Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh protested on Thursday against any attempt to send them back to Myanmar after sources in Bangladesh said the launch of a repatriation plan had been postponed.

Bangladesh had begun preparations to repatriate an initial batch of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar on Thursday, in line with a plan agreed with Myanmar in October.

But there have been extensive doubts about the plan and it has been opposed by the UN refugee agency and aid groups, who fear for the safety of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and by many Rohingya in camps in Bangladesh.

"No, no, we won't go," hundreds of Rohingya protesters chanted in the Unchiprang camp in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border.

Some protesters also waved placards that said "We want justice," and "We will never return to Myanmar without our citizenship".

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state last year, according to UN agencies, launched in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on the security forces.

The Rohingya refugees say soldiers and Buddhist civilians massacred families, burned hundreds of villages and carried out gang rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the Myanmar army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies almost all of the accusations, saying its security forces have been engaged in a counter-insurgency operation against "terrorists".

Earlier, three sources directly briefed on the issue, said repatriation would not begin on Thursday as none of those selected to go back had agreed to.

"Nobody wants to go back," said one of the sources.

The repatriation of a first group of 2,200 refugees was to begin on Thursday, and officials in Myanmar had said they were ready to receive the returnees.

But Bangladesh has vowed not to force anyone to return and it has asked the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to make sure those short-listed to return really want to go back.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Bangladeshi officials were due to meet Myanmar counterparts at a border crossing to inform them that no one had agreed to return.

The Bangladesh government declined to comment.

Unverified images on social media showed officials on the Myanmar side of the border waiting at a reception centre.

UN rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt the repatriation plan, warning that lives would be put at "serious risk".

The UN human rights office continued to receive reports of ongoing violations committed against Rohingya in Myanmar - including alleged killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, Bachelet said.

Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya a native ethnic group and most are stateless. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call the Rohingya "Bengalis", suggesting they belong in Bangladesh.

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh protested on Thursday against any attempt to send them back to Myanmar after sources in Bangladesh said the launch of a repatriation plan had been postponed.

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh protested on Thursday against any attempt to send them back to Myanmar after sources in Bangladesh said the launch of a repatriation plan had been postponed. Bangladesh had begun preparations to repatriate an initial batch of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar on Thursday, in line with a plan agreed with Myanmar in October. But there have been extensive doubts about the plan and it has been opposed by the UN refugee agency and aid groups, who fear for the safety of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and by many Rohingya in camps in Bangladesh. "No, no, we won't go," hundreds of Rohingya protesters chanted in the Unchiprang camp in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border. Some protesters also waved placards that said "We want justice," and "We will never return to Myanmar without our citizenship". More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state last year, according to UN agencies, launched in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on the security forces. The Rohingya refugees say soldiers and Buddhist civilians massacred families, burned hundreds of villages and carried out gang rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the Myanmar army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies almost all of the accusations, saying its security forces have been engaged in a counter-insurgency operation against "terrorists". Earlier, three sources directly briefed on the issue, said repatriation would not begin on Thursday as none of those selected to go back had agreed to. "Nobody wants to go back," said one of the sources. The repatriation of a first group of 2,200 refugees was to begin on Thursday, and officials in Myanmar had said they were ready to receive the returnees. But Bangladesh has vowed not to force anyone to return and it has asked the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to make sure those short-listed to return really want to go back. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Bangladeshi officials were due to meet Myanmar counterparts at a border crossing to inform them that no one had agreed to return. The Bangladesh government declined to comment. Unverified images on social media showed officials on the Myanmar side of the border waiting at a reception centre. UN rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt the repatriation plan, warning that lives would be put at "serious risk". The UN human rights office continued to receive reports of ongoing violations committed against Rohingya in Myanmar - including alleged killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, Bachelet said. Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya a native ethnic group and most are stateless. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call the Rohingya "Bengalis", suggesting they belong in Bangladesh.

Rohingya in Bangladesh protest efforts to send them back to Myanmar

United Nations human rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt plans to repatriate 2,200 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that their lives would be at "serious risk".

Forcibly returning or expelling refugees and asylum-seekers to their home country would violate international law which forbids it to places where returnees face threats of persecution or their lives would be endangered, she said.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after Rohingya insurgent attacks on Myanmar security forces in August, 2017 triggered a sweeping military crackdown.

The two countries agreed on Oct. 30 to begin the returns to Myanmar in mid-November. Earlier on Tuesday, a senior official of the UN refugee agency Volker Turk said that conditions in Rakhine state were not yet conducive for Rohingya to return, citing restrictions on their movement and lack of political rights including citizenship.

"We are witnessing terror and panic among those Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar who are at imminent risk of being returned to Myanmar against their will," Bachelet said in a statement, adding that two men have attempted suicide.

Human rights violations committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar amount to the worst atrocities, including crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide, she said, referring to atrocities documented by UN investigators.

"With an almost complete lack of accountability – indeed with ongoing violations – returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar at this point effectively means throwing them back into the cycle of human rights violations that this community has been suffering for decades," she said.

The UN human rights office continued to receive reports of ongoing violations committed against Rohingya in northern Rakhine, Myanmar - including alleged killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, Bachelet said.

United Nations human rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt plans to repatriate 2,200 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that their lives would be at "serious risk".

United Nations human rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on Bangladesh on Tuesday to halt plans to repatriate 2,200 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, warning that their lives would be at "serious risk". Forcibly returning or expelling refugees and asylum-seekers to their home country would violate international law which forbids it to places where returnees face threats of persecution or their lives would be endangered, she said. More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after Rohingya insurgent attacks on Myanmar security forces in August, 2017 triggered a sweeping military crackdown. The two countries agreed on Oct. 30 to begin the returns to Myanmar in mid-November. Earlier on Tuesday, a senior official of the UN refugee agency Volker Turk said that conditions in Rakhine state were not yet conducive for Rohingya to return, citing restrictions on their movement and lack of political rights including citizenship. "We are witnessing terror and panic among those Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar who are at imminent risk of being returned to Myanmar against their will," Bachelet said in a statement, adding that two men have attempted suicide. Human rights violations committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar amount to the worst atrocities, including crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide, she said, referring to atrocities documented by UN investigators. "With an almost complete lack of accountability – indeed with ongoing violations – returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar at this point effectively means throwing them back into the cycle of human rights violations that this community has been suffering for decades," she said. The UN human rights office continued to receive reports of ongoing violations committed against Rohingya in northern Rakhine, Myanmar - including alleged killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, Bachelet said.

Rohingya face 'serious risk' if sent back to Myanmar: UN rights boss

The military's presence at vast Rohingya camps in Bangladesh has been bolstered, stoking fears among refugees as authorities prepare to return them to Myanmar despite strong UN objections, leaders of the Muslim minority said Wednesday.

Bangladesh says it will start repatriating refugees from an initial group of 2,260 from Thursday despite warnings the Rohingya face almost certain persecution in Myanmar.

Many of the million refugees in the teeming camps have expressed terror at the prospect of returning to Buddhist majority Myanmar, where UN investigators say they were targeted in a military campaign that amounted to genocide.

Bangladesh says only those who volunteer will be returned, but the UN rights chief says many refugees are panicking at the prospect of being sent back against their will.

Some families listed to return have fled, community leaders and refugees have told AFP, hiding in the hills where more than 720,000 Rohingya sought refuge from a Myanmar military crackdown launched from August last year.

They joined some 300,000 Rohingya already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeast for years, having fled previous waves of violence in Rakhine state.

Additional police and soldiers were seen patrolling the camps and checking identity cards, stoking anxiety as the deadline for repatriation looms, refugee leaders told AFP.

"Everyone is tense, the situation is very bad," one community leader Abdur Rahim told AFP in Cox's Bazar, the border district hosting a small city of refugees perched on hillsides.

"There are a lot of army and police inside the camps. They are checking the ID cards of Rohingya."

Nur Islam, another leader in a different part of the camps, said the military were more visible in recent days as Bangladeshi officials try and convince refugees they will be safe if they go back.

"They are trying to convince the refugees that repatriation will only occur if the Burmese government has promised they will not harm the Rohingya," he said, using an alternative name for Myanmar.

A local police chief, Abul Khaer, played down reports of additional security, saying nothing in terms of personnel had changed in recent months.

Bangladesh officials remain optimistic the large-scale refugee returns will start as planned Thursday.

They plan to send 150 people on the opening day.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged Dhaka to reconsider.

"With an almost complete lack of accountability – indeed with ongoing violations – returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar at this point effectively means throwing them back into the cycle of human rights violations that this community has been suffering for decades," she said in a statement.

She said the violations against the Rohingya "amount to the worst atrocities, including crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide."

US Vice President Mike Pence told Aung San Suu Kyi the violence against the Rohingya was "without excuse", adding pressure to Myanmar's civilian leader who this week had an Amnesty International honour revoked. 
&nbsp;

The military's presence at vast Rohingya camps in Bangladesh has been bolstered, stoking fears among refugees as authorities prepare to return them to Myanmar despite strong UN objections, leaders of the Muslim minority said Wednesday.

The military's presence at vast Rohingya camps in Bangladesh has been bolstered, stoking fears among refugees as authorities prepare to return them to Myanmar despite strong UN objections, leaders of the Muslim minority said Wednesday. Bangladesh says it will start repatriating refugees from an initial group of 2,260 from Thursday despite warnings the Rohingya face almost certain persecution in Myanmar. Many of the million refugees in the teeming camps have expressed terror at the prospect of returning to Buddhist majority Myanmar, where UN investigators say they were targeted in a military campaign that amounted to genocide. Bangladesh says only those who volunteer will be returned, but the UN rights chief says many refugees are panicking at the prospect of being sent back against their will. Some families listed to return have fled, community leaders and refugees have told AFP, hiding in the hills where more than 720,000 Rohingya sought refuge from a Myanmar military crackdown launched from August last year. They joined some 300,000 Rohingya already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's southeast for years, having fled previous waves of violence in Rakhine state. Additional police and soldiers were seen patrolling the camps and checking identity cards, stoking anxiety as the deadline for repatriation looms, refugee leaders told AFP. "Everyone is tense, the situation is very bad," one community leader Abdur Rahim told AFP in Cox's Bazar, the border district hosting a small city of refugees perched on hillsides. "There are a lot of army and police inside the camps. They are checking the ID cards of Rohingya." Nur Islam, another leader in a different part of the camps, said the military were more visible in recent days as Bangladeshi officials try and convince refugees they will be safe if they go back. "They are trying to convince the refugees that repatriation will only occur if the Burmese government has promised they will not harm the Rohingya," he said, using an alternative name for Myanmar. A local police chief, Abul Khaer, played down reports of additional security, saying nothing in terms of personnel had changed in recent months. Bangladesh officials remain optimistic the large-scale refugee returns will start as planned Thursday. They plan to send 150 people on the opening day. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged Dhaka to reconsider. "With an almost complete lack of accountability – indeed with ongoing violations – returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar at this point effectively means throwing them back into the cycle of human rights violations that this community has been suffering for decades," she said in a statement. She said the violations against the Rohingya "amount to the worst atrocities, including crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide." US Vice President Mike Pence told Aung San Suu Kyi the violence against the Rohingya was "without excuse", adding pressure to Myanmar's civilian leader who this week had an Amnesty International honour revoked.

Tensions high as Rohingya fear looming return to Myanmar

Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a group of opposition party supporters in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday as tension soared weeks before a general election.

Activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) responded to the police action by setting fire to police vans and cars, as well as several motor-bikes, according to police and media.

"Our force was attacked without any reason. They were only trying to ease the traffic flow but suddenly they were targeted," said Masudur Rahman, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The BNP supporters were accompanying an election candidate who was picking up election nomination papers from the party's offices in the city.

Police initially asked the group numbering more than 500 to disperse because they were creating a traffic jam but an altercation ensued and fist-fights broke out between the BNP supporters and police.

The BNP said that at least 12 of its supporters were injured. Police said at least 20 officers were hurt.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir denounced the police action as an "injustice", and part of a government plot to exclude the party from the Dec. 30 election.

General elections are invariably volatile in Bangladesh where politics has for more than two decades been dominated by the rivalry between two women leaders - Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia - both of whom have been prime minister.

Hasina, who is prime minister now, and Khaleda, leader of the BNP, are both related to former national leaders.

The BNP says a caretaker government is essential for free and fair elections as otherwise, it says Hasina's ruling Awami League will use the machinery of government to support its campaign.

The BNP is in disarray following the jailing early this year on corruption charges of Khaleda, on what the party says were trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics.

The last election, in 2014, which the BNP boycotted, was marred by deadly violence and criticised by international observers as flawed.

An alliance of opposition parties, including the BNP, said on Sunday it would contest the election despite the Awami League's rejection of its demand for a caretaker government.

Hasina’s government has won global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, but its critics have decried what they see as the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian rule.

In particular, they have attacked her for what critics regard as the government’s heavy-handed policing of student protests this year and a crackdown on free speech. 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a group of opposition party supporters in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday as tension soared weeks before a general election.

Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a group of opposition party supporters in the capital, Dhaka, on Wednesday as tension soared weeks before a general election. Activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) responded to the police action by setting fire to police vans and cars, as well as several motor-bikes, according to police and media. "Our force was attacked without any reason. They were only trying to ease the traffic flow but suddenly they were targeted," said Masudur Rahman, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The BNP supporters were accompanying an election candidate who was picking up election nomination papers from the party's offices in the city. Police initially asked the group numbering more than 500 to disperse because they were creating a traffic jam but an altercation ensued and fist-fights broke out between the BNP supporters and police. The BNP said that at least 12 of its supporters were injured. Police said at least 20 officers were hurt. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir denounced the police action as an "injustice", and part of a government plot to exclude the party from the Dec. 30 election. General elections are invariably volatile in Bangladesh where politics has for more than two decades been dominated by the rivalry between two women leaders - Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia - both of whom have been prime minister. Hasina, who is prime minister now, and Khaleda, leader of the BNP, are both related to former national leaders. The BNP says a caretaker government is essential for free and fair elections as otherwise, it says Hasina's ruling Awami League will use the machinery of government to support its campaign. The BNP is in disarray following the jailing early this year on corruption charges of Khaleda, on what the party says were trumped-up charges to keep her out of politics. The last election, in 2014, which the BNP boycotted, was marred by deadly violence and criticised by international observers as flawed. An alliance of opposition parties, including the BNP, said on Sunday it would contest the election despite the Awami League's rejection of its demand for a caretaker government. Hasina’s government has won global plaudits for letting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, but its critics have decried what they see as the prime minister's increasingly authoritarian rule. In particular, they have attacked her for what critics regard as the government’s heavy-handed policing of student protests this year and a crackdown on free speech.

Bangladesh police fire rubber bullets, tear gas to disperse opposition protest

Bangladesh is ready for the repatriation of Rohingyas, an official told news agency Associated Press on Wednesday. According to reports, more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees will be repatriated from where more than 700,000 have fled violence since last year.

Around 30 refugee families would be transferred on Thursday at the Gundrum border point near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh's repatriation commissioner Abul Kalam said, adding that the UN refugee agency is verifying the repatriation process.&nbsp;

A UN-brokered deal with Myanmar and Bangladesh identifies all repatriations as voluntary.

A Reuters report on Monday stated that around dozens of Rohingya Muslim families, on a list of refugees set to be repatriated to Myanmar later this week, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-flee-refugee-camps-in-bangladesh-as-myanmar-prepares-for-first-returnees-176882">fled from camps</a> in Bangladesh where they were living.&nbsp;

"Most of the people on the list have fled to avoid being repatriated," said Abdus Salam, a Rohingya leader at the Jamtoli camp told Reuters, adding most have fled to other neighbouring camps to avoid being detected and forced to return against their will.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in late October to begin repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape an army crackdown, even though the United Nations' refugee agency and aid groups say doubts persist about their safety and conditions in Myanmar should they return.

The repatriation of the first batch of 2,000 refugees is set to officially begin on November 15 and officials in Myanmar said on Sunday they were ready to begin receiving refugees this week.

Meanwhile, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has come under the scanner and criticised by world leaders on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in Singapore. Suu Kyi has been facing tremendous heat for her handling of the ethnic crisis that led to the Rohingya exodus.&nbsp;

In another blow to the Myanmar leader, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/amnesty-international-strips-myanmars-suu-kyi-of-conscience-award-176943">Amnesty International withdrew its most prestigious human rights</a> prize from Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, accusing her of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Bangladesh is ready for the repatriation of Rohingyas, an official told news agency Associated Press on Wednesday. According to reports, more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees will be repatriated from where more than 700,000 have fled violence since last year.

Bangladesh is ready for the repatriation of Rohingyas, an official told news agency Associated Press on Wednesday. According to reports, more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees will be repatriated from where more than 700,000 have fled violence since last year. Around 30 refugee families would be transferred on Thursday at the Gundrum border point near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh's repatriation commissioner Abul Kalam said, adding that the UN refugee agency is verifying the repatriation process. A UN-brokered deal with Myanmar and Bangladesh identifies all repatriations as voluntary. A Reuters report on Monday stated that around dozens of Rohingya Muslim families, on a list of refugees set to be repatriated to Myanmar later this week, fled from camps in Bangladesh where they were living. "Most of the people on the list have fled to avoid being repatriated," said Abdus Salam, a Rohingya leader at the Jamtoli camp told Reuters, adding most have fled to other neighbouring camps to avoid being detected and forced to return against their will. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in late October to begin repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to escape an army crackdown, even though the United Nations' refugee agency and aid groups say doubts persist about their safety and conditions in Myanmar should they return. The repatriation of the first batch of 2,000 refugees is set to officially begin on November 15 and officials in Myanmar said on Sunday they were ready to begin receiving refugees this week. Meanwhile, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has come under the scanner and criticised by world leaders on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in Singapore. Suu Kyi has been facing tremendous heat for her handling of the ethnic crisis that led to the Rohingya exodus. In another blow to the Myanmar leader, Amnesty International withdrew its most prestigious human rights prize from Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, accusing her of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority. (With inputs from agencies)

Repatriation of first batch of 2,000 Rohingya refugees ready to begin: Bangladesh official

US Vice President Mike Pence told <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-dont-need-their-prize-myanmar-defiant-as-amnesty-pulls-suu-kyi-award-177056">Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi</a> on Wednesday that the violence and persecution by her country's military and vigilantes that sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh was inexcusable.

Pence told Suu Kyi in a brief meeting with the media before they went into private talks on the sidelines of&nbsp; Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore that the United States was anxious to hear of progress in holding people accountable for the Rohingya crisis.

Suu Kyi responded that people have different views.

Pence also said that Washington wanted to see a free and democratic press in Myanmar, and the jailing of two journalists last year was "deeply troubling" for millions of Americans.

He did not mention by name Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters journalists who were arrested in Yangon in December 2017. They were found guilty in September of breaching the Official Secrets Act and sentenced to seven years in prison.

US Vice President Mike Pence told Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday that the violence and persecution by her country's military and vigilantes that sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh was inexcusable.

US Vice President Mike Pence told Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday that the violence and persecution by her country's military and vigilantes that sent more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh was inexcusable. Pence told Suu Kyi in a brief meeting with the media before they went into private talks on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore that the United States was anxious to hear of progress in holding people accountable for the Rohingya crisis. Suu Kyi responded that people have different views. Pence also said that Washington wanted to see a free and democratic press in Myanmar, and the jailing of two journalists last year was "deeply troubling" for millions of Americans. He did not mention by name Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters journalists who were arrested in Yangon in December 2017. They were found guilty in September of breaching the Official Secrets Act and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Persecution of Rohingyas inexcusable: Pence to Suu Kyi

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

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

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

Suu Kyi stance on Rohingya 'indefensible': Malaysia PM

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

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

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

Rohingya flee camps fearing forcible return to Myanmar

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

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

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

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

Myanmar officials said on Sunday the country was ready to receive more than 2,000 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-to-blame-if-rohingya-returns-delayed-myanmar-govt-176685">Rohingya Muslims sheltering in Bangladesh</a> on November 15, the first group from 5,000 people to be moved under a deal between the neighbours struck last month.

But more than 20 individuals on a list of potential returnees submitted by Bangladesh have told Reuters they will refuse to go back to northern Rakhine state from where they fled. Bangladesh has said it will not force anyone to do so.

The United Nations also says conditions are not yet safe for their return, in part because Myanmar Buddhists have been protesting against the repatriation.

"It depends on the other country, whether this will actually happen or not," Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's Minister for Social Welfare and Resettlement, told a news conference in the commercial capital of Yangon on Sunday, referring to Bangladesh.

"But we must be ready from our side. We have done that."

Abul Kalam, Bangladesh Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said he was hopeful the process could begin on Thursday.

"The return will be voluntary. Nobody will be forced to go back," he told Reuters.

The countries agreed on mid-November for the start of repatriating some of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar last year.

They say soldiers and local Buddhists massacred families, burned hundreds of villages, and carried out gang-rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies almost all of the allegations, saying security forces were battling terrorists. Attacks by Rohingya insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the crackdown.

Myanmar does acknowledge the killing of 10 Rohingya by security forces in Inn Dinn village. Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this year for allegedly breaking the country's Official Secrets Act after reporting on the massacre.

Reuters says the court's ruling was wrong and lawyers for the two have appealed against their conviction.

Win Myat Aye said preparations had been made for 2,251 people to be transported to two transit centres by boat on Thursday, while a second group of 2,095 could follow later by road.

Once processed by the authorities, they would be sent to another centre where they would be housed, fed, and asked to build homes through cash-for-work schemes.

Returnees would only be allowed to travel within Maungdaw township, one of the three they fled, and only if they accepted National Verification Cards, an identity document most Rohingya reject because they say it brands them as foreigners.

Many Rohingya, the majority of whom have been left stateless after decades of persecution, oppose going back without guarantees of citizenship and freedom of movement.

Myanmar officials said on Sunday the country was ready to receive more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslims sheltering in Bangladesh on November 15, the first group from 5,000 people to be moved under a deal between the neighbours struck last month.

Myanmar officials said on Sunday the country was ready to receive more than 2,000 Rohingya Muslims sheltering in Bangladesh on November 15, the first group from 5,000 people to be moved under a deal between the neighbours struck last month. But more than 20 individuals on a list of potential returnees submitted by Bangladesh have told Reuters they will refuse to go back to northern Rakhine state from where they fled. Bangladesh has said it will not force anyone to do so. The United Nations also says conditions are not yet safe for their return, in part because Myanmar Buddhists have been protesting against the repatriation. "It depends on the other country, whether this will actually happen or not," Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's Minister for Social Welfare and Resettlement, told a news conference in the commercial capital of Yangon on Sunday, referring to Bangladesh. "But we must be ready from our side. We have done that." Abul Kalam, Bangladesh Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said he was hopeful the process could begin on Thursday. "The return will be voluntary. Nobody will be forced to go back," he told Reuters. The countries agreed on mid-November for the start of repatriating some of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled a sweeping army crackdown in Myanmar last year. They say soldiers and local Buddhists massacred families, burned hundreds of villages, and carried out gang-rapes. UN-mandated investigators have accused the army of "genocidal intent" and ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies almost all of the allegations, saying security forces were battling terrorists. Attacks by Rohingya insurgents calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army preceded the crackdown. Myanmar does acknowledge the killing of 10 Rohingya by security forces in Inn Dinn village. Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this year for allegedly breaking the country's Official Secrets Act after reporting on the massacre. Reuters says the court's ruling was wrong and lawyers for the two have appealed against their conviction. Win Myat Aye said preparations had been made for 2,251 people to be transported to two transit centres by boat on Thursday, while a second group of 2,095 could follow later by road. Once processed by the authorities, they would be sent to another centre where they would be housed, fed, and asked to build homes through cash-for-work schemes. Returnees would only be allowed to travel within Maungdaw township, one of the three they fled, and only if they accepted National Verification Cards, an identity document most Rohingya reject because they say it brands them as foreigners. Many Rohingya, the majority of whom have been left stateless after decades of persecution, oppose going back without guarantees of citizenship and freedom of movement.

Myanmar prepares for first Rohingya returnees, but UN concerned

Myanmar on Saturday denied allegations of a cross-border shooting that raised tensions with Bangladesh ahead of a scheduled start date for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

The fresh diplomatic row started after a Bangladesh border guard official said that a 15-year-old Rohingya refugee was shot in the elbow on November 4 while grazing cows after multiple rounds were fired from a security post across the demarcation line.

Bangladesh summoned Myanmar's ambassador to lodge a protest but Aung San Suu Kyi's government says it has looked into the allegation and denies it ever happened.

"The Myanmar ambassador promptly contacted the responsible officials from the Myanmar Border Guard, who confirmed that no shooting incident had taken place," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is overseen by Suu Kyi, said in a statement late Saturday.

Myanmar says it was involved in coordinated patrols at the time of the alleged incident with Bangladeshi forces along the Naf River that separates the two countries, and that none of their counterparts mentioned the claim.

"A formal protest through diplomatic channels based on dubious reports, as took place in this case, does not serve any useful purpose," the ministry added.

The contentious back and forth highlights the delicacy surrounding a planned start to the first official repatriation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, which is supposed to start November 15 with over 2,000 people at a rate of 150 daily.

Some 720,000 Rohingya fled their homes in Myanmar to take refuge in Bangladesh following a sweeping and bloody crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017.

United Nations investigators say Myanmar's military should be investigated for genocide as a result of the campaign, which witnesses say included scorched earth tactics, rape and murder.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to repatriate Rohingya expelled in the recent military campaign, but they fear returning to a country without guarantees of citizenship, safety and basic rights.

Northern Rakhine has been undergoing massive redevelopment in their absence and Rohingya advocates say the process amounts to an effort to erase their history for good.

The UN, which has been granted access to parts of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state where most Rohingya used to live, says conditions are not right for the stateless minority to return.

A total of 42 aid agencies and NGOS said this week that Rohingya in the camps in Bangladesh were "terrified" about the prospect of coming back.&nbsp;

Myanmar on Saturday denied allegations of a cross-border shooting that raised tensions with Bangladesh ahead of a scheduled start date for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar on Saturday denied allegations of a cross-border shooting that raised tensions with Bangladesh ahead of a scheduled start date for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. The fresh diplomatic row started after a Bangladesh border guard official said that a 15-year-old Rohingya refugee was shot in the elbow on November 4 while grazing cows after multiple rounds were fired from a security post across the demarcation line. Bangladesh summoned Myanmar's ambassador to lodge a protest but Aung San Suu Kyi's government says it has looked into the allegation and denies it ever happened. "The Myanmar ambassador promptly contacted the responsible officials from the Myanmar Border Guard, who confirmed that no shooting incident had taken place," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is overseen by Suu Kyi, said in a statement late Saturday. Myanmar says it was involved in coordinated patrols at the time of the alleged incident with Bangladeshi forces along the Naf River that separates the two countries, and that none of their counterparts mentioned the claim. "A formal protest through diplomatic channels based on dubious reports, as took place in this case, does not serve any useful purpose," the ministry added. The contentious back and forth highlights the delicacy surrounding a planned start to the first official repatriation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, which is supposed to start November 15 with over 2,000 people at a rate of 150 daily. Some 720,000 Rohingya fled their homes in Myanmar to take refuge in Bangladesh following a sweeping and bloody crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017. United Nations investigators say Myanmar's military should be investigated for genocide as a result of the campaign, which witnesses say included scorched earth tactics, rape and murder. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to repatriate Rohingya expelled in the recent military campaign, but they fear returning to a country without guarantees of citizenship, safety and basic rights. Northern Rakhine has been undergoing massive redevelopment in their absence and Rohingya advocates say the process amounts to an effort to erase their history for good. The UN, which has been granted access to parts of Myanmar's northern Rakhine state where most Rohingya used to live, says conditions are not right for the stateless minority to return. A total of 42 aid agencies and NGOS said this week that Rohingya in the camps in Bangladesh were "terrified" about the prospect of coming back.

Myanmar denies border shooting as Rohingya repatriation date nears

A plan to start repatriating Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar is premature and the refugees are "terrified" about leaving&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;where they sought refuge, dozens of aid agencies working in the region said Friday.

More than 720,000<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dozens-of-rohingya-flee-camps-by-boat-reviving-memories-of-2015-tragedy-176310"> Rohingya Muslims fled</a> Myanmar's northern Rakhine state after a heavy-handed army crackdown in August last year that survivors say involved mass rape and extrajudicial killings.

UN officials say the country's military leaders should be investigated for genocide but Myanmar has rebuffed the calls, arguing it was only defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

Both&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement in November last year to allow Rohingya to return but many fear going back without guarantees of citizenship, freedom of movement and safety.

However, the governments confirmed in recent weeks that they were pushing ahead with the first large-scale repatriation set for mid-November, prompting an outcry from activists who say conditions on the ground in Rakhine are not adequate to take the refugees back.

"They are terrified about what will happen to them if they are returned to Myanmar now, and distressed by the lack of information they have received," the group of 42 aid agencies and civil society groups said in a statement that referred to the push as "dangerous." &nbsp;

"They fled to&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;to seek safety and they are very grateful to the Government of&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;for giving them a safe haven."&nbsp;

Oxfam, World Vision and Save the Children were among the groups working in Myanmar and&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;that signed the statement.

They said refugees fear living in enclosed settlements like the one in central Rakhine state, where more than 120,000 Rohingya have been confined to camps for six years since intercommunal violence erupted in the region in 2012.&nbsp;

Myint Khaing, the Maungdaw township administrator in northern Rakhine, told AFP that November 15 is the estimated repatriation start date and that the plan is to receive more than 2,200 people in total at a rate of 150 per day.

But he seemed unsure if it would go ahead.

"We can confirm only on the 15th whether the people from our given list are coming or not," he said.

Northern Rakhine has been largely sealed off since the crackdown except for tightly organised government trips for media and senior visiting diplomats.

The UN has been granted access to the area to assess conditions on the ground but the approvals have been slow and the amount of territory accessible has been limited.

Authorities in&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;worry that Rohingya may once again risk travelling to other parts of Southeast Asia by boat, a route previously popular with those seeking economic opportunities outside the grim camps.

This week&nbsp;Bangladesh's coast guard rescued 33 Rohingya and detained six alleged human traffickers from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal.

A plan to start repatriating Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar is premature and the refugees are "terrified" about leaving Bangladesh where they sought refuge, dozens of aid agencies working in the region said Friday.

A plan to start repatriating Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar is premature and the refugees are "terrified" about leaving Bangladesh where they sought refuge, dozens of aid agencies working in the region said Friday. More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's northern Rakhine state after a heavy-handed army crackdown in August last year that survivors say involved mass rape and extrajudicial killings. UN officials say the country's military leaders should be investigated for genocide but Myanmar has rebuffed the calls, arguing it was only defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts. Both Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation agreement in November last year to allow Rohingya to return but many fear going back without guarantees of citizenship, freedom of movement and safety. However, the governments confirmed in recent weeks that they were pushing ahead with the first large-scale repatriation set for mid-November, prompting an outcry from activists who say conditions on the ground in Rakhine are not adequate to take the refugees back. "They are terrified about what will happen to them if they are returned to Myanmar now, and distressed by the lack of information they have received," the group of 42 aid agencies and civil society groups said in a statement that referred to the push as "dangerous." "They fled to Bangladesh to seek safety and they are very grateful to the Government of Bangladesh for giving them a safe haven." Oxfam, World Vision and Save the Children were among the groups working in Myanmar and Bangladesh that signed the statement. They said refugees fear living in enclosed settlements like the one in central Rakhine state, where more than 120,000 Rohingya have been confined to camps for six years since intercommunal violence erupted in the region in 2012. Myint Khaing, the Maungdaw township administrator in northern Rakhine, told AFP that November 15 is the estimated repatriation start date and that the plan is to receive more than 2,200 people in total at a rate of 150 per day. But he seemed unsure if it would go ahead. "We can confirm only on the 15th whether the people from our given list are coming or not," he said. Northern Rakhine has been largely sealed off since the crackdown except for tightly organised government trips for media and senior visiting diplomats. The UN has been granted access to the area to assess conditions on the ground but the approvals have been slow and the amount of territory accessible has been limited. Authorities in Bangladesh worry that Rohingya may once again risk travelling to other parts of Southeast Asia by boat, a route previously popular with those seeking economic opportunities outside the grim camps. This week Bangladesh's coast guard rescued 33 Rohingya and detained six alleged human traffickers from a fishing trawler headed for Malaysia in the Bay of Bengal.

Aid groups say Rohingya 'terrified' about Myanmar repatriation

Dozens of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, officials and aid workers said on Thursday, raising fears of a fresh wave of such dangerous voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers.

One boat attempted to set sail from the southern coast of Bangladesh on Wednesday, the coast guard said, while several vessels left Rakhine state in western Myanmar, according to Rohingya leaders, aid workers and a monitoring group.&nbsp;

Officials detained 33 Rohingya and six Bangladeshis aboard a fishing boat bound for Malaysia in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, said Foyezul Islam Mondol, the head of the coast guard in southeastern Teknaf upazila.

Six Bangladeshis were also arrested, he said.

A spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Myanmar said the organization had heard "similar reports" of boats leaving the country but could not confirm their location.

"With the prospect of boat movements increasing following the end of the monsoon season, it is increasingly urgent for the authorities to take measures to address the root causes of displacement...and create conditions which foster social cohesion and economic opportunities for all communities," the spokeswoman said.

A Myanmar government spokesman could not be reached for comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine state government, said he was unaware of any boats leaving.

More than 700,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Rakhine following an army-led crackdown in August last year, settling in sprawling Bangladeshi refugee camps, according to UN agency figures, while hundreds of thousands remain inside the country in internal displacement camps and villages.

Refugees say soldiers and local Buddhists carried out mass killings and rape during the violence last year, while the United Nations has accused the military of “genocidal intent”. Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations.

'Trapped'

For years, Rohingya on both sides of the border have boarded boats organised by smugglers in the dry months between November and March, when the sea is calm. The perilous journey to Thailand and Malaysia, often undertaken in overcrowded, rickety vessels, has cost many lives.&nbsp;

Thailand cracked down on the trade after discovering a series of mass graves in 2015, leading to a crisis when smugglers abandoned their human cargo and left boats adrift in the Andaman Sea.

The new departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriation 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.

The United Nations has said conditions in Rakhine, where Buddhists have protested against the repatriation, are not conducive for returns and the special envoy on human rights, Yanghee Lee, on Thursday urged a halt to the “rushed plans”.

Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, which has a network of sources across Rohingya communities, said the threat of being sent back to Myanmar could be pushing refugees to turn to smugglers.

“The Rohingya are trapped,” she said when contacted by Reuters via phone. “They have nowhere to go. No one wants them, and now they face on top of that the threat of repatriation.”

On the other side of the border in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, tens of thousands of Rohingya have been languishing in internal displacement camps since a previous wave of violence in 2012.

Accounts of how many boats had left Myanmar differed. A high level of secrecy surrounds the smuggling operations.

An aid worker in Sittwe said they had received information that at least four boats had departed since the start of October, and some of them had already arrived in Malaysia. Some of those boarding the boats were women and children joining other family members, the aid worker said.

“The living conditions in the camp are very bad and there’s not enough food to survive,” said Kyaw Hla, a Rohingya leader from Thae Chaung camp outside Sittwe, where he said one boat carrying some 80 people left last week.

“People are not able to stand against all these troubles, so they are deciding to leave,” he said. "There’s no hope for us here.”&nbsp;

Dozens of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, officials and aid workers said on Thursday, raising fears of a fresh wave of such dangerous voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers.

Dozens of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and Bangladesh have boarded boats to try to reach Malaysia, officials and aid workers said on Thursday, raising fears of a fresh wave of such dangerous voyages after a 2015 crackdown on people smugglers. One boat attempted to set sail from the southern coast of Bangladesh on Wednesday, the coast guard said, while several vessels left Rakhine state in western Myanmar, according to Rohingya leaders, aid workers and a monitoring group. Officials detained 33 Rohingya and six Bangladeshis aboard a fishing boat bound for Malaysia in the southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, said Foyezul Islam Mondol, the head of the coast guard in southeastern Teknaf upazila. Six Bangladeshis were also arrested, he said. A spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency in Myanmar said the organization had heard "similar reports" of boats leaving the country but could not confirm their location. "With the prospect of boat movements increasing following the end of the monsoon season, it is increasingly urgent for the authorities to take measures to address the root causes of displacement...and create conditions which foster social cohesion and economic opportunities for all communities," the spokeswoman said. A Myanmar government spokesman could not be reached for comment. Kyaw Swar Tun, deputy director of the Rakhine state government, said he was unaware of any boats leaving. More than 700,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Rakhine following an army-led crackdown in August last year, settling in sprawling Bangladeshi refugee camps, according to UN agency figures, while hundreds of thousands remain inside the country in internal displacement camps and villages. Refugees say soldiers and local Buddhists carried out mass killings and rape during the violence last year, while the United Nations has accused the military of “genocidal intent”. Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations. 'Trapped' For years, Rohingya on both sides of the border have boarded boats organised by smugglers in the dry months between November and March, when the sea is calm. The perilous journey to Thailand and Malaysia, often undertaken in overcrowded, rickety vessels, has cost many lives. Thailand cracked down on the trade after discovering a series of mass graves in 2015, leading to a crisis when smugglers abandoned their human cargo and left boats adrift in the Andaman Sea. The new departures come as Myanmar prepares to take some of the refugees back after agreeing with Bangladesh to start repatriation 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. The United Nations has said conditions in Rakhine, where Buddhists have protested against the repatriation, are not conducive for returns and the special envoy on human rights, Yanghee Lee, on Thursday urged a halt to the “rushed plans”. Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, which has a network of sources across Rohingya communities, said the threat of being sent back to Myanmar could be pushing refugees to turn to smugglers. “The Rohingya are trapped,” she said when contacted by Reuters via phone. “They have nowhere to go. No one wants them, and now they face on top of that the threat of repatriation.” On the other side of the border in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, tens of thousands of Rohingya have been languishing in internal displacement camps since a previous wave of violence in 2012. Accounts of how many boats had left Myanmar differed. A high level of secrecy surrounds the smuggling operations. An aid worker in Sittwe said they had received information that at least four boats had departed since the start of October, and some of them had already arrived in Malaysia. Some of those boarding the boats were women and children joining other family members, the aid worker said. “The living conditions in the camp are very bad and there’s not enough food to survive,” said Kyaw Hla, a Rohingya leader from Thae Chaung camp outside Sittwe, where he said one boat carrying some 80 people left last week. “People are not able to stand against all these troubles, so they are deciding to leave,” he said. "There’s no hope for us here.”

Dozens of Rohingya flee camps by boat, reviving memories of 2015 tragedy

Facebook Inc on Monday said a human rights report it commissioned on its presence in Myanmar showed it had not done enough to prevent its social network from being used to incite violence.

The report by San Francisco-based nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) recommended that Facebook more strictly enforce its content policies, increase engagement with both Myanmar officials and civil society groups and regularly release additional data about its progress in the country.

"The report concludes that, prior to this year, we weren't doing enough to help prevent our platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence. We agree that we can and should do more," Alex Warofka, a Facebook product policy manager, said in a blog post.

BSR also warned that Facebook must be prepared to handle a likely onslaught of misinformation during Myanmar's 2020 elections, and new problems as use of its WhatsApp grows in Myanmar, according to the report, which Facebook released.

A Reuters special report https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-facebook-hate in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fueling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya.

In August 2017 the military led a crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 700,000 Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies.

The social media website in August removed several Myanmar military officials from the platform to prevent the spread of "hate and misinformation," for the first time banning a country's military or political leaders.

It also removed dozens of accounts for engaging in a campaign that "used seemingly independent news and opinion pages to covertly push the messages of the Myanmar military."

The move came hours after United Nations investigators said the army carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with “genocidal intent.”

Facebook said it has begun correcting shortcomings.

Facebook said that it now has 99 Myanmar language specialists reviewing potentially questionable content. In addition, it has expanded use of automated tools to reduce distribution of violent and dehumanizing posts while they undergo review.

In the third quarter, the company said it "took action" on about 64,000 pieces of content that violated its hate speech policies. About 63 percent were identified by automated software, up from 52 percent in the prior quarter.

Facebook has roughly 20 million users in Myanmar, according to BSR, which warned Facebook faces several unresolved challenges in Myanmar.

BSR said locating staff there, for example, could aid in Facebook's understanding of how its services are used locally but said its workers could be targeted by the country's military, which has been accused by the U.N. of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

Facebook Inc on Monday said a human rights report it commissioned on its presence in Myanmar showed it had not done enough to prevent its social network from being used to incite violence.

Facebook Inc on Monday said a human rights report it commissioned on its presence in Myanmar showed it had not done enough to prevent its social network from being used to incite violence. The report by San Francisco-based nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) recommended that Facebook more strictly enforce its content policies, increase engagement with both Myanmar officials and civil society groups and regularly release additional data about its progress in the country. "The report concludes that, prior to this year, we weren't doing enough to help prevent our platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence. We agree that we can and should do more," Alex Warofka, a Facebook product policy manager, said in a blog post. BSR also warned that Facebook must be prepared to handle a likely onslaught of misinformation during Myanmar's 2020 elections, and new problems as use of its WhatsApp grows in Myanmar, according to the report, which Facebook released. A Reuters special report https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-facebook-hate in August found that Facebook failed to promptly heed numerous warnings from organizations in Myanmar about social media posts fueling attacks on minority groups such as the Rohingya. In August 2017 the military led a crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents, pushing more than 700,000 Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies. The social media website in August removed several Myanmar military officials from the platform to prevent the spread of "hate and misinformation," for the first time banning a country's military or political leaders. It also removed dozens of accounts for engaging in a campaign that "used seemingly independent news and opinion pages to covertly push the messages of the Myanmar military." The move came hours after United Nations investigators said the army carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with “genocidal intent.” Facebook said it has begun correcting shortcomings. Facebook said that it now has 99 Myanmar language specialists reviewing potentially questionable content. In addition, it has expanded use of automated tools to reduce distribution of violent and dehumanizing posts while they undergo review. In the third quarter, the company said it "took action" on about 64,000 pieces of content that violated its hate speech policies. About 63 percent were identified by automated software, up from 52 percent in the prior quarter. Facebook has roughly 20 million users in Myanmar, according to BSR, which warned Facebook faces several unresolved challenges in Myanmar. BSR said locating staff there, for example, could aid in Facebook's understanding of how its services are used locally but said its workers could be targeted by the country's military, which has been accused by the U.N. of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

Facebook says human rights report shows it should do more in Myanmar

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that the biometric details of Rohingya in the state will be collected in&nbsp;two months.

While addressing a press briefing Malik said, "Biometric details of Rohingyas will be collected within two months".

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Biometric details of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rohingyas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rohingyas</a> will be collected within two months: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, in Jammu <a href="https://t.co/d6sbcfX6RC">pic.twitter.com/d6sbcfX6RC</a>
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He also added that the state administration will try to create an atmosphere for holding talks with stakeholders in the next four to six months.

"I carry a mandate of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to reach out to the people, make yourself available to them, do their work, ensure development of the state and create an atmosphere in which talks can be held," Malik told reporters here.

"Stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have stopped. The civic polls were also held peacefully. Our policy is bringing us good results," he said.

Earlier Union Minister Rajnath Singh had directed the state governments to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics.

More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) had also sought immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that the biometric details of Rohingya in the state will be collected in two months. While addressing a press briefing Malik said, "Biometric details of Rohingyas will be collected within two months".

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that the biometric details of Rohingya in the state will be collected in two months. While addressing a press briefing Malik said, "Biometric details of Rohingyas will be collected within two months". Biometric details of #Rohingyas will be collected within two months: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, in Jammu pic.twitter.com/d6sbcfX6RC — ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2018 × He also added that the state administration will try to create an atmosphere for holding talks with stakeholders in the next four to six months. "I carry a mandate of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to reach out to the people, make yourself available to them, do their work, ensure development of the state and create an atmosphere in which talks can be held," Malik told reporters here. "Stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have stopped. The civic polls were also held peacefully. Our policy is bringing us good results," he said. Earlier Union Minister Rajnath Singh had directed the state governments to identify Rohingyas and carry out biometrics. More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's Rakhine state in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state. India and Bangladesh are known to have given shelter to a large number of Rohingya refugees. Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) had also sought immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir. (With inputs from agencies)

Biometric details of Rohingya in J&K will be collected within 2 months: Governor Satya Pal Malik

Myanmar officials visited camps for Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday (October 31) in an effort to kickstart a process to repatriate hundreds of thousands who fled an army crackdown last year.

More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after Rohingya insurgent attacks on Myanmar security forces in August 2017 triggered a sweeping military response.

Officials said after meetings in Dhaka on Tuesday (October 30) returns would begin next month, but the UN refugee agency said<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/conditions-for-rohingya-to-return-to-myanmar-are-not-conducive-united-nations-174791"> conditions in Rakhine state were "not yet conducive for returns"</a>.

Myint Thu, permanent secretary at Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and leader of the Myanmar delegation, said Myanmar had verified about 5,000 names of refugees and that repatriation would begin with a first batch of 2,000 returnees in mid-November.

"We are here to meet with the people from the camps so that I can explain what we have prepared for their return and then I can listen to their voices," he told reporters in Cox's Bazaar.

Rohingya people said after Wednesday's meeting that they were unconvinced about the proposed repatriation as they want Myanmar to recognise them as an ethnic group with the right to Myanmar citizenship before they return.

Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya a native ethnic group. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call the Rohingya "Bengalis", suggesting they belong in Bangladesh.

Myanmar officials visited camps for Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday (October 31) in an effort to kickstart a process to repatriate hundreds of thousands who fled an army crackdown last year.

Myanmar officials visited camps for Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh on Wednesday (October 31) in an effort to kickstart a process to repatriate hundreds of thousands who fled an army crackdown last year. More than 700,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh from western Myanmar, UN agencies say, after Rohingya insurgent attacks on Myanmar security forces in August 2017 triggered a sweeping military response. Officials said after meetings in Dhaka on Tuesday (October 30) returns would begin next month, but the UN refugee agency said conditions in Rakhine state were "not yet conducive for returns". Myint Thu, permanent secretary at Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and leader of the Myanmar delegation, said Myanmar had verified about 5,000 names of refugees and that repatriation would begin with a first batch of 2,000 returnees in mid-November. "We are here to meet with the people from the camps so that I can explain what we have prepared for their return and then I can listen to their voices," he told reporters in Cox's Bazaar. Rohingya people said after Wednesday's meeting that they were unconvinced about the proposed repatriation as they want Myanmar to recognise them as an ethnic group with the right to Myanmar citizenship before they return. Myanmar does not consider the Rohingya a native ethnic group. Many in the Buddhist-majority country call the Rohingya "Bengalis", suggesting they belong in Bangladesh.

Myanmar officials try to convince Rohingya to return, accept ID cards

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on Tuesday (October 30) to begin by November the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape a Myanmar army crackdown.

Necessary safeguards are absent in the region, where access is limited amid continuing restrictions for media and other independent observers, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman, Andrej Mahecic said.

"We basically have advised that the returns should not be rushed or premature. We would advise against setting any timetable or any target number for the repatriation. It is very important to understand that the repatriation needs to be a free and voluntary choice of refugees", he said.

He added that UNHCR has completed the second phase of assessment in northern Rakhine state, but its access remains "limited".

Rohingya and other Muslims in the three townships suffer hardship and economic vulnerability due to restrictions on their movement and the prevailing sentiment is "fear and mistrust", he said.

Rohingya are still crossing the border into Bangladesh, with nearly 14,000 arriving this year, according to UNHCR.

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary.

The UN refugee agency said on Wednesday (October 31) that conditions in Rakhine state were "not conducive for a safe, dignified and voluntary return" for Rohingya refugees, stressing that such repatriations must be voluntary. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed on Tuesday (October 30) to begin by November the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh to escape a Myanmar army crackdown. Necessary safeguards are absent in the region, where access is limited amid continuing restrictions for media and other independent observers, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesman, Andrej Mahecic said. "We basically have advised that the returns should not be rushed or premature. We would advise against setting any timetable or any target number for the repatriation. It is very important to understand that the repatriation needs to be a free and voluntary choice of refugees", he said. He added that UNHCR has completed the second phase of assessment in northern Rakhine state, but its access remains "limited". Rohingya and other Muslims in the three townships suffer hardship and economic vulnerability due to restrictions on their movement and the prevailing sentiment is "fear and mistrust", he said. Rohingya are still crossing the border into Bangladesh, with nearly 14,000 arriving this year, according to UNHCR.

Conditions for Rohingya to return to Myanmar are not conducive: United Nations

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-jumps-23-positions-to-rank-77-in-world-banks-ease-of-doing-business-ranking-174700">India jumps 23 positions to rank 77 in World Bank's 'ease of doing business' ranking</a>

India on Wednesday ranked at 77th position in the World Bank's 'Ease of doing business' index. India has recorded a jump of 23 positions against its rank of 100 in 2017.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-alerts-india-on-flood-like-situation-in-brahmaputra-river-in-arunachal-174661">China alerts India on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-alerts-india-on-flood-like-situation-in-brahmaputra-river-in-arunachal-174661">flood-like</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-alerts-india-on-flood-like-situation-in-brahmaputra-river-in-arunachal-174661"> situation in Brahmaputra river in Arunachal</a>

For the second time in a fortnight, China has alerted India of a possible flood-like situation in the Brahmaputra river in Arunachal Pradesh after a landslide blocked water upstream in Tibet, a senior Water Resources Ministry official said on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesian-search-team-may-have-found-lion-airs-fuselage-174650">Indonesian search team may have found Lion Air's fuselage</a>

Indonesian search and rescue workers believe they have found the fuselage of a Lion Air passenger jet that crashed with 189 people on board, and are also trying to confirm the origin of an underwater "ping" signal, officials said on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-asia-bibi-was-convicted-in-blasphemey-case-a-timeline-174662">How Asia Bibi was convicted in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-asia-bibi-was-convicted-in-blasphemey-case-a-timeline-174662">Blasphemey</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-asia-bibi-was-convicted-in-blasphemey-case-a-timeline-174662"> case: A Timeline</a>

Asia Bibi, a Christian woman charged under Blasphemy law in Pakistan was acquitted by the Pak Supreme Court today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-2000-rohingya-to-arrive-in-november-despite-doubts-174669">Myanmar says 2,000 Rohingya to arrive in November despite doubts</a>

A top Myanmar official said Wednesday that his country would take back the first group of 2,000 Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh in November despite widespread doubts over the proposal.

India jumps 23 positions to rank 77 in World Bank's 'ease of doing business' ranking India on Wednesday ranked at 77th position in the World Bank's 'Ease of doing business' index.

India jumps 23 positions to rank 77 in World Bank's 'ease of doing business' ranking India on Wednesday ranked at 77th position in the World Bank's 'Ease of doing business' index. India has recorded a jump of 23 positions against its rank of 100 in 2017. China alerts India on flood-like situation in Brahmaputra river in Arunachal For the second time in a fortnight, China has alerted India of a possible flood-like situation in the Brahmaputra river in Arunachal Pradesh after a landslide blocked water upstream in Tibet, a senior Water Resources Ministry official said on Wednesday. Indonesian search team may have found Lion Air's fuselage Indonesian search and rescue workers believe they have found the fuselage of a Lion Air passenger jet that crashed with 189 people on board, and are also trying to confirm the origin of an underwater "ping" signal, officials said on Wednesday. How Asia Bibi was convicted in Blasphemey case: A Timeline Asia Bibi, a Christian woman charged under Blasphemy law in Pakistan was acquitted by the Pak Supreme Court today. Myanmar says 2,000 Rohingya to arrive in November despite doubts A top Myanmar official said Wednesday that his country would take back the first group of 2,000 Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh in November despite widespread doubts over the proposal.

News brief: Big stories of the day

A United Nations fact-finding team has claimed that Myanmar was still continuing with the genocide of Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

Calling for a probe by the International Criminal Court, the team presented a report at the Security Council on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The team had first disclosed the 444-page report to the public last month.&nbsp;

The fact-finding team which also proposed for the creation of an ad hoc international criminal tribunal stated that the&nbsp;conflict in Myanmar has resulted in the killing of 10,000 Rohingyas and the destruction of some 390 villages.&nbsp;

The report asked for the investigation of Myanmar's top general including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing for the genocide in Rakhine State.

Marzuki Darusman, chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar said that beyond mass killings, the conflict included the ostracization of the targeted population, prevention of births, and widespread displacement in camps.

"It is an ongoing genocide, We consider the genocide intent can be reasonably inferred".

"The conditions are not in place for a safe, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh,"&nbsp;he warned, adding any attempt would just risk more deaths.&nbsp;

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He also said that Myanmar's internal investigation had "proven to be ineffective failures".

Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced 720,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The country claims that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who had attacked the border posts in August 2017.

Rejecting the UN mission's finding the Myanmar government also questioned its independence and pointed out that it was an&nbsp;independent investigative commission made up of Asian diplomats.&nbsp;

The Security Council team was called by the Western powers but was opposed by China and Russia.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A United Nations fact-finding team has claimed that Myanmar was still continuing with the genocide of Rohingya Muslims. Calling for a probe by the International Criminal Court, the team presented a report at the Security Council on Wednesday.

A United Nations fact-finding team has claimed that Myanmar was still continuing with the genocide of Rohingya Muslims. Calling for a probe by the International Criminal Court, the team presented a report at the Security Council on Wednesday. The team had first disclosed the 444-page report to the public last month. The fact-finding team which also proposed for the creation of an ad hoc international criminal tribunal stated that the conflict in Myanmar has resulted in the killing of 10,000 Rohingyas and the destruction of some 390 villages. The report asked for the investigation of Myanmar's top general including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing for the genocide in Rakhine State. Marzuki Darusman, chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar said that beyond mass killings, the conflict included the ostracization of the targeted population, prevention of births, and widespread displacement in camps. "It is an ongoing genocide, We consider the genocide intent can be reasonably inferred". "The conditions are not in place for a safe, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh," he warned, adding any attempt would just risk more deaths. × He also said that Myanmar's internal investigation had "proven to be ineffective failures". Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced 720,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The country claims that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who had attacked the border posts in August 2017. Rejecting the UN mission's finding the Myanmar government also questioned its independence and pointed out that it was an independent investigative commission made up of Asian diplomats. The Security Council team was called by the Western powers but was opposed by China and Russia. (With inputs from agencies)

'Ongoing genocide' underway against Rohingya in Myanmar: United Nations

Six Rohingya were killed early Friday after a blaze tore through an overcrowded camp for the persecuted minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the local fire service said.

Global attention has focused on the 720,000 Rohingya Muslims forced from the state's north into Bangladesh last year by a brutal military crackdown.

The UN Human Rights Council has accused top Myanmar generals of genocide over the bloody campaign, allegations the country strongly denies.

But less visible are the 129,000 Rohingya confined to squalid camps further south near the capital Sittwe following an earlier bout of violence in 2012.

Hundreds were killed that year in riots between Rakhine Buddhists and the stateless minority, who were corralled into destitute camps away from their former neighbours.

The conflagration in Ohndaw Chay camp, which houses some 4,000 Rohingya and lies 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Sittwe, started just before midnight and lasted several hours, fire department official Han Soe told AFP.

"Six people, one man and five women were killed," he said, adding that 15 communal longhouses were also destroyed in the blaze thought to have been started in a kitchen accident.

"We were able to bring the fire under control about 1:10 am this morning and had put it out completely by around 3 am," he said.&nbsp;

A total of 822 people were left without shelter, local media reported.

Conditions in the camps are dire and Rohingya trapped there have virtually no access to healthcare, education and work, relying on food handouts from aid agencies to survive.

Access into the camps is also tightly controlled, effectively cutting their inhabitants off from the outside world and leaving their plight largely forgotten.

Fires in the camps are common because of "severe" overcrowding, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Many camp residents have built makeshift extensions to their shelters to create more space for their families. So when a fire breaks out, it is more likely to spread quickly," said OCHA spokesman Pierre Peron.

Hla Win, a Rohingya man from a nearby camp, told AFP that fire trucks were slow to arrive along the dilapidated roads from Sittwe and the lack of water also hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze.

"We have no ponds near the camps," he said. "That's why the fire destroyed so much."&nbsp;

Myanmar has vowed to close nearly 20 of the camps around Sittwe in the coming months.

Rights groups say the move will achieve little without ending movement restrictions or granting Rohingya a pathway to citizenship.

Six Rohingya were killed early Friday after a blaze tore through an overcrowded camp for the persecuted minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the local fire service said.

Six Rohingya were killed early Friday after a blaze tore through an overcrowded camp for the persecuted minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the local fire service said. Global attention has focused on the 720,000 Rohingya Muslims forced from the state's north into Bangladesh last year by a brutal military crackdown. The UN Human Rights Council has accused top Myanmar generals of genocide over the bloody campaign, allegations the country strongly denies. But less visible are the 129,000 Rohingya confined to squalid camps further south near the capital Sittwe following an earlier bout of violence in 2012. Hundreds were killed that year in riots between Rakhine Buddhists and the stateless minority, who were corralled into destitute camps away from their former neighbours. The conflagration in Ohndaw Chay camp, which houses some 4,000 Rohingya and lies 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Sittwe, started just before midnight and lasted several hours, fire department official Han Soe told AFP. "Six people, one man and five women were killed," he said, adding that 15 communal longhouses were also destroyed in the blaze thought to have been started in a kitchen accident. "We were able to bring the fire under control about 1:10 am this morning and had put it out completely by around 3 am," he said. A total of 822 people were left without shelter, local media reported. Conditions in the camps are dire and Rohingya trapped there have virtually no access to healthcare, education and work, relying on food handouts from aid agencies to survive. Access into the camps is also tightly controlled, effectively cutting their inhabitants off from the outside world and leaving their plight largely forgotten. Fires in the camps are common because of "severe" overcrowding, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Many camp residents have built makeshift extensions to their shelters to create more space for their families. So when a fire breaks out, it is more likely to spread quickly," said OCHA spokesman Pierre Peron. Hla Win, a Rohingya man from a nearby camp, told AFP that fire trucks were slow to arrive along the dilapidated roads from Sittwe and the lack of water also hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze. "We have no ponds near the camps," he said. "That's why the fire destroyed so much." Myanmar has vowed to close nearly 20 of the camps around Sittwe in the coming months. Rights groups say the move will achieve little without ending movement restrictions or granting Rohingya a pathway to citizenship.

Six dead in fire at Rohingya camp in Myanmar

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

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

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

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

JKNPP activists Sunday staged a protest in Jammu, seeking immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir winter capital.&nbsp;

Led by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh, over a dozen party activists assembled at the Exhibition ground and held a demonstration to press for early deportation of the foreign immigrants.

They burnt an effigy of the Centre alleging that it had failed to evict these unlawful foreigners and raised slogans 'Chodho Hamara Jammu Pradesh, Rohingyas Jaao Bangladesh' and 'Rohingyas, Bangladeshis go back'.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

The natives of Myanmar and Bangladesh have already been identified in Jammu city and its adjacent areas, and as such they should be immediately deported from Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said.

"Don't pass statements, just act... Do not test the patience of the nationalist Dogras. Deport them (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis) otherwise the nasty situation could lead to devastating socio-political conflict between the hosts and the unlawful foreigners, the JKNPP leader warned.&nbsp;

Claiming that the people were sick of the stereotype statements issued by Central leaders for mere media consumption, Singh alleged that while the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis were settled in Jammu during the Congress-National Conference rule, the BJP had been hand in glove with its erstwhile ally PDP in providing them all kinds of civic amenities to settle them in and around the city under a deep-rooted conspiracy to reduce Dogras to minority.

They had illegally built slums at some of the congested colonies in Jammu city and managed to procure permanent resident certificates, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, free water and electric connections, besides admissions of their children in government schools, he claimed.

Singh said despite proven "criminal antecedents"&nbsp;of Rohingyas, the Centre and the governor administration were not taking cognisance of the alarming situation which could explode and flare up tension in the entire Jammu province.

With the illegal settlement of these foreign immigrants, not only the demography of Jammu city and its peripheral areas are under threat but they had become a hub of serious crimes, he alleged.

The JKNPP leader claimed that the illegal immigrants described as "ticking time bombs" by the intelligentsia had been found active in fuelling narco-smuggling, human trafficking, child abductions, beggary, border crossing and other crimes.&nbsp;

Besides, they enjoy the patronage of various radical terror outfits active in the valley, he alleged.

JKNPP activists Sunday staged a protest in Jammu, seeking immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir winter capital.

JKNPP activists Sunday staged a protest in Jammu, seeking immediate deportation of illegally settled Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in Jammu and Kashmir winter capital. Led by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh, over a dozen party activists assembled at the Exhibition ground and held a demonstration to press for early deportation of the foreign immigrants. They burnt an effigy of the Centre alleging that it had failed to evict these unlawful foreigners and raised slogans 'Chodho Hamara Jammu Pradesh, Rohingyas Jaao Bangladesh' and 'Rohingyas, Bangladeshis go back'. The natives of Myanmar and Bangladesh have already been identified in Jammu city and its adjacent areas, and as such they should be immediately deported from Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said. "Don't pass statements, just act... Do not test the patience of the nationalist Dogras. Deport them (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis) otherwise the nasty situation could lead to devastating socio-political conflict between the hosts and the unlawful foreigners, the JKNPP leader warned. Claiming that the people were sick of the stereotype statements issued by Central leaders for mere media consumption, Singh alleged that while the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis were settled in Jammu during the Congress-National Conference rule, the BJP had been hand in glove with its erstwhile ally PDP in providing them all kinds of civic amenities to settle them in and around the city under a deep-rooted conspiracy to reduce Dogras to minority. They had illegally built slums at some of the congested colonies in Jammu city and managed to procure permanent resident certificates, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, free water and electric connections, besides admissions of their children in government schools, he claimed. Singh said despite proven "criminal antecedents" of Rohingyas, the Centre and the governor administration were not taking cognisance of the alarming situation which could explode and flare up tension in the entire Jammu province. With the illegal settlement of these foreign immigrants, not only the demography of Jammu city and its peripheral areas are under threat but they had become a hub of serious crimes, he alleged. The JKNPP leader claimed that the illegal immigrants described as "ticking time bombs" by the intelligentsia had been found active in fuelling narco-smuggling, human trafficking, child abductions, beggary, border crossing and other crimes. Besides, they enjoy the patronage of various radical terror outfits active in the valley, he alleged.

JKNPP demands immediate deportation of Rohingyas, Bangladeshis from Jammu

'Better to die in India than return to Myanmar', say Rohingya refugees

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo.

Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN&nbsp;agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents.

A recent UN&nbsp;report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday agreed upon the importance of conducting an independent investigation over the Rakhine state issue. At a bilateral meeting in Tokyo, the two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation and the Rohingya crisis in Rakhine State at a bilateral meeting held after the 10th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo. Over the last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN agencies, following a military response to attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents. A recent UN report accused Myanmar's military of gang rapes and mass killings with "genocidal intent" in Rakhine and called for its commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. Myanmar has denied most of the allegations in the report, blaming Rohingya "terrorists" for most accounts of atrocities.

Japan, Myanmar reaffirm importance of independent investigation in Rakhine State

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court.

A UN fact-finding mission has called for Myanmar's top brass to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that forced more than 720,000 of the beleaguered minority to flee the country to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Myanmar has dismissed the allegations, slamming the UN body as biased, and the government has set up its own committee to investigate the crimes.&nbsp;

But UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee -- who has been barred from entering the country since December -- said the government has shown little capacity for an unbiased probe into the violence, saying it has taken "limited and insufficient steps".&nbsp;

"[Myanmar] is unable and unwilling to discharge its obligation to conduct credible, prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions," Lee said in a report she published via her Twitter account on Monday.

Given Myanmar's refusal to hold itself accountable, she added, it was up to international courts to seek justice.&nbsp;

"The onus is on the international community to take action," she warned. "Any delay in instituting justice will only result in more violations."

In her conclusions, she recommended the UN should "refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court immediately".

The northern part of Rakhine has been on lockdown since the violence broke out last August, with journalists and observers only allowed to visit on short, chaperoned trips.&nbsp;

UN investigators -- who authored the explosive fact-finding report -- were not allowed into the country while Lee has been barred from entering Myanmar since December for her sharp criticisms of the government's treatment of the Rohingya.

Lee said she had asked India for permission to meet Rohingya refugees there but received no response from Delhi.

Myanmar's de facto leader Suu Kyi -- once lionised by the international community as a democracy icon -- has seen a sharp fall from grace following her refusal to speak out against the military.&nbsp;

The UN fact-finding mission has pointed out that her government's attempts to whitewash facts had worsened the situation for the embattled Rohingya.

Lee also raised alarm over declining press freedom in Myanmar after Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were jailed for seven years each after reporting on the military's role in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine.

Describing their prosecution as "spurious", she called for the pair to be released immediately.&nbsp;

The military has denied almost all accusations of genocide levelled against it, insisting that "clearance operations" were necessary to fight Rohingya militants.&nbsp;

The International Criminal Court has ruled that an investigation will go ahead as Bangladesh -- which has received the Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border -- is a signatory of the Rome statute that created the court.&nbsp;

Myanmar has not signed the statute, and a minister told the UN General Assembly that his government rejected the "dubious intervention".

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court.

Myanmar is "unable and unwilling" to investigate its abuses against Rohingya Muslims, a UN rights envoy has said, bolstering calls for the country's generals to be hauled before an international court. A UN fact-finding mission has called for Myanmar's top brass to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes over a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state that forced more than 720,000 of the beleaguered minority to flee the country to Bangladesh. Myanmar has dismissed the allegations, slamming the UN body as biased, and the government has set up its own committee to investigate the crimes. But UN special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee -- who has been barred from entering the country since December -- said the government has shown little capacity for an unbiased probe into the violence, saying it has taken "limited and insufficient steps". "[Myanmar] is unable and unwilling to discharge its obligation to conduct credible, prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions," Lee said in a report she published via her Twitter account on Monday. Given Myanmar's refusal to hold itself accountable, she added, it was up to international courts to seek justice. "The onus is on the international community to take action," she warned. "Any delay in instituting justice will only result in more violations." In her conclusions, she recommended the UN should "refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court immediately". The northern part of Rakhine has been on lockdown since the violence broke out last August, with journalists and observers only allowed to visit on short, chaperoned trips. UN investigators -- who authored the explosive fact-finding report -- were not allowed into the country while Lee has been barred from entering Myanmar since December for her sharp criticisms of the government's treatment of the Rohingya. Lee said she had asked India for permission to meet Rohingya refugees there but received no response from Delhi. Myanmar's de facto leader Suu Kyi -- once lionised by the international community as a democracy icon -- has seen a sharp fall from grace following her refusal to speak out against the military. The UN fact-finding mission has pointed out that her government's attempts to whitewash facts had worsened the situation for the embattled Rohingya. Lee also raised alarm over declining press freedom in Myanmar after Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were jailed for seven years each after reporting on the military's role in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine. Describing their prosecution as "spurious", she called for the pair to be released immediately. The military has denied almost all accusations of genocide levelled against it, insisting that "clearance operations" were necessary to fight Rohingya militants. The International Criminal Court has ruled that an investigation will go ahead as Bangladesh -- which has received the Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border -- is a signatory of the Rome statute that created the court. Myanmar has not signed the statute, and a minister told the UN General Assembly that his government rejected the "dubious intervention".

Myanmar 'unwilling' to probe Rohingya abuse, UN must act: Rights envoy

Embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed Monday to increase transparency over her government's handling of the Rohingya crisis while pitching for foreign investment in Myanmar ahead of a regional summit in Tokyo.

Suu Kyi, once garlanded as a global rights champion, has seen a sharp fall from grace due to her failure to speak up following a brutal military crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority.

"I'm ready to acknowledge that we have challenges to face particularly with regard to the Rakhine and with the struggles we have on the peace front," Suu Kyi said in a speech before Japanese businessmen, referring to Myanmar's westernmost state where the minority dwelled.

"We are not hiding this fact from our friends," she said.

In the speech ahead of the summit in Tokyo, Suu Kyi said she was aware that peace and stability in her country were necessary for attracting foreign investment.

"We understand that peace, reconciliation, harmony, stability, rule of law, human rights -- all these have to be taken into consideration when we are looking for more investment, for greater economic opportunities," she said.

"We wish to be very open and transparent to our friends," she said. "If you have concerns, if you have worries, please discuss this openly with us."

A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps -- fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal.

Suu Kyi's supporters say her hands are tied by a still powerful military, which controls a quarter of parliament's seats and three ministries.

On Tuesday she is to hold a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who chairs the regional summit drawing Southeast Asian leaders.

Embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed Monday to increase transparency over her government's handling of the Rohingya crisis while pitching for foreign investment in Myanmar ahead of a regional summit in Tokyo.

Embattled leader Aung San Suu Kyi vowed Monday to increase transparency over her government's handling of the Rohingya crisis while pitching for foreign investment in Myanmar ahead of a regional summit in Tokyo. Suu Kyi, once garlanded as a global rights champion, has seen a sharp fall from grace due to her failure to speak up following a brutal military crackdown on Myanmar's Rohingya minority. "I'm ready to acknowledge that we have challenges to face particularly with regard to the Rakhine and with the struggles we have on the peace front," Suu Kyi said in a speech before Japanese businessmen, referring to Myanmar's westernmost state where the minority dwelled. "We are not hiding this fact from our friends," she said. In the speech ahead of the summit in Tokyo, Suu Kyi said she was aware that peace and stability in her country were necessary for attracting foreign investment. "We understand that peace, reconciliation, harmony, stability, rule of law, human rights -- all these have to be taken into consideration when we are looking for more investment, for greater economic opportunities," she said. "We wish to be very open and transparent to our friends," she said. "If you have concerns, if you have worries, please discuss this openly with us." A brutal military campaign that started last year drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in cramped refugee camps -- fearful of returning despite a repatriation deal. Suu Kyi's supporters say her hands are tied by a still powerful military, which controls a quarter of parliament's seats and three ministries. On Tuesday she is to hold a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who chairs the regional summit drawing Southeast Asian leaders.

Suu Kyi promises 'transparency' over Rohingya atrocities

Hours after Indian TV channels flashed that the country was deporting seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, Sahidullah said he received a call from his nephew: "Uncle, please get us out of here. They will send us back too."

Sahidullah, a Rohingya living in the far north of India after fleeing what he called persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar in 2010, said his relative, Sadiur Rahman, 40, was lodged in one of several detention centres for illegal immigrants in the distant northeastern state of Assam.

Rahman, he said, had been incarcerated with his brother and eight other relatives since being caught in 2012 at a railway station as they fled to India via Bangladesh. Sahidullah had taken the same route two years earlier, but like many others had escaped detection.

He said Rahman made the phone call when he was taken out for a routine medical checkup on Oct. 3, the day when India moved the seven Rohingya men out of a similar detention centre and took them to the border.

They were handed to the Myanmar authorities the next day, the first ever such deportations of Rohingya here, spreading panic among an estimated 40,000 refugees who have fled to India from its neighbour.

About 16,500 of the refugees, including Sahidullah, have been issued identity cards by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that it says helps them "prevent harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation".

India says it does not recognise the cards and has rejected the UN's stand that deporting the Rohingya violates the principle of refoulement – sending back refugees to a place where they face danger.

"Anyone who has entered the country without a valid legal permit is considered illegal," said A. Bharat Bhushan Babu, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs. "As per the law, anyone illegal will have to be sent back. As per law they will be repatriated."

In recent days, Reuters interviewed dozens of Rohingya in two settlements, one in the northern city of Jammu and a smaller one in the capital, Delhi, and found communities who feel they are being increasingly vilified.

Many now fear Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government is about to act on its stated position – that it wants to deport all Rohingya Muslims from the country. With a general election due by next May, they worry that targeting them will be a populist tactic used by Modi and his allies.

Hatred growing

Sahidullah – who like many Rohingya goes by only one name - is not just worried about his detained relatives but also his family living in a mainly Hindu region of India's only Muslim-dominated state, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, in the country's northern tip.

The restive Himalayan state that borders Pakistan and is home to Muslim separatists battling Indian rule, has the biggest population of Rohingya in the country with around 7,000 people scattered in various makeshift settlements, largely in the Jammu region.

"We came to India because people told us things were better here, there's more work and one could move freely unlike back home," said Sahidullah, who works as a cleaner at a car showroom in Jammu city to support his aging amnesiac mother, wife and four children.

"All that's true and we are thankful to India for letting us live here. But hatred against us is growing," he told Reuters as he sat on a colourful linen sheet laid on the floor of his self-made wood and plastic-sheet house built on a rented plot of land.

Mohammed Arfaat, a 24-year-old Rohingya youth leader in Jammu, said that locals often accuse them of having links with militants without any proof.

"They want us out of here and that has got our families worried," said Arfaat, switching between English and Hindi as nearly a dozen community elders seated around him on the rough concrete floor of a Rohingya house started leaving for Friday prayers. "Everybody here is aware of the deportation and is afraid."

Indian authorities said that the repatriation of the seven was a routine procedure and that it sends all illegal foreigners back home.

But the UNHCR voiced deep concern on Friday about the safety and security of those expelled, saying they had been denied access to legal counsel and a chance to have their asylum claims assessed.

"Current conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine state are not conducive for safe, dignified and sustainable return of stateless Rohingya refugees," said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic.

Most Rohingya used to live in Rakhine.

In August last year, attacks by Rohingya fighters on security posts in Rakhine led to a bloody military crackdown that caused around 700,000 Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh.

The United Nations has accused Myanmar of acting against the Rohingya with "genocidal intent," a charge Myanmar refutes, saying its military did not use excessive force and was reacting to militant attacks.

Increasingly ugly

The atmosphere facing the Rohingya in India has been getting increasingly ugly.

Jammu's Chamber of Commerce &amp; Industry last year threatened to launch an "identify and kill movement" against the settlers, which it said pushed the government into taking the issue of Rohingya more seriously.

The chamber's president, Rakesh Gupta, told Reuters on Friday that there was nothing new in taking the law into one's hands if "someone becomes a threat to our security, to the nation's security, and the security forces don't tackle them".

In some of the more virulent parts of India’s media, the Rohingya are not only accused of being terrorists but also of trafficking in drugs and humans, and of having the money to elbow out local businesses.

The Pioneer newspaper, which supports Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said in an editorial on Saturday that "the Rohingya are a problem", declaring that those that are radicalized Islamist extremists need to be dealt with ruthlessly and the rest are economic migrants that India cannot afford to help.

India, which considers itself a victim of Islamist militancy and is trying to boost economic ties with Myanmar to counter China, said late last year that it shared Myanmar's concern about "extremist violence" by Rohingya militants.

India's home ministry has told the Supreme Court that it had reports from security agencies and other authentic sources "indicating linkages of some of the unauthorised Rohingya immigrants with Pakistan-based terror organisations and similar organisations operating in other countries".

"It's definitely an election issue,” said Kavinder Gupta, a BJP legislator in Jammu &amp; Kashmir and former deputy chief minister of the state.

"It's our decision to throw them out keeping in mind the security situation of the state," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a campaign meeting for municipal elections. "We have made the home ministry aware of the need to send them back to their country."

Senior Jammu police officials said on condition of anonymity that they had identified all Rohingya in the area in preparation for their eventual deportation. They added they had not found any link of Rohingya with militants.

Around 600 km (370 miles) south of Jammu, residents of a makeshift refugee camp in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh also said they fear deportation.

"We don't want to leave India. Where will we go?" said Mohammed Harun, a 47-year-old Rohingya elder in Delhi. "There are refugees from other countries in India too. Why are we being targeted? Why do they send us to jail? It is only because we are Muslims. They don't do this to the other refugees."

Hours after Indian TV channels flashed that the country was deporting seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, Sahidullah said he received a call from his nephew: "Uncle, please get us out of here.

Hours after Indian TV channels flashed that the country was deporting seven Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar, Sahidullah said he received a call from his nephew: "Uncle, please get us out of here. They will send us back too." Sahidullah, a Rohingya living in the far north of India after fleeing what he called persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar in 2010, said his relative, Sadiur Rahman, 40, was lodged in one of several detention centres for illegal immigrants in the distant northeastern state of Assam. Rahman, he said, had been incarcerated with his brother and eight other relatives since being caught in 2012 at a railway station as they fled to India via Bangladesh. Sahidullah had taken the same route two years earlier, but like many others had escaped detection. He said Rahman made the phone call when he was taken out for a routine medical checkup on Oct. 3, the day when India moved the seven Rohingya men out of a similar detention centre and took them to the border. They were handed to the Myanmar authorities the next day, the first ever such deportations of Rohingya here, spreading panic among an estimated 40,000 refugees who have fled to India from its neighbour. About 16,500 of the refugees, including Sahidullah, have been issued identity cards by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that it says helps them "prevent harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and deportation". India says it does not recognise the cards and has rejected the UN's stand that deporting the Rohingya violates the principle of refoulement – sending back refugees to a place where they face danger. "Anyone who has entered the country without a valid legal permit is considered illegal," said A. Bharat Bhushan Babu, a spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs. "As per the law, anyone illegal will have to be sent back. As per law they will be repatriated." In recent days, Reuters interviewed dozens of Rohingya in two settlements, one in the northern city of Jammu and a smaller one in the capital, Delhi, and found communities who feel they are being increasingly vilified. Many now fear Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government is about to act on its stated position – that it wants to deport all Rohingya Muslims from the country. With a general election due by next May, they worry that targeting them will be a populist tactic used by Modi and his allies. Hatred growing Sahidullah – who like many Rohingya goes by only one name - is not just worried about his detained relatives but also his family living in a mainly Hindu region of India's only Muslim-dominated state, Jammu & Kashmir, in the country's northern tip. The restive Himalayan state that borders Pakistan and is home to Muslim separatists battling Indian rule, has the biggest population of Rohingya in the country with around 7,000 people scattered in various makeshift settlements, largely in the Jammu region. "We came to India because people told us things were better here, there's more work and one could move freely unlike back home," said Sahidullah, who works as a cleaner at a car showroom in Jammu city to support his aging amnesiac mother, wife and four children. "All that's true and we are thankful to India for letting us live here. But hatred against us is growing," he told Reuters as he sat on a colourful linen sheet laid on the floor of his self-made wood and plastic-sheet house built on a rented plot of land. Mohammed Arfaat, a 24-year-old Rohingya youth leader in Jammu, said that locals often accuse them of having links with militants without any proof. "They want us out of here and that has got our families worried," said Arfaat, switching between English and Hindi as nearly a dozen community elders seated around him on the rough concrete floor of a Rohingya house started leaving for Friday prayers. "Everybody here is aware of the deportation and is afraid." Indian authorities said that the repatriation of the seven was a routine procedure and that it sends all illegal foreigners back home. But the UNHCR voiced deep concern on Friday about the safety and security of those expelled, saying they had been denied access to legal counsel and a chance to have their asylum claims assessed. "Current conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine state are not conducive for safe, dignified and sustainable return of stateless Rohingya refugees," said UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic. Most Rohingya used to live in Rakhine. In August last year, attacks by Rohingya fighters on security posts in Rakhine led to a bloody military crackdown that caused around 700,000 Rohingya to flee across the border to Bangladesh. The United Nations has accused Myanmar of acting against the Rohingya with "genocidal intent," a charge Myanmar refutes, saying its military did not use excessive force and was reacting to militant attacks. Increasingly ugly The atmosphere facing the Rohingya in India has been getting increasingly ugly. Jammu's Chamber of Commerce & Industry last year threatened to launch an "identify and kill movement" against the settlers, which it said pushed the government into taking the issue of Rohingya more seriously. The chamber's president, Rakesh Gupta, told Reuters on Friday that there was nothing new in taking the law into one's hands if "someone becomes a threat to our security, to the nation's security, and the security forces don't tackle them". In some of the more virulent parts of India’s media, the Rohingya are not only accused of being terrorists but also of trafficking in drugs and humans, and of having the money to elbow out local businesses. The Pioneer newspaper, which supports Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said in an editorial on Saturday that "the Rohingya are a problem", declaring that those that are radicalized Islamist extremists need to be dealt with ruthlessly and the rest are economic migrants that India cannot afford to help. India, which considers itself a victim of Islamist militancy and is trying to boost economic ties with Myanmar to counter China, said late last year that it shared Myanmar's concern about "extremist violence" by Rohingya militants. India's home ministry has told the Supreme Court that it had reports from security agencies and other authentic sources "indicating linkages of some of the unauthorised Rohingya immigrants with Pakistan-based terror organisations and similar organisations operating in other countries". "It's definitely an election issue,” said Kavinder Gupta, a BJP legislator in Jammu & Kashmir and former deputy chief minister of the state. "It's our decision to throw them out keeping in mind the security situation of the state," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a campaign meeting for municipal elections. "We have made the home ministry aware of the need to send them back to their country." Senior Jammu police officials said on condition of anonymity that they had identified all Rohingya in the area in preparation for their eventual deportation. They added they had not found any link of Rohingya with militants. Around 600 km (370 miles) south of Jammu, residents of a makeshift refugee camp in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh also said they fear deportation. "We don't want to leave India. Where will we go?" said Mohammed Harun, a 47-year-old Rohingya elder in Delhi. "There are refugees from other countries in India too. Why are we being targeted? Why do they send us to jail? It is only because we are Muslims. They don't do this to the other refugees."

India’s Rohingya refugees struggle with hatred, fear as first group is expelled

Inside a stifling bamboo shanty, eight-year-old Saleema Khanam throws a bright yellow shawl over her head and steps out into the enormous Bangladesh refugee camp tightly clutching her treasured Koran.

She is the only girl in her local madrassa -- or Islamic seminary -- catering to Rohingya children driven from Buddhist-majority Myanmar by a wave of genocidal violence.

Since formal schooling -- which suggests a permanent presence -- is not allowed in the camps, for many children the madrassas are the only places to learn.

It is just a short distance from Saleema's family's shack to the school, one of thousands to spring up in the world's largest refugee camp since a massive influx of Rohingya Muslims last year.

She steps carefully through the crowded alleyways in Kutupalong with her blue-bound Koran held tight to her chest, removes her shoes and enters the dimly-lit classroom.

Inside, more than a dozen young boys with white prayer caps rock back and forth, reciting passages from the Islamic holy book.

She takes her position in the front, flanked by two brothers, and opens the book.

"I come here to learn the Koran. My mother wants me and my brothers to learn, to become a better person," the young student told AFP.

The Rohingya are a deeply conservative Muslim minority from western Myanmar, where decades of state-sanctioned oppression and violent persecution has forced them out in droves.

An army purge that began in August 2017 has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya over the border into Bangladesh -- most of them children.

New generation&nbsp;

Islamic schools and houses of worship were torched in the crackdown by Myanmar troops and Buddhist gangs that UN fact-finders said amounted to crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya.

"By targeting our madrassas and mosques, they tried erase our culture and religion from Rakhine," said Rohingya activist Rafique bin Habib, referring to Myanmar's westernmost state where the minority dwelled.

"But many of our top madrassa teachers survived and fled to Bangladesh, where they have set up schools in the camps so that our new generation can be deeply rooted in our culture and religion."

Bangladesh, which hosts one million of the displaced Muslims in camps near the border, is determined the Rohingya will be returned to Myanmar.&nbsp;

Some of the madrassas are attached to prominent mosques and large enough for 400 students.

Others, like Saleema's, cannot fit many more than a dozen children.

Classes are taught not just in the Rohingya language but also in Bengali, Arabic, Urdu and English.

"These madrassas play an essential role in the survival of the Rohingya language," said bin Habib.

As the call to prayer sounds across the camps, the boys in Saleema's class file out to the local mosque to perform their ablutions before the Friday sermon.

Saleema, the lone girl, stays behind.

She finds a quiet spot at the back of the classroom, faces Mecca and, holding her palms to the sky, places her forehead to the ground in solemn prayer, alone.

Inside a stifling bamboo shanty, eight-year-old Saleema Khanam throws a bright yellow shawl over her head and steps out into the enormous Bangladesh refugee camp tightly clutching her treasured Koran.

Inside a stifling bamboo shanty, eight-year-old Saleema Khanam throws a bright yellow shawl over her head and steps out into the enormous Bangladesh refugee camp tightly clutching her treasured Koran. She is the only girl in her local madrassa -- or Islamic seminary -- catering to Rohingya children driven from Buddhist-majority Myanmar by a wave of genocidal violence. Since formal schooling -- which suggests a permanent presence -- is not allowed in the camps, for many children the madrassas are the only places to learn. It is just a short distance from Saleema's family's shack to the school, one of thousands to spring up in the world's largest refugee camp since a massive influx of Rohingya Muslims last year. She steps carefully through the crowded alleyways in Kutupalong with her blue-bound Koran held tight to her chest, removes her shoes and enters the dimly-lit classroom. Inside, more than a dozen young boys with white prayer caps rock back and forth, reciting passages from the Islamic holy book. She takes her position in the front, flanked by two brothers, and opens the book. "I come here to learn the Koran. My mother wants me and my brothers to learn, to become a better person," the young student told AFP. The Rohingya are a deeply conservative Muslim minority from western Myanmar, where decades of state-sanctioned oppression and violent persecution has forced them out in droves. An army purge that began in August 2017 has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya over the border into Bangladesh -- most of them children. New generation Islamic schools and houses of worship were torched in the crackdown by Myanmar troops and Buddhist gangs that UN fact-finders said amounted to crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya. "By targeting our madrassas and mosques, they tried erase our culture and religion from Rakhine," said Rohingya activist Rafique bin Habib, referring to Myanmar's westernmost state where the minority dwelled. "But many of our top madrassa teachers survived and fled to Bangladesh, where they have set up schools in the camps so that our new generation can be deeply rooted in our culture and religion." Bangladesh, which hosts one million of the displaced Muslims in camps near the border, is determined the Rohingya will be returned to Myanmar. Some of the madrassas are attached to prominent mosques and large enough for 400 students. Others, like Saleema's, cannot fit many more than a dozen children. Classes are taught not just in the Rohingya language but also in Bengali, Arabic, Urdu and English. "These madrassas play an essential role in the survival of the Rohingya language," said bin Habib. As the call to prayer sounds across the camps, the boys in Saleema's class file out to the local mosque to perform their ablutions before the Friday sermon. Saleema, the lone girl, stays behind. She finds a quiet spot at the back of the classroom, faces Mecca and, holding her palms to the sky, places her forehead to the ground in solemn prayer, alone.

Madrassas a place of prayer and peace for Rohingya kids

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government.

Speaking at a conclave in Kolkata Rizvi&nbsp;said India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants living on its soil with his government.

Calling the issue as an "internal Indian discussion", he said that the Bangladeshi's share a closest and the fondest of relationship with the current government.

He also asked the Indian government to prove that the 'illegal immigrants' of Northeast India are Bangladeshis.

Rizvi said he did not find it surprising that New Delhi never broached the illegal migrant issue with Dhaka, but contested Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's statement that over 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were now staying in India.

He also added that if there were Bangladeshis illegally staying in India, Bangladesh will obviously want to take its citizens back.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government.

Gowher Rizvi the Special Adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has claimed that India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with his government. Speaking at a conclave in Kolkata Rizvi said India has never raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants living on its soil with his government. Calling the issue as an "internal Indian discussion", he said that the Bangladeshi's share a closest and the fondest of relationship with the current government. He also asked the Indian government to prove that the 'illegal immigrants' of Northeast India are Bangladeshis. Rizvi said he did not find it surprising that New Delhi never broached the illegal migrant issue with Dhaka, but contested Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju's statement that over 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants were now staying in India. He also added that if there were Bangladeshis illegally staying in India, Bangladesh will obviously want to take its citizens back. (With inputs from agencies)

India has never raised illegal migrants issue with Dhaka: Special Adviser to Bangladesh PM

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said a fact-finding mission would arrive in Myanmar soon to assess whether the highly preferential tariff arrangement Myanmar enjoys, known as "everything but arms" (EBA), should be withdrawn.

"We can not exclude this outcome and of course the reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," Malmstrom told reporters at a meeting of EU trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria.

"Our trade policy is values-based. These are not just words. We have to act when there are severe violations."

The EBA deal, giving duty-free and tariff-free access to the EU market for all products except weapons and ammunition, was reinstated for Myanmar in 2013 to support political reforms as it moved towards democracy after decades of military rule.

But Western powers and the UN have accused Myanmar's military of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship rights.

More than 700,000 members of the minority group took refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist majority Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

Malmstrom also announced the EU was taking steps to end "everything but arms" for Cambodia, where July's elections, which returned strongman Hun Sen to power, were widely criticised internationally as undemocratic.

"On Cambodia we are even one step further because we had a high level mission there this summer and there were the elections marked by harassment and intimidation and everything but fair elections," she said.

"So I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA."

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows.

The European Union warned Mynamar on Friday it could lose trade privileges over its "blatant violation of human rights", as the international backlash over the Rohingya crisis grows. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said a fact-finding mission would arrive in Myanmar soon to assess whether the highly preferential tariff arrangement Myanmar enjoys, known as "everything but arms" (EBA), should be withdrawn. "We can not exclude this outcome and of course the reason is the blatant violation of human rights in Myanmar," Malmstrom told reporters at a meeting of EU trade ministers in Innsbruck, Austria. "Our trade policy is values-based. These are not just words. We have to act when there are severe violations." The EBA deal, giving duty-free and tariff-free access to the EU market for all products except weapons and ammunition, was reinstated for Myanmar in 2013 to support political reforms as it moved towards democracy after decades of military rule. But Western powers and the UN have accused Myanmar's military of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship rights. More than 700,000 members of the minority group took refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist majority Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. Malmstrom also announced the EU was taking steps to end "everything but arms" for Cambodia, where July's elections, which returned strongman Hun Sen to power, were widely criticised internationally as undemocratic. "On Cambodia we are even one step further because we had a high level mission there this summer and there were the elections marked by harassment and intimidation and everything but fair elections," she said. "So I have notified Cambodia today that we will launch the procedure for withdrawal of EBA."

Myanmar may lose trade privileges over Rohingya abuse: EU

The UN on Friday slammed&nbsp;India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority.

The UN refugee agency said it was "greatly concerned" for the safety and security of the seven men who were returned to Myanmar from India on Thursday.

The men, who had been in detention for immigration offences since 2012, were handed over to Myanmar authorities at a border crossing in India's northeast state of Manipur.

Before their deportation, the UN had voiced concern that returning the men ignored the danger they faced in Myanmar, where for decades the Rohingya have been targeted in violent pogroms by security forces.

UNHCR voiced concern that the Indian authorities had not responded to its request that they assess the men's claims to international refugee protection in the country.

"UNHCR regrets that the agency did not receive a response to this request and was unable to secure access for a lawyer from a state legal service," agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva.

"UNHCR continues to seek clarifications from the authorities on the circumstances under which these individuals were returned to Myanmar," he said.

He said the UN agency was "concerned that they did not have access to legal counsel, were not given the chance to access asylum processing and have their claims assessed in India."&nbsp;

The UN special rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, warned India on Tuesday that it risked breaking international laws on refoulement -- the return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be harmed.

The Rohingya are despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants.

They were concentrated in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a Myanmar army offensive that over the past year has driven some 720,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh.

Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents.

But a UN fact-finding mission said there was enough evidence to merit prosecution of several top Myanmar military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against Rohingya civilians.

New Delhi considers the Rohingya a security threat, pointing to intelligence which it says links the minority group to extremist organisations.

The government had ordered last year that all Rohingya inside India -- New Delhi puts the figure at 40,000 -- be deported.

The Supreme Court is considering a petition challenging the order as unconstitutional.

The UNHCR said Friday there are 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the agency in India.

The UN on Friday slammed India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority.

The UN on Friday slammed India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar despite warnings they could face persecution in a country where the military is accused of genocide against the Muslim minority. The UN refugee agency said it was "greatly concerned" for the safety and security of the seven men who were returned to Myanmar from India on Thursday. The men, who had been in detention for immigration offences since 2012, were handed over to Myanmar authorities at a border crossing in India's northeast state of Manipur. Before their deportation, the UN had voiced concern that returning the men ignored the danger they faced in Myanmar, where for decades the Rohingya have been targeted in violent pogroms by security forces. UNHCR voiced concern that the Indian authorities had not responded to its request that they assess the men's claims to international refugee protection in the country. "UNHCR regrets that the agency did not receive a response to this request and was unable to secure access for a lawyer from a state legal service," agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic told reporters in Geneva. "UNHCR continues to seek clarifications from the authorities on the circumstances under which these individuals were returned to Myanmar," he said. He said the UN agency was "concerned that they did not have access to legal counsel, were not given the chance to access asylum processing and have their claims assessed in India." The UN special rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, warned India on Tuesday that it risked breaking international laws on refoulement -- the return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they could be harmed. The Rohingya are despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which refuses to recognise them as citizens and falsely labels them "Bengali" illegal immigrants. They were concentrated in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a Myanmar army offensive that over the past year has driven some 720,000 Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh. Myanmar's army has denied nearly all wrongdoing, insisting its campaign was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents. But a UN fact-finding mission said there was enough evidence to merit prosecution of several top Myanmar military commanders for crimes against humanity and genocide against Rohingya civilians. New Delhi considers the Rohingya a security threat, pointing to intelligence which it says links the minority group to extremist organisations. The government had ordered last year that all Rohingya inside India -- New Delhi puts the figure at 40,000 -- be deported. The Supreme Court is considering a petition challenging the order as unconstitutional. The UNHCR said Friday there are 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum seekers registered with the agency in India.

UN slams India's deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar

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