east like the Kaladan multi-modal project.

The project is vital for the connectivity of north-east India with the ASEAN countries and&nbsp;is also important for India's act east policy.

Arakan Army had set up bases along the India-Myanmar border especially around the Mizoram state. Myanmar terror group Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had been training the Arakan Army along the China Myanmar border in northern Myanmar's Kachin state.

In the first phase operation was launched against the camps bordering Mizoram while in the second phase NSCN (K) HQ in Taga was targetted. It is being reported in local papers that the Myanmar army has taken many leaders of NSCN (K) after the operation at their base at Taga in Sagaing division of Myanmar.

Sagaing division is an administrative region of Myanmar and located in the north-western part of the country bordering India.

The development comes even as India launched strikes against the camps of the United Nations listed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in February.&nbsp;

In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations.

In a two weeks long joint operation by India and Myanmar against the Rohingya insurgent groups Arakan Army and Naga terror group NSCN(K), the countries launched a massive crackdown destroying several camps of the terror organisations. NSCN (K) is Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and a designated terror group in India. The groups had planned attacks against India's connectivity projects in the east like the Kaladan multi-modal project. The project is vital for the connectivity of north-east India with the ASEAN countries and is also important for India's act east policy. Arakan Army had set up bases along the India-Myanmar border especially around the Mizoram state. Myanmar terror group Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had been training the Arakan Army along the China Myanmar border in northern Myanmar's Kachin state. In the first phase operation was launched against the camps bordering Mizoram while in the second phase NSCN (K) HQ in Taga was targetted. It is being reported in local papers that the Myanmar army has taken many leaders of NSCN (K) after the operation at their base at Taga in Sagaing division of Myanmar. Sagaing division is an administrative region of Myanmar and located in the north-western part of the country bordering India. The development comes even as India launched strikes against the camps of the United Nations listed terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad in February.

Joint India, Myanmar operation targets Rohingya insurgents and Naga terror groups

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-militants-condemn-violence-in-refugee-camps-amid-reports-of-killings-203082">Rohingyas</a> from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy.

Shelters and floodwalls have been constructed on Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only rose from the Bay of Bengal in 2006, in the hope of shifting 100,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/individuals-responsible-for-rohingya-atrocities-will-face-justice-international-criminal-court-202950">Rohingya refugees</a> there.

Bangladesh has been talking about the island for years and the plan to relocate some of the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living along its border with Myanmar has stalled many times.

The proposal to uproot the refugees remains unpopular among the Rohingya community and critics have raised concerns about the island's ability to withstand violent storms during the monsoon.

But Mozammel Huq, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, said the relocation would proceed as planned.

"We plan to start the process next month, as construction at Bhashan Char is now complete," he told AFP.

Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the vast Rohingya camps are located, told AFP they were "preparing a list of refugees who would voluntarily go to the island".

'New crisis'

The island is one hour by boat from the nearest land and experts said it was too risky to house the refugees on the island as it is prone to flooding during storm surge.&nbsp;

Hundreds of thousands have died in Bangladesh from cyclones in the last 50 years, mostly in coastal areas.

Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre (nine-feet) high embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone.

But a top UN rights expert in January warned moving the refugees there could spark a "new crisis" for the persecuted minority.

Huq said the UN "should concentrate on the welfare of the Rohingya instead".

"It is up to Bangladesh to decide where we will keep the refugees," he said.

Aid groups have warned the refugees crammed into the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar are at risk of landslides, disease and floods.

The Rohingya fled Myanmar by droves in 2017 into Bangladesh, escaping a military-led crackdown the UN has said could amount to genocide.

An official from the International Criminal Court who visited the Rohingya camps this week said those responsible for their persecution would be held to account, despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the Hague-based court.

US ambassador Earl Miller met with Bangladesh government officials on Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar to "learn more" about the island relocation.

"He welcomed assurances that any movements to the island will be fully voluntary, based on informed consent, and those who choose to go will have free movement off the island to maintain connections with the rest of the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar," a statement from the US embassy said.

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of Rohingyas from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy.

Bangladesh said Wednesday it would start relocating tens of thousands of Rohingyas from overcrowded camps to a remote island vulnerable to extreme weather, despite the plan attracting considerable controversy. Shelters and floodwalls have been constructed on Bhashan Char, a muddy silt islet that only rose from the Bay of Bengal in 2006, in the hope of shifting 100,000 Rohingya refugees there. Bangladesh has been talking about the island for years and the plan to relocate some of the nearly one million Rohingya refugees living along its border with Myanmar has stalled many times. The proposal to uproot the refugees remains unpopular among the Rohingya community and critics have raised concerns about the island's ability to withstand violent storms during the monsoon. But Mozammel Huq, the head of Bangladesh's cabinet committee on law and order and a senior government minister, said the relocation would proceed as planned. "We plan to start the process next month, as construction at Bhashan Char is now complete," he told AFP. Kamal Hossain, the government administrator of Cox's Bazar district where the vast Rohingya camps are located, told AFP they were "preparing a list of refugees who would voluntarily go to the island". 'New crisis' The island is one hour by boat from the nearest land and experts said it was too risky to house the refugees on the island as it is prone to flooding during storm surge. Hundreds of thousands have died in Bangladesh from cyclones in the last 50 years, mostly in coastal areas. Local officials have pointed to a newly-constructed three-metre (nine-feet) high embankment around the island they say will keep out tidal surges in the event of a cyclone. But a top UN rights expert in January warned moving the refugees there could spark a "new crisis" for the persecuted minority. Huq said the UN "should concentrate on the welfare of the Rohingya instead". "It is up to Bangladesh to decide where we will keep the refugees," he said. Aid groups have warned the refugees crammed into the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar are at risk of landslides, disease and floods. The Rohingya fled Myanmar by droves in 2017 into Bangladesh, escaping a military-led crackdown the UN has said could amount to genocide. An official from the International Criminal Court who visited the Rohingya camps this week said those responsible for their persecution would be held to account, despite Myanmar not being a signatory to the Hague-based court. US ambassador Earl Miller met with Bangladesh government officials on Tuesday in Cox’s Bazar to "learn more" about the island relocation. "He welcomed assurances that any movements to the island will be fully voluntary, based on informed consent, and those who choose to go will have free movement off the island to maintain connections with the rest of the Rohingya community in Cox’s Bazar," a statement from the US embassy said.

Bangladesh to move Rohingya to island next month: Minister

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

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

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

Rohingya militants condemn violence in refugee camps amid reports of killings

The people responsible for the atrocities that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee from Myanmar's Rakhine state will be held to account, an International Criminal Court official said on Monday.

Following a visit to&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;refugee camps, the ICC's Phakiso Mochochoko said the fact that Myanmar is not a signatory to the Hague-based international court "will not in any way be a hindrance" to an investigation.

"It may present a little bit of challenge for us in terms of investigation, but we have faced a situation like this in the past and we've been able to deal with them," the court's director of jurisdiction told reporters in the capital Dhaka.

Mochochoko made the comments after leading a delegation to&nbsp;Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district, home to around one million Rohingya refugees.

The delegation, however, clarified that its visit to the camps was not a part of any investigation but to collect insights for an ongoing assessment of the office of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda whether to warrant a full investigation.

"A preliminary examination is not an investigation, but an assessment of the Rome Statute criteria to decide whether an investigation into the situation at hand is warranted," he said.

"Therefore during this mission, as is standard practice of the Office, the delegation did not collect evidence or perform any other investigative activities," Mochochoko said.

About 740,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state to&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;since August 2017 following a brutal military crackdown that UN officials described as "ethnic cleansing". Thousands more arrived in previous years following earlier bouts of anti-Rohingya violence.

Mochochoko said the preliminary probe would be "all about individual responsibility".

"The people who are responsible, the people who gave instruction, the people who commanded, the people who did all the other things and facilitated the commission of this crime," he said.

"The prosecutor is bound or intended to ensure that accountability for the suffering of the Rohingya people is met and those who are responsible for the atrocity that happened there are brought to account," he added.

The visit came after judges last year ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;is a member.

Last month Organisation of Islamic Cooperation -- of which&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;is a member -- in a meeting in Abu Dhabi unanimously adopted a resolution to move at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for establishing the legal rights of the Rohingya and addressing the question of accountability and justice, Dhaka's foreign ministry said.

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017.

The people responsible for the atrocities that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee from Myanmar's Rakhine state will be held to account, an International Criminal Court official said on Monday.

The people responsible for the atrocities that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee from Myanmar's Rakhine state will be held to account, an International Criminal Court official said on Monday. Following a visit to Bangladesh refugee camps, the ICC's Phakiso Mochochoko said the fact that Myanmar is not a signatory to the Hague-based international court "will not in any way be a hindrance" to an investigation. "It may present a little bit of challenge for us in terms of investigation, but we have faced a situation like this in the past and we've been able to deal with them," the court's director of jurisdiction told reporters in the capital Dhaka. Mochochoko made the comments after leading a delegation to Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district, home to around one million Rohingya refugees. The delegation, however, clarified that its visit to the camps was not a part of any investigation but to collect insights for an ongoing assessment of the office of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda whether to warrant a full investigation. "A preliminary examination is not an investigation, but an assessment of the Rome Statute criteria to decide whether an investigation into the situation at hand is warranted," he said. "Therefore during this mission, as is standard practice of the Office, the delegation did not collect evidence or perform any other investigative activities," Mochochoko said. About 740,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August 2017 following a brutal military crackdown that UN officials described as "ethnic cleansing". Thousands more arrived in previous years following earlier bouts of anti-Rohingya violence. Mochochoko said the preliminary probe would be "all about individual responsibility". "The people who are responsible, the people who gave instruction, the people who commanded, the people who did all the other things and facilitated the commission of this crime," he said. "The prosecutor is bound or intended to ensure that accountability for the suffering of the Rohingya people is met and those who are responsible for the atrocity that happened there are brought to account," he added. The visit came after judges last year ruled that even though Myanmar has not signed up to the Hague-based ICC, the court still has jurisdiction over crimes against the Rohingya because Bangladesh is a member. Last month Organisation of Islamic Cooperation -- of which Bangladesh is a member -- in a meeting in Abu Dhabi unanimously adopted a resolution to move at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for establishing the legal rights of the Rohingya and addressing the question of accountability and justice, Dhaka's foreign ministry said. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents who staged deadly raids on border posts in August 2017.

Individuals responsible for Rohingya atrocities will face justice: International Criminal Court

A United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar voiced deep concern on Monday at Bangladesh's plan to relocate 23,000 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dozens-of-rohingya-found-on-malaysian-beach-officials-200586">Rohingya refugees</a> to a remote island in April, saying that it may not be habitable, creating a potential "new crisis".

Bangladesh says moving the refugees to Bhasan Char — which means "floating island" — will ease chronic overcrowding in its camps at Cox's Bazar, which hold some 730,000 Rohingya. The UN&nbsp;says the Muslim minority fled mass killings and rapes committed during an army crackdown in western Rakhine state since August 2017.

Some humanitarian groups have criticised the relocation plan, saying the island is vulnerable to frequent cyclones and cannot provide a livelihood for thousands of people.

"There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," said Yanghee Lee, UN&nbsp;special rapporteur on Myanmar, who visited the island in the Bay of Bengal in January.

"Ill-planned relocation, and relocations without the consent of the refugees concerned, have the potential to create a new crisis. It is incumbent on the government of Bangladesh to ensure that this is not brought about," she told the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council.

There was no immediate reaction from the Dhaka government.

Lee, who is banned by Myanmar's government from visiting, also told the Geneva forum that up to 10,000 civilians are reported to have fled their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state since November due to violence and a lack of humanitarian aid.

She urged the UN&nbsp;Security Council to refer alleged atrocities against Rohingya and other ethnic groups in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and encouraged Yangon to accept its jurisdiction.

But Myanmar's ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, promptly rejected this, saying the Hague-based court had "no jurisdiction over Myanmar whatsoever".

"Whilst the governrnent is unable to accept this legally dubious intervention by the ICC, Myanmar is fully committed to ensuring accountability where there is credible evidence of human rights violations committed in Rakhine State," he said.

The most pressing task is to focus on a speedy start to repatriating the refugees, he said, without using the word 'Rohingya' - who are mostly stateless in Myanmar. 
&nbsp;

A United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar voiced deep concern on Monday at Bangladesh's plan to relocate 23,000 Rohingya refugees to a remote island in April, saying that it may not be habitable, creating a potential "new crisis".

A United Nations human rights investigator on Myanmar voiced deep concern on Monday at Bangladesh's plan to relocate 23,000 Rohingya refugees to a remote island in April, saying that it may not be habitable, creating a potential "new crisis". Bangladesh says moving the refugees to Bhasan Char — which means "floating island" — will ease chronic overcrowding in its camps at Cox's Bazar, which hold some 730,000 Rohingya. The UN says the Muslim minority fled mass killings and rapes committed during an army crackdown in western Rakhine state since August 2017. Some humanitarian groups have criticised the relocation plan, saying the island is vulnerable to frequent cyclones and cannot provide a livelihood for thousands of people. "There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable," said Yanghee Lee, UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, who visited the island in the Bay of Bengal in January. "Ill-planned relocation, and relocations without the consent of the refugees concerned, have the potential to create a new crisis. It is incumbent on the government of Bangladesh to ensure that this is not brought about," she told the UN Human Rights Council. There was no immediate reaction from the Dhaka government. Lee, who is banned by Myanmar's government from visiting, also told the Geneva forum that up to 10,000 civilians are reported to have fled their homes in Myanmar's Rakhine state since November due to violence and a lack of humanitarian aid. She urged the UN Security Council to refer alleged atrocities against Rohingya and other ethnic groups in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and encouraged Yangon to accept its jurisdiction. But Myanmar's ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, promptly rejected this, saying the Hague-based court had "no jurisdiction over Myanmar whatsoever". "Whilst the governrnent is unable to accept this legally dubious intervention by the ICC, Myanmar is fully committed to ensuring accountability where there is credible evidence of human rights violations committed in Rakhine State," he said. The most pressing task is to focus on a speedy start to repatriating the refugees, he said, without using the word 'Rohingya' - who are mostly stateless in Myanmar.

United Nations envoy fears 'new crisis' for Rohingya if moved to Bangladesh island

Social media firms and foreign investors must do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said on Tuesday, suggesting Facebook was failing to treat parties to the country's conflict even-handedly.

Myanmar has been trying to attract foreign investors and divert attention from 730,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled the country since 2017. A UN inquiry blamed the exodus on a military campaign with "genocidal intent", which the government denies.

Facebook said this month it had banned four insurgent groups fighting Myanmar's military after it was criticised for not doing enough to block content fuelling the conflict. Lee said she was concerned that Facebook had not banned Myanmar's army and allied armed groups as well.

"Contrary to achieving the stated aim of decreasing tensions, this selective banning may contribute to feelings of inequality by ethnic minorities," Lee said in a report she will present to the UN Human Rights Council on March 11.

"Public institutions linked to the military, its supporters, extremist religious groups and members of the government continue to proliferate hate speech and misinformation on Facebook."

Investigations

The company said it had taken steps to ban "hate figures, hate organisations and military officials" from Facebook in Myanmar. Its investigations were ongoing and not limited to the four groups it had blacklisted.

"We don't want anyone to use Facebook to incite or promote violence, no matter who they are," it said in a statement.

Lee's report did not detail the steps taken by other social media firms. But it aims to ensure platforms "including Facebook and Twitter" respect human rights and do due diligence to "fully understand the Myanmar context and act responsibly".

Twitter, which prohibits account holders from expressing hate or making threats of violence towards a person or group, declined to comment specifically on Myanmar.

Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its military offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back.

The government has refused to let Lee in and rejected a request to visit in January, saying her reports invariably lacked impartiality.

Last week Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's Minister for International Cooperation, told the council human rights must be understood in historical and cultural contexts and regretted the world's focus on Rakhine State, from where the Rohingya fled.

Lee's report also examined Myanmar's mining industry.

"Unchecked extraction" of resources brought militarisation and associated abuses such as rape and forced labour, it said.

Fresh sanctions should be considered on two military-run conglomerates, the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), Lee said.

Social media firms and foreign investors must do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said on Tuesday, suggesting Facebook was failing to treat parties to the country's conflict even-handedly.

Social media firms and foreign investors must do more to ensure they support human rights in Myanmar, UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said on Tuesday, suggesting Facebook was failing to treat parties to the country's conflict even-handedly. Myanmar has been trying to attract foreign investors and divert attention from 730,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled the country since 2017. A UN inquiry blamed the exodus on a military campaign with "genocidal intent", which the government denies. Facebook said this month it had banned four insurgent groups fighting Myanmar's military after it was criticised for not doing enough to block content fuelling the conflict. Lee said she was concerned that Facebook had not banned Myanmar's army and allied armed groups as well. "Contrary to achieving the stated aim of decreasing tensions, this selective banning may contribute to feelings of inequality by ethnic minorities," Lee said in a report she will present to the UN Human Rights Council on March 11. "Public institutions linked to the military, its supporters, extremist religious groups and members of the government continue to proliferate hate speech and misinformation on Facebook." Investigations The company said it had taken steps to ban "hate figures, hate organisations and military officials" from Facebook in Myanmar. Its investigations were ongoing and not limited to the four groups it had blacklisted. "We don't want anyone to use Facebook to incite or promote violence, no matter who they are," it said in a statement. Lee's report did not detail the steps taken by other social media firms. But it aims to ensure platforms "including Facebook and Twitter" respect human rights and do due diligence to "fully understand the Myanmar context and act responsibly". Twitter, which prohibits account holders from expressing hate or making threats of violence towards a person or group, declined to comment specifically on Myanmar. Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its military offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back. The government has refused to let Lee in and rejected a request to visit in January, saying her reports invariably lacked impartiality. Last week Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's Minister for International Cooperation, told the council human rights must be understood in historical and cultural contexts and regretted the world's focus on Rakhine State, from where the Rohingya fled. Lee's report also examined Myanmar's mining industry. "Unchecked extraction" of resources brought militarisation and associated abuses such as rape and forced labour, it said. Fresh sanctions should be considered on two military-run conglomerates, the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (UMEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), Lee said.

United Nations urges social media, investors to promote human rights in Myanmar

Bangladesh forces handed back on Sunday a Myanmar soldier more than two months after he strayed across the border into a jungle in the Muslim-majority nation, a senior official said.&nbsp;

Aung Bo Bo Thein, 30, was detained by Bangladeshi security forces on January 24 near the southern town of Naikhongchhari, Brigadier General Sajedur Rahman told AFP.

"He crossed the border and was found in a jungle. Today we have handed him over to Myanmar border police through a flag meeting," said Rahman, border guard regional commander.

Ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar have soured since about 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the Buddhist-majority country in 2017 following a military clampdown in restive Rakhine state.

Dhaka had already been hosting another 300,000 Rohingya who took refuge in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district after previous bouts of violence.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement in November 2017 for the repatriation of the Rohingya, but the persecuted Muslim minority has refused to go back unless they are granted citizenship and other rights.

This week Bangladesh told the UN Security Council that it will no longer be able to take in refugees from Myanmar.

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a Council meeting that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone from "bad to worse" and urged the council to take "decisive" action.

Rahman said Rohingya arrivals from Myanmar have almost stopped, with none arriving in the past few weeks.

Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up security near the border to curb smuggling of Yaba –- a popular methamphetamine pill –- across the border from Myanmar, he said.

Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan insisted his government was taking steps and appealed for patience.&nbsp;

Bangladesh forces handed back on Sunday a Myanmar soldier more than two months after he strayed across the border into a jungle in the Muslim-majority nation, a senior official said.

Bangladesh forces handed back on Sunday a Myanmar soldier more than two months after he strayed across the border into a jungle in the Muslim-majority nation, a senior official said. Aung Bo Bo Thein, 30, was detained by Bangladeshi security forces on January 24 near the southern town of Naikhongchhari, Brigadier General Sajedur Rahman told AFP. "He crossed the border and was found in a jungle. Today we have handed him over to Myanmar border police through a flag meeting," said Rahman, border guard regional commander. Ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar have soured since about 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the Buddhist-majority country in 2017 following a military clampdown in restive Rakhine state. Dhaka had already been hosting another 300,000 Rohingya who took refuge in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar district after previous bouts of violence. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed an agreement in November 2017 for the repatriation of the Rohingya, but the persecuted Muslim minority has refused to go back unless they are granted citizenship and other rights. This week Bangladesh told the UN Security Council that it will no longer be able to take in refugees from Myanmar. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a Council meeting that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone from "bad to worse" and urged the council to take "decisive" action. Rahman said Rohingya arrivals from Myanmar have almost stopped, with none arriving in the past few weeks. Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up security near the border to curb smuggling of Yaba –- a popular methamphetamine pill –- across the border from Myanmar, he said. Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan insisted his government was taking steps and appealed for patience.

Bangladesh returns 'lost' Myanmar soldier

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

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

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

Dozens of Rohingyas found on Malaysian beach: Officials

Bangladesh told the UN Security Council on Thursday that it will no longer be able to take in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-at-risk-as-cyclone-season-nears-red-cross-198134">refugees from Myanmar</a>.

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a council meeting that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone from "bad to worse" and urged the council to take "decisive" action.

Around 740,000 Muslim <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/three-rohingyas-arrested-from-lumding-railway-station-in-assam-197959">Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh</a> after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing.

"Here, I regret to inform the council that Bangladesh would no longer be in a position to accommodate more people from Myanmar," said Haque.

Under a deal reached with Bangladesh, Myanmar agreed to take back some of the refugees, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return.

"Is Bangladesh paying the price for being responsive and responsible in showing empathy to a persecuted minority population of a neighbouring country?" asked the foreign secretary.

After five trips to Myanmar, UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener reported, "slow progress" in efforts to help hundreds of thousands of Rohingya return home and warned that Myanmar's elections next year could worsen the crisis.

The Swiss diplomat, who was appointed in April as UN envoy for Myanmar, said UN agencies had been given "insufficient" access to help prepare the return of the Rohingya.

Myanmar appeals for patience

Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan insisted his government was taking steps and appealed for patience.&nbsp;

He spoke of "huge physical as well as psychological barriers" in the way of allowing the refugees' return and stressed that "it takes time and patience as well as courage to build trust and confidence among different communities in Rakhine."

China, which has close ties with Myanmar's former military junta, insisted that development aid could help ease tensions in Rakhine and made clear the council should not get involved in addressing the refugee crisis.

"It is up to the two countries to work out a solution," said Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao.&nbsp;

In December, Britain circulated a draft resolution that would have forced Myanmar to roll out a strategy for addressing the Rohingya crisis, but China threatened to veto the measure, according to diplomats.

"We are very disappointed that there hasn't been more progress on getting the refugees back," said British Ambassador Karen Pierce.

"The scale of what has been done to the Rohingya Muslims and the allegations of crimes against humanity really mark this out as one of the most terrible events of this century so far," said Pierce.

The UN envoy warned that the election campaign "could add to the domestic complexities" in Myanmar, which is still struggling with a democratic transition after 50 years of military rule.

Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been criticized for failing to speak out to defend the Rohingya, is seeking to consolidate her position ahead of the 2020 vote.

Myanmar's military dominates the Buddhist-majority nation, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries, making their grip on power firm despite political reforms which began in 2011.

Bangladesh told the UN Security Council on Thursday that it will no longer be able to take in refugees from Myanmar. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a council meeting that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone from "bad to worse" and urged the council to take "decisive" action.

Bangladesh told the UN Security Council on Thursday that it will no longer be able to take in refugees from Myanmar. Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque told a council meeting that the crisis over the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya sheltering in his country had gone from "bad to worse" and urged the council to take "decisive" action. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. "Here, I regret to inform the council that Bangladesh would no longer be in a position to accommodate more people from Myanmar," said Haque. Under a deal reached with Bangladesh, Myanmar agreed to take back some of the refugees, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return. "Is Bangladesh paying the price for being responsive and responsible in showing empathy to a persecuted minority population of a neighbouring country?" asked the foreign secretary. After five trips to Myanmar, UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener reported, "slow progress" in efforts to help hundreds of thousands of Rohingya return home and warned that Myanmar's elections next year could worsen the crisis. The Swiss diplomat, who was appointed in April as UN envoy for Myanmar, said UN agencies had been given "insufficient" access to help prepare the return of the Rohingya. Myanmar appeals for patience Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan insisted his government was taking steps and appealed for patience. He spoke of "huge physical as well as psychological barriers" in the way of allowing the refugees' return and stressed that "it takes time and patience as well as courage to build trust and confidence among different communities in Rakhine." China, which has close ties with Myanmar's former military junta, insisted that development aid could help ease tensions in Rakhine and made clear the council should not get involved in addressing the refugee crisis. "It is up to the two countries to work out a solution," said Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao. In December, Britain circulated a draft resolution that would have forced Myanmar to roll out a strategy for addressing the Rohingya crisis, but China threatened to veto the measure, according to diplomats. "We are very disappointed that there hasn't been more progress on getting the refugees back," said British Ambassador Karen Pierce. "The scale of what has been done to the Rohingya Muslims and the allegations of crimes against humanity really mark this out as one of the most terrible events of this century so far," said Pierce. The UN envoy warned that the election campaign "could add to the domestic complexities" in Myanmar, which is still struggling with a democratic transition after 50 years of military rule. Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been criticized for failing to speak out to defend the Rohingya, is seeking to consolidate her position ahead of the 2020 vote. Myanmar's military dominates the Buddhist-majority nation, holding a quarter of seats in parliament and controlling three ministries, making their grip on power firm despite political reforms which began in 2011.

Bangladesh tells UN it will no longer take in Myanmar refugees

The wife of a Myanmar military officer was killed by a pipe bomb as they moved into a new home in northern Rakhine state, the army said Friday, as the body count in the troubled region rises with landmines and assassinations.

More than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the state after an army crackdown in 2017 but security forces have turned their attention to a well-armed rebel group claiming to represent ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.&nbsp;

The Arakan Army (AA) has killed police and soldiers from Myanmar's powerful military and is believed to be behind attacks targeting officials and security forces.

A homemade pipe bomb filled with steel balls went off in the house of a newlywed major on February 26 in Buthidaung township as he and his wife were unloading furniture to move in.

She "died of wounds at the scene", the statement said, adding that a vehicle delivering the furniture had been stopped along the way and searched by "six armed group members" in civilian clothes.

No group has claimed responsibility and the Arakan Army could not immediately be reached for comment.

Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of government-steered trips and information is difficult to verify independently.

But the bombing is part of a wave of violence sweeping the northern part of the state in a conflict involving a patchwork of ethnicities and religions.

Three members of the ethnic Daignet minority were found in a ditch with their throats slit last month.

Two Myanmar police officers were killed Wednesday when their convoy hit a landmine and was ambushed by Arakan Army insurgents who fired at the vehicles, according to state media and a police source in Rakhine.

In a sign of the growing complexity of the conflict, Myanmar's military claims that the Arakan Army marched with Rohingya Muslim militants late last month across the border in Bangladesh.

The Rohingya fighters claim to represent hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority huddled in Bangladesh camps.

UN investigators want Myanmar's senior generals to be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya, but the army has denied almost all claims of atrocities committed against the group.

Violence in the strife-torn state was glossed over by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week at an investment forum where she touted Rakhine's "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems.

The wife of a Myanmar military officer was killed by a pipe bomb as they moved into a new home in northern Rakhine state, the army said Friday, as the body count in the troubled region rises with landmines and assassinations.

The wife of a Myanmar military officer was killed by a pipe bomb as they moved into a new home in northern Rakhine state, the army said Friday, as the body count in the troubled region rises with landmines and assassinations. More than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the state after an army crackdown in 2017 but security forces have turned their attention to a well-armed rebel group claiming to represent ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. The Arakan Army (AA) has killed police and soldiers from Myanmar's powerful military and is believed to be behind attacks targeting officials and security forces. A homemade pipe bomb filled with steel balls went off in the house of a newlywed major on February 26 in Buthidaung township as he and his wife were unloading furniture to move in. She "died of wounds at the scene", the statement said, adding that a vehicle delivering the furniture had been stopped along the way and searched by "six armed group members" in civilian clothes. No group has claimed responsibility and the Arakan Army could not immediately be reached for comment. Northern Rakhine state is inaccessible outside of government-steered trips and information is difficult to verify independently. But the bombing is part of a wave of violence sweeping the northern part of the state in a conflict involving a patchwork of ethnicities and religions. Three members of the ethnic Daignet minority were found in a ditch with their throats slit last month. Two Myanmar police officers were killed Wednesday when their convoy hit a landmine and was ambushed by Arakan Army insurgents who fired at the vehicles, according to state media and a police source in Rakhine. In a sign of the growing complexity of the conflict, Myanmar's military claims that the Arakan Army marched with Rohingya Muslim militants late last month across the border in Bangladesh. The Rohingya fighters claim to represent hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority huddled in Bangladesh camps. UN investigators want Myanmar's senior generals to be prosecuted for genocide against the Rohingya, but the army has denied almost all claims of atrocities committed against the group. Violence in the strife-torn state was glossed over by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week at an investment forum where she touted Rakhine's "untapped" economic potential and blamed the international community for focusing "narrowly" on its problems.

Myanmar officer's wife killed by pipe bomb in latest Rakhine violence

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017.

On a rare visit to Rakhine, Suu Kyi emphasised responsible business practices as she addressed an investment fair sponsored by Japan in the coastal state`s tourist hotspot of Ngapali beach.

But she made only a brief reference to the conflicts that have roiled areas several hundred kilometres to the north and did not mention the Rohingya. As well as those stuck in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and other Muslims remain trapped in camps and villages in Rakhine, where their movements and access to services are restricted.

"For too long the international community`s attention has been focused narrowly on negative aspects related to problems in north Rakhine rather than on the larger picture that shows the immense potential of this state for peace and development," Suu Kyi said.

Her government recognised the "grave challenges" it faced in Rakhine and was doing its utmost to address them, she said.

The Nobel laureate has pledged to make Myanmar more investment-friendly as her government attempts to reverse a drop in foreign investment and tourism from the West since the Rohingya exodus sparked global outrage.

A UN fact-finding mission last year said the 2017 military campaign that pushed out the Rohingya was orchestrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back.

The investment fair was attended by Myanmar officials, UN staff and investors and diplomats mostly from Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia.&nbsp;

Domestic and foreign investment could play a crucial role in the state, Suu Kyi said but warned against irresponsible investments like "unchecked expansion of commercial fishery projects" that could damage Rakhine's coastal mangrove forests.

Some experts warn a focus on economic solutions to Rakhine`s problems could cement the marginalisation of the mostly stateless Rohingya.&nbsp;

A Reuters special report in December revealed that officials had built new homes for Buddhists where the Rohingya once lived, making the return of many refugees to their original homes impossible.

Myanmar says it has been ready to accept returning refugees since January and denies discriminating against Muslims who remain in Rakhine. 
&nbsp;

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for investment in the crisis-hit western state of Rakhine on Friday, saying the world had "focused narrowly on negative aspects" in the state from which some 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled since 2017. On a rare visit to Rakhine, Suu Kyi emphasised responsible business practices as she addressed an investment fair sponsored by Japan in the coastal state`s tourist hotspot of Ngapali beach. But she made only a brief reference to the conflicts that have roiled areas several hundred kilometres to the north and did not mention the Rohingya. As well as those stuck in Bangladesh, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya and other Muslims remain trapped in camps and villages in Rakhine, where their movements and access to services are restricted. "For too long the international community`s attention has been focused narrowly on negative aspects related to problems in north Rakhine rather than on the larger picture that shows the immense potential of this state for peace and development," Suu Kyi said. Her government recognised the "grave challenges" it faced in Rakhine and was doing its utmost to address them, she said. The Nobel laureate has pledged to make Myanmar more investment-friendly as her government attempts to reverse a drop in foreign investment and tourism from the West since the Rohingya exodus sparked global outrage. A UN fact-finding mission last year said the 2017 military campaign that pushed out the Rohingya was orchestrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies allegations of mass killings and rape and says its offensive was a legitimate response to an insurgent threat and that it is welcoming the refugees back. The investment fair was attended by Myanmar officials, UN staff and investors and diplomats mostly from Japan, South Korea and elsewhere in Asia. Domestic and foreign investment could play a crucial role in the state, Suu Kyi said but warned against irresponsible investments like "unchecked expansion of commercial fishery projects" that could damage Rakhine's coastal mangrove forests. Some experts warn a focus on economic solutions to Rakhine`s problems could cement the marginalisation of the mostly stateless Rohingya. A Reuters special report in December revealed that officials had built new homes for Buddhists where the Rohingya once lived, making the return of many refugees to their original homes impossible. Myanmar says it has been ready to accept returning refugees since January and denies discriminating against Muslims who remain in Rakhine.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi woos investors to crisis-hit Rakhine, decries 'negative' focus

A German film-maker and his assistant visiting a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-at-risk-as-cyclone-season-nears-red-cross-198134">refugee camp in Bangladesh</a> Thursday were beaten by Rohingya Muslims who suspected they could be human traffickers, police said.

The refugees became wary after three Germans and their Bangladeshi assistant started giving gifts to children and women at Kutupalong, the world's largest refugee camp, at Cox's Bazar on the Myanmar border, local police chief Abul Khair told AFP.

The Germans, who were not identified, then led several of the Rohingya towards a car.

"One of the Germans and their Bangladeshi fixer were beaten. The army and police had to rescue them," Khair added.

"The German needed first aid. He is now fine. The Germans said they came to the camp to make a short film," according to Khair who said police believed they were mistaken for human traffickers.

"It is a case of misunderstanding," he said and no arrests were made.&nbsp;

About one million Rohingya live in camps around Cox's Bazar district, most of whom fled a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/no-proof-myanmar-military-persecuted-rohingya-army-chief-197668">military crackdown in Myanmar</a> in August 2017.

Police say traffickers have been increasingly active in the camps in recent months, seeking to lure Rohingya to pay for the dangerous boat journey to Malaysia. 
&nbsp;

A German film-maker and his assistant visiting a refugee camp in Bangladesh Thursday were beaten by Rohingya Muslims who suspected they could be human traffickers, police said.

A German film-maker and his assistant visiting a refugee camp in Bangladesh Thursday were beaten by Rohingya Muslims who suspected they could be human traffickers, police said. The refugees became wary after three Germans and their Bangladeshi assistant started giving gifts to children and women at Kutupalong, the world's largest refugee camp, at Cox's Bazar on the Myanmar border, local police chief Abul Khair told AFP. The Germans, who were not identified, then led several of the Rohingya towards a car. "One of the Germans and their Bangladeshi fixer were beaten. The army and police had to rescue them," Khair added. "The German needed first aid. He is now fine. The Germans said they came to the camp to make a short film," according to Khair who said police believed they were mistaken for human traffickers. "It is a case of misunderstanding," he said and no arrests were made. About one million Rohingya live in camps around Cox's Bazar district, most of whom fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in August 2017. Police say traffickers have been increasingly active in the camps in recent months, seeking to lure Rohingya to pay for the dangerous boat journey to Malaysia.

German filmmaker beaten in Rohingya camp in Bangladesh

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday.

The meeting requested for next week would be to hear a report from UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener who last month paid a 12-day visit to Myanmar to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has agreed to take back some of the refugees in a deal reached with Bangladesh, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized as "too slow" Myanmar's efforts to address the Rohingya crisis and described the lack of progress as a source of "enormous frustration."

Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, has made four visits to Myanmar since her appointment in April but appears to have returned empty-handed each time. 
Belgium, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic joined the three veto-holding powers to push the council to turn its attention to Myanmar.

Diplomats said China was expected to raise objections but it remained unclear whether it would seek to block the meeting with a procedural vote.&nbsp;

Nine votes are required in the 15-member council to hold a meeting, and vetoes do not apply.

The Chinese mission at the United Nations did not respond to a request from AFP for comment.

In October, China failed to win enough support at the council to block a report from the head of UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar.

China, which has close ties with Myanmar's military, has argued that the crisis in Rakhine is linked to poverty and has opposed any step to put pressure on the authorities.

Myanmar's military has denied any wrongdoing in Rakhine and argues that its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following attacks on police posts.

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday.

The United States, France, Britain and six other countries on the UN Security Council have called for a meeting on Myanmar that is expected to face opposition from China, diplomats said Wednesday. The meeting requested for next week would be to hear a report from UN envoy Christine Schraner Burgener who last month paid a 12-day visit to Myanmar to discuss the plight of Rohingya refugees. Around 740,000 Muslim Rohingya are living in camps in Bangladesh after they were driven out of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state during a military campaign in 2017 that the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar has agreed to take back some of the refugees in a deal reached with Bangladesh, but the United Nations insists that the safety of the Rohingya be a condition for their return. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized as "too slow" Myanmar's efforts to address the Rohingya crisis and described the lack of progress as a source of "enormous frustration." Schraner Burgener, a Swiss diplomat, has made four visits to Myanmar since her appointment in April but appears to have returned empty-handed each time. Belgium, Germany, Poland, Kuwait, Peru and the Dominican Republic joined the three veto-holding powers to push the council to turn its attention to Myanmar. Diplomats said China was expected to raise objections but it remained unclear whether it would seek to block the meeting with a procedural vote. Nine votes are required in the 15-member council to hold a meeting, and vetoes do not apply. The Chinese mission at the United Nations did not respond to a request from AFP for comment. In October, China failed to win enough support at the council to block a report from the head of UN fact-finding mission in Myanmar. China, which has close ties with Myanmar's military, has argued that the crisis in Rakhine is linked to poverty and has opposed any step to put pressure on the authorities. Myanmar's military has denied any wrongdoing in Rakhine and argues that its operations were justified to root out Rohingya insurgents following attacks on police posts.

Nine countries at United Nation seek to override China to raise Myanmar

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday.

A statement by the Geneva-based nonprofit warned that 82 per cent of these refugees - 574,000 out of a total of 700,000 - live in homes built with bamboo and shredded plastic that is now battered, putting them at great risk during the approaching cyclone season, that will be accompanied by heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures.

"Housing conditions in these camps are basic. However, after 18 months, they have dramatically deteriorated, leaving people worryingly exposed," head of the IFRC country office in Bangladesh, Azmat Ulla, said in the statement.

"The aid community in Cox's Bazar needs to prioritize repairing and replacing these battered shelters, so that people have some protection against the elements, and are provided with at least some basic comfort and dignity," he added.

Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to help the 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh.

Over half the money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, will be used to meet basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees, who escaped to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Since August 2017, Myanmar's Rakhine state has seen the exodus of more than 745,000 members of the mostly Muslim ethnic minority group, after the army launched a military offensive following attacks by Rohingya rebels on government posts in the region.

An additional 200,000 Rohingyas - one of the most persecuted communities in the world - had fled to Bangladesh before the 2017 crisis erupted.

Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, making it the world's largest refugee camp.

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants limiting their movements within the country.

In November 2017, Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed an agreement for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, although it is yet to be implemented. 
&nbsp;

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday.

A majority of Rohingyas in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar area in southeast Bangladesh are at risk during the cyclone season owing to the deteriorating conditions of their makeshift homes, the International Federation of Red Cross warned Monday. A statement by the Geneva-based nonprofit warned that 82 per cent of these refugees - 574,000 out of a total of 700,000 - live in homes built with bamboo and shredded plastic that is now battered, putting them at great risk during the approaching cyclone season, that will be accompanied by heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures. "Housing conditions in these camps are basic. However, after 18 months, they have dramatically deteriorated, leaving people worryingly exposed," head of the IFRC country office in Bangladesh, Azmat Ulla, said in the statement. "The aid community in Cox's Bazar needs to prioritize repairing and replacing these battered shelters, so that people have some protection against the elements, and are provided with at least some basic comfort and dignity," he added. Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee said it would raise $920 million in a new plan to help the 900,000 Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. Over half the money, also meant to assist 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshi hosts, will be used to meet basic needs such as food, water, sanitation and shelter of the refugees, who escaped to Bangladesh from Myanmar's Rakhine state. Since August 2017, Myanmar's Rakhine state has seen the exodus of more than 745,000 members of the mostly Muslim ethnic minority group, after the army launched a military offensive following attacks by Rohingya rebels on government posts in the region. An additional 200,000 Rohingyas - one of the most persecuted communities in the world - had fled to Bangladesh before the 2017 crisis erupted. Most of the refugees live under harsh conditions in Cox's Bazar area near the Myanmar border, making it the world's largest refugee camp. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens and considers them Bangladeshi immigrants limiting their movements within the country. In November 2017, Bangladesh and Myanmar had signed an agreement for the repatriation of the Rohingyas, although it is yet to be implemented.

Rohingya refugees at risk as cyclone season nears: Red Cross

The Government Railway Police (GRP) Sunday apprehended three illegal Rohingya Muslims from Lumding railway junction, more than 150 km from here, an official said.

According to the Superintendent of Railway Police Hemanta Kumar Das, the three Rohingyas spotted and apprehended by the GRP personnel in the afternoon, were being interrogated at present.

The three have been identified as Samshu Alam (51), Shamsu Alam (32) and Shabir Ahmed (64), Das said.

On January 21, 30 Rohingya Muslims, including 12 children, were apprehended along the Tripura-Assam border.

Five members of a Rohingya family were deported to Myanmar on January 3, exactly three months after seven others were handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country.

On October 3 last year, seven Myanmar nationals, who were in detention in Cachar Central Jail in Silchar, were deported from Assam.&nbsp;

The Government Railway Police (GRP) Sunday apprehended three illegal Rohingya Muslims from Lumding railway junction, more than 150 km from here, an official said.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) Sunday apprehended three illegal Rohingya Muslims from Lumding railway junction, more than 150 km from here, an official said. According to the Superintendent of Railway Police Hemanta Kumar Das, the three Rohingyas spotted and apprehended by the GRP personnel in the afternoon, were being interrogated at present. The three have been identified as Samshu Alam (51), Shamsu Alam (32) and Shabir Ahmed (64), Das said. On January 21, 30 Rohingya Muslims, including 12 children, were apprehended along the Tripura-Assam border. Five members of a Rohingya family were deported to Myanmar on January 3, exactly three months after seven others were handed over to the authorities of the neighbouring country. On October 3 last year, seven Myanmar nationals, who were in detention in Cachar Central Jail in Silchar, were deported from Assam.

Three Rohingyas arrested from Lumding railway station in Assam

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

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

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

Over 100 drug 'godfathers' surrender to Bangladesh police

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

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

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

'No proof' Myanmar military persecuted Rohingya: Army chief

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