Panic is gripping thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees living in no man's land on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, with daily clashes between <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-civilian-military-leaders-meet-vow-to-crush-rakhine-rebels-188927">Myanmar security forces and ethnic Rakhine insurgents.</a>

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since a military crackdown started in 2017 - most to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-to-launch-crackdown-on-rakhine-rebels-government-188868">sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh </a>— but many have been living in limbo on the border, unwilling to enter the camps or return home.

They are now caught on the sidelines of fighting between Myanmar troops and the Arakan Army, a militant group seeking more autonomy for western Rakhine state's Buddhist-majority population.

"Heavy fighting is going on between the government troops and Arakan Army inside Myanmar," Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad told AFP.

"The situation is very tense," he said, adding the security build-up and daily gunfire had created "panic".

Myanmar troops last week set up security camps and bunkers along the border after fighting saw 13 police killed.

Some of the fortifications are directly adjacent to a border fence running alongside a stream and overlook shacks erected by an estimated 4,500 displaced Muslims living in the narrow strip of land.

Refugee community leader Nur Alam said gunfire could frequently be heard after dark on the other side of the border. "Every night it is close by. The Myanmar border guard have set up 10 new posts near our camp. It's very intimidating," he told AFP.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the area.

A Bangladesh official said they were aware of the border tensions. "We will talk to the relevant authorities to discuss what to do," local administrator Kamal Hossain said.

Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have suffered decades of persecution. Impoverished western Rakhine state, in particular, is scarred by deep ethnic and religious hatred.

Refugees pouring into Bangladesh have detailed mass killings, arson, and rape at the hands of Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs.

Myanmar has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

The United Nations has called for a genocide investigation into the crackdown.&nbsp;

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since a military crackdown started in 2017 - most to sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh — but many have been living in limbo on the border.

Panic is gripping thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees living in no man's land on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, with daily clashes between Myanmar security forces and ethnic Rakhine insurgents. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since a military crackdown started in 2017 - most to sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh — but many have been living in limbo on the border, unwilling to enter the camps or return home. They are now caught on the sidelines of fighting between Myanmar troops and the Arakan Army, a militant group seeking more autonomy for western Rakhine state's Buddhist-majority population. "Heavy fighting is going on between the government troops and Arakan Army inside Myanmar," Rohingya leader Dil Mohammad told AFP. "The situation is very tense," he said, adding the security build-up and daily gunfire had created "panic". Myanmar troops last week set up security camps and bunkers along the border after fighting saw 13 police killed. Some of the fortifications are directly adjacent to a border fence running alongside a stream and overlook shacks erected by an estimated 4,500 displaced Muslims living in the narrow strip of land. Refugee community leader Nur Alam said gunfire could frequently be heard after dark on the other side of the border. "Every night it is close by. The Myanmar border guard have set up 10 new posts near our camp. It's very intimidating," he told AFP. In a statement issued Wednesday, the United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" about the situation in the area. A Bangladesh official said they were aware of the border tensions. "We will talk to the relevant authorities to discuss what to do," local administrator Kamal Hossain said. Rohingya in Buddhist-majority Myanmar have suffered decades of persecution. Impoverished western Rakhine state, in particular, is scarred by deep ethnic and religious hatred. Refugees pouring into Bangladesh have detailed mass killings, arson, and rape at the hands of Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs. Myanmar has denied any wrongdoing, saying it was defending itself against Rohingya militants who attacked police posts. The United Nations has called for a genocide investigation into the crackdown.

New Myanmar unrest panics Rohingya in border limbo

Amnesty India Monday said that the Indian government's expulsion of Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar shows a disdain for international laws.

On January 4, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine state, registered with the UNHCR in India, was sent back to Myanmar after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for illegal entry into India.

Amnesty India issued a statement saying it regretted India's decision to repatriate the asylum-seekers to Myanmar, where conditions are not conducive for their return.

"The fact that the government ignored the UNHCR's requests for access to the family, who were registered as asylum-seekers, is deeply concerning. The government's actions indicate a blatant disregard for the international refugee protection mechanism and the mandate of the UN Refugee Agency," Abhirr V P, senior campaigner, Amnesty India, said.

Amnesty India Monday said that the Indian government's expulsion of Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar shows a disdain for international laws. On January 4, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine state, registered with the UNHCR in India, was sent back to Myanmar after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for illegal entry into India.

Amnesty India Monday said that the Indian government's expulsion of Rohingya asylum-seekers to Myanmar shows a disdain for international laws. On January 4, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine state, registered with the UNHCR in India, was sent back to Myanmar after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for illegal entry into India. Amnesty India issued a statement saying it regretted India's decision to repatriate the asylum-seekers to Myanmar, where conditions are not conducive for their return. "The fact that the government ignored the UNHCR's requests for access to the family, who were registered as asylum-seekers, is deeply concerning. The government's actions indicate a blatant disregard for the international refugee protection mechanism and the mandate of the UN Refugee Agency," Abhirr V P, senior campaigner, Amnesty India, said.

India's expulsion of Rohingya shows disdain for international laws: Amnesty India

Myanmar has called on its military to "launch operations" against ethnic <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rakhine-rebels-kill-13-in-independence-day-attack-on-myanmar-police-posts-188495">Rakhine rebels </a>behind a deadly attack on four police stations last week, a government spokesman said Monday, as a surge of violence forces thousands more from their homes.

The country's troubled western Rakhine state has seen a series of clashes in recent weeks between security forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group calling for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population.

The area is one of the poorest in Myanmar and is scarred by deep ethnic and religious hatred.

A brutal army campaign in 2017 forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh, operations justified by the army as a way to stamp out Rohingya militants.

The latest violence by ethnic Rakhine<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rebels-breach-myanmar-ceasefire-in-army-attack-military-187036"> rebels</a> culminated on Friday -- Myanmar's Independence Day -- in brazen pre-dawn raids on four police posts in Buthidaung township near the Bangladesh border.&nbsp;

Authorities said that the attack by hundreds of militants left 13 police officers dead and nine wounded before the army, known locally as the Tatmadaw, were able to provide back-up.&nbsp;

The AA said that three of its fighters had been killed, accusing the military of using the police stations as a base from which to fire heavy artillery.

"The president's office has already instructed the Tatmadaw to launch operations to crack down on the insurgents," government spokesman Zaw Htay told reporters in the capital Naypyidaw.

Civilians flee&nbsp;

Some 4,500 people have been displaced by the recent weeks of violence, the UN's humanitarian agency said on Monday.

Over the weekend, people streamed to nearby monasteries and other makeshift camps to escape the crossfire, carrying infants and bags of belongings.

The increase in fighting comes just two weeks after the military declared a four-month ceasefire with a number of armed groups in Kachin and Shan states on the other side of the country.

But Rakhine was a notable exception, and army operations against the AA have continued.

Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi stated that the peace process would be her top priority after her party swept to power in landmark 2015 elections.

There are around two dozen conflicts festering around the country's restive borderlands, some of which date back 70 years to when the nation declared independence from colonial power Britain.

Independent analyst David Mathieson told AFP the reasons behind the recent uptick in violence were still largely opaque.

But he said the fighting could mean that greater numbers of AA fighters have "infiltrated the borderlands and are extending their reach" in what he described as "classic guerrilla strategy".

The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits.

Zaw Htay, the government spokesman, called on ethnic Rakhine people not to back the rebels.

"Consider Rakhine's future deeply. Think carefully about the future you want to see before giving them your support," he said.

Myanmar has called on its military to "launch operations" against ethnic Rakhine rebels behind a deadly attack on four police stations last week, a government spokesman said Monday, as a surge of violence forces thousands more from their homes.

Myanmar has called on its military to "launch operations" against ethnic Rakhine rebels behind a deadly attack on four police stations last week, a government spokesman said Monday, as a surge of violence forces thousands more from their homes. The country's troubled western Rakhine state has seen a series of clashes in recent weeks between security forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group calling for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population. The area is one of the poorest in Myanmar and is scarred by deep ethnic and religious hatred. A brutal army campaign in 2017 forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over the border into Bangladesh, operations justified by the army as a way to stamp out Rohingya militants. The latest violence by ethnic Rakhine rebels culminated on Friday -- Myanmar's Independence Day -- in brazen pre-dawn raids on four police posts in Buthidaung township near the Bangladesh border. Authorities said that the attack by hundreds of militants left 13 police officers dead and nine wounded before the army, known locally as the Tatmadaw, were able to provide back-up. The AA said that three of its fighters had been killed, accusing the military of using the police stations as a base from which to fire heavy artillery. "The president's office has already instructed the Tatmadaw to launch operations to crack down on the insurgents," government spokesman Zaw Htay told reporters in the capital Naypyidaw. Civilians flee Some 4,500 people have been displaced by the recent weeks of violence, the UN's humanitarian agency said on Monday. Over the weekend, people streamed to nearby monasteries and other makeshift camps to escape the crossfire, carrying infants and bags of belongings. The increase in fighting comes just two weeks after the military declared a four-month ceasefire with a number of armed groups in Kachin and Shan states on the other side of the country. But Rakhine was a notable exception, and army operations against the AA have continued. Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi stated that the peace process would be her top priority after her party swept to power in landmark 2015 elections. There are around two dozen conflicts festering around the country's restive borderlands, some of which date back 70 years to when the nation declared independence from colonial power Britain. Independent analyst David Mathieson told AFP the reasons behind the recent uptick in violence were still largely opaque. But he said the fighting could mean that greater numbers of AA fighters have "infiltrated the borderlands and are extending their reach" in what he described as "classic guerrilla strategy". The AA has expanded its ranks since its formation in 2009 and is now believed to have several thousand recruits. Zaw Htay, the government spokesman, called on ethnic Rakhine people not to back the rebels. "Consider Rakhine's future deeply. Think carefully about the future you want to see before giving them your support," he said.

Myanmar army to launch 'crackdown' on Rakhine rebels: Government

Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said.

Fighting resurged in Rakhine state in early December between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants greater autonomy for Rakhine, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority. The Arakan Army does not cite religion as a factor in its insurgency.

It was also in the restive western state that a military-led crackdown in 2017, following attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents, prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee westwards to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations.

The Arakan Army says it has been fighting for nearly a decade for self-determination in "the land of Arakan," another name for Rakhine. An independent kingdom ruled in the coastal area until the 18th century.

The Arakan Army is one of multiple armed groups fighting in the name of ethnic minorities in the rugged borderlands of Myanmar, a country once known as Burma where around 90 per cent of people are Buddhists.

The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak on Friday.

Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured as police were forced to abandon two of the posts, it said, adding that the military was now conducting a "clearance" of the area.

Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the insurgents had hit police outposts near the border with Bangladesh.

"These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so (Arakan Army rebels) shouldn't attack them," Zaw Min Tun said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area who are, unlike Rohingya Muslims, considered Myanmar citizens.

Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha confirmed the assault and said rebels later retrieved the corpses of seven "enemies".

He said later that rebels had freed at least 12 members of the security forces it detained in the fighting.

The attacks, he added, came in response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians. The military has denied targeting civilians.

The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt to fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with armed groups seeking autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine state.

The Myanmar police force said on Saturday it had opened cases against those involved in Friday's attack under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law and a weapons law.

"This is a carefully planned premeditated attack to harm the lives and property of the people and to further aggravate the instability in the Rakhine State," the English-language Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Saturday.

Friday's violence erupted shortly after the national flag was raised across the southeast Asian country to mark 71 years since independence from Britain, but the Arakan Army spokesman denied any connection between the attacks and the anniversary.

"We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day," Khine Thu Kha said.

Last August, a U.N. report accused the Myanmar military of mass killings and rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" in 2017 in an operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies.

Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants.

Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said.

Rakhine insurgents killed 13 policemen and injured nine in attacks on four police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Friday as the country marked Independence Day, the official news agency said. Fighting resurged in Rakhine state in early December between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army, which wants greater autonomy for Rakhine, where the mainly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group makes up the majority. The Arakan Army does not cite religion as a factor in its insurgency. It was also in the restive western state that a military-led crackdown in 2017, following attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents, prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee westwards to neighbouring Bangladesh. The separate conflict between the military and Arakan Army rebels forced 2,500 civilians from their homes by the end of last year, according to the United Nations. The Arakan Army says it has been fighting for nearly a decade for self-determination in "the land of Arakan," another name for Rakhine. An independent kingdom ruled in the coastal area until the 18th century. The Arakan Army is one of multiple armed groups fighting in the name of ethnic minorities in the rugged borderlands of Myanmar, a country once known as Burma where around 90 per cent of people are Buddhists. The official Myanmar News Agency said four police posts in the Buthidaung area in northern Rakhine came under attack from hundreds of Arakan Army fighters after daybreak on Friday. Thirteen policemen were killed and nine injured as police were forced to abandon two of the posts, it said, adding that the military was now conducting a "clearance" of the area. Myanmar military spokesman Zaw Min Tun said the insurgents had hit police outposts near the border with Bangladesh. "These police posts are there to protect the national races in the area so (Arakan Army rebels) shouldn't attack them," Zaw Min Tun said, referring to mostly Buddhist ethnic groups in the area who are, unlike Rohingya Muslims, considered Myanmar citizens. Arakan Army spokesman Khine Thu Kha confirmed the assault and said rebels later retrieved the corpses of seven "enemies". He said later that rebels had freed at least 12 members of the security forces it detained in the fighting. The attacks, he added, came in response to a Myanmar military offensive against the Arakan Army in recent weeks that had also targeted civilians. The military has denied targeting civilians. The Myanmar military last month announced a four-month halt to fighting in the north and northeast of the country to kick-start peace talks with armed groups seeking autonomy, but that announcement excluded Rakhine state. The Myanmar police force said on Saturday it had opened cases against those involved in Friday's attack under Myanmar’s Counter-Terrorism Law and a weapons law. "This is a carefully planned premeditated attack to harm the lives and property of the people and to further aggravate the instability in the Rakhine State," the English-language Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said on Saturday. Friday's violence erupted shortly after the national flag was raised across the southeast Asian country to mark 71 years since independence from Britain, but the Arakan Army spokesman denied any connection between the attacks and the anniversary. "We are not independent yet. Today is not our Independence Day," Khine Thu Kha said. Last August, a U.N. report accused the Myanmar military of mass killings and rapes of Rohingya with "genocidal intent" in 2017 in an operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies. Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants.

Rakhine rebels kill 13 in Independence Day attack on Myanmar police posts

Bangladesh police on Saturday found the bullet-ridden bodies of two alleged Rohingya drug dealers in a southeastern coastal town notorious for its connection with the Myanmar meth trade.

Teknaf town police chief Prodip Kumar Das said the bodies were found lying next to a highway beside the sea and some 10,000 meth pills were recovered from their possession.

"Both of these refugees were... notorious drug dealers in the region. We're suspecting they were killed in a gang fight over sharing profits," he said.

The police said they were investigating the deaths but did not provide further information on the two men.

Over 720,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state since August 2017 and joined some 300,000 refugees already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district.

Bangladeshi authorities say local kingpins use the refugees -- trapped in poverty and unlikely to return home any time soon -- to transport "yaba" pills which are made in Myanmar meth labs.&nbsp;

Yaba is a methamphetamine-based, caffeine-cut stimulant that translates as "crazy medicine".

The coastal town on the Naf river that divides the two neighbours is a key entry point through which yaba enters the South Asian nation's multi-million dollar drug market.

In May Bangladesh launched a violent anti-drug crackdown which saw the deaths of at least 250 drug dealers, including 26 in Teknaf in the last three months.

Experts have compared the campaign with the Filipino anti-drug war of Rodrigo Duterte, in which police say they have killed nearly 5,000 alleged users and pushers -- although rights groups say the toll is at least triple that.

Bangladesh police on Saturday found the bullet-ridden bodies of two alleged Rohingya drug dealers in a southeastern coastal town notorious for its connection with the Myanmar meth trade.

Bangladesh police on Saturday found the bullet-ridden bodies of two alleged Rohingya drug dealers in a southeastern coastal town notorious for its connection with the Myanmar meth trade. Teknaf town police chief Prodip Kumar Das said the bodies were found lying next to a highway beside the sea and some 10,000 meth pills were recovered from their possession. "Both of these refugees were... notorious drug dealers in the region. We're suspecting they were killed in a gang fight over sharing profits," he said. The police said they were investigating the deaths but did not provide further information on the two men. Over 720,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state since August 2017 and joined some 300,000 refugees already living in squalid camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district. Bangladeshi authorities say local kingpins use the refugees -- trapped in poverty and unlikely to return home any time soon -- to transport "yaba" pills which are made in Myanmar meth labs. Yaba is a methamphetamine-based, caffeine-cut stimulant that translates as "crazy medicine". The coastal town on the Naf river that divides the two neighbours is a key entry point through which yaba enters the South Asian nation's multi-million dollar drug market. In May Bangladesh launched a violent anti-drug crackdown which saw the deaths of at least 250 drug dealers, including 26 in Teknaf in the last three months. Experts have compared the campaign with the Filipino anti-drug war of Rodrigo Duterte, in which police say they have killed nearly 5,000 alleged users and pushers -- although rights groups say the toll is at least triple that.

Two alleged Rohingya drug dealers found dead in Bangladesh

The UN refugee agency has expressed regret over India's decision to repatriate a group of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-repatriation-relocation-plans-to-be-pushed-back-to-2019-bangladesh-official-178126">Rohingya to Myanmar</a>, saying it has sought clarification from India on the circumstances under which the asylum seekers were sent back, voicing concern over the unconducive conditions for such returns.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Friday that it "regrets <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-to-deport-second-rohingya-group-to-myanmar-on-thursday-188020">India's decision to repatriate</a> a family of Rohingya asylum seekers to Myanmar, the second such return in three months," Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq told reporters at the daily press briefing.

The UN refugee agency said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine State, registered with UNHCR in India, was sent back to Myanmar on Thursday after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for illegal entry into India.

The agency said despite repeated requests, it did not receive a response from the authorities in India regarding requests for access to individuals in detention to ascertain their circumstances and to assess the voluntariness of their decision to return.&nbsp;

Noting that this was the second such incident since October 2018, when India returned seven Rohingya men to Rakhine State in Myanmar, the agency said conditions are not conducive for return of Rohingya to Myanmar.

"UNHCR continues to request access and seek clarification on the circumstances under which the return has taken place,"&nbsp;the agency added.

There are an estimated 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in India, living across different locations.

Responding to a question on the Rohingya being returned to Myanmar, Haq said the UN wants to ensure that whenever any family is returned, the nature of the return was voluntary. "And UNHCR was not able to assess the voluntary nature of that return, and so they are very concerned about this," he said.

When asked if the Secretary-General intends to talk directly to India over the issue since the UN refugee agency has "failed", Haq replied "I wouldn't say that UNHCR has failed. What I would say is that there's movements on the ground about which they are concerned, but they are in charge of this particular file, and we'll see how it goes with their efforts."&nbsp;

Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has said in Guwahati that the five members of the Rohingya family were handed over to the Myanmarese authorities along the International Border in Manipur.&nbsp;

"They were apprehended about five years ago without any travel document and were booked for violating the Foreigners Act,"&nbsp;Mahanta has said.&nbsp;

The UN refugee agency has expressed regret over India's decision to repatriate a group of Rohingya to Myanmar, saying it has sought clarification from India on the circumstances under which the asylum seekers were sent back, voicing concern over the unconducive conditions for such returns.

The UN refugee agency has expressed regret over India's decision to repatriate a group of Rohingya to Myanmar, saying it has sought clarification from India on the circumstances under which the asylum seekers were sent back, voicing concern over the unconducive conditions for such returns. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Friday that it "regrets India's decision to repatriate a family of Rohingya asylum seekers to Myanmar, the second such return in three months," Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq told reporters at the daily press briefing. The UN refugee agency said a family of Rohingya asylum-seekers from Rakhine State, registered with UNHCR in India, was sent back to Myanmar on Thursday after being detained in Assam, where they had been serving a prison term since 2013 for illegal entry into India. The agency said despite repeated requests, it did not receive a response from the authorities in India regarding requests for access to individuals in detention to ascertain their circumstances and to assess the voluntariness of their decision to return. Noting that this was the second such incident since October 2018, when India returned seven Rohingya men to Rakhine State in Myanmar, the agency said conditions are not conducive for return of Rohingya to Myanmar. "UNHCR continues to request access and seek clarification on the circumstances under which the return has taken place," the agency added. There are an estimated 18,000 Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in India, living across different locations. Responding to a question on the Rohingya being returned to Myanmar, Haq said the UN wants to ensure that whenever any family is returned, the nature of the return was voluntary. "And UNHCR was not able to assess the voluntary nature of that return, and so they are very concerned about this," he said. When asked if the Secretary-General intends to talk directly to India over the issue since the UN refugee agency has "failed", Haq replied "I wouldn't say that UNHCR has failed. What I would say is that there's movements on the ground about which they are concerned, but they are in charge of this particular file, and we'll see how it goes with their efforts." Assam Additional Director General of Police (Border) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has said in Guwahati that the five members of the Rohingya family were handed over to the Myanmarese authorities along the International Border in Manipur. "They were apprehended about five years ago without any travel document and were booked for violating the Foreigners Act," Mahanta has said.

UNHCR seeks clarification from India over repatriation of Rohingya to Myanmar

Indian police on Thursday took a Rohingya Muslim family of five to the border by bus, readying to deport them to neighbouring Myanmar as the second such group expelled in four months during a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

The government regards the Rohingya as illegal and a security risk. It has ordered that tens of thousands of the community, who live in small settlements and slums, be identified and repatriated.

The husband, wife and three children comprising the family set to be expelled on Thursday had been arrested and jailed in Assam in 2014 for entering India without valid documents, police said.

"These five people are now at the border gate in the adjoining Manipur state and we are waiting for Myanmar officials to hand them over formally," Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Assam`s additional director general of police, told Reuters.

Jails in Assam held 20 more Myanmar nationals, all arrested for illegal entry, he added. But it was not immediately clear if all were Rohingya, a largely stateless Muslim minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

"We shall send them back to Myanmar once we get their travel permits from that country," Mahanta said. "Most of them sneaked into India in search of a livelihood."

India's first deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar in October sparked fears of further repatriations among those sheltering in its refugee camps, and concern that those returned faced the risk of abuse at the hands of Myanmar authorities.

There has been no word on the fate of the deported men.

The government estimates that 40,000 Rohingya live in India in camps across the country, including the capital, New Delhi, having arrived over the years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship.

In August, a United Nations report accused the Myanmar military of committing mass killings and rapes on the Rohingya with "genocidal intent" in 2017 in an operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants in August last year.

Indian police on Thursday took a Rohingya Muslim family of five to the border by bus, readying to deport them to neighbouring Myanmar as the second such group expelled in four months during a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Indian police on Thursday took a Rohingya Muslim family of five to the border by bus, readying to deport them to neighbouring Myanmar as the second such group expelled in four months during a crackdown on illegal immigrants. The government regards the Rohingya as illegal and a security risk. It has ordered that tens of thousands of the community, who live in small settlements and slums, be identified and repatriated. The husband, wife and three children comprising the family set to be expelled on Thursday had been arrested and jailed in Assam in 2014 for entering India without valid documents, police said. "These five people are now at the border gate in the adjoining Manipur state and we are waiting for Myanmar officials to hand them over formally," Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Assam`s additional director general of police, told Reuters. Jails in Assam held 20 more Myanmar nationals, all arrested for illegal entry, he added. But it was not immediately clear if all were Rohingya, a largely stateless Muslim minority in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. "We shall send them back to Myanmar once we get their travel permits from that country," Mahanta said. "Most of them sneaked into India in search of a livelihood." India's first deportation of seven Rohingya men to Myanmar in October sparked fears of further repatriations among those sheltering in its refugee camps, and concern that those returned faced the risk of abuse at the hands of Myanmar authorities. There has been no word on the fate of the deported men. The government estimates that 40,000 Rohingya live in India in camps across the country, including the capital, New Delhi, having arrived over the years after fleeing violence and persecution in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship. In August, a United Nations report accused the Myanmar military of committing mass killings and rapes on the Rohingya with "genocidal intent" in 2017 in an operation that drove more than 700,000 of them to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar has denied the charges, saying its military launched a counter-insurgency operation after attacks on security posts by Muslim militants in August last year.

India to deport second Rohingya group to Myanmar on Thursday

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A team leader from the Indian Navy and NDRF personnel went inside a 370-foot-deep mine, where 15 miners are trapped, to ascertain the water level inside on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced renaming of three islands of Andaman and Nicobar on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose here.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/polls-close-in-bangladesh-election-marred-by-violence-12-dead-187346">Bangladesh elections: Voting ends, 12 killed in poll-related violence</a>

At least 12 people were killed in election-day clashes in Bangladesh Sunday, after a bloody campaign overshadowed by a crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is expected to win a historic but controversial fourth term.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-will-ruin-families-will-launch-agitation-against-it-aimwplb-187352">Triple talaq bill will ruin families, will launch </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-will-ruin-families-will-launch-agitation-against-it-aimwplb-187352">agitation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-will-ruin-families-will-launch-agitation-against-it-aimwplb-187352"> against it: AIMWPLB</a>

The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) Sunday termed the triple talaq bill as one which will "ruin" families if it is made into a law, and said it will launch an agitation against it.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/tale-of-rohingya-repatriation-stuck-in-limbo-one-of-the-biggest-humanitarian-crises-of-south-asia-187353">Rohingya repatriation stuck in limbo: One of the biggest humanitarian crisis of South Asia</a>

Over a year ago, in August 2017, Myanmar witnessed a conflict that sparked international concern. Western Myanmar’s Rakhine state saw hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes following an army crackdown.&nbsp;

Meghalaya mine rescue: Navy, NDRF personnel enter shaft to ascertain water level A team leader from the Indian Navy and NDRF personnel went inside a 370-foot-deep mine, where 15 miners are trapped, to ascertain the water level inside on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Meghalaya mine rescue: Navy, NDRF personnel enter shaft to ascertain water level A team leader from the Indian Navy and NDRF personnel went inside a 370-foot-deep mine, where 15 miners are trapped, to ascertain the water level inside on Sunday afternoon, officials said. PM Modi renames 3 islands of Andaman and Nicobar Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced renaming of three islands of Andaman and Nicobar on the occasion of 75th anniversary of Tricolour hoisting by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose here. Bangladesh elections: Voting ends, 12 killed in poll-related violence At least 12 people were killed in election-day clashes in Bangladesh Sunday, after a bloody campaign overshadowed by a crackdown on the opposition by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is expected to win a historic but controversial fourth term. Triple talaq bill will ruin families, will launch agitation against it: AIMWPLB The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) Sunday termed the triple talaq bill as one which will "ruin" families if it is made into a law, and said it will launch an agitation against it. Rohingya repatriation stuck in limbo: One of the biggest humanitarian crisis of South Asia Over a year ago, in August 2017, Myanmar witnessed a conflict that sparked international concern. Western Myanmar’s Rakhine state saw hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes following an army crackdown.

News brief: Big stories of the day

India has begun its fourth tranche of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-sent-back-to-myanmar-camps-hungry-and-in-debt-182279">relief assistance to Rohingya refugees </a>sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017.&nbsp;

The total aid in the fourth tranche would include 2,25,000 blankets, 2,00,000 woollen sweaters and 500 solar street lights. The new tranche is the result of a specific request made to the minister for disaster management and relief.&nbsp;

In a release, Indian High Commission to Bangladesh said:&nbsp;"As a special gesture, India is making available a part of the consignment of blankets and sweaters for distribution to vulnerable sections of the local community in Cox’s Bazar."

The material includes the latest consignment of assistance for displaced persons for the winter, while the solar street lights are meant to ensure environment-friendly lighting solutions for the camps.

The release by High Commission added that the aid "is part of India’s continuing partnership and support for Bangladesh especially in sharing the burden imposed upon it because of the influx of a large number of displaced persons from Rakhine State in Myanmar."&nbsp;

The distribution of aid began from Monday by the refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh.

The first tranche under "Operation Insaniyat" in September last year&nbsp;comprised of 981 metric tonnes&nbsp;(MT) of relief supplies, including family packs of rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among other relief services.&nbsp;

The second tranche was delivered in May 2018 with 373 MT&nbsp;of relief material. The consignment included 104 MT of milk powder, 102 MT of dried fish, 61 MT of baby food, 50,000 raincoats, and 50,000 pairs of gumboots.&nbsp;

The third consignment was provided in September 2018, where India handed over 1.1 million litres of SKO (super kerosene oil) and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves.&nbsp;

India has been calling on Myanmar and Bangladesh to implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement.

Recently, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said:"Government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and obviously as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible."

Late last year India had signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the government of Myanmar in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons.

India has begun its fourth tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017.

India has begun its fourth tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017. The total aid in the fourth tranche would include 2,25,000 blankets, 2,00,000 woollen sweaters and 500 solar street lights. The new tranche is the result of a specific request made to the minister for disaster management and relief. In a release, Indian High Commission to Bangladesh said: "As a special gesture, India is making available a part of the consignment of blankets and sweaters for distribution to vulnerable sections of the local community in Cox’s Bazar." The material includes the latest consignment of assistance for displaced persons for the winter, while the solar street lights are meant to ensure environment-friendly lighting solutions for the camps. The release by High Commission added that the aid "is part of India’s continuing partnership and support for Bangladesh especially in sharing the burden imposed upon it because of the influx of a large number of displaced persons from Rakhine State in Myanmar." The distribution of aid began from Monday by the refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh. The first tranche under "Operation Insaniyat" in September last year comprised of 981 metric tonnes (MT) of relief supplies, including family packs of rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among other relief services. The second tranche was delivered in May 2018 with 373 MT of relief material. The consignment included 104 MT of milk powder, 102 MT of dried fish, 61 MT of baby food, 50,000 raincoats, and 50,000 pairs of gumboots. The third consignment was provided in September 2018, where India handed over 1.1 million litres of SKO (super kerosene oil) and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves. India has been calling on Myanmar and Bangladesh to implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement. Recently, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said:"Government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and obviously as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible." Late last year India had signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the government of Myanmar in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons.

India sends another tranche of relief assistance to Rohingyas in Bangladesh

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-of-troops-deployed-in-bangladesh-ahead-of-general-elections-186092">Bangladesh will seal off refugee</a> camps housing about one million Rohingya Muslims for three days around the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-ec-allows-hardline-islamist-party-to-contest-upcoming-general-election-186045">country's tense general election</a> this week, officials said Monday.

Rohingya living in the southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar will not be allowed out of their settlements from Saturday.

The election is Sunday with<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pm-sheikh-hasina-on-top-in-battle-of-the-bangladesh-begums-186170"> Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina</a>, who earned international praise for accepting the refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar, seeking a record fourth term.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-slams-us-statement-over-polls-observers-186042">The Election Commission</a> ordered authorities in Cox's Bazar to prevent refugees from being exploited during election campaigning, Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said.

"This is a security measure. The embargo also applies to NGO workers. They cannot go inside the camps unless it is an emergency," he told AFP.

Police said extra roadblocks would be set up around the camps.

Over 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled what the UN called ethnic cleansing in Myanmar's Rakhine state after August 2017. There were already nearly 300,000 refugees in the overcrowded camps.

More than 450 police will be deployed in the camps alongside border guards and community police, a spokesman said.

Thousands of troops were also put on law and order duties across the country Monday amid escalating poll violence, said a military statement.

Media reports said some 30,000 soldiers were joining more than 20,000 paramilitary forces already deployed.

At least six people have been killed in the election violence while the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says at least 152 of its candidates have been attacked.

The BNP meanwhile criticised Bangladesh star cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza for being a candidate for the ruling Awami League.

One-day international captain Mashrafe is now campaigning after leading Bangladesh to a series win over West Indies this month. The BNP said though that Mashrafte could not be a candidate when he earns public money as a cricketer. &nbsp; &nbsp;

"We welcome youngsters like him joining politics. But the law cannot be different for a superstar and a layman," &nbsp;opposition spokesman Rizvi Ahmed told AFP. &nbsp;

"Mashrafe is a paid cricketer of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), a government body. So we protest him taking part in an election when we see our people are getting dropped for lame excuses," he said.

Bangladesh law bars salaried public employees from contesting elections. Several opposition candidates have been disqualified because they have government jobs.&nbsp;

Mashrafe receives taka 420,000 ($5,000) a month from the board.

Bangladesh will seal off refugee camps housing about one million Rohingya Muslims for three days around the country's tense general election this week, officials said Monday.

Bangladesh will seal off refugee camps housing about one million Rohingya Muslims for three days around the country's tense general election this week, officials said Monday. Rohingya living in the southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar will not be allowed out of their settlements from Saturday. The election is Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who earned international praise for accepting the refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar, seeking a record fourth term. The Election Commission ordered authorities in Cox's Bazar to prevent refugees from being exploited during election campaigning, Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said. "This is a security measure. The embargo also applies to NGO workers. They cannot go inside the camps unless it is an emergency," he told AFP. Police said extra roadblocks would be set up around the camps. Over 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled what the UN called ethnic cleansing in Myanmar's Rakhine state after August 2017. There were already nearly 300,000 refugees in the overcrowded camps. More than 450 police will be deployed in the camps alongside border guards and community police, a spokesman said. Thousands of troops were also put on law and order duties across the country Monday amid escalating poll violence, said a military statement. Media reports said some 30,000 soldiers were joining more than 20,000 paramilitary forces already deployed. At least six people have been killed in the election violence while the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says at least 152 of its candidates have been attacked. The BNP meanwhile criticised Bangladesh star cricketer Mashrafe Mortaza for being a candidate for the ruling Awami League. One-day international captain Mashrafe is now campaigning after leading Bangladesh to a series win over West Indies this month. The BNP said though that Mashrafte could not be a candidate when he earns public money as a cricketer. "We welcome youngsters like him joining politics. But the law cannot be different for a superstar and a layman," opposition spokesman Rizvi Ahmed told AFP. "Mashrafe is a paid cricketer of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), a government body. So we protest him taking part in an election when we see our people are getting dropped for lame excuses," he said. Bangladesh law bars salaried public employees from contesting elections. Several opposition candidates have been disqualified because they have government jobs. Mashrafe receives taka 420,000 ($5,000) a month from the board.

Bangladesh polls: Rohingya camps to be sealed off during election

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-policeman-found-killed-in-northern-rakhine-state-185930">A Myanmar</a> court heard arguments on Monday&nbsp;in the appeal of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/reuters-reporters-imprisonment-when-myanmars-progress-towards-democracy-was-put-to-question-185665">two Reuters reporters sentenced</a> to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act.

Lawyers lodged an appeal on Monday to free two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on Myanmar's Rohingya crisis, decrying the sentence as a "mistake" that has already resulted in the pair being locked up for a year.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were arrested in December 2017 and later sent to prison for what prosecutors said was a breach of official secrets law for the possession of classified material on security operations.

Reuters disputed the charge and said the two were set up by police after probing the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims during a military crackdown.

Lawyers for the reporters filed an appeal against the conviction in early November, citing evidence of a police set-up and lack of proof of a crime.

Lawyers for the reporters and the prosecution presented arguments for more than an hour on Monday before the hearing was adjourned. The court did not give a date for a decision.

Appeal lawyer L. Khun Ring Pan, asked the judge, Aung Naing, to overturn the lower court's decision and release the reporters.

Their conviction in September sparked widespread global condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence, who asked civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to intervene.

"This seven-year jail sentence is a mistake," the journalists' lawyer L.Khun Ring Pan told the bench, in a hearing attended by embassy officials and free media advocates as well as the wives of the jailed journalists.

"They were trying to find out who was involved with the (Inn Din) case. That's why they tried to meet the police... they did not ask for anything secret."

Before their arrest, the reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in western Myanmar's Rakhine State during an army crackdown that began in August last year.

The operation sent more than 730,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, according to UN estimates.

A Myanmar court heard arguments on Monday in the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act.

A Myanmar court heard arguments on Monday in the appeal of two Reuters reporters sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act. Lawyers lodged an appeal on Monday to free two Reuters journalists jailed for their reporting on Myanmar's Rohingya crisis, decrying the sentence as a "mistake" that has already resulted in the pair being locked up for a year. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were arrested in December 2017 and later sent to prison for what prosecutors said was a breach of official secrets law for the possession of classified material on security operations. Reuters disputed the charge and said the two were set up by police after probing the massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims during a military crackdown. Lawyers for the reporters filed an appeal against the conviction in early November, citing evidence of a police set-up and lack of proof of a crime. Lawyers for the reporters and the prosecution presented arguments for more than an hour on Monday before the hearing was adjourned. The court did not give a date for a decision. Appeal lawyer L. Khun Ring Pan, asked the judge, Aung Naing, to overturn the lower court's decision and release the reporters. Their conviction in September sparked widespread global condemnation, including from US Vice President Mike Pence, who asked civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to intervene. "This seven-year jail sentence is a mistake," the journalists' lawyer L.Khun Ring Pan told the bench, in a hearing attended by embassy officials and free media advocates as well as the wives of the jailed journalists. "They were trying to find out who was involved with the (Inn Din) case. That's why they tried to meet the police... they did not ask for anything secret." Before their arrest, the reporters had been working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys by security forces and Buddhist civilians in western Myanmar's Rakhine State during an army crackdown that began in August last year. The operation sent more than 730,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, according to UN estimates.

Myanmar court hears arguments of jailed Reuters reporters

The bullet-riddled body of a Myanmar policeman was found in northern Rakhine state, government media said Sunday, as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/reuters-reporters-imprisonment-when-myanmars-progress-towards-democracy-was-put-to-question-185665">tensions rise </a>in the hotspot where the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-army-pauses-operations-in-north-in-rare-conciliatory-action-185678">Rohingya crisis </a>erupted last year.

The western territory is a tinderbox of ethnic and religious divisions and security forces have clashed with both Rohingya insurgents and much better armed Rakhine fighters from the mostly Buddhist Arakan Army.

Private Aung Kyaw Thet went missing in action after an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-house-of-representatives-describes-crime-against-rohingya-in-myanmar-as-genocide-183895"> ambush last week</a> by unknown assailants in Maungdaw township near the border with Bangladesh.

His body was found two days ago with "gunshot wounds in his face, arm and leg near a hill inside the other country," according to government-backed Global New Light of Myanmar.

The ambush happened the same day that two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men disappeared while fishing in the same township and were later found with their throats slit, prompting the army to launch local "clearance operations" and raising fears of renewed large-scale violence.

Sunday's report in Global New Light did not identify the alleged perpetrators of the shooting but said authorities found foxholes near the scene, bullet casings and biscuits manufactured in Bangladesh.

More than 720,000 Rohingya fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017.

UN investigators want senior Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for genocide but the army says it was responding to attacks on border guard posts by Rohingya insurgents that killed around a dozen security forces.

The army this week called a rare ceasefire against ethnic armed groups in the northeast of the country but Rakhine state was not included.

Analysts say the military left Rakhine out because it does not want the Arakan Army to gain a foothold in the state as well as lingering concern over the less powerful Rohingya militants, who call themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

The bullet-riddled body of a Myanmar policeman was found in northern Rakhine state, government media said Sunday, as tensions rise in the hotspot where the Rohingya crisis erupted last year.

The bullet-riddled body of a Myanmar policeman was found in northern Rakhine state, government media said Sunday, as tensions rise in the hotspot where the Rohingya crisis erupted last year. The western territory is a tinderbox of ethnic and religious divisions and security forces have clashed with both Rohingya insurgents and much better armed Rakhine fighters from the mostly Buddhist Arakan Army. Private Aung Kyaw Thet went missing in action after an ambush last week by unknown assailants in Maungdaw township near the border with Bangladesh. His body was found two days ago with "gunshot wounds in his face, arm and leg near a hill inside the other country," according to government-backed Global New Light of Myanmar. The ambush happened the same day that two ethnic Rakhine Buddhist men disappeared while fishing in the same township and were later found with their throats slit, prompting the army to launch local "clearance operations" and raising fears of renewed large-scale violence. Sunday's report in Global New Light did not identify the alleged perpetrators of the shooting but said authorities found foxholes near the scene, bullet casings and biscuits manufactured in Bangladesh. More than 720,000 Rohingya fled northern Rakhine to Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a crackdown on the Muslim minority in August 2017. UN investigators want senior Myanmar generals to be prosecuted for genocide but the army says it was responding to attacks on border guard posts by Rohingya insurgents that killed around a dozen security forces. The army this week called a rare ceasefire against ethnic armed groups in the northeast of the country but Rakhine state was not included. Analysts say the military left Rakhine out because it does not want the Arakan Army to gain a foothold in the state as well as lingering concern over the less powerful Rohingya militants, who call themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

Myanmar: Missing policeman found killed in northern Rakhine state

A bipartisan group of US&nbsp;senators on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to designate the Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide.&nbsp;

More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year, when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.

"We are deeply concerned that despite clear evidence of genocide amassed by the Department`s own report ... that the Department has not made a formal determination that the crime of genocide has been committed," said a letter to Pompeo from the senators, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.&nbsp;

In September, leaders of the US&nbsp;House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Trump administration to declare the military campaign a genocide, days after a State Department report stopped short of that description.

A declaration of genocide by the US&nbsp;government could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar's government, which is led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment.

The areas where the Rohingya lived in Myanmar's western Rakhine State before the army ousted them were being dramatically transformed, making their return increasingly unlikely, Reuters reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The senators asked Pompeo to provide a formal determination about the actions of Myanmar`s military.&nbsp;

"There is no question that the violence in northern Rakhine State – intended to terrorise, drive out, and exterminate Rakhine`s Rohingya population – meets the definition of genocide," the letter said.

Led by Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the letter was also signed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Susan Collins and

Democratic Senators Ed Markey, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin and Jeff Merkley.

Failing to officially label the actions a genocide would "deny truth-telling and accountability" for the Rohingya and "... would leave an indelible stain on our nation`s legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability," the letter said.

The United Nations Security Council is mulling a resolution that the council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar in returning refugees, diplomats said. &nbsp;

A bipartisan group of US senators on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to designate the Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide.

A bipartisan group of US senators on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to designate the Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year, when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing. "We are deeply concerned that despite clear evidence of genocide amassed by the Department`s own report ... that the Department has not made a formal determination that the crime of genocide has been committed," said a letter to Pompeo from the senators, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. In September, leaders of the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Trump administration to declare the military campaign a genocide, days after a State Department report stopped short of that description. A declaration of genocide by the US government could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar's government, which is led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment. The areas where the Rohingya lived in Myanmar's western Rakhine State before the army ousted them were being dramatically transformed, making their return increasingly unlikely, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The senators asked Pompeo to provide a formal determination about the actions of Myanmar`s military. "There is no question that the violence in northern Rakhine State – intended to terrorise, drive out, and exterminate Rakhine`s Rohingya population – meets the definition of genocide," the letter said. Led by Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the letter was also signed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Susan Collins and Democratic Senators Ed Markey, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin and Jeff Merkley. Failing to officially label the actions a genocide would "deny truth-telling and accountability" for the Rohingya and "... would leave an indelible stain on our nation`s legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability," the letter said. The United Nations Security Council is mulling a resolution that the council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar in returning refugees, diplomats said.

US senators call on Pompeo to label Myanmar killings 'genocide'

Facebook has removed hundreds of pages and accounts in Myanmar with hidden links to the military, the platform said Wednesday, as the company scrambles to respond to criticism over failures to control hate speech and misinformation.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-discovers-bug-that-may-have-affected-up-to-68-million-users-184116">social media giant</a> -- Myanmar's most popular and influential site -- has been lambasted for years for its ineffective response to malicious posts, particularly against the country's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-accuses-myanmar-military-planned-and-coordinated-rohingya-atrocities-167495">Rohingya Muslims</a>.

The problem reached new levels of urgency last year as Myanmar's military drove more than 720,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, while dehumanising material about the stateless group spread on the site.

Facebook said Wednesday some 425 pages, 17 groups, 135 accounts and 15 Instagram accounts had been removed, which were posing as independent news, entertainment, beauty and lifestyle pages but in reality had links to the military or to pages previously removed.

This is Facebook's third sweeping takedown of pages and accounts for what it calls " coordinated inauthentic behaviour" in Myanmar following deletions in October and August.

Hardline nationalist monks and even the army's top generals, accused by UN investigators of genocide, are among the users Facebook blacklisted this year.

Facebook said in a newsroom post that it does not want people or organisations "creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," adding that one page had 2.5 million followers.

Some of the deleted pages were called "Down for Anything", "Let's Laugh Casually", and "We Love Myanmar".

Facebook has been trying to repair its battered reputation, improving the speed with which hate speech is taken down and vowing to beef up its Myanmar-language reviewers on staff to 100 by the end of 2018.

But critics say this is not enough to oversee some 20 million Facebook accounts in the country, many in a patchwork of regional languages.

An independent report commissioned by Facebook concluded last month that the state was ultimately responsible for rights abuses, but the company should have done more to prevent the platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence.

It also warned that Myanmar's 2020 election will likely be a flashpoint for abuse and misinformation.

Most people in Myanmar only came online in the last few years, when smartphone usage soared as the country opened up to the outside world after decades of isolated military rule.

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's government -- which is in an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the military -- has come under fire for not doing more to stand up for the Rohingya.

Facebook has removed hundreds of pages and accounts in Myanmar with hidden links to the military, the platform said Wednesday, as the company scrambles to respond to criticism over failures to control hate speech and misinformation.

Facebook has removed hundreds of pages and accounts in Myanmar with hidden links to the military, the platform said Wednesday, as the company scrambles to respond to criticism over failures to control hate speech and misinformation. The social media giant -- Myanmar's most popular and influential site -- has been lambasted for years for its ineffective response to malicious posts, particularly against the country's Rohingya Muslims. The problem reached new levels of urgency last year as Myanmar's military drove more than 720,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, while dehumanising material about the stateless group spread on the site. Facebook said Wednesday some 425 pages, 17 groups, 135 accounts and 15 Instagram accounts had been removed, which were posing as independent news, entertainment, beauty and lifestyle pages but in reality had links to the military or to pages previously removed. This is Facebook's third sweeping takedown of pages and accounts for what it calls " coordinated inauthentic behaviour" in Myanmar following deletions in October and August. Hardline nationalist monks and even the army's top generals, accused by UN investigators of genocide, are among the users Facebook blacklisted this year. Facebook said in a newsroom post that it does not want people or organisations "creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," adding that one page had 2.5 million followers. Some of the deleted pages were called "Down for Anything", "Let's Laugh Casually", and "We Love Myanmar". Facebook has been trying to repair its battered reputation, improving the speed with which hate speech is taken down and vowing to beef up its Myanmar-language reviewers on staff to 100 by the end of 2018. But critics say this is not enough to oversee some 20 million Facebook accounts in the country, many in a patchwork of regional languages. An independent report commissioned by Facebook concluded last month that the state was ultimately responsible for rights abuses, but the company should have done more to prevent the platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence. It also warned that Myanmar's 2020 election will likely be a flashpoint for abuse and misinformation. Most people in Myanmar only came online in the last few years, when smartphone usage soared as the country opened up to the outside world after decades of isolated military rule. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's government -- which is in an uneasy power-sharing agreement with the military -- has come under fire for not doing more to stand up for the Rohingya.

Facebook removes hundreds of Myanmar military-linked pages from platform

The UN Security Council is considering action to push <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-government-rejects-un-probe-on-rohingya-mass-killings--162208">Myanmar to work with the United Nations</a> to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday.

The draft resolution aims to put a timeline on Myanmar allowing the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and addressing accountability, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since August last year when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.

The draft resolution would warn that the 15-member Security Council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar, diplomats said. It would also ask UN officials to report back regularly to the council.

It was unclear if or when the draft resolution could be put to a vote. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass.

"I think it's inappropriate, untimely and useless," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters on Monday.

China's UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu declined to comment. Myanmar's UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft was circulated to council members late last month and diplomats said that there had been several rounds of discussions. Russia and China attended an initial meeting, but have not taken part in any further talks, diplomats said.

The text would push Myanmar to implement a memorandum of understanding with the UN development and refugee agencies that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government signed in June, as well recommendations made by the Rakhine Advisory Commission that was led by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

The draft resolution does not include referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, diplomats said.

UN Security Council envoys travelled to Bangladesh and Myanmar in late April.

In October, China, backed by Russia, failed to stop a Security Council briefing by the chair of a U.N. inquiry that accused Myanmar's military of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar has rejected the findings of the UN report.

The UN Security Council is considering action to push Myanmar to work with the United Nations to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday.

The UN Security Council is considering action to push Myanmar to work with the United Nations to address the Rohingya refugee crisis, although China and Russia have so far boycotted talks on a British-drafted resolution, diplomats said on Monday. The draft resolution aims to put a timeline on Myanmar allowing the return of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and addressing accountability, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state since August last year when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing. The draft resolution would warn that the 15-member Security Council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar, diplomats said. It would also ask UN officials to report back regularly to the council. It was unclear if or when the draft resolution could be put to a vote. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass. "I think it's inappropriate, untimely and useless," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told Reuters on Monday. China's UN Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu declined to comment. Myanmar's UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The draft was circulated to council members late last month and diplomats said that there had been several rounds of discussions. Russia and China attended an initial meeting, but have not taken part in any further talks, diplomats said. The text would push Myanmar to implement a memorandum of understanding with the UN development and refugee agencies that Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's government signed in June, as well recommendations made by the Rakhine Advisory Commission that was led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. The draft resolution does not include referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, diplomats said. UN Security Council envoys travelled to Bangladesh and Myanmar in late April. In October, China, backed by Russia, failed to stop a Security Council briefing by the chair of a U.N. inquiry that accused Myanmar's military of genocide against Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar has rejected the findings of the UN report.

UN Security Council mulls Myanmar action; Russia, China boycott talks

Myanmar's president said Saturday it had been an "auspicious" year for Rakhine state, the violence-scarred territory and epicentre of the Rohingya crisis.

More than 720,000 Rohingya have fled the western state since August 2017 after the military conducted "clearance operations," sending a stream of refugees to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of rape, arson and mass killings -- acts that UN investigators say amounts to "genocide" by the military generals.&nbsp;

Another 120,000 of the stateless minority, who are largely reviled by ethnic Rakhine and have garnered little sympathy among the Myanmar public, have been forced to live in displacement camps in the region with bleak conditions and a dire lack of food.

But Myanmar President Win Myint painted a different reality in a statement Saturday when he congratulated the "ethnic brothers and sisters" on the 44th anniversary of the Rakhine State Day.

With no natural disasters, "we can say that 2018 has been an auspicious year", he wrote in Myanmar's state-run newspaper.&nbsp;

Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, is also the site of planned economic zones, he said, and the government is working to provide "24 hour electricity" to certain townships.

He also praised a pact signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to repatriate the Rohingya refugees and the arrangements made to receive "those displaced people who have gone over to the Bangladesh side".&nbsp;

The process which was repeatedly delayed was supposed to finally commence last month but it fell flat when not a single Rohingya took up the offer of repatriation, with many on the returnee list going into hiding.

The refugees fear returning home without guarantees of protection, citizenship or rights from the government and the powerful military. Rights groups have criticised repatriation as premature and "reckless". &nbsp;

As for those within the camps in Rakhine state, many have attempted to leave by boats to Malaysia and Indonesia since the monsoon season ended last month, enduring a perilous journey to escape what rights groups call "open-air prisons".

"I wish to urge all Rakhine ethnic nationals and citizens to participate... (in the) &nbsp;transformation of Rakhine State into a beautiful and happy state," Win Myint said at the end of his statement.&nbsp;

Win Myint was appointed to his position by Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has faced international condemnation for her handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Myanmar's president said Saturday it had been an "auspicious" year for Rakhine state, the violence-scarred territory and epicentre of the Rohingya crisis. More than 720,000 Rohingya have fled the western state since August 2017 after the military conducted "clearance operations," sending a stream of refugees to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of rape, arson and mass killings -- acts that UN investigators say amounts to "genocide" by the military generals.

Myanmar's president said Saturday it had been an "auspicious" year for Rakhine state, the violence-scarred territory and epicentre of the Rohingya crisis. More than 720,000 Rohingya have fled the western state since August 2017 after the military conducted "clearance operations," sending a stream of refugees to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of rape, arson and mass killings -- acts that UN investigators say amounts to "genocide" by the military generals. Another 120,000 of the stateless minority, who are largely reviled by ethnic Rakhine and have garnered little sympathy among the Myanmar public, have been forced to live in displacement camps in the region with bleak conditions and a dire lack of food. But Myanmar President Win Myint painted a different reality in a statement Saturday when he congratulated the "ethnic brothers and sisters" on the 44th anniversary of the Rakhine State Day. With no natural disasters, "we can say that 2018 has been an auspicious year", he wrote in Myanmar's state-run newspaper. Rakhine, one of the poorest states in the country, is also the site of planned economic zones, he said, and the government is working to provide "24 hour electricity" to certain townships. He also praised a pact signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh to repatriate the Rohingya refugees and the arrangements made to receive "those displaced people who have gone over to the Bangladesh side". The process which was repeatedly delayed was supposed to finally commence last month but it fell flat when not a single Rohingya took up the offer of repatriation, with many on the returnee list going into hiding. The refugees fear returning home without guarantees of protection, citizenship or rights from the government and the powerful military. Rights groups have criticised repatriation as premature and "reckless". As for those within the camps in Rakhine state, many have attempted to leave by boats to Malaysia and Indonesia since the monsoon season ended last month, enduring a perilous journey to escape what rights groups call "open-air prisons". "I wish to urge all Rakhine ethnic nationals and citizens to participate... (in the) transformation of Rakhine State into a beautiful and happy state," Win Myint said at the end of his statement. Win Myint was appointed to his position by Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has faced international condemnation for her handling of the Rohingya crisis.

Myanmar's president praises Rakhine state for 'auspicious' year on 44th anniversary

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a three-day visit to Myanmar from 11th to 13th December. This will be the first visit to Myanmar by an Indian President in 12 years. The last visit was in the year 2006.

This is President Kovind’s eighth state visit and seventh and final visit of the year 2018. This is also his first visit to a country with which India shares a land border.&nbsp;

Putting the visit in perspective Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, "Myanmar is a close neighbour. It is also, by virtue of being an ASEAN country, the only one to which we are linked by land and sea. Therefore, it serves us as a link to South East Asia and for these reasons it is a country to which India attaches importance from the strategic perspective, from an economic perspective and from the cultural perspective given our cultural linkages and diaspora present in Myanmar."

During the visit, the President and the first lady will be hosted by the President of Myanmar. During his trip, the President Kovind will visit Shwedagon Pagoda, Shri Kali Temple and the Mazaar of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. The President will also meet veterans of the Indian National Army and the surviving members of the INA.

Giving more details of the visit, Press Secretary to the President, Ashok Malik said, "It is the second visit after the Vietnam visit. President Kovind will be engaging with the Government and Leadership of Myanmar on a wide variety of issues ranging from connectivity to investment, people to people ties and agriculture."

The President will be accompanied by a three-member political delegation comprising Rajan Gohil, Minister of State for Railways; Ramprasad Sharma, Lok Sabha member from Tezpur, Assam, and K Bhavnanda Singh who is a Rajya Sabha member from Manipur. The delegation comprises parliamentarians from North East states and according to the press secretary is a "recognition of the fact that the development of the North East is interlinked with the development of Myanmar."

The visit comes even as the Rohingya issue continues to dominate the region's discourse. Hoping that Myanmar Bangladesh will soon implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement, Foreign Secretary said, "The government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and, as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible."

Late last year, India signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the Government of Myanmar in Rakhine state to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons. 250 units were planned for the first phase and by virtual means, the President of India will be handing over the first 50 units to the Myanmar side.&nbsp;

India won't join Chinese post at Kyaukphyu

Connectivity will be a major focus area. Remember, India is building a trilateral highway, which will eventually connect India to Thailand through Myanmar, and Kaladan Multimodal Project that will connect Kolkatta with Sittwe port in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. India is now in the process of floating tenders to appoint a permanent port operator from Myanmar for the port. Efforts are also underway to connect Sittwe port by road to the Myanmar-Mizoram border.

Replying to whether India will be keen to link Kaladan project with Chinese port being built at Kyaukphyu, the Foreign Secretary said, "there is no plan to connect Kyaukphyu port to any of our projects as of now."

Last month, it was announced that China will be developing the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port in Myanmar. The port is near Sittwe port and the development comes even as China develops ports in other South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a three-day visit to Myanmar from 11th to 13th December. This will be the first visit to Myanmar by an Indian President in 12 years.

President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a three-day visit to Myanmar from 11th to 13th December. This will be the first visit to Myanmar by an Indian President in 12 years. The last visit was in the year 2006. This is President Kovind’s eighth state visit and seventh and final visit of the year 2018. This is also his first visit to a country with which India shares a land border. Putting the visit in perspective Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, "Myanmar is a close neighbour. It is also, by virtue of being an ASEAN country, the only one to which we are linked by land and sea. Therefore, it serves us as a link to South East Asia and for these reasons it is a country to which India attaches importance from the strategic perspective, from an economic perspective and from the cultural perspective given our cultural linkages and diaspora present in Myanmar." During the visit, the President and the first lady will be hosted by the President of Myanmar. During his trip, the President Kovind will visit Shwedagon Pagoda, Shri Kali Temple and the Mazaar of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. The President will also meet veterans of the Indian National Army and the surviving members of the INA. Giving more details of the visit, Press Secretary to the President, Ashok Malik said, "It is the second visit after the Vietnam visit. President Kovind will be engaging with the Government and Leadership of Myanmar on a wide variety of issues ranging from connectivity to investment, people to people ties and agriculture." The President will be accompanied by a three-member political delegation comprising Rajan Gohil, Minister of State for Railways; Ramprasad Sharma, Lok Sabha member from Tezpur, Assam, and K Bhavnanda Singh who is a Rajya Sabha member from Manipur. The delegation comprises parliamentarians from North East states and according to the press secretary is a "recognition of the fact that the development of the North East is interlinked with the development of Myanmar." The visit comes even as the Rohingya issue continues to dominate the region's discourse. Hoping that Myanmar Bangladesh will soon implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement, Foreign Secretary said, "The government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and, as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible." Late last year, India signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the Government of Myanmar in Rakhine state to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons. 250 units were planned for the first phase and by virtual means, the President of India will be handing over the first 50 units to the Myanmar side. India won't join Chinese post at Kyaukphyu Connectivity will be a major focus area. Remember, India is building a trilateral highway, which will eventually connect India to Thailand through Myanmar, and Kaladan Multimodal Project that will connect Kolkatta with Sittwe port in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. India is now in the process of floating tenders to appoint a permanent port operator from Myanmar for the port. Efforts are also underway to connect Sittwe port by road to the Myanmar-Mizoram border. Replying to whether India will be keen to link Kaladan project with Chinese port being built at Kyaukphyu, the Foreign Secretary said, "there is no plan to connect Kyaukphyu port to any of our projects as of now." Last month, it was announced that China will be developing the Kyaukphyu deep-sea port in Myanmar. The port is near Sittwe port and the development comes even as China develops ports in other South Asian countries such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

India hopes Myanmar, Bangladesh implement Rohingya repatriation agreement: Foreign Secretary

Fleeing Rohingya Muslims sold ration books to help pay hundreds of dollars to traffickers in order to flee squalid Myanmar camps by boat, only to be stopped at sea and forced back destitute, the refugees told AFP on Friday.

Images of hungry and thirsty refugees huddled on boats have stirred memories of a 2015 crisis, when thousands of fleeing Rohingya were stuck at sea as a trafficking trail south collapsed.

Some 120,000 of the stateless Muslim minority have languished in camps in central Rakhine for six years since a bloody bout of intercommunal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

The end of the monsoon brings more favourable, if still treacherous, sailing conditions for those desperate to escape the camps that are branded as "open-air prisons" by rights groups and where the refugees have little access to work, education or healthcare.

One Rohingya boat this week made it to Aceh on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra but several others have been picked up in Myanmar waters and those on board sent back to the camps.

Journalists are not allowed to enter the camps except on brief government-chaperoned tours, but one young Rohingya in Thechaung camp told AFP by phone how he had sold his food ration book to help pay the 600,000 kyat ($385) fee to traffickers.

He had hoped to reach Malaysia, but after 15 days at sea his boat was seized south of Yangon and authorities sent him and his fellow detainees back to the camps.

"I need to get my ration book back," he said.&nbsp;

"I can only earn 1000 kyat per day on a fishing boat, which isn't enough to eat."

AFP has withheld his identity to protect him.

UN refugee agency spokeswoman Aoife McDonnell said many of the Rohingya had sold or lost all their possessions, including their shelters, to pay people smugglers.

They are in "acute need of support" now they are back in the camps, she said.

'No future here'

A leader in nearby Dapaing camp confirmed that some escapees had paid up to $700 for their places on the flimsy fishing boats, often in the hope of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia.

So far five boatloads are known to have set off from central Rakhine, including the group of 20 men who made it to Aceh.

The four other boats were picked up in Myanmar waters between November 16 and 29 and carried between them a further 356 people, who have since been sent back to the camps.

There have also been rumours of sightings of several other vessels.

But fears that the number could escalate to 2015 levels are for now overstated, said Chris Lewa from the Arakan Project.

The circumstances are "completely different" now, she said, pointing out that the boats are much smaller and the Bangladeshi authorities have also managed to prevent any mass departures from the camps there.

Rakhine State police chief Colonel Kyi Linn told AFP that six traffickers so far have been detained.

"These places are big and we can't control everywhere," he added.

The young Rohingya from Thechaung camp told AFP he was already thinking about how to escape again.&nbsp;

"What is my future here?" he asked. "If I get another chance to go to Malaysia, I will take it."&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Fleeing Rohingya Muslims sold ration books to help pay hundreds of dollars to traffickers in order to flee squalid Myanmar camps by boat, only to be stopped at sea and forced back destitute, the refugees told AFP on Friday.

Fleeing Rohingya Muslims sold ration books to help pay hundreds of dollars to traffickers in order to flee squalid Myanmar camps by boat, only to be stopped at sea and forced back destitute, the refugees told AFP on Friday. Images of hungry and thirsty refugees huddled on boats have stirred memories of a 2015 crisis, when thousands of fleeing Rohingya were stuck at sea as a trafficking trail south collapsed. Some 120,000 of the stateless Muslim minority have languished in camps in central Rakhine for six years since a bloody bout of intercommunal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. The end of the monsoon brings more favourable, if still treacherous, sailing conditions for those desperate to escape the camps that are branded as "open-air prisons" by rights groups and where the refugees have little access to work, education or healthcare. One Rohingya boat this week made it to Aceh on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra but several others have been picked up in Myanmar waters and those on board sent back to the camps. Journalists are not allowed to enter the camps except on brief government-chaperoned tours, but one young Rohingya in Thechaung camp told AFP by phone how he had sold his food ration book to help pay the 600,000 kyat ($385) fee to traffickers. He had hoped to reach Malaysia, but after 15 days at sea his boat was seized south of Yangon and authorities sent him and his fellow detainees back to the camps. "I need to get my ration book back," he said. "I can only earn 1000 kyat per day on a fishing boat, which isn't enough to eat." AFP has withheld his identity to protect him. UN refugee agency spokeswoman Aoife McDonnell said many of the Rohingya had sold or lost all their possessions, including their shelters, to pay people smugglers. They are in "acute need of support" now they are back in the camps, she said. 'No future here' A leader in nearby Dapaing camp confirmed that some escapees had paid up to $700 for their places on the flimsy fishing boats, often in the hope of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia. So far five boatloads are known to have set off from central Rakhine, including the group of 20 men who made it to Aceh. The four other boats were picked up in Myanmar waters between November 16 and 29 and carried between them a further 356 people, who have since been sent back to the camps. There have also been rumours of sightings of several other vessels. But fears that the number could escalate to 2015 levels are for now overstated, said Chris Lewa from the Arakan Project. The circumstances are "completely different" now, she said, pointing out that the boats are much smaller and the Bangladeshi authorities have also managed to prevent any mass departures from the camps there. Rakhine State police chief Colonel Kyi Linn told AFP that six traffickers so far have been detained. "These places are big and we can't control everywhere," he added. The young Rohingya from Thechaung camp told AFP he was already thinking about how to escape again. "What is my future here?" he asked. "If I get another chance to go to Malaysia, I will take it."

Rohingya sent back to Myanmar camps hungry and in debt

As the world was focused on abortive efforts to begin repatriating hundreds of thousands of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-religion-minister-says-rohingya-brainwashed-to-march-on-the-country-181457">Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh</a> to Myanmar last month, hundreds of their fellow Muslims still in Myanmar were boarding boats seeking to escape the country.

Their attempted flight cast the spotlight back on 128,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still living in crowded camps in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes.

The government of Aung San Suu Kyi, under international pressure to address their plight, says it is now closing the camps on the grounds that doing so will help develop and put the labour of camp residents to good use.

But Reuters interviews with more than a dozen residents from five camps and internal United Nations documents show the move simply means building new, more permanent homes next to the camps - rather than allowing them to return to the areas from which they fled - leaving their situation little changed.

Those that have moved into the new accommodation remain under the same severe movement restrictions as before, residents and staff working in the camps say. A network of official checkpoints and threats of violence by local Buddhists prevent Muslims from moving freely in Rakhine. As a result, those sources say, they are cut off from sources of livelihoods and most services, and reliant on humanitarian handouts.

"Yes, we moved to new houses – it's correct to say (the camp is closed)," said Kyaw Aye, a community leader from a camp called Nidin, in central Rakhine. "But we'll never be able to stand on our own feet because we can't go anywhere."

Reuters spoke to displaced Muslims in Rakhine by phone as reporters are denied independent access to the camps.

Myanmar's Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said the government was working with the United Nations on a national strategy to close camps housing people forced out of their homes by violence in Rakhine and elsewhere, known as internally displaced persons or IDPs.

There were no legal restrictions on the movements of displaced people in Rakhine, as long as they accepted a so-called national verification card that also gives them equal access to healthcare and education, he said in a written response to Reuters' questions.

Aid workers and Muslim residents say severe restrictions persist even on those who have accepted the identity card, which most Rohingya reject because they say it treats them as foreigners who have to prove their nationality.

The UN chief in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, warned in a September 24 private note that the government's plan for camp closures "risks further entrenching segregation while denying IDPs many of their fundamental human rights".

Ostby's office declined to comment on the note, but in a written response to Reuters' questions said the UN had been invited to comment on the government's plans for closing camps and was preparing its response.

That response would include recommendations that all displaced people be granted freedom of movement, were involved in planning their resettlement and could return to their homes or another place of their choosing, Ostby said.

MARITIME ESCAPE

Rohingya community leaders say that improving conditions for those still living in Rakhine is one of the keys to persuading the hundreds of thousands sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return.

Some 730,000 fled a military crackdown after attacks by Rohingya militants in August 2017. UN-mandated investigators have said the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the accusations against its troops, who it says engaged in legitimate operations against terrorists.

Refugees baulked at a plan for repatriating them that was supposed to begin in mid-November, arguing that conditions were not right for the return.

Meanwhile, at least three boats, each carrying scores of men, women and children, have departed from Rakhine for Malaysia since monsoon rains abated in October, following the hazardous maritime escape route used for years by Rohingya fleeing what they say is persecution in Myanmar.

"If they are making the choice to go by boat, it's clear proof of the conditions in the IDP camps," said Khin Maung, a Rohingya youth activist in Bangladesh.

He is in touch with fellow Muslims who are "living like prisoners" in the camps in central Rakhine, Khin Maung said. "If they are living like that how can we agree to go back?"

Win Myat Aye, the minister, said Myanmar was working to improve the lives of both the IDPs and potential returnees.

"I assume that the displaced people are leaving with boats because they (have) not fully understood what we arranged for their accommodations, livelihoods and socio-economic development," he said.

"INVESTING IN SEGREGATION"

One camp, among the 18 remaining in Rakhine, lies outside a central Rakhine town of Myebon, which was torn by communal violence in 2012.

The 3,000-strong Muslim community was expelled and put in the camp, known as Taungpaw, on a narrow strip between the now Buddhist-only town and the Bay of Bengal, in what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement.

This year authorities built 200 new houses on rice paddies next to the camp, despite concerns that the area was prone to flooding. They were inundated in early June. In September, the government also built two new buildings set to become Muslim-only schoolhouses.

"This is a sign the Rakhine state government is investing in permanent segregation rather than promoting integration," said a previously unpublished memo dated September 30 and circulated by UN officials setting out the concerns of aid workers operating in the camps. The UN said it did not comment on leaked documents.

Some Muslims in Myebon have Myanmar citizenship and others have accepted national verification cards. They say they still cannot visit the town, where communal tensions have stayed high since the 2012 violence. Rakhine Buddhists have at times blocked aid deliveries to the camp.

"Although they gave people new homes, if there's still no freedom to move, there's still no opportunity to do business," said camp resident Cho Cho, 49.

Aung Thar Kyaw, a leader among the Rakhine Buddhist community in Myebon, said the two communities were too different to live together, labelling Muslims "so aggressive".

"The government already built them new homes so they don't need to enter town," he said.

Lei Lei Aye, an official in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, referred questions about the specific concerns in Taungpaw to Rakhine state government officials, who could not be reached for comment.

"POLICY OF APARTHEID"

Despite the humanitarian community's efforts to convince Myanmar to change course, including by giving technical advice on camp closures, "the only scenario that is unfolding before our eyes is the implementation of a policy of apartheid with the permanent segregation of all Muslims, the vast majority of whom are stateless Rohingya, in central Rakhine," said an internal "discussion note" prepared by the UN's refugee agency in late September, first reported by Frontier Myanmar magazine and reviewed by Reuters.

Win Myat Aye said he was "not concerned" about such warnings because the government was progressing with its camp closure strategy in consultation with UN agencies, non-governmental groups and foreign diplomats.

The UN estimates humanitarian assistance in Rakhine will cost about $145 million next year.

Former residents of Nidin, about 100 km (62 miles) north of Taungpaw, told Reuters their situation had barely improved since state media declared the camp closed in August.

They are unable to return to Kyauktaw, the town where many lived and worked before the 2012 violence.

Tun Wai, a Rakhine Buddhist doctor in Kyauktaw, said Muslims could "go freely outside the town". But if they try to return, he said, "they will be killed".

Soe Lwin, deputy chief of the Kyauktaw police station, said Muslims "can't enter the town", but denied they would meet with violence. "We have the rule of law," he said.

The Muslims now live marooned among rice paddies that do not belong to them. Rohingya fishermen say what they catch barely covers their rental costs as they do not own their equipment.

And with no clean water supply, children have contracted skin rashes from washing in agricultural run-off.

"We can't even support our children because we don't have income," said former camp resident Khin Hla, 43. "Without aid, we would starve."

As the world was focused on abortive efforts to begin repatriating hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar last month, hundreds of their fellow Muslims still in Myanmar were boarding boats seeking to escape the country.

As the world was focused on abortive efforts to begin repatriating hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar last month, hundreds of their fellow Muslims still in Myanmar were boarding boats seeking to escape the country. Their attempted flight cast the spotlight back on 128,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still living in crowded camps in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes. The government of Aung San Suu Kyi, under international pressure to address their plight, says it is now closing the camps on the grounds that doing so will help develop and put the labour of camp residents to good use. But Reuters interviews with more than a dozen residents from five camps and internal United Nations documents show the move simply means building new, more permanent homes next to the camps - rather than allowing them to return to the areas from which they fled - leaving their situation little changed. Those that have moved into the new accommodation remain under the same severe movement restrictions as before, residents and staff working in the camps say. A network of official checkpoints and threats of violence by local Buddhists prevent Muslims from moving freely in Rakhine. As a result, those sources say, they are cut off from sources of livelihoods and most services, and reliant on humanitarian handouts. "Yes, we moved to new houses – it's correct to say (the camp is closed)," said Kyaw Aye, a community leader from a camp called Nidin, in central Rakhine. "But we'll never be able to stand on our own feet because we can't go anywhere." Reuters spoke to displaced Muslims in Rakhine by phone as reporters are denied independent access to the camps. Myanmar's Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye said the government was working with the United Nations on a national strategy to close camps housing people forced out of their homes by violence in Rakhine and elsewhere, known as internally displaced persons or IDPs. There were no legal restrictions on the movements of displaced people in Rakhine, as long as they accepted a so-called national verification card that also gives them equal access to healthcare and education, he said in a written response to Reuters' questions. Aid workers and Muslim residents say severe restrictions persist even on those who have accepted the identity card, which most Rohingya reject because they say it treats them as foreigners who have to prove their nationality. The UN chief in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, warned in a September 24 private note that the government's plan for camp closures "risks further entrenching segregation while denying IDPs many of their fundamental human rights". Ostby's office declined to comment on the note, but in a written response to Reuters' questions said the UN had been invited to comment on the government's plans for closing camps and was preparing its response. That response would include recommendations that all displaced people be granted freedom of movement, were involved in planning their resettlement and could return to their homes or another place of their choosing, Ostby said. MARITIME ESCAPE Rohingya community leaders say that improving conditions for those still living in Rakhine is one of the keys to persuading the hundreds of thousands sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return. Some 730,000 fled a military crackdown after attacks by Rohingya militants in August 2017. UN-mandated investigators have said the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the accusations against its troops, who it says engaged in legitimate operations against terrorists. Refugees baulked at a plan for repatriating them that was supposed to begin in mid-November, arguing that conditions were not right for the return. Meanwhile, at least three boats, each carrying scores of men, women and children, have departed from Rakhine for Malaysia since monsoon rains abated in October, following the hazardous maritime escape route used for years by Rohingya fleeing what they say is persecution in Myanmar. "If they are making the choice to go by boat, it's clear proof of the conditions in the IDP camps," said Khin Maung, a Rohingya youth activist in Bangladesh. He is in touch with fellow Muslims who are "living like prisoners" in the camps in central Rakhine, Khin Maung said. "If they are living like that how can we agree to go back?" Win Myat Aye, the minister, said Myanmar was working to improve the lives of both the IDPs and potential returnees. "I assume that the displaced people are leaving with boats because they (have) not fully understood what we arranged for their accommodations, livelihoods and socio-economic development," he said. "INVESTING IN SEGREGATION" One camp, among the 18 remaining in Rakhine, lies outside a central Rakhine town of Myebon, which was torn by communal violence in 2012. The 3,000-strong Muslim community was expelled and put in the camp, known as Taungpaw, on a narrow strip between the now Buddhist-only town and the Bay of Bengal, in what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. This year authorities built 200 new houses on rice paddies next to the camp, despite concerns that the area was prone to flooding. They were inundated in early June. In September, the government also built two new buildings set to become Muslim-only schoolhouses. "This is a sign the Rakhine state government is investing in permanent segregation rather than promoting integration," said a previously unpublished memo dated September 30 and circulated by UN officials setting out the concerns of aid workers operating in the camps. The UN said it did not comment on leaked documents. Some Muslims in Myebon have Myanmar citizenship and others have accepted national verification cards. They say they still cannot visit the town, where communal tensions have stayed high since the 2012 violence. Rakhine Buddhists have at times blocked aid deliveries to the camp. "Although they gave people new homes, if there's still no freedom to move, there's still no opportunity to do business," said camp resident Cho Cho, 49. Aung Thar Kyaw, a leader among the Rakhine Buddhist community in Myebon, said the two communities were too different to live together, labelling Muslims "so aggressive". "The government already built them new homes so they don't need to enter town," he said. Lei Lei Aye, an official in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, referred questions about the specific concerns in Taungpaw to Rakhine state government officials, who could not be reached for comment. "POLICY OF APARTHEID" Despite the humanitarian community's efforts to convince Myanmar to change course, including by giving technical advice on camp closures, "the only scenario that is unfolding before our eyes is the implementation of a policy of apartheid with the permanent segregation of all Muslims, the vast majority of whom are stateless Rohingya, in central Rakhine," said an internal "discussion note" prepared by the UN's refugee agency in late September, first reported by Frontier Myanmar magazine and reviewed by Reuters. Win Myat Aye said he was "not concerned" about such warnings because the government was progressing with its camp closure strategy in consultation with UN agencies, non-governmental groups and foreign diplomats. The UN estimates humanitarian assistance in Rakhine will cost about $145 million next year. Former residents of Nidin, about 100 km (62 miles) north of Taungpaw, told Reuters their situation had barely improved since state media declared the camp closed in August. They are unable to return to Kyauktaw, the town where many lived and worked before the 2012 violence. Tun Wai, a Rakhine Buddhist doctor in Kyauktaw, said Muslims could "go freely outside the town". But if they try to return, he said, "they will be killed". Soe Lwin, deputy chief of the Kyauktaw police station, said Muslims "can't enter the town", but denied they would meet with violence. "We have the rule of law," he said. The Muslims now live marooned among rice paddies that do not belong to them. Rohingya fishermen say what they catch barely covers their rental costs as they do not own their equipment. And with no clean water supply, children have contracted skin rashes from washing in agricultural run-off. "We can't even support our children because we don't have income," said former camp resident Khin Hla, 43. "Without aid, we would starve."

Myanmar seeks UN help to devise strategy to close refugee camps

Myanmar’s Minister for Religion on Tuesday said<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-faces-refugee-anger-over-term-rohingya-officials-stopped-sharing-family-information-with-myanmar-179577"> Rohingya</a> Muslim refugees living in neighbouring <a href="http://www.wionews.com/bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> are being "brainwashed" into "marching" on the Buddhist-majority nation, amid a diplomatic feud over the fate of the persecuted minority.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state in the wake of a brutal army crackdown last August, UN&nbsp;agencies say, and are now living in crowded Bangladeshi refugee camps.

UN&nbsp;investigators have accused Myanmar soldiers of carrying out mass killings, rapes and burning hundreds of villages with "genocidal intent".

Myanmar denies most of the allegations.

Thura Aung Ko said Bangladesh was "not letting them return", referring to the Rohingya as "Bengalis", a term commonly used in Myanmar to imply that they are recent interlopers from Bangladesh. Rohingya say they are native to Rakhine state.

"If [they] release them, the population will drop," he said in a video shared by NewsWatch, a news website. "And then, they, at the camps, also feed and brainwash Bengali youths to truly march. They will march on Myanmar. The future goal of those overpopulated Bengalis is to march on Myanmar."

Plans to repatriate an initial group of 2,260 Rohingya from the camps last month were scuppered after none of the refugees agreed to go back, saying they wanted guarantees of safety and citizenship.

Thura Aung Ko, a former general who was appointed to the cabinet by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she came to power in 2016, was expanding on comments he made at the funeral of a prominent monk last week. On November 27, he expounded on birth rates among members of an unnamed "extreme religion" and the threat it posed to Buddhism in Myanmar.

"While we Buddhists practise monogamy and have only one or two children, an extreme religion encourages to have three or four wives and give birth to 15 to 20 children," he said in a video published by Radio Free Asia. "After three, four, five decades in this Buddhist country, the Buddhist community will certainly become the minority."

On Tuesday, he clarified: "In fact, ‘other religion’ means Bengalis."

San Aung, the chairman of an Islamic society based in Yangon, told Reuters by phone the comments were "very sad".

Myanmar’s Minister for Religion on Tuesday said Rohingya Muslim refugees living in neighbouring Bangladesh are being "brainwashed" into "marching" on the Buddhist-majority nation, amid a diplomatic feud over the fate of the persecuted minority.

Myanmar’s Minister for Religion on Tuesday said Rohingya Muslim refugees living in neighbouring Bangladesh are being "brainwashed" into "marching" on the Buddhist-majority nation, amid a diplomatic feud over the fate of the persecuted minority. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar’s Rakhine state in the wake of a brutal army crackdown last August, UN agencies say, and are now living in crowded Bangladeshi refugee camps. UN investigators have accused Myanmar soldiers of carrying out mass killings, rapes and burning hundreds of villages with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies most of the allegations. Thura Aung Ko said Bangladesh was "not letting them return", referring to the Rohingya as "Bengalis", a term commonly used in Myanmar to imply that they are recent interlopers from Bangladesh. Rohingya say they are native to Rakhine state. "If [they] release them, the population will drop," he said in a video shared by NewsWatch, a news website. "And then, they, at the camps, also feed and brainwash Bengali youths to truly march. They will march on Myanmar. The future goal of those overpopulated Bengalis is to march on Myanmar." Plans to repatriate an initial group of 2,260 Rohingya from the camps last month were scuppered after none of the refugees agreed to go back, saying they wanted guarantees of safety and citizenship. Thura Aung Ko, a former general who was appointed to the cabinet by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she came to power in 2016, was expanding on comments he made at the funeral of a prominent monk last week. On November 27, he expounded on birth rates among members of an unnamed "extreme religion" and the threat it posed to Buddhism in Myanmar. "While we Buddhists practise monogamy and have only one or two children, an extreme religion encourages to have three or four wives and give birth to 15 to 20 children," he said in a video published by Radio Free Asia. "After three, four, five decades in this Buddhist country, the Buddhist community will certainly become the minority." On Tuesday, he clarified: "In fact, ‘other religion’ means Bengalis." San Aung, the chairman of an Islamic society based in Yangon, told Reuters by phone the comments were "very sad".

Myanmar religion minister says Rohingya 'brainwashed' to 'march' on country

A boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya migrants landed in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-to-give-first-report-on-deadly-lion-air-crash-on-wednesday-179761"> Indonesia </a>Tuesday, authorities said, the latest group of the vulnerable Myanmar minority to reach the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.&nbsp;

They arrived in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-100-prisoners-break-out-of-jail-in-aceh-after-a-riot-180504"> Aceh province</a> on Sumatra island in a rickety wooden boat, according to a local official, who said he thought the men were the persecuted Muslim Rohingya.

"We can't communicate with them because they don't speak Indonesian, Acehnese, or English. So we don't know much about them," said Iswandi, the head of Idi Rayeuk district where they arrived, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

It is not known where the group, aged between around 20 to 40, set off from.

However, in recent weeks authorities in both Myanmar and Bangladesh, where around a million of the Muslim refugees are living in camps, have stopped boats of fleeing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-seizes-boat-carrying-93-fleeing-rohingya-camps-for-malaysia-179696">Rohingya migrants headed mainly for Malaysia.&nbsp;</a>

It has been rare for Rohingya migrants to attempt the sea routes south since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, sparking a crisis across Southeast Asia as large numbers were abandoned at sea.

That year, hundreds of Rohingya came ashore in Aceh, where they were welcomed in the staunchly conservative Islamic province.

But there have been concerns the desperate community might start taking to the high seas again after mainly Buddhist Myanmar launched a new military crackdown last year that forced about 700,000 members of the Muslim minority to flee to Bangladesh.

In April, about 80 Rohingya in a wooden boat landed in Aceh just weeks after dozens more arrived in neighbouring Malaysia.

Indonesia tends to accept asylum seekers but they are usually barred from working and often spend years in immigration centres.

A boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya migrants landed in Indonesia Tuesday, authorities said, the latest group of the vulnerable Myanmar minority to reach the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation.

A boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya migrants landed in Indonesia Tuesday, authorities said, the latest group of the vulnerable Myanmar minority to reach the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation. They arrived in Aceh province on Sumatra island in a rickety wooden boat, according to a local official, who said he thought the men were the persecuted Muslim Rohingya. "We can't communicate with them because they don't speak Indonesian, Acehnese, or English. So we don't know much about them," said Iswandi, the head of Idi Rayeuk district where they arrived, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. It is not known where the group, aged between around 20 to 40, set off from. However, in recent weeks authorities in both Myanmar and Bangladesh, where around a million of the Muslim refugees are living in camps, have stopped boats of fleeing Rohingya migrants headed mainly for Malaysia. It has been rare for Rohingya migrants to attempt the sea routes south since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, sparking a crisis across Southeast Asia as large numbers were abandoned at sea. That year, hundreds of Rohingya came ashore in Aceh, where they were welcomed in the staunchly conservative Islamic province. But there have been concerns the desperate community might start taking to the high seas again after mainly Buddhist Myanmar launched a new military crackdown last year that forced about 700,000 members of the Muslim minority to flee to Bangladesh. In April, about 80 Rohingya in a wooden boat landed in Aceh just weeks after dozens more arrived in neighbouring Malaysia. Indonesia tends to accept asylum seekers but they are usually barred from working and often spend years in immigration centres.

Rohingya migrant boat lands in Indonesia: Official

A Bangladeshi diplomat Saturday stressed the need for international help to overcome the Rohingya refugee crisis in the country and said being the largest nation in South Asia, India had a huge role to play in building trust in the region.

Shahanaj Akhter Ranu, the political counsellor of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in the city, said political stability was necessary for economic growth and the non-state refugee issue was having an impact on the neighbouring country.

"We need international help and cooperation to repatriate the Rohingya people to their homeland," she said at the MCCI Logistics Forum.

India had more responsibility in building trust in the region, being the largest country in South Asia, Ranu added.

Bangladesh had in the past also sought India's support in handling the Rohingya issue by mounting pressure on Myanmar to take back the refugees who had taken shelter in the country.

According to the United Nations (UN), nearly seven lakh Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August 2017.

Bangladesh has accused the Myanmar government of failing to tackle the concerns over the Rohingya Muslims who fled the country and urged the UN Security Council to take action to ensure their safe return home.

Ranu also called for a faster implementation of the BBIN MVA (The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement) for a greater economic growth in the region.

Bangladesh, India and Nepal have already given their nod to the operating procedures for the movement of passenger vehicles in the sub-region.&nbsp;

A Bangladeshi diplomat Saturday stressed the need for international help to overcome the Rohingya refugee crisis in the country and said being the largest nation in South Asia, India had a huge role to play in building trust in the region.

A Bangladeshi diplomat Saturday stressed the need for international help to overcome the Rohingya refugee crisis in the country and said being the largest nation in South Asia, India had a huge role to play in building trust in the region. Shahanaj Akhter Ranu, the political counsellor of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in the city, said political stability was necessary for economic growth and the non-state refugee issue was having an impact on the neighbouring country. "We need international help and cooperation to repatriate the Rohingya people to their homeland," she said at the MCCI Logistics Forum. India had more responsibility in building trust in the region, being the largest country in South Asia, Ranu added. Bangladesh had in the past also sought India's support in handling the Rohingya issue by mounting pressure on Myanmar to take back the refugees who had taken shelter in the country. According to the United Nations (UN), nearly seven lakh Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August 2017. Bangladesh has accused the Myanmar government of failing to tackle the concerns over the Rohingya Muslims who fled the country and urged the UN Security Council to take action to ensure their safe return home. Ranu also called for a faster implementation of the BBIN MVA (The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement) for a greater economic growth in the region. Bangladesh, India and Nepal have already given their nod to the operating procedures for the movement of passenger vehicles in the sub-region.

Rohingya crisis: Bangladesh seeks international support

Myanmar youth activist and television host Thinzar Shun Lei Yi would once have called herself one of Aung San Suu Kyi`s greatest fans. Now, she is one of her most vocal critics.

The 27-year-old belongs to a small but high-profile group of liberal activists, many former die-hard Suu Kyi supporters, who are growing increasingly disillusioned with the administration they voted into power with sky-high hopes three years ago.

"I lost my idol, I`m confused, frustrated and lost," said Thinzar Shun Lei Yi, who hosts an `Under 30` talk show on a popular local website.

"Most of the activists and youths are now thinking: `What is next`, `What will happen?`, `What can we do?` At this stage, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is going her own way and nobody can intervene, and she won`t listen to civil society organisations," she said, using the honorific for women in Myanmar.

While Suu Kyi continues to inspire devotion among many ordinary Burmese, the emergence of a dissenting youth movement – driven by anger over her handling of ethnic minorities, including the Muslim Rohingya, as well as curbs on the media and civil society – presents a new challenge for her administration.

At stake is the future of Myanmar`s transition towards democracy after years of military rule. With a general election looming in 2020, the country`s first civilian government in decades is confronted by growing divisions among activists who once coalesced around her National League for Democracy party.

NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said the party was trying to win over young people, increasing the budget for education and supporting vocational training programmes.

"The youth and the people expected a lot from our government," he said. "We couldn`t live up to their expectations, we admit. But we are doing our best." 
Suu Kyi took power in 2016 after a landslide election win, vowing to continue democratic reforms and end the country`s long-running civil wars.

Since then, the administration has come under pressure over its response to a military crackdown against the Rohingya minority that the United Nations has described as "ethnic cleansing" with "genocidal intent", as well as faltering peace talks with ethnic armed groups and a stagnating economy.

FREE SPEECH

Activists say the civilian government has also become increasingly authoritarian, failing to use its overwhelming parliamentary majority to scrap colonial-era laws used to stifle dissent, while tightening restrictions on civil society.&nbsp;

In recent months, they have staged several protests, including an anti-war march in the commercial capital of Yangon in May that ended in scuffles. A total of 17 people were charged with unlawful protest, including Thinzar Shun Lei Yi. Their trial is ongoing.

"Sensitive issues are banned, and protesters arrested and beaten," she said. "The National League of Democracy, the party using the name of democracy, must respect democracy and human rights."

According to free speech organisation Athan, which means `Voice` in Burmese, 44 journalists and 142 activists have faced trial since the Suu Kyi government took power.

The group`s founder, poet and activist Maung Saung Kha, is one of them. He was also among the protesters charged alongside Thinzar Shun Lei Yi in May. Four months later, in September, they both helped organise another demonstration, this time for free speech.&nbsp;

Facing the crowd, Maung Saung Kha – who is still an NLD member – donned the orange shirt traditionally worn by his party`s lawmakers and draped a green jacket resembling military garb over it. Armed with a copy of the state-run daily newspaper The Mirror, he began beating journalists gathered nearby.&nbsp;

"The government has failed to use its power to protect people`s rights," he told Reuters.&nbsp;

Myo Nyunt, the party spokesman, said the government was cooperating with non-governmental organisations, but their activities needed to be examined case-by-case.

"If it is not related to security or not a divisive issue among ethnics, we accept them," he said. "We are going forward to democracy so we acknowledge the role of NGOs, but we have concerns that NGOs are being influenced by sponsors instead of being independent."

"ACKNOWLEDGE ROHINGYA"

While she has no control over the military, Suu Kyi has faced international criticism for failing to defend the Rohingya, more than 730,000 of whom fled a sweeping army cracking in western Rakhine state in 2017, according to UN agencies. The crackdown was launched in response to insurgent Rohingya attacks on security forces.

Myanmar denies almost all the allegations of atrocities made by refugees, saying the army was carrying out a legitimate campaign against terrorists. 
While many among Myanmar`s Buddhist majority revile the Rohingya, the young activists offer a rare sympathetic voice.

"We acknowledge Rohingya. We totally denounce the fact that they are referred to as `Bengali`," said Maung Saung Kha, referring to a term commonly used in Myanmar to imply the Rohingya are interlopers from Bangladesh, despite a long history in the country.

"We haven`t seen any acknowledgement or punishment for the things that happened," he said. "The refugees will not come back as long as these people think of them as less than humans, and that it is not a crime to kill them."

Khin Sandar, another young activist facing unlawful protest charges, spent months campaigning for the NLD ahead of the 2015 election but lost faith in Suu Kyi over her handling of the Rakhine crisis.&nbsp;

Her family was affected in a wave of communal violence in 2012, when not only Rohingya but members of the Kaman Muslim minority, who also face discrimination but unlike the Rohingya are considered Myanmar citizens, were driven from their homes. They live in crowded internal displacement camps outside the Rakhine state capital Sittwe and are subjected to severe restrictions on movement.

In a speech after last year`s violence, Suu Kyi said all residents of Rakhine "have access to education and healthcare services without discrimination". 
"My own nephew and nieces are still living in the Sittwe camps and they don`t have those rights," said Khin Sandar. "I was shocked. How can she say that in her speech?" Afterwards, she said, she quit her job as researcher for an NLD lawmaker.

While the youth activists represent only a small segment of Myanmar society they are increasingly influential in the grassroots activism scene, while their protests and public comments have attracted significant attention from media and from their vast social media followings.

Mostly in their 20s and 30s, they highlight the gulf between Myanmar`s young population – the median age is 27 – and its ageing leadership, comprised of mostly men in their 60s and 70s.

"Myanmar is a very conservative country, these young people, especially from Yangon, are now challenging that," said Myat Thu, a political analyst from the Yangon School of Political Science.

"In order to have a revolution of ideas, not many people need to know. They will spread it gradually."

Myanmar youth activist and television host Thinzar Shun Lei Yi would once have called herself one of Aung San Suu Kyi`s greatest fans. Now, she is one of her most vocal critics.

Myanmar youth activist and television host Thinzar Shun Lei Yi would once have called herself one of Aung San Suu Kyi`s greatest fans. Now, she is one of her most vocal critics. The 27-year-old belongs to a small but high-profile group of liberal activists, many former die-hard Suu Kyi supporters, who are growing increasingly disillusioned with the administration they voted into power with sky-high hopes three years ago. "I lost my idol, I`m confused, frustrated and lost," said Thinzar Shun Lei Yi, who hosts an `Under 30` talk show on a popular local website. "Most of the activists and youths are now thinking: `What is next`, `What will happen?`, `What can we do?` At this stage, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is going her own way and nobody can intervene, and she won`t listen to civil society organisations," she said, using the honorific for women in Myanmar. While Suu Kyi continues to inspire devotion among many ordinary Burmese, the emergence of a dissenting youth movement – driven by anger over her handling of ethnic minorities, including the Muslim Rohingya, as well as curbs on the media and civil society – presents a new challenge for her administration. At stake is the future of Myanmar`s transition towards democracy after years of military rule. With a general election looming in 2020, the country`s first civilian government in decades is confronted by growing divisions among activists who once coalesced around her National League for Democracy party. NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said the party was trying to win over young people, increasing the budget for education and supporting vocational training programmes. "The youth and the people expected a lot from our government," he said. "We couldn`t live up to their expectations, we admit. But we are doing our best." Suu Kyi took power in 2016 after a landslide election win, vowing to continue democratic reforms and end the country`s long-running civil wars. Since then, the administration has come under pressure over its response to a military crackdown against the Rohingya minority that the United Nations has described as "ethnic cleansing" with "genocidal intent", as well as faltering peace talks with ethnic armed groups and a stagnating economy. FREE SPEECH Activists say the civilian government has also become increasingly authoritarian, failing to use its overwhelming parliamentary majority to scrap colonial-era laws used to stifle dissent, while tightening restrictions on civil society. In recent months, they have staged several protests, including an anti-war march in the commercial capital of Yangon in May that ended in scuffles. A total of 17 people were charged with unlawful protest, including Thinzar Shun Lei Yi. Their trial is ongoing. "Sensitive issues are banned, and protesters arrested and beaten," she said. "The National League of Democracy, the party using the name of democracy, must respect democracy and human rights." According to free speech organisation Athan, which means `Voice` in Burmese, 44 journalists and 142 activists have faced trial since the Suu Kyi government took power. The group`s founder, poet and activist Maung Saung Kha, is one of them. He was also among the protesters charged alongside Thinzar Shun Lei Yi in May. Four months later, in September, they both helped organise another demonstration, this time for free speech. Facing the crowd, Maung Saung Kha – who is still an NLD member – donned the orange shirt traditionally worn by his party`s lawmakers and draped a green jacket resembling military garb over it. Armed with a copy of the state-run daily newspaper The Mirror, he began beating journalists gathered nearby. "The government has failed to use its power to protect people`s rights," he told Reuters. Myo Nyunt, the party spokesman, said the government was cooperating with non-governmental organisations, but their activities needed to be examined case-by-case. "If it is not related to security or not a divisive issue among ethnics, we accept them," he said. "We are going forward to democracy so we acknowledge the role of NGOs, but we have concerns that NGOs are being influenced by sponsors instead of being independent." "ACKNOWLEDGE ROHINGYA" While she has no control over the military, Suu Kyi has faced international criticism for failing to defend the Rohingya, more than 730,000 of whom fled a sweeping army cracking in western Rakhine state in 2017, according to UN agencies. The crackdown was launched in response to insurgent Rohingya attacks on security forces. Myanmar denies almost all the allegations of atrocities made by refugees, saying the army was carrying out a legitimate campaign against terrorists. While many among Myanmar`s Buddhist majority revile the Rohingya, the young activists offer a rare sympathetic voice. "We acknowledge Rohingya. We totally denounce the fact that they are referred to as `Bengali`," said Maung Saung Kha, referring to a term commonly used in Myanmar to imply the Rohingya are interlopers from Bangladesh, despite a long history in the country. "We haven`t seen any acknowledgement or punishment for the things that happened," he said. "The refugees will not come back as long as these people think of them as less than humans, and that it is not a crime to kill them." Khin Sandar, another young activist facing unlawful protest charges, spent months campaigning for the NLD ahead of the 2015 election but lost faith in Suu Kyi over her handling of the Rakhine crisis. Her family was affected in a wave of communal violence in 2012, when not only Rohingya but members of the Kaman Muslim minority, who also face discrimination but unlike the Rohingya are considered Myanmar citizens, were driven from their homes. They live in crowded internal displacement camps outside the Rakhine state capital Sittwe and are subjected to severe restrictions on movement. In a speech after last year`s violence, Suu Kyi said all residents of Rakhine "have access to education and healthcare services without discrimination". "My own nephew and nieces are still living in the Sittwe camps and they don`t have those rights," said Khin Sandar. "I was shocked. How can she say that in her speech?" Afterwards, she said, she quit her job as researcher for an NLD lawmaker. While the youth activists represent only a small segment of Myanmar society they are increasingly influential in the grassroots activism scene, while their protests and public comments have attracted significant attention from media and from their vast social media followings. Mostly in their 20s and 30s, they highlight the gulf between Myanmar`s young population – the median age is 27 – and its ageing leadership, comprised of mostly men in their 60s and 70s. "Myanmar is a very conservative country, these young people, especially from Yangon, are now challenging that," said Myat Thu, a political analyst from the Yangon School of Political Science. "In order to have a revolution of ideas, not many people need to know. They will spread it gradually."

Lost idol: New wave of Myanmar youth activists look beyond Suu Kyi

A human rights law group contracted by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed - even though the US government stopped short of saying so.

A report due to be released on Monday by the Washington-based Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) will also say there was a reasonable basis to conclude that the Myanmar military committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as genocide.

A US State Department report released in September, which relied on PILPG research, found that Myanmar's military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya.

But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that US officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report's rollout for nearly a month.

A declaration of genocide by the US government, which has only gone as far as labeling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment.

In an advisory on Thursday announcing the planned release of the legal analysis of its investigation, PILPG said it would reveal that "there is a reasonable basis to conclude that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide were committed against the Rohingya population."

PILPG based its report on more than 1,000 interviews with Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. The group said its mission was conducted in March and April "to provide an accurate accounting of the patterns of abuse and atrocity crimes."

The September State Department report was released in low-key fashion nearly a month after UN investigators issued a report accusing Myanmar’s military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the country’s commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

State Department officials have said the objective of the US government investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts," and it would be up to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to make a "legal" designation in the future.

Pompeo has urged Myanmar's government to investigate abuses against the Rohingya and hold accountable members of its security forces and others who were responsible.

A top State Department official said in September those responsible could be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity.

The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

A human rights law group contracted by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed - even though the US government stopped short of saying so.

A human rights law group contracted by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed - even though the US government stopped short of saying so. A report due to be released on Monday by the Washington-based Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) will also say there was a reasonable basis to conclude that the Myanmar military committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as genocide. A US State Department report released in September, which relied on PILPG research, found that Myanmar's military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya. But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that US officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report's rollout for nearly a month. A declaration of genocide by the US government, which has only gone as far as labeling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment. In an advisory on Thursday announcing the planned release of the legal analysis of its investigation, PILPG said it would reveal that "there is a reasonable basis to conclude that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide were committed against the Rohingya population." PILPG based its report on more than 1,000 interviews with Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. The group said its mission was conducted in March and April "to provide an accurate accounting of the patterns of abuse and atrocity crimes." The September State Department report was released in low-key fashion nearly a month after UN investigators issued a report accusing Myanmar’s military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the country’s commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. State Department officials have said the objective of the US government investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts," and it would be up to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to make a "legal" designation in the future. Pompeo has urged Myanmar's government to investigate abuses against the Rohingya and hold accountable members of its security forces and others who were responsible. A top State Department official said in September those responsible could be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity. The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

Law group that helped US probe says Rohingyas victims of genocide

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