A Myanmar government minister will visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials said, a rare trip Dhaka hopes will help speed the return home of hundreds of thousands of the neighbouring nation's Muslim minority.

Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, will speak with some of the roughly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims the United Nations and aid groups say fled a military crackdown in their Buddhist-majority country since last August.

"So many people of his country are here and it's their moral obligation to see their conditions," Mohammed Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, told Reuters.

"His country may want to show the global leaders that they are sincere to repatriate. Bangladesh expects to resolve the problem soonest, as it is a huge burden for this country, which we cannot bear."

The Myanmar minister confirmed to Reuters last week that he was visiting Bangladesh.

Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets that are unlikely to withstand heavy rains and storms brought by the monsoon season when it starts in June.

A Bangladesh foreign ministry official said his country wanted to show the visiting minister the challenges it was facing in hosting the refugees in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar.

Win Myat Aye, the minister charged by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi with leading rehabilitation efforts in the country's Rakhine State that the Rohingya call home, is likely to meet Bangladesh's foreign minister on Thursday, said the official, who declined to be identified, citing government policy.

Myanmar has said it has already verified several hundred Rohingya refugees for possible repatriation.

The Rohingya exodus followed reported killings, burnings, looting and rape in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces. Myanmar, which considers most Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has denied the accusations.

Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live

A Myanmar government minister will visit Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday, officials said, a rare trip Dhaka hopes will help speed the return home of hundreds of thousands of the neighbouring nation's Muslim minority. Win Myat Aye, Myanmar's minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement, will speak with some of the roughly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims the United Nations and aid groups say fled a military crackdown in their Buddhist-majority country since last August. "So many people of his country are here and it's their moral obligation to see their conditions," Mohammed Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's refugee relief and rehabilitation commissioner, told Reuters. "His country may want to show the global leaders that they are sincere to repatriate. Bangladesh expects to resolve the problem soonest, as it is a huge burden for this country, which we cannot bear." The Myanmar minister confirmed to Reuters last week that he was visiting Bangladesh. Kalam will accompany Win Myat Aye on the visit to the camps in Kutupalong, where many refugees live in shacks made of bamboo and plastic sheets that are unlikely to withstand heavy rains and storms brought by the monsoon season when it starts in June. A Bangladesh foreign ministry official said his country wanted to show the visiting minister the challenges it was facing in hosting the refugees in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, bordering Myanmar. Win Myat Aye, the minister charged by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi with leading rehabilitation efforts in the country's Rakhine State that the Rohingya call home, is likely to meet Bangladesh's foreign minister on Thursday, said the official, who declined to be identified, citing government policy. Myanmar has said it has already verified several hundred Rohingya refugees for possible repatriation. The Rohingya exodus followed reported killings, burnings, looting and rape in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces. Myanmar, which considers most Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Muslim-majority Bangladesh, has denied the accusations.

Myanmar minister to visit Rohingya camps as Bangladesh seeks refugees' return

Rohingya refugees living in India are waiting in hope of positive verdict as Supreme Court will take up the Deportation of Rohingya case for final disposal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case.

Last year in August, Central government announced to deport Rohingya refugees who migrated to India after escaping from Myanmar following the&nbsp;violence and discrimination against the community.

According to reports over 40,000 refugees have moved to India and got settled in areas of Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

The center stated that refugees moving to India would create a threat to the country's security as seeing the rise of terrorism in last&nbsp;decade, illegal migrants living in the country are more prone to recruitment by terrorist organisation.&nbsp;

After the center's case, a batch of petitions was filed by several Rohingya migrants challenging&nbsp;center.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093">Also read: Myanmar not ready for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093">return</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-not-ready-for-return-of-rohingya-refugees-un-official-129093"> of Rohingya refugees says UN official</a>

Advocate Prashant Bhushan is fighting Rohingya case in the court who has argued that Rohingya migrants should also be allowed to stay in India on the same terms as Sri Lankan refugees live in the country.

There were also reports alleging that Rohingya migrants are being denied services like healthcare and education. 
&nbsp; 
Advocate Tushar Mehta is representing center against the petitioners.

Meanwhile, the Centre has also questioned the credentials of the petitioners seeking to block the deportation saying that the genesis of the PILs threatens to change the country's demography and destabilise it.

More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year.

The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Rakhine state, amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'.&nbsp;

Also read: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-un-security-council-to-visit-myanmar-bangladesh-this-month--127974">UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month</a>

(With inputs from ANI)

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case

Rohingya refugees living in India are waiting in hope of positive verdict as Supreme Court will take up the Deportation of Rohingya case for final disposal. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra will hear the case. Last year in August, Central government announced to deport Rohingya refugees who migrated to India after escaping from Myanmar following the violence and discrimination against the community. According to reports over 40,000 refugees have moved to India and got settled in areas of Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The center stated that refugees moving to India would create a threat to the country's security as seeing the rise of terrorism in last decade, illegal migrants living in the country are more prone to recruitment by terrorist organisation. After the center's case, a batch of petitions was filed by several Rohingya migrants challenging center. Also read: Myanmar not ready for return of Rohingya refugees says UN official Advocate Prashant Bhushan is fighting Rohingya case in the court who has argued that Rohingya migrants should also be allowed to stay in India on the same terms as Sri Lankan refugees live in the country. There were also reports alleging that Rohingya migrants are being denied services like healthcare and education. Advocate Tushar Mehta is representing center against the petitioners. Meanwhile, the Centre has also questioned the credentials of the petitioners seeking to block the deportation saying that the genesis of the PILs threatens to change the country's demography and destabilise it. More than 600,000 refugees are languishing in Bangladeshi refugee camps after fleeing a brutal Myanmar army campaign launched in August last year. The United Nations had said the scorched-earth operation, which has left hundreds of villages burned to ash in Rakhine state, amounts to 'ethnic cleansing'. Also read: UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, Bangladesh this month (With inputs from ANI)

Supreme Court verdict on Rohingya case likely today

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre for a comprehensive data on the number of Rohingya refugees staying in Haryana's Mewat and Faridabad camps. The apex court also demanded information on the amenities being provided to the refugees.&nbsp;

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the central government to file the status report on the three camps, located at Mewat, Faridabad and Delhi.

The central government is required to submit a comprehensive report on the same within four weeks. The case will be heard again on May 9.

Rohingya refugees in India had alleged that they were not provided with some of the basic amenities like clean toilets, safe drinking water. among others. Many living in the camps were reported to have suffered from diarrhoea.

In its March 19 directive, the apex court had declined to grant any interim relief to Rohingya refugees and noted that no interim order, with regard to ensuring the health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugee camps, will be passed unless materials contradicting the Centre's claims are produced.

Rohingyas in India, who fled after violence in the Western Rakhine state of Myanmar, are settled across states like Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The central government is required to submit a comprehensive report on the same within four weeks

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre for a comprehensive data on the number of Rohingya refugees staying in Haryana's Mewat and Faridabad camps. The apex court also demanded information on the amenities being provided to the refugees. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the central government to file the status report on the three camps, located at Mewat, Faridabad and Delhi. The central government is required to submit a comprehensive report on the same within four weeks. The case will be heard again on May 9. Rohingya refugees in India had alleged that they were not provided with some of the basic amenities like clean toilets, safe drinking water. among others. Many living in the camps were reported to have suffered from diarrhoea. In its March 19 directive, the apex court had declined to grant any interim relief to Rohingya refugees and noted that no interim order, with regard to ensuring the health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugee camps, will be passed unless materials contradicting the Centre's claims are produced. Rohingyas in India, who fled after violence in the Western Rakhine state of Myanmar, are settled across states like Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. (With inputs from ANI)

Rohingya case: Supreme Court demands details of refugee camps in Delhi, Haryana

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-bandh-protests-death-tolls-rises-to-6-as-violence-sweeps-across-india-127878">Bharat Bandh protests: Death tolls rises to 6 as violence sweeps across India</a>

Four persons were killed and several others, including policemen, sustained injuries in violent protests in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/bharat-bandh-protest-heart-of-delhi-comes-to-standstill-arteries-blocked-127883">Bharat Bandh protest: Heart of Delhi comes to standstill, arteries blocked</a>

Traffic came to a standstill in the National capital's Connaught place during the "Bharat bandh" protest on Monday.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/deepika-padukone-ranveer-singh-to-get-married-by-the-year-end-127861">Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh to get married by the year-end?</a>

There has been a lot of&nbspspeculation&nbsparound Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's wedding for the past few months. Latest news reports suggest that the two will be tying the knot by&nbspthe end of the year.&nbsp

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-lures-bangladesh-buddhists-to-take-over-rohingya-land-officials-127894">Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials</a>

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday.

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-12-civilians-including-seven-children-127891">Saudi-led </a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-12-civilians-including-seven-children-127891">air strike</a><a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/saudi-led-air-strike-kills-12-civilians-including-seven-children-127891"> kills 12 civilians, including seven children</a>

An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen killed 12 civilians, including seven children, in the costal city of Hodeidah on Monday, medics and a witness said.

Bharat Bandh protests: Death tolls rises to 6 as violence sweeps across India Four persons were killed and several others, including policemen, sustained injuries in violent protests in Madhya Pradesh during the nationwide bandh called today by Dalit outfits against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Bharat Bandh protest: Heart of Delhi comes to standstill, arteries blocked Traffic came to a standstill in the National capital's Connaught place during the "Bharat bandh" protest on Monday. Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh to get married by the year-end? There has been a lot of&nbspspeculation&nbsparound Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's wedding for the past few months. Latest news reports suggest that the two will be tying the knot by&nbspthe end of the year. Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday. Saudi-led air strike kills 12 civilians, including seven children An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen killed 12 civilians, including seven children, in the costal city of Hodeidah on Monday, medics and a witness said.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores, where close to one million refugees live in congested camps.

Police in Bangladesh's southeast said they were investigating after a boat moored at a Thai island with dozens of Rohingya aboard, but were adamant their coast guard would have spotted the vessel.

"The boat didn't leave from Bangladesh," said Afrujul Haq Tutul, deputy police chief in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located.

"But, in light of the news, we are investigating this matter."

The boat, en route to Malaysia where there is a sizeable Rohingya community, stopped at an island off the west coast of Thailand early Sunday due to bad weather.

Thai officials said there were about 56 women, men and children on board and that the Rohingya would continue towards their destination.

Rohingya migrants attempting the boat routes south have been a rare sighting since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, leaving thousands of migrants abandoned in open waters or jungle camps.

Since then successive waves of violence in Myanmar have driven close to 800,000 Rohingya into southern Bangladesh, where they have joined hundreds of thousands who fled previous bouts of persecution.

Those who fled an army crackdown described by UN and US officials as ethnic cleansing arrived to find squalid camps and army blockades preventing them from leaving the immediate area in Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mohammad Abul Kalam, said local authorities had "no such information" about Rohingya trying their luck once again on the open ocean.

"We don't have any such intelligence about anyone leaving Bangladeshi shores for Malaysia by boat," he said.

A senior coast guard official said it was "impossible" that a captain would be able to evade patrols, which have been stepped up in recent months to combat drug trafficking and prevent people smuggling.

"They (boats) are not allowed to go out. It would be very hard to sneak out of our coastal patrol. I don't think these people sailed away from here," coast guard spokesman Abdullah Al Maruf.

Many of the Rohingya ensnared in the 2015 boat crisis wound up in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia as Thailand stuck to a policy of not accepting the vessels.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores

Bangladesh officials said Monday a fishing boat carrying Rohingya Muslims to Southeast Asia did not set sail from its shores, where close to one million refugees live in congested camps. Police in Bangladesh's southeast said they were investigating after a boat moored at a Thai island with dozens of Rohingya aboard, but were adamant their coast guard would have spotted the vessel. "The boat didn't leave from Bangladesh," said Afrujul Haq Tutul, deputy police chief in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located. "But, in light of the news, we are investigating this matter." The boat, en route to Malaysia where there is a sizeable Rohingya community, stopped at an island off the west coast of Thailand early Sunday due to bad weather. Thai officials said there were about 56 women, men and children on board and that the Rohingya would continue towards their destination. Rohingya migrants attempting the boat routes south have been a rare sighting since Thai authorities clamped down on regional trafficking networks in 2015, leaving thousands of migrants abandoned in open waters or jungle camps. Since then successive waves of violence in Myanmar have driven close to 800,000 Rohingya into southern Bangladesh, where they have joined hundreds of thousands who fled previous bouts of persecution. Those who fled an army crackdown described by UN and US officials as ethnic cleansing arrived to find squalid camps and army blockades preventing them from leaving the immediate area in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mohammad Abul Kalam, said local authorities had "no such information" about Rohingya trying their luck once again on the open ocean. "We don't have any such intelligence about anyone leaving Bangladeshi shores for Malaysia by boat," he said. A senior coast guard official said it was "impossible" that a captain would be able to evade patrols, which have been stepped up in recent months to combat drug trafficking and prevent people smuggling. "They (boats) are not allowed to go out. It would be very hard to sneak out of our coastal patrol. I don't think these people sailed away from here," coast guard spokesman Abdullah Al Maruf. Many of the Rohingya ensnared in the 2015 boat crisis wound up in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia as Thailand stuck to a policy of not accepting the vessels.

Bangladesh denies Rohingya boat docked at Thai island set sail from its shores

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee.

The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told.&nbsp

He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month.&nbsp

The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said.

"They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor."

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing.

An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps.

Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar.&nbsp

"They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told.&nbsp

He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals.

"These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said.&nbsp

Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam.

Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration.

"We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity.

A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash.

Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years.

Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya.

A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar

Myanmar authorities have lured dozens of mainly Buddhist Bangladeshi tribal families to cross the border and resettle on land abandoned by fleeing Muslim Rohingya, officials said Monday. About 50 families from remote hill and forest areas on the Bangladesh side, attracted by offers of free land and food, have moved to Rakhine state in mainly Buddhist Myanmar - the scene of a brutal army crackdown which prompted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee. The families from the ethnic Marma and Mro tribes have left their homes in the Bandarban hill district, local councillor Muing Swi Thwee told. He said 22 families departed from their villages in the Sangu forest reserve last month. The families, mainly Buddhist but with some Christians, were being "lured by Myanmar" to Rakhine where they were given free land, citizenship and free food for five years, Muing Swi Thwee said. "They are going there to fill up the land vacated by the Rohingya who have left Burma (Myanmar). They are extremely poor." Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine for camps in mainly Muslim Bangladesh since Myanmar last August launched a crackdown which US and UN officials have described as ethnic cleansing. An agreement to repatriate Rohingya has yet to see a single refugee returned. Rohingya leaders have said the refugees will not return unless they are allowed back to their villages, many of which have been torched by security forces, rather than to supposedly temporary resettlement camps. Two government officials in the region confirmed the migration, saying up to 55 tribal families had left for Myanmar. "They are being lured by some people in Myanmar in return for free homes, free food for five-seven years. Some families have shifted there after being attracted by these offers," Jahangir Alam, a government district administrator, told. He said some of the tribal groups have family in Rakhine and these relatives are being used to woo the Bangladeshi tribals. "These people have religious and linguistic similarities with Myanmar. Some of their ancestors have settled there in the past," he said. Al Kaiser, another government official, said a tribal man was killed and several family members were injured in a mine blast when they were crossing into Myanmar from the town of Ali Kadam. Officials said they suspect political motives behind the migration. "We think perhaps they (Myanmar) want to make some news using these people, that Buddhists are being tortured and repressed in Bangladesh and that's why they have left the country," said one official on condition of anonymity. A Bangladeshi security officer told AFP that Myanmar had resettled thousands of Buddhists in Rakhine by using a resettlement scheme which offers free food, homes, cows and cash. Muing Swi Thwee said more than 100 tribal families had left his area for Myanmar in the past three years. Observers say Myanmar authorities are carrying out methodical social engineering schemes in northern Rakhine in the absence of many of the Rohingya. A series of development projects, either government and army-sponsored or privately funded, are transforming the area, which the military sees as the frontline of its fight against encroaching Islam.

Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to camps in Bangladesh from Myanmar must be relocated to avoid floods and other dangers from the monsoon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.

About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN.

"The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, adding that the Rohingya were "extremely vulnerable to the monsoon."

Guterres said he had discussed the relocation with Bangladesh`s government and stressed that "higher ground is the best place for this kind of relocation."

The government in Dhaka is continuing talks with UN agencies on where to move the Rohingyas, he said. There have been reports that authorities had proposed moving them to a remote island.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh by a major army crackdown in Myanmar`s Rakhine state since August.

Myanmar authorities say the operation is aimed at rooting out extremists.

About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN

Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who fled to camps in Bangladesh from Myanmar must be relocated to avoid floods and other dangers from the monsoon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. About 150,000 Rohingya are living in flood-prone areas in the crowded camps of Cox`s Bazar and could be exposed to health risks such as cholera during the rainy season, expected to start in June, according to the UN. "The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, adding that the Rohingya were "extremely vulnerable to the monsoon." Guterres said he had discussed the relocation with Bangladesh`s government and stressed that "higher ground is the best place for this kind of relocation." The government in Dhaka is continuing talks with UN agencies on where to move the Rohingyas, he said. There have been reports that authorities had proposed moving them to a remote island. Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into Bangladesh by a major army crackdown in Myanmar`s Rakhine state since August. Myanmar authorities say the operation is aimed at rooting out extremists.

UN in talks with Bangladesh about relocating 150,000 Rohingyas

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/who-appeals-for-contributions-for-health-services-to-rohingya-refugees-127032">WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees</a>

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation.

Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar.

Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin.

"No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea".

The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since.

It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar.

Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state.

Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat.

Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added.

But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed.&nbsp

Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed.

Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November.&nbsp

This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin

A Bangladesh official said Thursday that Myanmar had approved several hundred Rohingya from a list of thousands to return to their homeland, but provided no indication of when the long-delayed process would begin. Also read: WHO appeals for contributions for health services to Rohingya refugees Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to repatriate three-quarters of a million Rohingya but the deal has stalled indefinitely, with each side blaming the other for a lack of preparation. Myanmar has so far approved fewer than 600 names from a list of more than 8,000 refugees provided by Bangladesh. The impoverished South Asian nation is housing nearly a million Rohingya in squalid camps along its southeastern border with Myanmar. Mohammad Abul Kalam, Bangladesh's top official overseeing the repatriation deal, said Myanmar had given no details about when or if the controversial process was expected to begin. "No date has been fixed yet," he told reporters. Asked when the process would begin, Kalam said he had "no idea". The controversial agreement was supposed to start in January but missed the deadline and has dragged since. It has attracted a firestorm of criticism from rights groups concerned that the persecuted Muslim minority will not be safe in Myanmar. Under the agreement, refugees given the green light to return must do so voluntarily but many displaced in Bangladesh have rejected the prospect of returning to Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state. Rohingya have been persecuted in Rakhine for generations and fear the cycle of violence that has driven them into Bangladesh could repeat. Kalam said Bangladesh would send another list of around 10,000 refugees to Myanmar in coming weeks for verification. Officials from each country are due to meet in April to discuss the process, he added. But there is scepticism in Bangladesh, and elsewhere, that repatriation will succeed. Myanmar has long marginalised the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and the key infrastructure required for the huge endeavour is yet to be constructed. Bangladesh and Myanmar had agreed to complete the huge process by November. This month a top Bangladesh cabinet minister, AMA Muhith, said it was unlikely the refugees would ever return, accusing Myanmar of deliberately obstructing the process.

Myanmar clears some Rohingya for return but no date on horizon

Bangladesh is not expecting much help from foreign donors as it forges ahead with plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island, an undertaking that does not yet have a timeline, a state minister said in an interview.

The minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, told on Friday that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones and that it was mulling a formal request for international funds.&nbsp

No refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar would be moved there against their will, he added.&nbsp

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August, and are in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar. Because a repatriation deal between the neighbouring countries has been delayed, Bangladesh aims to prepare new homes on the nearby island, called Bhasan Char, before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains that could come in late April.

"We don't have a timeline because it's a lot of money," Alam said at Bangladesh's United Nations office in New York. "We are so far building it with our own finances. I am not very hopeful about how much funds the international community will be able to raise."

The latest wave of refugees joined about 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest and most crowded countries, who fled previous bouts of violence.&nbsp

A UN coordination branch has separately requested $951 million for immediate relief.&nbsp

Alam pointed to blueprints of construction on the island 30 km (21 miles) from the mainland and said one plan could be to bring potential donors there.&nbsp

He brushed off as "misunderstandings" concerns raised by humanitarian groups such as Amnesty International that the silt island was vulnerable to flooding. "Some people raised concerns about Bhasan Char (but) there is absolutely no reason to be concerned because we are building an embankment," he said.&nbsp

Bangladesh sees the island as a temporary arrangement for refugees but has given conflicting signals on how much freedom they would have to leave once there.&nbsp

Alam said Bangladesh shared the building designs with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which suggested "we engage people, countries and organizations to come help and contribute" to the cost. "We are yet to do it," the minister said. "We haven't decided on that."&nbsp

Mohammed Shahriar Alam told that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones

Bangladesh is not expecting much help from foreign donors as it forges ahead with plans to relocate 100,000 Rohingya refugees to an uninhabited island, an undertaking that does not yet have a timeline, a state minister said in an interview. The minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, told on Friday that Bangladesh was paying the entire roughly $280 million to build homes and fortify the muddy island in the Bay of Bengal from cyclones and that it was mulling a formal request for international funds. No refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar would be moved there against their will, he added. Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border from Myanmar's Rakhine state since August, and are in cramped camps at Cox's Bazar. Because a repatriation deal between the neighbouring countries has been delayed, Bangladesh aims to prepare new homes on the nearby island, called Bhasan Char, before the onset of seasonal monsoon rains that could come in late April. "We don't have a timeline because it's a lot of money," Alam said at Bangladesh's United Nations office in New York. "We are so far building it with our own finances. I am not very hopeful about how much funds the international community will be able to raise." The latest wave of refugees joined about 300,000 Rohingya already in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest and most crowded countries, who fled previous bouts of violence. A UN coordination branch has separately requested $951 million for immediate relief. Alam pointed to blueprints of construction on the island 30 km (21 miles) from the mainland and said one plan could be to bring potential donors there. He brushed off as "misunderstandings" concerns raised by humanitarian groups such as Amnesty International that the silt island was vulnerable to flooding. "Some people raised concerns about Bhasan Char (but) there is absolutely no reason to be concerned because we are building an embankment," he said. Bangladesh sees the island as a temporary arrangement for refugees but has given conflicting signals on how much freedom they would have to leave once there. Alam said Bangladesh shared the building designs with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which suggested "we engage people, countries and organizations to come help and contribute" to the cost. "We are yet to do it," the minister said. "We haven't decided on that."

Bangladesh sees little foreign funds for Rohingya refugee island: State minister

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of "unemployed" refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday.

"We would like to see India play a major role in resolving the refugee crisis," he said, during a media interaction.

"It is our problem today. It might be your problem tomorrow. Because if we keep another thousand Rohingya refugees unemployed in our region, then it will be a threat for you as well," Ali said.

The Rohingya refugee influx into Bangladesh is not a matter of whether something is legal or illegal, he said, adding, "A group of people were driven out of their country and they had to take shelter in our country for their lives."

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown "maximum magnanimity" by letting the Rohingyas come in, he said.

"But she had mentioned quite clearly that this will be a temporary shelter and the solution to the Rohingya issue must be found in Myanmar itself as this is where they have been living for a couple of centuries," Ali said.

There were some agreements for rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees, Ali said.

"India had signed some agreements with Myanmar government and we are trying to put pressure on Myanmar jointly as well as individually for the early repatriation of these Rohingya refugees," he said.

Expressing concern about the possibility of refugees being misled, Ali said, "It is better for all of us for them to remain in their own country instead of falling in the wrong hands."

"If they (Rohingyas) go to the Middle East, I don't know where they will end up, because we have seen ISIS in the past and I am quite concerned that these people should not be found in wrong hands", he said.

On terrorism, Ali said Sheikh Hasina has shown zero tolerance to the menace and has banned several terror outfits. At the moment, there are no terrorist outfits operating from Bangladesh, he added.

Sheikh Hasina has firmly controlled the situation and also handed over some terrorists to Indian authorities, he said.

"India hasn't expressed any security concerns to us," Ali said.

Security agencies of both the countries have checked smuggling of fake currency and drug syndicates, he said.

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of 'unemployed' refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday

Resolving the Rohingya crisis will be in interest of both India and Bangladesh, as the presence of thousands of "unemployed" refugees in the region can be as much a threat to India as to his country, Bangladesh High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali said here on Tuesday. "We would like to see India play a major role in resolving the refugee crisis," he said, during a media interaction. "It is our problem today. It might be your problem tomorrow. Because if we keep another thousand Rohingya refugees unemployed in our region, then it will be a threat for you as well," Ali said. The Rohingya refugee influx into Bangladesh is not a matter of whether something is legal or illegal, he said, adding, "A group of people were driven out of their country and they had to take shelter in our country for their lives." Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has shown "maximum magnanimity" by letting the Rohingyas come in, he said. "But she had mentioned quite clearly that this will be a temporary shelter and the solution to the Rohingya issue must be found in Myanmar itself as this is where they have been living for a couple of centuries," Ali said. There were some agreements for rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees, Ali said. "India had signed some agreements with Myanmar government and we are trying to put pressure on Myanmar jointly as well as individually for the early repatriation of these Rohingya refugees," he said. Expressing concern about the possibility of refugees being misled, Ali said, "It is better for all of us for them to remain in their own country instead of falling in the wrong hands." "If they (Rohingyas) go to the Middle East, I don't know where they will end up, because we have seen ISIS in the past and I am quite concerned that these people should not be found in wrong hands", he said. On terrorism, Ali said Sheikh Hasina has shown zero tolerance to the menace and has banned several terror outfits. At the moment, there are no terrorist outfits operating from Bangladesh, he added. Sheikh Hasina has firmly controlled the situation and also handed over some terrorists to Indian authorities, he said. "India hasn't expressed any security concerns to us," Ali said. Security agencies of both the countries have checked smuggling of fake currency and drug syndicates, he said.

Resolving Rohingya crisis in interest of both India and Bangladesh: Envoy

The Rohingyas are rapidly crossing over from Bangladesh and settling in West Bengal's 24 Parganas districts, home ministry sources said on Tuesday.

The sources, quoting a report sent to the home ministry by intelligence agencies, said that the number of Rohingya migrants in 24 Parganas of West Bengal has surged from 29 to over 100 in just about a month.

The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad. These groups, the report said, are raising funds to carry out this migration.

These groups have held more than 50 meetings on the issue, the report said.&nbsp;

New houses are being constructed in India's eastern state which borders Bangladesh the groups involved in the relocation process are asking the villagers living in 24 Parganas to donate their lands for the purpose of building these houses.

Intelligence agencies have raised concerns in the report saying that efforts are being made by certain agencies to help these Rohingyas gain India's citizenship.

The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad.

The Rohingyas are rapidly crossing over from Bangladesh and settling in West Bengal's 24 Parganas districts, home ministry sources said on Tuesday. The sources, quoting a report sent to the home ministry by intelligence agencies, said that the number of Rohingya migrants in 24 Parganas of West Bengal has surged from 29 to over 100 in just about a month. The report also said that 40 groups have been identified who are helping the Rohingyas to relocate to West Bengal from all other parts of India like Jammu and Hyderabad. These groups, the report said, are raising funds to carry out this migration. These groups have held more than 50 meetings on the issue, the report said. New houses are being constructed in India's eastern state which borders Bangladesh the groups involved in the relocation process are asking the villagers living in 24 Parganas to donate their lands for the purpose of building these houses. Intelligence agencies have raised concerns in the report saying that efforts are being made by certain agencies to help these Rohingyas gain India's citizenship.

Rohingyas gravitate towards West Bengal, more than 100 resettle in a month: Home Ministry report

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox&#39;s Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar&#39;s border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees.

Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes &quot;don&#39;t get any water&quot; despite twice daily supplies.

Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. &quot;They throw stones towards our camps at night,&quot; said Noor Alam.

United Nations&#39; officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing.

The UK&#39;s International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August

Rohingya refugees living in shelters at Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh said on Thursday (March 22) that they were facing aid shortage and harassment from Myanmar's border guards, even as an anticipated monsoon season looms in the horizon, compounding difficulties for the refugees. Work was underway in Kutupalong camps to build additional infrastructure and drains to cope with potential heavy rains and the cyclone season. Aid agencies were ramping up efforts to distribute aid packages, but residents such as Ali Miah said they sometimes "don't get any water" despite twice daily supplies. Elsewhere at the Tunbru border, which separates Bangladesh with neighbouring Myanmar, camp refugees said border guards have been constantly disturbing them. "They throw stones towards our camps at night," said Noor Alam. United Nations' officials said nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since August 2017, after militant attacks sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine state that the UN and United States said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The UK's International Development Committee said the situation for Rohingya would likely worsen, with heavy rains of 2.5 metres predicted to fall from June through August.

Rohingya refugees face aid shortage, harassment ahead of monsoon season in Bangladesh

Two Reuters reporters appeared in a Myanmar court for the 11th time on Wednesday, which marked 100 days since they were arrested in December and accused of possessing secret government papers.

A Yangon court is holding preliminary hearings to decide whether reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will face charges under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

&ldquo;They have been detained in Myanmar since December 12 simply for doing their jobs as journalists,&rdquo; Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J Adler said in a statement.

&ldquo;Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are exemplary individuals and outstanding reporters who are dedicated to their families and their craft. They should be in the newsroom, not in prison. We call on the authorities in Myanmar to release them as soon as possible and allow them to return to their families and their jobs.&rdquo;

Government spokespeople have declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoing court proceedings.

The journalists have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers after being invited to a restaurant by two officers they had not met before.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in western Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state during a military crackdown in August.

The crackdown, which the United Nations has said was ethnic cleansing, has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

After the arrests of the reporters, the military admitted its soldiers took part in the killing.

Senior United Nations officials, western nations and press freedom advocates have called for the release of the journalists.

On Wednesday, diplomats from countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden and the European Union were attending the court hearing in Myanmar&rsquo;s largest city, Yangon.

The Danish embassy, which has closely monitored the case, said the pair had spent &ldquo;100 days behind bars for ensuring the public&rsquo;s right to information&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The embassy of Denmark in Myanmar strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to drop all charges against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and to release them immediately,&rdquo; the embassy said before the hearing.

The two reporters, accused of possessing secret government papers, were arrested in December

Two Reuters reporters appeared in a Myanmar court for the 11th time on Wednesday, which marked 100 days since they were arrested in December and accused of possessing secret government papers. A Yangon court is holding preliminary hearings to decide whether reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, will face charges under the colonial-era Officials Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. “They have been detained in Myanmar since December 12 simply for doing their jobs as journalists,” Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J Adler said in a statement. “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are exemplary individuals and outstanding reporters who are dedicated to their families and their craft. They should be in the newsroom, not in prison. We call on the authorities in Myanmar to release them as soon as possible and allow them to return to their families and their jobs.” Government spokespeople have declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoing court proceedings. The journalists have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers after being invited to a restaurant by two officers they had not met before. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had been investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state during a military crackdown in August. The crackdown, which the United Nations has said was ethnic cleansing, has sent nearly 700,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh. After the arrests of the reporters, the military admitted its soldiers took part in the killing. Senior United Nations officials, western nations and press freedom advocates have called for the release of the journalists. On Wednesday, diplomats from countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden and the European Union were attending the court hearing in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. The Danish embassy, which has closely monitored the case, said the pair had spent “100 days behind bars for ensuring the public’s right to information”. “The embassy of Denmark in Myanmar strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to drop all charges against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and to release them immediately,” the embassy said before the hearing.

Reuters reporters in court 100 days after their arrest in Myanmar

Supreme Court today refused to pass an interim order on ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees in India.

The Centre has told the top court that there has been no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders.

The Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in August last year set up camps in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to put up a status report on the condition of Rohingyas in various states in the country.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are &quot;unhygienic&quot; and &quot;filthiest to say the least&quot;.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are "unhygienic" and "filthiest to say the least".

Supreme Court today refused to pass an interim order on ensuring health and educational facilities for Rohingya refugees in India. The Centre has told the top court that there has been no discrimination in granting health and educational facilities to Indians and outsiders. The Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in August last year set up camps in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The Supreme Court directed the Centre to put up a status report on the condition of Rohingyas in various states in the country. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves had said that conditions at the camps are "unhygienic" and "filthiest to say the least".

File status report on condition of Rohingyas: Supreme Court to Centre

Rohingya holed up in a border &quot;no man&#39;s land&quot; after fleeing Myanmar will only accept repatriation to their home villages, a local leader said today, rejecting any move to transit camps for fear of long-term confinement.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into neighbouring Bangladesh since last August by a major army crackdown -- purportedly intended to &quot;clear&quot; northern Rakhine state of militants from the Muslim minority.

The UN describes it as a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim Rohingya, an allegation staunchly denied by mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

Overwhelmed by the influx, Bangladesh wants Myanmar to take them back and the neighbours agreed to start repatriating refugees in January. But so far no Rohingya have returned.

Since August several thousand of the Rohingya have been living in tents beyond a barbed-wire fence which roughly demarcates the border zone between the two countries, reliant on NGO food handouts.

Myanmar authorities are pressing hard for their return and have increased troop numbers on their side of the fence, accusing Rohingya militants of infiltrating the camp.

But despite the apparent show of force and looming monsoon rains, a camp leader told reporters they would not bow to pressure to return or to move forward into Bangladesh.

&quot;We have no intention to enter Bangladesh. We are not Bengali... We are Myanmar original citizens,&quot; Dil Mohamed, 51, told reporters through barbed wire in an interview in &quot;no man&#39;s land&quot;, during a government-steered trip through the Maungdaw border district.

Dil said the villagers -- who number around 6,000 -- would return to Myanmar only if they are guaranteed safety, compensation for the homes burned down in the army clearance and permission to resettle in their old villages.

&quot;We don&#39;t want to go to the transit camps. We need to go directly to our homes,&quot; he said, referring to sites set up by Myanmar authorities to process returning refugees.

The international Red Cross currently provides supplies to the group, who collect it by crossing a creek and reaching the Bangladesh side.

Fears abound that transit camps and resettlement villages being built for returnees will effectively become long-term detention centres.

More than 120,000 Rohingya are already confined to squalid camps further south in Myanmar following earlier bouts of communal violence, with their movements strictly controlled.

Myanmar denies any plan to hold Rohingya.

&quot;We don&#39;t have any vision or intention to keep them long,&quot; Ye Htut, the administrator of Maungdaw district, told reporters on Saturday as they were chaperoned around northern Rakhine by government minders.

But the repatriation process appears to be in disarray, with the international community saying continuing insecurity precludes a swift return for the refugees.

Myanmar continues to show off new reception centres and camps for refugees who do eventually return as a sign of its apparent good faith over repatriation.

Development schemes led by the army, powerful Myanmar businessmen and donor-funded ethnic Rakhine groups are abundant across the north of Rakhine, the scene of the worst violence.

Critics say the projects are shaped by military and economic priorities and are often cited on commandeered Rohingya land, effectively excluding the minority from the future of the state.

Myanmar brands the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It has systematically dismantled their legal rights and access to basic services in Rakhine, a state where many have lived for generations.&nbsp;

The UN describes it as a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim Rohingya

Rohingya holed up in a border "no man's land" after fleeing Myanmar will only accept repatriation to their home villages, a local leader said today, rejecting any move to transit camps for fear of long-term confinement. Some 700,000 Rohingya have been driven into neighbouring Bangladesh since last August by a major army crackdown -- purportedly intended to "clear" northern Rakhine state of militants from the Muslim minority. The UN describes it as a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim Rohingya, an allegation staunchly denied by mainly Buddhist Myanmar. Overwhelmed by the influx, Bangladesh wants Myanmar to take them back and the neighbours agreed to start repatriating refugees in January. But so far no Rohingya have returned. Since August several thousand of the Rohingya have been living in tents beyond a barbed-wire fence which roughly demarcates the border zone between the two countries, reliant on NGO food handouts. Myanmar authorities are pressing hard for their return and have increased troop numbers on their side of the fence, accusing Rohingya militants of infiltrating the camp. But despite the apparent show of force and looming monsoon rains, a camp leader told reporters they would not bow to pressure to return or to move forward into Bangladesh. "We have no intention to enter Bangladesh. We are not Bengali... We are Myanmar original citizens," Dil Mohamed, 51, told reporters through barbed wire in an interview in "no man's land", during a government-steered trip through the Maungdaw border district. Dil said the villagers -- who number around 6,000 -- would return to Myanmar only if they are guaranteed safety, compensation for the homes burned down in the army clearance and permission to resettle in their old villages. "We don't want to go to the transit camps. We need to go directly to our homes," he said, referring to sites set up by Myanmar authorities to process returning refugees. The international Red Cross currently provides supplies to the group, who collect it by crossing a creek and reaching the Bangladesh side. Fears abound that transit camps and resettlement villages being built for returnees will effectively become long-term detention centres. More than 120,000 Rohingya are already confined to squalid camps further south in Myanmar following earlier bouts of communal violence, with their movements strictly controlled. Myanmar denies any plan to hold Rohingya. "We don't have any vision or intention to keep them long," Ye Htut, the administrator of Maungdaw district, told reporters on Saturday as they were chaperoned around northern Rakhine by government minders. But the repatriation process appears to be in disarray, with the international community saying continuing insecurity precludes a swift return for the refugees. Myanmar continues to show off new reception centres and camps for refugees who do eventually return as a sign of its apparent good faith over repatriation. Development schemes led by the army, powerful Myanmar businessmen and donor-funded ethnic Rakhine groups are abundant across the north of Rakhine, the scene of the worst violence. Critics say the projects are shaped by military and economic priorities and are often cited on commandeered Rohingya land, effectively excluding the minority from the future of the state. Myanmar brands the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. It has systematically dismantled their legal rights and access to basic services in Rakhine, a state where many have lived for generations.

Rohingya in 'no man's land' reject return on Myanmar terms: Camp Chief

Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has immunity from prosecution, Australia&#39;s attorney general said Sunday after a legal bid was launched to hold her responsible for &quot;crimes against humanity&quot;.

A group of five Australian lawyers have filed a private application in the Melbourne Magistrates Court seeking to prosecute her over the treatment of the Muslim-minority Rohingya.

It coincides with the Nobel laureate attending a special summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Sydney.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine state for Bangladesh since authorities launched a brutal crackdown six months ago that the UN has called &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Myanmar has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting it was responding to attacks by Rohingya militants in late August.

Attorney General Christian Porter said Suu Kyi cannot be prosecuted in Australia, nor arrested or detained.

&quot;Aung San Suu Kyi has complete immunity,&quot; he said in a statement.

&quot;This includes from being served with court documents because, under the customary international law, heads of state, heads of government and ministers of foreign affairs are immune from foreign criminal proceedings and are inviolable.&quot;

Suu Kyi has come under intense global criticism for her public silence on the atrocities in Myanmar, which include claims of rape, murder and arson.

The private prosecution alleges she committed crimes against humanity by the deportation and forcible transfer of the Rohingya people.

One of the lawyers involved, Alison Battison, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Porter&#39;s decision was appealable.

&quot;The Attorney General is yet to respond to us, but when he does, we&#39;ll address that then,&quot; she said.

&quot;We wouldn&#39;t have done it if we didn&#39;t think we had a chance ... it&#39;s a textbook example of crimes against humanity.&quot;

Suu Kyi has not commented publicly since arriving in Australia on Saturday for the regional summit but is scheduled to take questions at a media event on Tuesday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak ramped up pressure on her Saturday when he said the Rohingya issue could threaten regional security.

Speaking in Sydney with Suu Kyi sitting just metres away, he warned that many desperate people could fall prey to extremist groups like Islamic State.

&quot;Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter,&quot; he said.

&quot;In addition, the problem should not be looked at through the humanitarian prism only because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region.&quot;

He added that Malaysia was ready to assist in finding &quot;a just and durable solution&quot;, but did not spell out what that might involve.

Suu Kyi is due in Canberra on Monday for bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull before an address to Sydney&#39;s Lowy Institute on Tuesday.

A group of five Australian lawyers have filed a private application in the Melbourne Magistrates Court seeking to prosecute her over the treatment of the Muslim-minority Rohingya

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has immunity from prosecution, Australia's attorney general said Sunday after a legal bid was launched to hold her responsible for "crimes against humanity". A group of five Australian lawyers have filed a private application in the Melbourne Magistrates Court seeking to prosecute her over the treatment of the Muslim-minority Rohingya. It coincides with the Nobel laureate attending a special summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Sydney. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state for Bangladesh since authorities launched a brutal crackdown six months ago that the UN has called "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting it was responding to attacks by Rohingya militants in late August. Attorney General Christian Porter said Suu Kyi cannot be prosecuted in Australia, nor arrested or detained. "Aung San Suu Kyi has complete immunity," he said in a statement. "This includes from being served with court documents because, under the customary international law, heads of state, heads of government and ministers of foreign affairs are immune from foreign criminal proceedings and are inviolable." Suu Kyi has come under intense global criticism for her public silence on the atrocities in Myanmar, which include claims of rape, murder and arson. The private prosecution alleges she committed crimes against humanity by the deportation and forcible transfer of the Rohingya people. One of the lawyers involved, Alison Battison, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Porter's decision was appealable. "The Attorney General is yet to respond to us, but when he does, we'll address that then," she said. "We wouldn't have done it if we didn't think we had a chance ... it's a textbook example of crimes against humanity." Suu Kyi has not commented publicly since arriving in Australia on Saturday for the regional summit but is scheduled to take questions at a media event on Tuesday. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak ramped up pressure on her Saturday when he said the Rohingya issue could threaten regional security. Speaking in Sydney with Suu Kyi sitting just metres away, he warned that many desperate people could fall prey to extremist groups like Islamic State. "Because of the suffering of Rohingya people and that of displacement around the region, the situation in Rakhine state and Myanmar can no longer be considered to be a purely domestic matter," he said. "In addition, the problem should not be looked at through the humanitarian prism only because it has the potential of developing into a serious security threat to the region." He added that Malaysia was ready to assist in finding "a just and durable solution", but did not spell out what that might involve. Suu Kyi is due in Canberra on Monday for bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull before an address to Sydney's Lowy Institute on Tuesday.

Bid to prosecute Aung San Suu Kyi in Australia rejected

A Myanmar official in Rakhine state said today that Rohingya refugees who return will not be held in newly-built camps &quot;forever,&quot; as concerns mount over a vexed repatriation process and efforts to reshape communities in the crisis-hit state.

Ye Htut, the administrator of Maungdaw district, was speaking to reporters on a government-chaperoned trip to northern Rakhine, the site of a military crackdown last August that has emptied the region of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar has been trumpeting its readiness to take back refugees, who are massed across the border in Bangladesh, and built reception centres and transit camps for returnees.

But not a single Rohingya has crossed the border, with the United Nations sounding the alarm that Myanmar must do far more to ensure the safety of a minority that was targeted in an army-led campaign the UN branded &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Rights groups have also raised concerns about how Buddhist-majority Myanmar is reconstructing Rakhine in the Rohingyas&#39; absence, with authorities bulldozing over their burned villages and building new settlements and security posts.

An AFP reporter witnessed a flurry of construction in the region on Saturday, with work crews erecting prefabricated houses along a road leading to Maungdaw town.

Speaking to reporters from his office, Ye Htut insisted that any Rohingya returnees would eventually be resettled close to their original villages after staying in transit camps.

&quot;I can&#39;t ask them to live (at the camps) forever...We don&#39;t have any vision or intention to keep them long,&quot; he said.

The government &quot;will return them back to their native villages or close by,&quot; he added.

But a visit to one of the resettlement sites intended for Rohingya, whom a government official referred to only as Muslims, showed slow progress.

Only three squat houses with concrete and brick foundations had been built in a field covered in churned up dirt and tread marks from heavy machinery.

The site, which lies two hours north of Maungdaw town by car, was chosen for its proximity to the original village, which lay in charred ruins within view.

Myint Khaing, Maungdaw township administrator, said about 100 families were supposed to live in the new site and that it would be completed in two months.

Asked why its construction was not as far along as a settlement 30 minutes away intended for an internally displaced ethnic minority called the Mro, he suggested priority was given to communities that had not fled to Bangladesh.

&quot;They didn&#39;t run away,&quot; he said.

Myanmar has vehemently denied accusations that is trying to erase the Rohingya&#39;s ties to Rakhine, insisting the army crackdown was a targeted assault on Muslim militants.

But the UN and rights groups have pointed to the country&#39;s long history of marginalising and persecuting the Muslim minority, who are denied citizenship and loathed by the Buddhist majority.

More than 100,000 are still languishing in a squalid refugee camp in southern Rakhine state after being displaced by communal violence in 2012.

Yesterday the head of the UN&#39;s refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, said the conditions for the Rohingyas&#39; safe return were not yet in place and that discussions with Myanmar on repatriation &quot;have been pretty basic, not very frequent (and) not very advanced&quot;.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal that was supposed to see repatriation begin in January.

But Myanmar has so far agreed to accept only 374 of 8,000 refugees whose names have been put forward by Dhaka for the initial batch of returnees.

Myanmar has been trumpeting its readiness to take back refugees, who are massed across the border in Bangladesh

A Myanmar official in Rakhine state said today that Rohingya refugees who return will not be held in newly-built camps "forever," as concerns mount over a vexed repatriation process and efforts to reshape communities in the crisis-hit state. Ye Htut, the administrator of Maungdaw district, was speaking to reporters on a government-chaperoned trip to northern Rakhine, the site of a military crackdown last August that has emptied the region of some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar has been trumpeting its readiness to take back refugees, who are massed across the border in Bangladesh, and built reception centres and transit camps for returnees. But not a single Rohingya has crossed the border, with the United Nations sounding the alarm that Myanmar must do far more to ensure the safety of a minority that was targeted in an army-led campaign the UN branded "ethnic cleansing". Rights groups have also raised concerns about how Buddhist-majority Myanmar is reconstructing Rakhine in the Rohingyas' absence, with authorities bulldozing over their burned villages and building new settlements and security posts. An AFP reporter witnessed a flurry of construction in the region on Saturday, with work crews erecting prefabricated houses along a road leading to Maungdaw town. Speaking to reporters from his office, Ye Htut insisted that any Rohingya returnees would eventually be resettled close to their original villages after staying in transit camps. "I can't ask them to live (at the camps) forever...We don't have any vision or intention to keep them long," he said. The government "will return them back to their native villages or close by," he added. But a visit to one of the resettlement sites intended for Rohingya, whom a government official referred to only as Muslims, showed slow progress. Only three squat houses with concrete and brick foundations had been built in a field covered in churned up dirt and tread marks from heavy machinery. The site, which lies two hours north of Maungdaw town by car, was chosen for its proximity to the original village, which lay in charred ruins within view. Myint Khaing, Maungdaw township administrator, said about 100 families were supposed to live in the new site and that it would be completed in two months. Asked why its construction was not as far along as a settlement 30 minutes away intended for an internally displaced ethnic minority called the Mro, he suggested priority was given to communities that had not fled to Bangladesh. "They didn't run away," he said. Myanmar has vehemently denied accusations that is trying to erase the Rohingya's ties to Rakhine, insisting the army crackdown was a targeted assault on Muslim militants. But the UN and rights groups have pointed to the country's long history of marginalising and persecuting the Muslim minority, who are denied citizenship and loathed by the Buddhist majority. More than 100,000 are still languishing in a squalid refugee camp in southern Rakhine state after being displaced by communal violence in 2012. Yesterday the head of the UN's refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, said the conditions for the Rohingyas' safe return were not yet in place and that discussions with Myanmar on repatriation "have been pretty basic, not very frequent (and) not very advanced". Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal that was supposed to see repatriation begin in January. But Myanmar has so far agreed to accept only 374 of 8,000 refugees whose names have been put forward by Dhaka for the initial batch of returnees.

Rohingya returnees won't be kept in camps 'forever': Myanmar official

A quick agreement to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar is looking less and less likely, the U.N. refugee chief said on Friday as he launched an almost $1 billion appeal to support the stateless Muslims in camps in Bangladesh for the rest of 2018.

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The United Nations says 671,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state after militant attacks in August sparked a crackdown led by security forces, which a U.N. investigator said bore &quot;the hallmarks of genocide&quot;.

Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said the Rohingya must be allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar, but returns could only take place voluntarily and if their rights were guaranteed.

&ldquo;The odds are growing against a solution, an early solution anyway, but this is not a reason for me as High Commissioner for Refugees to give up on this issue,&rdquo; he told a news conference.

&quot;We are very mindful of the fact that this situation may take a long time, and therefore we need to plan for this.&quot;

Asked how long the Rohingya might stay in their camps in Bangladesh at the minimum, Grandi said: &ldquo;I wish I knew.&rdquo;

Last year he had visited another part of Myanmar where displaced people had been stuck in camps for six or seven years. He said the Rohingya could not be subjected to the same fate on a much larger scale.

Myint Thu, permanent secretary at Myanmar&#39;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday that a first batch of 374 refugees could be repatriated.

He also said Myanmar now considered it was appropriate to invite UNHCR and the U.N. Development Programme into the repatriation process.

Grandi said he still did not have agreement for UNHCR&#39;s involvement, which he said was &quot;crucial, essential and indispensable&quot;.

&quot;The discussions with Myanmar have been pretty basic, not very frequent, not very advanced, but they have continued. This is the way it goes in this situation. It&rsquo;s very difficult,&rdquo; Grandi said.

The government does not recognise the Rohingya as citizens, and Grandi said their rights needed to be established, including citizenship, freedom of movement and access to services.

But first of all the violence had to stop. Although movements into Bangladesh have decreased massively since the flood late last year, they continue to come in smaller numbers, suggesting the situation has still not stabilised, he said.

He also said that other governments should only invest in development projects in Rakhine if they ensured it supported the presence of Rohingyas and did not perpetuate the situation.

Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said the Rohingya must be allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar, but returns could only take place voluntarily and if their rights were guaranteed.

A quick agreement to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar is looking less and less likely, the U.N. refugee chief said on Friday as he launched an almost $1 billion appeal to support the stateless Muslims in camps in Bangladesh for the rest of 2018. × The United Nations says 671,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state after militant attacks in August sparked a crackdown led by security forces, which a U.N. investigator said bore "the hallmarks of genocide". Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, said the Rohingya must be allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar, but returns could only take place voluntarily and if their rights were guaranteed. “The odds are growing against a solution, an early solution anyway, but this is not a reason for me as High Commissioner for Refugees to give up on this issue,” he told a news conference. "We are very mindful of the fact that this situation may take a long time, and therefore we need to plan for this." Asked how long the Rohingya might stay in their camps in Bangladesh at the minimum, Grandi said: “I wish I knew.” Last year he had visited another part of Myanmar where displaced people had been stuck in camps for six or seven years. He said the Rohingya could not be subjected to the same fate on a much larger scale. Myint Thu, permanent secretary at Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday that a first batch of 374 refugees could be repatriated. He also said Myanmar now considered it was appropriate to invite UNHCR and the U.N. Development Programme into the repatriation process. Grandi said he still did not have agreement for UNHCR's involvement, which he said was "crucial, essential and indispensable". "The discussions with Myanmar have been pretty basic, not very frequent, not very advanced, but they have continued. This is the way it goes in this situation. It’s very difficult,” Grandi said. The government does not recognise the Rohingya as citizens, and Grandi said their rights needed to be established, including citizenship, freedom of movement and access to services. But first of all the violence had to stop. Although movements into Bangladesh have decreased massively since the flood late last year, they continue to come in smaller numbers, suggesting the situation has still not stabilised, he said. He also said that other governments should only invest in development projects in Rakhine if they ensured it supported the presence of Rohingyas and did not perpetuate the situation.

UNHCR chief pessimistic on deal for Rohingya returns to Myanmar

Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on the country&#39;s plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects that accusation, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August.&nbsp;

But critics accuse the military of using the insurgent attacks to launch disproportionate, scorched-earth &quot;clearance operations&quot; as a pretext to push out the loathed minority.

The new Amnesty report, &quot;Remaking Rakhine State,&quot; uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year that researchers say amounts to a &quot;land grab&quot;.

&quot;The new evidence and the rebuilding that Amnesty has documented in our latest research shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to,&quot; Tirana Hassan, Amnesty&#39;s crisis response director, told AFP ahead of the report&#39;s release on Monday.

&quot;In some instances there has been the destruction of existing homes.&quot;

Though admitting the images only paint a partial picture, the rights group says structures for security forces, helipads and even roads have been built in and around torched Rohingya properties.

Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhine&#39;s Maungdaw town taken two months after the August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire.

But by early March buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces.&nbsp;

Similar building activity was also detected in Inn Din village, where Myanmar has admitted that its security forces took part in the killings of 10 Rohingya residents in September.&nbsp;

Rakhine state has been largely sealed off from rights groups, the media and UN investigators.

Myanmar and Bangladesh were supposed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in late January but many are reluctant to return to a place without guarantees of basic rights and safety.

The report also highlights concerns that abandoned Rohingya land will be set aside for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other non-Muslim groups in the area, and that alterations to the landscape will erase evidence of alleged atrocities by the military.

Myanmar officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Myanmar has denied claims it is covering up evidence, saying it is improving the standard of living in one of the poorest states in the country.

Myanmar rejects that accusation, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August

Myanmar is building security installations on top of razed Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said Monday, casting doubt on the country's plans to repatriate hundreds of thousands of refugees. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar launched a brutal crackdown on insurgents six months ago that the US and UN have called ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects that accusation, saying it was responding to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in late August. But critics accuse the military of using the insurgent attacks to launch disproportionate, scorched-earth "clearance operations" as a pretext to push out the loathed minority. The new Amnesty report, "Remaking Rakhine State," uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year that researchers say amounts to a "land grab". "The new evidence and the rebuilding that Amnesty has documented in our latest research shows that the Myanmar authorities are building over the top of the very places the Rohingya need to return to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's crisis response director, told AFP ahead of the report's release on Monday. "In some instances there has been the destruction of existing homes." Though admitting the images only paint a partial picture, the rights group says structures for security forces, helipads and even roads have been built in and around torched Rohingya properties. Satellite imagery of one village called Kan Kya on the outskirts of Rakhine's Maungdaw town taken two months after the August attacks shows a settlement scarred by fire. But by early March buildings could be seen on the revamped land. Amnesty believes they are part of a new base for security forces. Similar building activity was also detected in Inn Din village, where Myanmar has admitted that its security forces took part in the killings of 10 Rohingya residents in September. Rakhine state has been largely sealed off from rights groups, the media and UN investigators. Myanmar and Bangladesh were supposed to start repatriating Rohingya refugees in late January but many are reluctant to return to a place without guarantees of basic rights and safety. The report also highlights concerns that abandoned Rohingya land will be set aside for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and other non-Muslim groups in the area, and that alterations to the landscape will erase evidence of alleged atrocities by the military. Myanmar officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Myanmar has denied claims it is covering up evidence, saying it is improving the standard of living in one of the poorest states in the country.

Myanmar erects security structures atop burned Rohingya land: Amnesty

Myanmar is allegedly building military bases on the top of razed Rohingya villages, where the Rohingyas once lived before their persecution by the country&#39;s security forces in August last year.

The development has raised questions over the safety of hundreds of thousands of persecuted Rohingyas due to be repatriated from neighbouring Bangladesh to Myanmar.

According to detailed satellite images published by Amnesty International on Monday, it appeared to show &quot;new security infrastructure&quot; replacing the burnt homes of the refugees, after Myanmarese forces launched a brutal campaign against the Rohingyas, which the United Nations has described the violence as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Tirana Hassan, Amnesty&#39;s crisis response director, said, &quot;The remaking of Rakhine State (in Myanmar) is taking place in a shroud of secrecy. The authorities cannot be allowed to continue their campaign of ethnic cleansing in the name of &#39;development&#39;.&quot;

Amnesty&#39;s analysis of new satellite imagery appears to prove that at least three new security bases have been built in Rakhine since January, while more were found to be under construction, The Telegraph reported.

Hassan added, &quot;What we are seeing is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingyas.&quot;

The images also show new refugee reception centres surrounded by the new security fences and a heavy presence of military forces, raising concerns that Myanmar is preparing to restrict the freedom of the Rohingya refugees returning home to safety.

In January, Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed on a two-year timeframe for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees.

An estimated 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled the country in an attempt to escape the atrocities committed by Myanmar&#39;s military forces against the minority community.

The process, which was supposed to start from January 22 was delayed as some critics of the deal voiced concerns over the lack of security guarantees for those who would return.

Despite the ongoing preparations for repatriation, more than 2,500 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh this year.

According to Bangladesh government&#39;s statistics, an average of 75 Rohingya refugees fled their villages in Myanmar every day between January 1 and February 15.

Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.

Hassan added, "What we are seeing is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingyas."

Myanmar is allegedly building military bases on the top of razed Rohingya villages, where the Rohingyas once lived before their persecution by the country's security forces in August last year. The development has raised questions over the safety of hundreds of thousands of persecuted Rohingyas due to be repatriated from neighbouring Bangladesh to Myanmar. According to detailed satellite images published by Amnesty International on Monday, it appeared to show "new security infrastructure" replacing the burnt homes of the refugees, after Myanmarese forces launched a brutal campaign against the Rohingyas, which the United Nations has described the violence as "ethnic cleansing". Tirana Hassan, Amnesty's crisis response director, said, "The remaking of Rakhine State (in Myanmar) is taking place in a shroud of secrecy. The authorities cannot be allowed to continue their campaign of ethnic cleansing in the name of 'development'." Amnesty's analysis of new satellite imagery appears to prove that at least three new security bases have been built in Rakhine since January, while more were found to be under construction, The Telegraph reported. Hassan added, "What we are seeing is a land grab by the military on a dramatic scale. New bases are being erected to house the very same security forces that have committed crimes against humanity against Rohingyas." The images also show new refugee reception centres surrounded by the new security fences and a heavy presence of military forces, raising concerns that Myanmar is preparing to restrict the freedom of the Rohingya refugees returning home to safety. In January, Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed on a two-year timeframe for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. An estimated 7,00,000 Rohingyas have fled the country in an attempt to escape the atrocities committed by Myanmar's military forces against the minority community. The process, which was supposed to start from January 22 was delayed as some critics of the deal voiced concerns over the lack of security guarantees for those who would return. Despite the ongoing preparations for repatriation, more than 2,500 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh this year. According to Bangladesh government's statistics, an average of 75 Rohingya refugees fled their villages in Myanmar every day between January 1 and February 15. Rohingyas are a Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They have been regarded by many majority Buddhists as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. There are more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas living in Bangladesh, who fled in earlier waves of violence from Myanmar since the last three decades.

Myanmar building military bases in burnt Rohingya villages

UN officials said Sunday that nearly $1 billion will be needed this year to feed and care for the roughly one million Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in southeastern Bangladesh.

The $950 million for this year&#39;s aid effort was &quot;a very legitimate and valid&quot; request given the magnitude of the crisis, the UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh said.

&quot;It&#39;s a new and evolving crisis. The needs are huge. These people came with nothing. We hope the support will continue,&quot; the UN country head Mia Seppo told AFP.

The funding request could be raised this week at a UN conference in Geneva.

In October, nations pledged $345 million in response to the Rohingya crisis. The UN said at the time it needed $434 million to care for the displaced Muslims until February.

Food, shelter and healthcare remain pressing needs for the Rohingya, who fled a Myanmar army crackdown in Rakhine state en masse over the past six months.

But there are other urgent considerations. As the monsoon season nears, aid groups need to relocate an estimated 100,000 refugees living in areas prone to landslides and floods, Seppo said.

The UN-backed Inter Sector Coordination Group has also factored into the relief budget the cost of mass vaccination drives against diseases like cholera, diphtheria and measles, the group&#39;s head Sumbul Rizvi said.

Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to begin repatriating Rohingya who volunteered to return to Rakhine state where the persecuted Muslim minority have lived for generations.

But the process has stalled and it is not clear when it will begin, said Bangladesh&#39;s refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam.

A quarter of the proposed $950 million funding for the remainder of the year would go to Bangladeshis living in Cox&#39;s Bazar whose lives have been upended by the massive refugee influx.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border since August, clearing forests and camping on hillsides already crowded with more than 300,000 refugees from previous waves of migration.

Prices for local goods have skyrocketed and competition for jobs and resources intensified in the largely-rural border district, said Kalam.

&quot;We will try to compensate these farmers,&quot; he said.

Separately, police in Cox&#39;s Bazar briefly detained 39 foreign aid workers Sunday for questioning over alleged visa violations.

Afrujul Haq Tutul, the deputy police chief of Cox&#39;s Bazar, said the aid staff had been working on tourist visas, but were later released.

UN officials said that nearly $1 billion will be needed this year to feed and care for the roughly one million Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in southeastern Bangladesh

UN officials said Sunday that nearly $1 billion will be needed this year to feed and care for the roughly one million Rohingya refugees living in overcrowded camps in southeastern Bangladesh. The $950 million for this year's aid effort was "a very legitimate and valid" request given the magnitude of the crisis, the UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh said. "It's a new and evolving crisis. The needs are huge. These people came with nothing. We hope the support will continue," the UN country head Mia Seppo told AFP. The funding request could be raised this week at a UN conference in Geneva. In October, nations pledged $345 million in response to the Rohingya crisis. The UN said at the time it needed $434 million to care for the displaced Muslims until February. Food, shelter and healthcare remain pressing needs for the Rohingya, who fled a Myanmar army crackdown in Rakhine state en masse over the past six months. But there are other urgent considerations. As the monsoon season nears, aid groups need to relocate an estimated 100,000 refugees living in areas prone to landslides and floods, Seppo said. The UN-backed Inter Sector Coordination Group has also factored into the relief budget the cost of mass vaccination drives against diseases like cholera, diphtheria and measles, the group's head Sumbul Rizvi said. Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in November to begin repatriating Rohingya who volunteered to return to Rakhine state where the persecuted Muslim minority have lived for generations. But the process has stalled and it is not clear when it will begin, said Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam. A quarter of the proposed $950 million funding for the remainder of the year would go to Bangladeshis living in Cox's Bazar whose lives have been upended by the massive refugee influx. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border since August, clearing forests and camping on hillsides already crowded with more than 300,000 refugees from previous waves of migration. Prices for local goods have skyrocketed and competition for jobs and resources intensified in the largely-rural border district, said Kalam. "We will try to compensate these farmers," he said. Separately, police in Cox's Bazar briefly detained 39 foreign aid workers Sunday for questioning over alleged visa violations. Afrujul Haq Tutul, the deputy police chief of Cox's Bazar, said the aid staff had been working on tourist visas, but were later released.

UN to seek $1billion for Rohingya refugee effort in Bangladesh

An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country`s hardline Buddhist clergymen.

Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America`s use of the word &quot;Rohingya&quot;.&nbsp;

The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognise the Rohingya as citizens, referring pejoratively to the community as &quot;Bengalis&quot; and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

On Friday several dozen supporters cheered and scattered petals in front of Parmaukkha as he walked out of Yangon`s notorious Insein prison at dawn before heading to pray at the city`s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda.

&quot;He has work to do...I love everything he does for religion and the nation,&quot; said Aye Lay, a 32-year-old supporter.

Anti-Muslim hate speech has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed.

Religious hatred has surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has compelled 700,000 Rohingya to flee the country since August.&nbsp;

The UN says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide.

But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising.&nbsp;

Over the past year, religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha.

His release on Friday coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu - another firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmar`s Buddhist nationalist movement.&nbsp;

Wirathu, once dubbed the &quot;Buddhist Bin Laden&quot;, was barred from giving public sermons last year by a council of senior monks who said he had &quot;repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife.&quot;

The monk was also recently kicked off Facebook, where he had amassed a huge following with incendiary anti-Muslim posts.

The social media giant said it took down his page in January in accordance with a policy that prohibits &quot;people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others&quot;.

He was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America`s use of the word "Rohingya"

An ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk was released from prison on Friday after serving time for inciting unrest in an anti-Rohingya protest in 2016, a rare punishment handed to one of the country`s hardline Buddhist clergymen. Parmaukkha, who was handed a three-month jail term, has helped peddle a fiery brand of Buddhist nationalism and Islamophobia in Myanmar, a country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims. The monk was arrested in November over a rally he held outside the US Embassy in Yangon in April 2016 to protest against America`s use of the word "Rohingya". The Buddhist-majority nation refuses to recognise the Rohingya as citizens, referring pejoratively to the community as "Bengalis" and insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. On Friday several dozen supporters cheered and scattered petals in front of Parmaukkha as he walked out of Yangon`s notorious Insein prison at dawn before heading to pray at the city`s iconic Shwedagon Pagoda. "He has work to do...I love everything he does for religion and the nation," said Aye Lay, a 32-year-old supporter. Anti-Muslim hate speech has been brewing in Myanmar for several years, often spilling over into bouts of bloodshed. Religious hatred has surged in the wake of a ruthless military crackdown that has compelled 700,000 Rohingya to flee the country since August. The UN says the campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide. But many in the Buddhist majority support the crackdown, which the army says was needed to crush a Rohingya militant uprising. Over the past year, religious authorities have taken some steps to curb the influence of ultra-nationalist monks like Parmaukkha. His release on Friday coincides with the end of a year-long public speaking ban on Wirathu - another firebrand monk known as the face of Myanmar`s Buddhist nationalist movement. Wirathu, once dubbed the "Buddhist Bin Laden", was barred from giving public sermons last year by a council of senior monks who said he had "repeatedly delivered hate speech against religions to cause communal strife." The monk was also recently kicked off Facebook, where he had amassed a huge following with incendiary anti-Muslim posts. The social media giant said it took down his page in January in accordance with a policy that prohibits "people dedicated to promoting hatred and violence against others".

Ultra-nationalist Myanmar monk walks free from prison

Myanmar wants to see clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has been perpetrated against its Muslim minority in Rakhine state, National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday.

&quot;The vast majority of the Muslim community that was living in Rakhine remain,&quot; he told reporters in Geneva. &quot;If it was a genocide, they would all be driven out.&rdquo;

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine into neighbouring Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown in August, joining 200,000 refugees from a previous exodus.

On Wednesday, UN&nbsp;human rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein said he strongly suspected &quot;acts of genocide&quot;, while Myanmar&#39;s military published a lengthy response to widespread allegations over its campaign in Rakhine, saying its investigations had cleared troops of almost all alleged abuses.

Zeid told the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council that reports of bulldozing of alleged mass graves were a &quot;deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including possible crimes against humanity&quot;.

Thaung Tun said charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide were very serious and should not be bandied about lightly.

&quot;We have often heard many accusations that there is ethnic cleansing or even genocide in Myanmar. And I&rsquo;ve said it before and I&rsquo;ll say it again &ndash; it is not the policy of the government, and this we can assure you. Although there are accusations, we would like to have clear evidence,&quot; he said.

&quot;We should look into that before making a pronouncement on whether there is ethnic cleansing or genocide.&quot;

Myanmar has not allowed UN&nbsp;investigators into the country to investigate. A U.N. fact-finding mission is due to report on Monday on its initial findings, based on interviews with victims and survivors in Bangladesh and other countries.

Thaung Tun added that Myanmar was willing to accept back people who had fled and provide safety and dignity for them, showing that it did not want them out of the country, and that only a minority of Rakhine&#39;s population of 3 million had left.

He said the Muslims who fled largely did so because the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) armed group had sowed fear. He accused ARSA of having forced villagers to join their attacks on the security forces and had insisted on a scorched earth policy, burning villages in retreat.

Rohingya trace their presence in Rakhine back centuries. But most people in majority-Buddhist Myanmar consider them to be unwanted Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. The army refers to the Rohingya as &quot;Bengalis,&quot; and most lack citizenship.

Thaung Tun said former residents would be welcomed back if they were willing to &quot;participate in the life of the nation&quot;, for example by learning the Burmese language.

&quot;Those who want to become citizens of Myanmar, we are happy to welcome them, but they have to go through a process. There cannot be automatic citizenship,&quot; he said.

On Wednesday, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said he strongly suspected 'acts of genocide'

Myanmar wants to see clear evidence to support accusations that ethnic cleansing or genocide has been perpetrated against its Muslim minority in Rakhine state, National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said on Thursday. "The vast majority of the Muslim community that was living in Rakhine remain," he told reporters in Geneva. "If it was a genocide, they would all be driven out.” Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine into neighbouring Bangladesh since insurgent attacks sparked a security crackdown in August, joining 200,000 refugees from a previous exodus. On Wednesday, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said he strongly suspected "acts of genocide", while Myanmar's military published a lengthy response to widespread allegations over its campaign in Rakhine, saying its investigations had cleared troops of almost all alleged abuses. Zeid told the UN Human Rights Council that reports of bulldozing of alleged mass graves were a "deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including possible crimes against humanity". Thaung Tun said charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide were very serious and should not be bandied about lightly. "We have often heard many accusations that there is ethnic cleansing or even genocide in Myanmar. And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it is not the policy of the government, and this we can assure you. Although there are accusations, we would like to have clear evidence," he said. "We should look into that before making a pronouncement on whether there is ethnic cleansing or genocide." Myanmar has not allowed UN investigators into the country to investigate. A U.N. fact-finding mission is due to report on Monday on its initial findings, based on interviews with victims and survivors in Bangladesh and other countries. Thaung Tun added that Myanmar was willing to accept back people who had fled and provide safety and dignity for them, showing that it did not want them out of the country, and that only a minority of Rakhine's population of 3 million had left. He said the Muslims who fled largely did so because the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) armed group had sowed fear. He accused ARSA of having forced villagers to join their attacks on the security forces and had insisted on a scorched earth policy, burning villages in retreat. Rohingya trace their presence in Rakhine back centuries. But most people in majority-Buddhist Myanmar consider them to be unwanted Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. The army refers to the Rohingya as "Bengalis," and most lack citizenship. Thaung Tun said former residents would be welcomed back if they were willing to "participate in the life of the nation", for example by learning the Burmese language. "Those who want to become citizens of Myanmar, we are happy to welcome them, but they have to go through a process. There cannot be automatic citizenship," he said.

Myanmar says it would like to see 'clear evidence' of genocide

A senior Bangladesh cabinet minister has accused Myanmar of obstructing efforts to repatriate roughly 750,000 Rohingya refugees, saying it was unlikely the displaced Muslims would ever return to their homeland.

Finance minister AMA Muhith said the repatriation deal signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh in November would likely fail despite his government&#39;s official stance that the refugees must eventually go back.

&quot;I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back,&quot; Muhith, an outspoken minister from the ruling party, told reporters late Tuesday in Dhaka after meeting with a British charity.

&quot;You can speculate that very few will return to Burma. The first reason is that Burma will only take a few and secondly is that the refugees will never return if they fear persecution,&quot; he added, using another name for Myanmar.

Bangladesh insists the repatriation process will go ahead, last month submitting to Myanmar the names of 8,000 refugees expected to return to Rakhine state where the Muslim minority has been persecuted for generations.

But the plan has courted controversy from the outset.

Rights groups and the UN have warned that conditions for their return are not close to being in place.

Refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh have also resisted the idea, fearing they will not be safe if they return to Rakhine.

Close to one million refugees from the persecuted Muslim minority live in squalid camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar, having fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost region.

Under the agreement, the first of a proposed 750,000 returnees were scheduled to begin crossing the border in late January.

But the process stalled, with Myanmar and Bangladesh blaming the other for a lack of preparedness for the huge undertaking.

Muhith said Myanmar would &quot;take 15 a day when there is one million&quot;, referring to the Rohingya in camps strung along the border.

&quot;They (Myanmar) are absolute evil,&quot; he added.

A UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday that Myanmar was continuing its &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of the Rohingya with a &quot;campaign of terror and forced starvation&quot; in Rakhine state.

Rohingya are still streaming across the border from Rakhine state more than six months after a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.&nbsp;

"I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back," Muhith

A senior Bangladesh cabinet minister has accused Myanmar of obstructing efforts to repatriate roughly 750,000 Rohingya refugees, saying it was unlikely the displaced Muslims would ever return to their homeland. Finance minister AMA Muhith said the repatriation deal signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh in November would likely fail despite his government's official stance that the refugees must eventually go back. "I do not believe that the Rohingya can be sent back," Muhith, an outspoken minister from the ruling party, told reporters late Tuesday in Dhaka after meeting with a British charity. "You can speculate that very few will return to Burma. The first reason is that Burma will only take a few and secondly is that the refugees will never return if they fear persecution," he added, using another name for Myanmar. Bangladesh insists the repatriation process will go ahead, last month submitting to Myanmar the names of 8,000 refugees expected to return to Rakhine state where the Muslim minority has been persecuted for generations. But the plan has courted controversy from the outset. Rights groups and the UN have warned that conditions for their return are not close to being in place. Refugees living in camps in southeastern Bangladesh have also resisted the idea, fearing they will not be safe if they return to Rakhine. Close to one million refugees from the persecuted Muslim minority live in squalid camps in Cox's Bazar, having fled successive waves of violence in Myanmar's westernmost region. Under the agreement, the first of a proposed 750,000 returnees were scheduled to begin crossing the border in late January. But the process stalled, with Myanmar and Bangladesh blaming the other for a lack of preparedness for the huge undertaking. Muhith said Myanmar would "take 15 a day when there is one million", referring to the Rohingya in camps strung along the border. "They (Myanmar) are absolute evil," he added. A UN human rights envoy said on Tuesday that Myanmar was continuing its "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya with a "campaign of terror and forced starvation" in Rakhine state. Rohingya are still streaming across the border from Rakhine state more than six months after a Myanmar army crackdown sparked a massive refugee crisis.

Bangladesh minister says Rohingya repatriation unlikely to succeed

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that Myanmar&#39;s &#39;ethnic cleansing&#39; continues. Gilmour&#39;s comments came after a four-day visit to refugee camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Bangladesh on Tuesday.&nbsp;

&quot;The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don&#39;t think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox&#39;s Bazar,&quot; Gilmour said.&nbsp;

&quot;It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists,&quot; Gilmour added in a statement.

&quot;The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh.&quot;&nbsp;

Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' continues. Gilmour's comments came after a four-day visit to refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Tuesday. "The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Myanmar continues. I don't think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox's Bazar," Gilmour said. "It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists," Gilmour added in a statement. "The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh." Insurgent attacks in Myanmar, carried out almost six months back, sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya continues: UN human rights official

Myanmar`s &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of Rohingya Muslims is continuing, a senior UN human rights official said on Tuesday, more than six months after insurgent attacks sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh.

Andrew Gilmour, the UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, made the comment after a four-day visit to the Cox`s Bazar district in neighboring Bangladesh, where he met people who have fled from Myanmar recently.

&quot;I don`t think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox`s Bazar,&quot; Gilmour said in a statement.&nbsp;

After Rohingya insurgents attacked 30 police posts and an army base on August 25, Myanmar soldiers and police swept through villages in what the government says was a legitimate operation to root out &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Rohingya who sought shelter in Bangladesh have reported rape, killings, and arson by security forces. The United Nations and the United States have concluded the campaign amounted to ethnic cleansing.

Gilmour spoke to refugees who recounted abductions by security forces and at least one apparent death of a Rohingya man in custody in February, the statement said.

&quot;It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists,&quot; Gilmour said.

&quot;The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh.&quot;&nbsp;

Despite Myanmar saying it was ready to accept back refugees under a pact signed with Bangladesh in November, he added, &quot;Safe, dignified and sustainable returns are, of course, impossible under current conditions&quot;.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said he had not seen the UN statement published on Tuesday, but that Myanmar was not committing ethnic cleansing.

&quot;We don`t drive out the refugees,&quot; he said.

Separately, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it was concerned about people living just inside Myanmar at its border with Bangladesh.

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is monitoring developments after several thousand people living in a makeshift camp &quot;were reportedly ordered to vacate the area by the Myanmar authorities&quot;, the agency said.

Residents of what is called &quot;no-man`s land&quot;, as it sits outside Myanmar`s border fence but on its side of a creek that separates the two countries, say Myanmar officials have warned them on loudspeakers that their presence on the borderline is illegal.

&quot;UNHCR underscores that everyone has the right to seek asylum, just as they also have the right to return home when they deem the time and circumstances right,&quot; it said in a statement late on Monday.

&quot;People who have fled violence in their country must be granted safety and protection and any decision to return must be voluntary and based upon a free and informed choice.&quot;

Zaw Htay said Myanmar had the right to move people from its territory and part of an agreed &quot;buffer zone&quot; with Bangladesh. Authorities had received information that &quot;terrorists&quot; linked to the August attacks on Myanmar`s security posts were sheltering there, he added.

&quot;According to procedure security forces have to clear the area for security reasons,&quot; he said.

Zaw Htay said he believed the people were staying on the border to &quot;trap&quot; Myanmar into conducting a &quot;clearance operation&quot;, which he said media and the United Nations would label as ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh last week protested to Myanmar`s ambassador in Dhaka after Myanmar security personnel, estimated to number more than 200, gathered near the border.

&quot;Troop movements so close to them are making things even worse,&quot; said Major Iqbal Ahmed of Bangladesh`s border guard. &quot;They are now ev en more reluctant to go back to their homeland.&quot;

Myanmar`s "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims is continuing, a senior UN human rights official said on Tuesday, more than six months after insurgent attacks sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh

Myanmar`s "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims is continuing, a senior UN human rights official said on Tuesday, more than six months after insurgent attacks sparked a security response that has driven nearly 700,000 people into Bangladesh. Andrew Gilmour, the UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, made the comment after a four-day visit to the Cox`s Bazar district in neighboring Bangladesh, where he met people who have fled from Myanmar recently. "I don`t think we can draw any other conclusion from what I have seen and heard in Cox`s Bazar," Gilmour said in a statement. After Rohingya insurgents attacked 30 police posts and an army base on August 25, Myanmar soldiers and police swept through villages in what the government says was a legitimate operation to root out "terrorists". Rohingya who sought shelter in Bangladesh have reported rape, killings, and arson by security forces. The United Nations and the United States have concluded the campaign amounted to ethnic cleansing. Gilmour spoke to refugees who recounted abductions by security forces and at least one apparent death of a Rohingya man in custody in February, the statement said. "It appears that widespread and systematic violence against the Rohingya persists," Gilmour said. "The nature of the violence has changed from the frenzied blood-letting and mass rape of last year to a lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation that seems to be designed to drive the remaining Rohingya from their homes and into Bangladesh." Despite Myanmar saying it was ready to accept back refugees under a pact signed with Bangladesh in November, he added, "Safe, dignified and sustainable returns are, of course, impossible under current conditions". Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay said he had not seen the UN statement published on Tuesday, but that Myanmar was not committing ethnic cleansing. "We don`t drive out the refugees," he said. Separately, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it was concerned about people living just inside Myanmar at its border with Bangladesh. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is monitoring developments after several thousand people living in a makeshift camp "were reportedly ordered to vacate the area by the Myanmar authorities", the agency said. Residents of what is called "no-man`s land", as it sits outside Myanmar`s border fence but on its side of a creek that separates the two countries, say Myanmar officials have warned them on loudspeakers that their presence on the borderline is illegal. "UNHCR underscores that everyone has the right to seek asylum, just as they also have the right to return home when they deem the time and circumstances right," it said in a statement late on Monday. "People who have fled violence in their country must be granted safety and protection and any decision to return must be voluntary and based upon a free and informed choice." Zaw Htay said Myanmar had the right to move people from its territory and part of an agreed "buffer zone" with Bangladesh. Authorities had received information that "terrorists" linked to the August attacks on Myanmar`s security posts were sheltering there, he added. "According to procedure security forces have to clear the area for security reasons," he said. Zaw Htay said he believed the people were staying on the border to "trap" Myanmar into conducting a "clearance operation", which he said media and the United Nations would label as ethnic cleansing. Bangladesh last week protested to Myanmar`s ambassador in Dhaka after Myanmar security personnel, estimated to number more than 200, gathered near the border. "Troop movements so close to them are making things even worse," said Major Iqbal Ahmed of Bangladesh`s border guard. "They are now ev en more reluctant to go back to their homeland."

Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya continues, UN rights official says

Satellite imagery shows Myanmar authorities have bulldozed at least 55 Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine in recent months, Human Rights Watch said Friday, condemning the government for erasing evidence at sites where troops are accused of atrocities.

Northern Rakhine has been nearly emptied of its Rohingya population since last August, when a military crackdown drove some 700,000 of the persecuted group across the border to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The UN has accused Myanmar of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Muslim minority, who face acute discrimination in the mainly Buddhist nation.

Myanmar denies the charge but has blocked UN investigators from investigating an area where thousands of Rohingya are believed to have been killed.&nbsp;

Hundreds of Rohingya villages were already damaged by fire during the initial months of violence last year, when soldiers and Buddhist vigilantes terrorised communities with arson, gunfire and rape, according to refugees.&nbsp;

Since November Myanmar authorities have further demolished at least 55 villages with heavy machinery, clearing out all structures and vegetation, satellite images obtained by Human Rights Watch showed.

At least two of the flattened villages were previously undamaged by fires, the watchdog said.

&quot;Many of these villages were scenes of atrocities against Rohingya and should be preserved so that the experts appointed by the UN to document these abuses can properly evaluate the evidence to identify those responsible,&quot; said HRW&#39;s Asia director Brad Adams.

&quot;Bulldozing these areas threatens to erase both the memory and the legal claims of the Rohingya who lived there,&quot; he added.

Myanmar&#39;s government spokesman could not be reached for comment. Haunting images of levelled villages first circulated on social media earlier this month after they were posted by an EU diplomat.

At the time Myanmar&#39;s Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told AFP the demolition was part of a plan to &quot;build back&quot; villages to a higher standard than before.

Myanmar has trumpeted a government effort to rebuild violence-gutted Rakhine and welcome back refugees under a repatriation agreement with Dhaka that was supposed to commence in January.

But many Rohingya refuse to return without the guarantee of basic rights and safety.

Analysts have also sounded the alarm over the government&#39;s rehabilitation projects, calling the sweeping destruction of villages, mosques and property only the latest move to erase the Rohingya&#39;s ties to their ancestral lands, and prevent them returning.

On Thursday UN agencies said they had struck a partnership with Myanmar and Japan governments to provide $20 million for humanitarian and development projects in Rakhine state, where authorities have restricted access for aid groups since the crisis.

Food and other assistance would be provided to &quot;people of all communities in Rakhine state,&quot; the UN agencies said in a statement, adding that access had improved but remained restricted in some areas.

The 1.1-million strong Rohingya have been systematically stripped of their legal rights in Myanmar in recent decades.

They have also been targeted by bouts of communal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbours and corralled into grim displacement camps in other parts of the state.

Myanmar&#39;s army says its August crackdown was a proportionate counterstrike against Rohingya rebels who attacked police posts in late August, killing around a dozen officials.&nbsp;

Many in the Buddhist majority revile the Rohingya and brand the group as foreign interlopers, despite their having lived in Rakhine for generations.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Northern Rakhine has been nearly emptied of its Rohingya population since last August

Satellite imagery shows Myanmar authorities have bulldozed at least 55 Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine in recent months, Human Rights Watch said Friday, condemning the government for erasing evidence at sites where troops are accused of atrocities. Northern Rakhine has been nearly emptied of its Rohingya population since last August, when a military crackdown drove some 700,000 of the persecuted group across the border to Bangladesh. The UN has accused Myanmar of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Muslim minority, who face acute discrimination in the mainly Buddhist nation. Myanmar denies the charge but has blocked UN investigators from investigating an area where thousands of Rohingya are believed to have been killed. Hundreds of Rohingya villages were already damaged by fire during the initial months of violence last year, when soldiers and Buddhist vigilantes terrorised communities with arson, gunfire and rape, according to refugees. Since November Myanmar authorities have further demolished at least 55 villages with heavy machinery, clearing out all structures and vegetation, satellite images obtained by Human Rights Watch showed. At least two of the flattened villages were previously undamaged by fires, the watchdog said. "Many of these villages were scenes of atrocities against Rohingya and should be preserved so that the experts appointed by the UN to document these abuses can properly evaluate the evidence to identify those responsible," said HRW's Asia director Brad Adams. "Bulldozing these areas threatens to erase both the memory and the legal claims of the Rohingya who lived there," he added. Myanmar's government spokesman could not be reached for comment. Haunting images of levelled villages first circulated on social media earlier this month after they were posted by an EU diplomat. At the time Myanmar's Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told AFP the demolition was part of a plan to "build back" villages to a higher standard than before. Myanmar has trumpeted a government effort to rebuild violence-gutted Rakhine and welcome back refugees under a repatriation agreement with Dhaka that was supposed to commence in January. But many Rohingya refuse to return without the guarantee of basic rights and safety. Analysts have also sounded the alarm over the government's rehabilitation projects, calling the sweeping destruction of villages, mosques and property only the latest move to erase the Rohingya's ties to their ancestral lands, and prevent them returning. On Thursday UN agencies said they had struck a partnership with Myanmar and Japan governments to provide $20 million for humanitarian and development projects in Rakhine state, where authorities have restricted access for aid groups since the crisis. Food and other assistance would be provided to "people of all communities in Rakhine state," the UN agencies said in a statement, adding that access had improved but remained restricted in some areas. The 1.1-million strong Rohingya have been systematically stripped of their legal rights in Myanmar in recent decades. They have also been targeted by bouts of communal violence with ethnic Rakhine Buddhist neighbours and corralled into grim displacement camps in other parts of the state. Myanmar's army says its August crackdown was a proportionate counterstrike against Rohingya rebels who attacked police posts in late August, killing around a dozen officials. Many in the Buddhist majority revile the Rohingya and brand the group as foreign interlopers, despite their having lived in Rakhine for generations.

Myanmar bulldozed scores of Rohingya villages since November: Human Rights Watch

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-successfully-launches-nuclear-capable-dhanush-missile-from-naval-ship-33812" target="_blank">India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Dhanush missile from naval ship</a>

India today successfully&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/agni-v-test-fired-successfully-10-things-about-the-nuclear-capable-missile-29955">test-fired&nbsp;the nuclear-capable</a>&nbsp;ballistic missile &#39;Dhanush&#39; from a naval ship off Odisha coast. An anti-ship missile, Dhanush is a variant of &nbsp;Prithvi III developed by the Indian Navy.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-equipping-soliders-with-us-style-digital-combat-gear-along-india-border-report-33829" target="_blank">China equipping </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-equipping-soliders-with-us-style-digital-combat-gear-along-india-border-report-33829" target="_blank">soliders</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-equipping-soliders-with-us-style-digital-combat-gear-along-india-border-report-33829" target="_blank"> with </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-equipping-soliders-with-us-style-digital-combat-gear-along-india-border-report-33829" target="_blank">US style</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-equipping-soliders-with-us-style-digital-combat-gear-along-india-border-report-33829" target="_blank"> digital combat gear along India border: Report</a>

After reports of China upgrading its&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/china-upgrading-air-defence-in-tibet-to-counter-india-threat-says-state-media-33664">air defence along the Line of Actual&nbsp;</a>Control (LAC), a report said it has equipped one its Army branch stationed at the border with US-style integrated individual soldier combat system to prepare for &quot;informatised warfare&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/now-india-pak-afghan-officials-bond-over-tapi-gas-pipeline-33808" target="_blank">Now, India, Pak, Afghan officials bond over TAPI gas pipeline</a>

India&#39;s minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar today joined Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to open Tapi gas pipeline section in Afganistan.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-space-for-those-who-misuse-religion-for-political-motives-separatism-pm-modi-33799" target="_blank">No space for those who misuse religion for political motives &amp; separatism: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Friday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-bulldozed-scores-of-rohingya-villages-since-november-human-rights-watch-33823" target="_blank">Myanmar bulldozed scores of Rohingya villages since November: Human Rights Watch</a>

Satellite imagery shows Myanmar authorities have bulldozed at least 55 Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine in recent months, Human Rights Watch said Friday, condemning the government for erasing evidence at sites where troops are accused of atrocities.

&nbsp;

India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Dhanush missile from naval ship India today successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable ballistic missile 'Dhanush' from a naval ship off Odisha coast. An anti-ship missile, Dhanush is a variant of Prithvi III developed by the Indian Navy. China equipping soliders with US style digital combat gear along India border: Report After reports of China upgrading its air defence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a report said it has equipped one its Army branch stationed at the border with US-style integrated individual soldier combat system to prepare for "informatised warfare". Now, India, Pak, Afghan officials bond over TAPI gas pipeline India's minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar today joined Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to open Tapi gas pipeline section in Afganistan. No space for those who misuse religion for political motives & separatism: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau on Friday. Myanmar bulldozed scores of Rohingya villages since November: Human Rights Watch Satellite imagery shows Myanmar authorities have bulldozed at least 55 Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine in recent months, Human Rights Watch said Friday, condemning the government for erasing evidence at sites where troops are accused of atrocities.

WION Evening News brief, February 23, 2018

Calling for continued efforts to scale up health services for nearly 1.3 million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh&#39;s Cox&#39;s Bazar, the WHO today said the &quot;vulnerable&quot; people remain at risk of diseases and in need of critical services for survival even though six months have passed since the crisis began.

Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar&#39;s violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh in August when the military cracked down against alleged militant outfits of the community.

Though immense efforts have been made by the Bangladesh government and partner agencies to provide health services, prevent diseases such as cholera and rapidly control outbreaks of measles and diphtheria, the challenges are huge, multiple and evolving, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director for WHO southeast Asia, said.

&quot;The magnitude of the crisis requires continued efforts and generous contributions by all partners to scale up health services for the vulnerable population,&quot; Singh said.

According to a WHO statement, an estimated 688,000 Rohingya people crossed over to Cox&#39;s Bazar from Myanmar beginning August 25, 2017, joining nearly 212,500 others who arrived earlier, in one of the largest population movement in the shortest span.

While majority of the refugees are living in Kutapalong and Balukhali mega camps and 11 other clusters of small and big settlements, about 79,000 are living with the host population.

The health needs of this population continue to be immense. Women and young mothers need reproductive health services, Singh said.

The statement stated that an estimated 60,000 children are expected to be born in the camps in the next one year.

Besides newborns, pregnant and young mothers, children, adults and the elderly need basic health services and that for injuries, trauma and various non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and importantly, psychosocial support.

&quot;Water and sanitation, and shelter continue to be far from optimum, increasing the risk of rapid spread of several communicable and water-borne diseases,&quot; the regional director said, stressing the need to accelerate efforts to address the key determinants of health on a priority.

For keeping a close watch on the situation, WHO established the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS), early as the crisis started, to rapidly detect and respond to disease outbreak to minimise death and disease.

Additionally, WHO has been periodically carrying out risk assessments to enable Ministry of Health and partners take measures to detect potential health risks and take timely and appropriate measures. &nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

An estimated 688,000 Rohingya people crossed over to Cox's Bazar from Myanmar beginning August 25, 2017

Calling for continued efforts to scale up health services for nearly 1.3 million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, the WHO today said the "vulnerable" people remain at risk of diseases and in need of critical services for survival even though six months have passed since the crisis began. Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh in August when the military cracked down against alleged militant outfits of the community. Though immense efforts have been made by the Bangladesh government and partner agencies to provide health services, prevent diseases such as cholera and rapidly control outbreaks of measles and diphtheria, the challenges are huge, multiple and evolving, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director for WHO southeast Asia, said. "The magnitude of the crisis requires continued efforts and generous contributions by all partners to scale up health services for the vulnerable population," Singh said. According to a WHO statement, an estimated 688,000 Rohingya people crossed over to Cox's Bazar from Myanmar beginning August 25, 2017, joining nearly 212,500 others who arrived earlier, in one of the largest population movement in the shortest span. While majority of the refugees are living in Kutapalong and Balukhali mega camps and 11 other clusters of small and big settlements, about 79,000 are living with the host population. The health needs of this population continue to be immense. Women and young mothers need reproductive health services, Singh said. The statement stated that an estimated 60,000 children are expected to be born in the camps in the next one year. Besides newborns, pregnant and young mothers, children, adults and the elderly need basic health services and that for injuries, trauma and various non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and importantly, psychosocial support. "Water and sanitation, and shelter continue to be far from optimum, increasing the risk of rapid spread of several communicable and water-borne diseases," the regional director said, stressing the need to accelerate efforts to address the key determinants of health on a priority. For keeping a close watch on the situation, WHO established the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS), early as the crisis started, to rapidly detect and respond to disease outbreak to minimise death and disease. Additionally, WHO has been periodically carrying out risk assessments to enable Ministry of Health and partners take measures to detect potential health risks and take timely and appropriate measures.

Urgent need to scale up health services in Cox's Bazar: WHO

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) supremo Bhim Singh today demanded early deportation of foreigners, including Rohingya and Bangladeshis, illegally settled in the winter capital of the state.

&quot;The presence of these foreign nationals especially in the municipal limits of Jammu is posing a threat to peace in the region. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) should make their stand (regarding deportation) clear,&quot; he told reporters here.

Singh said, &quot;My statement is neither linked to politics nor against any religion or community. It is for our rights, justice and peace for which the people of the state have rendered huge sacrifices.&quot;

The JKNPP leader said the people would not allow settlement of foreigners on their soil and &quot;it is better that these people are deported from here.&quot;

Accusing the ruling PDP-BJP coalition, of maintaining &ldquo;deliberate silence&rdquo; on the issue and misleading the people by giving wrong figures about the number of these illegal settlers, he said, &quot;The number of Bangladeshi and Myanmarese in the city is over 23,000, while the government is claiming that they are only 5,000 thus misleading the public.&quot;

'The presence of these foreign nationals especially in the municipal limits of Jammu is posing a threat to peace in the region. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) should make their stand (regarding deportation) clear,' party supremo of the JKNPP said

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) supremo Bhim Singh today demanded early deportation of foreigners, including Rohingya and Bangladeshis, illegally settled in the winter capital of the state. "The presence of these foreign nationals especially in the municipal limits of Jammu is posing a threat to peace in the region. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) should make their stand (regarding deportation) clear," he told reporters here. Singh said, "My statement is neither linked to politics nor against any religion or community. It is for our rights, justice and peace for which the people of the state have rendered huge sacrifices." The JKNPP leader said the people would not allow settlement of foreigners on their soil and "it is better that these people are deported from here." Accusing the ruling PDP-BJP coalition, of maintaining “deliberate silence” on the issue and misleading the people by giving wrong figures about the number of these illegal settlers, he said, "The number of Bangladeshi and Myanmarese in the city is over 23,000, while the government is claiming that they are only 5,000 thus misleading the public."

JKNPP demands deportation of illegal Bangladeshi, Rohingyas from Jammu

Representatives from Bangladesh and Myanmar will meet on Tuesday to discuss the repatriation to Myanmar of more than 6,500 Rohingya Muslims trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between the two countries, Bangladeshi officials said.

&quot;It is about taking them back to Myanmar,&quot; Relief and Refugee Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, told Reuters on Monday. &quot;They are on the zero line and actually on the Myanmar side.&quot;&nbsp;

However, several officials contacted in neighbouring Myanmar said they were not aware of plans for a meeting, which Kalam said would take place on the &quot;zero line&quot; near a place called Gundum.

A spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which will not be involved in the talks, said the agency was concerned the Rohingya may be forcibly returned to Myanmar without due consideration for their safety.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and crossed into Bangladesh since last August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said amounts to ethnic cleansing, with reports of arson attacks, murder and rape.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar denied the charge and says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against &quot;terrorists&quot; it blames for the attacks on the security forces.

The vast majority of Rohingya who fled are in camps at Cox&#39;s Bazar on the southern tip of Bangladesh, but several thousand who arrived in a buffer zone along the border are now stuck.&nbsp;

Bangladesh security forces have been instructed not to let these Rohingya cross the border, and many of them have said they would rather stay there to avoid becoming refugees in Bangladesh.

The no-mans land, which is about the size of 40 soccer pitches, used to be an area of paddy fields but is now dotted with the tarpaulin and bamboo shacks of displaced Rohingya.

No timeline for returns&nbsp;

&quot;We are concerned about the reports of pressures directed at this group of people at the border,&quot; said Caroline Gluck, UNHCR Senior Public Information Officer at Cox`s Bazar.&nbsp;

&quot;People who fled violence and discrimination in Myanmar should not be forced to return against their will,&quot; she told Reuters in a message sent on Saturday.

Bangladesh&#39;s Kalam said there was no timeline for repatriations, that anyone going back must do so voluntarily and that Myanmar must provide a safe environment for their return.

&quot;We cannot send them forcibly,&quot; he said.

Most Burmese consider the Rohingya as unwanted immigrants from Bangladesh, and the army refers to them as &quot;Bengalis&quot;.

Myanmar has said it will accept back people holding &quot;national verification&quot; registration cards. This card, which falls short of offering citizenship, has been rejected by Rohingya community leaders who say it treats life-long residents like new immigrants.

A leader of the Rohingya group in the buffer zone, Dil Mohammed, told Reuters in a text message: &quot;Our no-man&#39;s land camp demands are that there must be a safe return, we need security and all basic rights, including citizenship.&quot;

He said the group would never accept the national verification card, that its members must be allowed to return to their own homes, paid compensation for losses and damage, and provided with protection from a UN&nbsp;mission.

Gluck said the UNHCR was concerned that conditions in Rakhine state were not yet safe for voluntary returns, adding, &quot;We urge both governments to ensure that any return is based on informed consent and takes place in safety and dignity.&quot;&nbsp;

Buddhist-majority Myanmar denied the charge and says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against 'terrorists'

Representatives from Bangladesh and Myanmar will meet on Tuesday to discuss the repatriation to Myanmar of more than 6,500 Rohingya Muslims trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between the two countries, Bangladeshi officials said. "It is about taking them back to Myanmar," Relief and Refugee Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam, told Reuters on Monday. "They are on the zero line and actually on the Myanmar side." However, several officials contacted in neighbouring Myanmar said they were not aware of plans for a meeting, which Kalam said would take place on the "zero line" near a place called Gundum. A spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which will not be involved in the talks, said the agency was concerned the Rohingya may be forcibly returned to Myanmar without due consideration for their safety. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state and crossed into Bangladesh since last August, when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said amounts to ethnic cleansing, with reports of arson attacks, murder and rape. Buddhist-majority Myanmar denied the charge and says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" it blames for the attacks on the security forces. The vast majority of Rohingya who fled are in camps at Cox's Bazar on the southern tip of Bangladesh, but several thousand who arrived in a buffer zone along the border are now stuck. Bangladesh security forces have been instructed not to let these Rohingya cross the border, and many of them have said they would rather stay there to avoid becoming refugees in Bangladesh. The no-mans land, which is about the size of 40 soccer pitches, used to be an area of paddy fields but is now dotted with the tarpaulin and bamboo shacks of displaced Rohingya. No timeline for returns "We are concerned about the reports of pressures directed at this group of people at the border," said Caroline Gluck, UNHCR Senior Public Information Officer at Cox`s Bazar. "People who fled violence and discrimination in Myanmar should not be forced to return against their will," she told Reuters in a message sent on Saturday. Bangladesh's Kalam said there was no timeline for repatriations, that anyone going back must do so voluntarily and that Myanmar must provide a safe environment for their return. "We cannot send them forcibly," he said. Most Burmese consider the Rohingya as unwanted immigrants from Bangladesh, and the army refers to them as "Bengalis". Myanmar has said it will accept back people holding "national verification" registration cards. This card, which falls short of offering citizenship, has been rejected by Rohingya community leaders who say it treats life-long residents like new immigrants. A leader of the Rohingya group in the buffer zone, Dil Mohammed, told Reuters in a text message: "Our no-man's land camp demands are that there must be a safe return, we need security and all basic rights, including citizenship." He said the group would never accept the national verification card, that its members must be allowed to return to their own homes, paid compensation for losses and damage, and provided with protection from a UN mission. Gluck said the UNHCR was concerned that conditions in Rakhine state were not yet safe for voluntary returns, adding, "We urge both governments to ensure that any return is based on informed consent and takes place in safety and dignity."

Bangladesh says to meet with Myanmar on Rohingya trapped at border

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