The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport&nbsp;Rohingyas till the case is heard.

India&#39;s top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of &quot;great magnitude&quot; and the state has a big role to play.

In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.&nbsp;

They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan.&nbsp;

The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-links-with-is-isi-rohingya-refugee-to-supreme-court-20549">Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State.

The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees.

Supreme Court has granted&nbsp;more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.

India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play.

The Supreme Court said today the Indian government must balance national security with humanity and directed the Centre not to deport Rohingyas till the case is heard. India's top court said Rohingya Muslims issue is of "great magnitude" and the state has a big role to play. In their petition, the two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, argued that they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there. They contend that many Rohingyas, who had fled to India after the earlier spate of violence, are settled in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR and Rajasthan. The Indian government had earlier told the apex court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions. Another Rohingya refugee then filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit stated that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees. Supreme Court has granted more time to all the parties to argue and posted the matter for further hearing on November 21.

Must balance security with humanity, can't deport Rohingyas till case is heard: Supreme Court to govt

Myanmar launched on Tuesday its first bid to improve relations between followers of different religions since an eruption of deadly violence in August inflamed communal tension and triggered an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-group-urges-bangladesh-to-pressure-myanmar-on-return-to-ancestral-land-12444" target="_blank">exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh</a>.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-insurgent-ceasefire-ends-in-myanmar-with-no-report-of-attacks-21212" target="_blank">Rohingya Muslims </a>are still fleeing, more than six weeks after Rohingya insurgents attacked security forces in western Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State.

The United Nations has denounced a ferocious military crackdown in response to the attacks as ethnic cleansing aimed at driving out Rohingya.

A new surge of refugees has entered Bangladesh in recent days, including about 11,000 on Monday. Some have told of increasing hunger in Rakhine State as well as of more mob attacks on Muslim villagers.

Despite growing international condemnation of the refugee crisis, the military campaign is popular in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where there is little sympathy for the Rohingya, and for Muslims in general, and where Buddhist nationalism has surged in recent years.

The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians.

&quot;This is for peace and stability,&quot; party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters. &quot;Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide.&quot;

Traffic was jammed around the stadium as Buddhist monks had nuns packed the stands inside, along with thousands of others.

The Rohingya had pinned hopes for change on Suu Kyi&#39;s party but it has been wary of Buddhist nationalist pressure. Her party did not field a single Muslim candidate in the 2015 election that it swept.

Rohingya are not classified as an indigenous minority in Myanmar and so are denied citizenship under a law that links nationality to ethnicity.

Regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they face restrictions and discrimination and are derided by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine State, and by much of the wider population.

The militants of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) who launched the Aug. 25 attacks that triggered the latest spasm of violence are demanding full citizenship rights and recognition as an indigenous community.

Ceasefire ends

A one-month ceasefire the insurgents called in September in order, they said, to ease aid deliveries to Rakhine State, expired at midnight on Monday, but authorities said there was no sign of any new attacks.

The government rebuffed the ceasefire, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing. It says more than 500 people have been killed in the violence since late August, most of them ARSA &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Even before the government offensive, the small, lightly armed ARSA appeared only capable of hit-and-run raids and unable to mount any sort of sustained challenge to the army.

The insurgents said on Saturday they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government, even though their ceasefire was ending.

The reports of food shortages in Rakhine will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone.

Villagers said the food was running out because rice crops were not ready for harvest and authorities had shut village markets and limited food transport, apparently to cut supplies to the militants.

The government has cited worry about food as one of the reasons people have cited for leaving, but a senior state government official on Monday dismissed any suggestion of starvation.

Among those fleeing were more than 30 people on a fishing boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday evening. Twenty-five of them drowned, including 13 children, police said.

The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, and Christians

Myanmar launched on Tuesday its first bid to improve relations between followers of different religions since an eruption of deadly violence in August inflamed communal tension and triggered an exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh. Rohingya Muslims are still fleeing, more than six weeks after Rohingya insurgents attacked security forces in western Myanmar's Rakhine State. The United Nations has denounced a ferocious military crackdown in response to the attacks as ethnic cleansing aimed at driving out Rohingya. A new surge of refugees has entered Bangladesh in recent days, including about 11,000 on Monday. Some have told of increasing hunger in Rakhine State as well as of more mob attacks on Muslim villagers. Despite growing international condemnation of the refugee crisis, the military campaign is popular in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where there is little sympathy for the Rohingya, and for Muslims in general, and where Buddhist nationalism has surged in recent years. The party of government leader Aung San Suu Kyi took the first step towards trying to calm communal animosity with inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon, with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians. "This is for peace and stability," party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters. "Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide." Traffic was jammed around the stadium as Buddhist monks had nuns packed the stands inside, along with thousands of others. The Rohingya had pinned hopes for change on Suu Kyi's party but it has been wary of Buddhist nationalist pressure. Her party did not field a single Muslim candidate in the 2015 election that it swept. Rohingya are not classified as an indigenous minority in Myanmar and so are denied citizenship under a law that links nationality to ethnicity. Regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they face restrictions and discrimination and are derided by ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine State, and by much of the wider population. The militants of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) who launched the Aug. 25 attacks that triggered the latest spasm of violence are demanding full citizenship rights and recognition as an indigenous community. Ceasefire ends A one-month ceasefire the insurgents called in September in order, they said, to ease aid deliveries to Rakhine State, expired at midnight on Monday, but authorities said there was no sign of any new attacks. The government rebuffed the ceasefire, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists. Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing. It says more than 500 people have been killed in the violence since late August, most of them ARSA "terrorists". Even before the government offensive, the small, lightly armed ARSA appeared only capable of hit-and-run raids and unable to mount any sort of sustained challenge to the army. The insurgents said on Saturday they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government, even though their ceasefire was ending. The reports of food shortages in Rakhine will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone. Villagers said the food was running out because rice crops were not ready for harvest and authorities had shut village markets and limited food transport, apparently to cut supplies to the militants. The government has cited worry about food as one of the reasons people have cited for leaving, but a senior state government official on Monday dismissed any suggestion of starvation. Among those fleeing were more than 30 people on a fishing boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday evening. Twenty-five of them drowned, including 13 children, police said.

Rohingya crisis: Suu Kyi conducts inter-faith prayers in Yangon

United Nation refugee agency reported<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-militants-say-ceasefire-to-end-on-october-9-21110"> today over 11,000 Rohingyas crossed into &nbsp;Bangladesh </a>on Monday in a surprising move especially after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day.

&quot;We&#39;re back in a situation of full alert as far <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-12-dead-in-violence-by-rohingya-militants-in-rakhine-19477">as influxes are concerned. It is a big increase to see 11,000</a>,&quot; Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

Many of the refugees are reported to come from the Buthidaung area in Myanmar&#39;s northern Rakhine state, which is 20-25 kilometres east of Maungdaw, Reuters reported.

&quot;We have had big numbers coming across by the day over the six weeks of this emergency. So we are back up to approaching some of those peak arrivals. Clearly we have to be prepared for more arrivals,&quot; he said.

&quot;Some said they had fled torching and killings back home; one boy was seen with a big gash across his neck,&quot; Edwards added.

Authorities fear an outbreak of cholera could make matters worse as Bangladesh Cox&#39;s Bazar has seen several thousand refugees arriving in large numbers with poor facilities in most camps with the local administration struggling to put things in order.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi conducted inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians in attendance.&nbsp;

International agencies and governments in western nations have strongly condemned Myanmar&#39;s handling of the Rohinga crisis.&nbsp;

The United States had accused Myanmar of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi&#39;s government.

&quot;This is for peace and stability,&quot; party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters after the inter-faith prayers.&nbsp;

&quot;Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide.&quot;

Many of the refugees are reported to come from the Buthidaung area in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, which is 20-25 kilometres east of Maungdaw.

United Nation refugee agency reported today over 11,000 Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh on Monday in a surprising move especially after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day. "We're back in a situation of full alert as far as influxes are concerned. It is a big increase to see 11,000," Adrian Edwards, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said. Many of the refugees are reported to come from the Buthidaung area in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, which is 20-25 kilometres east of Maungdaw, Reuters reported. "We have had big numbers coming across by the day over the six weeks of this emergency. So we are back up to approaching some of those peak arrivals. Clearly we have to be prepared for more arrivals," he said. "Some said they had fled torching and killings back home; one boy was seen with a big gash across his neck," Edwards added. Authorities fear an outbreak of cholera could make matters worse as Bangladesh Cox's Bazar has seen several thousand refugees arriving in large numbers with poor facilities in most camps with the local administration struggling to put things in order. Meanwhile, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi conducted inter-faith prayers at a stadium in the biggest city of Yangon with Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians in attendance. International agencies and governments in western nations have strongly condemned Myanmar's handling of the Rohinga crisis. The United States had accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi's government. "This is for peace and stability," party spokesman Aung Shin told Reuters after the inter-faith prayers. "Peace in Rakhine and peace nationwide."

UNHCR on alert as 11,000 Rohingyas cross into Bangladesh in one day

At least 12 people died and scores were missing&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-boat-capsize-death-toll-likely-to-go-up-60-says-un-20832" target="_blank">a boat packed with Rohingya refugees -- many of them children -- capsized</a>, the latest tragedy to strike those fleeing violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

Coast guard and border guard officials said the boat was overloaded with about 100 people when it sank late&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;in the mouth of the Naf river that separates Myanmar from Bangladesh.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) official Abdul Jalil told AFP 12 bodies had been recovered after an all-night rescue operation, saying &quot;they include 10 children, an elderly woman and a man&quot;.

Area coast guard commander Alauddin Nayan said the boat capsized near the coastal village of Galachar with nearly 100 people on board.

He said some 40 people in the boat were adult Rohingya Muslims fleeing their villages in Rakhine.

&quot;The rest were children,&quot; he said.

Border guard boats have rescued 13 Rohingya including three women and two children after scouring the estuary of the Naf river, Jalil said.

Since the boat capsized near the Myanmar side of the border, Jalil said many may have swum to the Rakhine coast.

The coast guard said the boat sank at around&nbsp;10:00 pm&nbsp;(1600 GMT).

Local media quoted a survivor as saying the vessel capsized due to high waves and bad weather.

Dangerous journey&nbsp;

Nearly 520,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state for Bangladesh since late August, many walking for days through the thick jungle before making the perilous boat journey across the Naf river.

Around 150 Rohingya, many of them children, have drowned while trying to reach Bangladesh in small, rickety fishing boats that coastguards say are woefully inadequate for the rough seas.

Last week more than 60 Rohingya refugees are feared to have died after a boat carrying them from Myanmar capsized in rough weather in the Bay of Bengal just off the Bangladesh coast.

The bodies of 23 people were retrieved, but the death toll was expected to surge, with many of the dead likely to be young children too weak to swim through the churning water.

The refugee crisis erupted after Rohingya militant raids on Myanmar police posts on&nbsp;August 25&nbsp;prompted a brutal military backlash.

The United Nations has said the army campaign could amount to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; while Myanmar military leaders have blamed the unrest on the Rohingya.

The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group and considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

While the worst of the violence appears to have abated, insecurity, food shortages and tensions with Buddhist neighbours are still driving thousands of Rohingya to make the arduous trek to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has made the journey even more difficult with a clampdown on boats running refugees across the Naf river.

Authorities have destroyed at least 30 wooden fishing vessels whose captains are accused of smuggling Rohingya and illegal drugs into the country.

Gangs of boat owners, crew and fishermen have been charging the fleeing Rohingya upwards of $250 for the two-hour journey that normally costs no more than $5.

Bangladesh coast, and border guard officials said the boat was overloaded. That there were about 100 people on it, many of them children

At least 12 people died and scores were missing Monday after a boat packed with Rohingya refugees -- many of them children -- capsized, the latest tragedy to strike those fleeing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Coast guard and border guard officials said the boat was overloaded with about 100 people when it sank late Sunday in the mouth of the Naf river that separates Myanmar from Bangladesh. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) official Abdul Jalil told AFP 12 bodies had been recovered after an all-night rescue operation, saying "they include 10 children, an elderly woman and a man". Area coast guard commander Alauddin Nayan said the boat capsized near the coastal village of Galachar with nearly 100 people on board. He said some 40 people in the boat were adult Rohingya Muslims fleeing their villages in Rakhine. "The rest were children," he said. Border guard boats have rescued 13 Rohingya including three women and two children after scouring the estuary of the Naf river, Jalil said. Since the boat capsized near the Myanmar side of the border, Jalil said many may have swum to the Rakhine coast. The coast guard said the boat sank at around 10:00 pm (1600 GMT). Local media quoted a survivor as saying the vessel capsized due to high waves and bad weather. Dangerous journey Nearly 520,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine state for Bangladesh since late August, many walking for days through the thick jungle before making the perilous boat journey across the Naf river. Around 150 Rohingya, many of them children, have drowned while trying to reach Bangladesh in small, rickety fishing boats that coastguards say are woefully inadequate for the rough seas. Last week more than 60 Rohingya refugees are feared to have died after a boat carrying them from Myanmar capsized in rough weather in the Bay of Bengal just off the Bangladesh coast. The bodies of 23 people were retrieved, but the death toll was expected to surge, with many of the dead likely to be young children too weak to swim through the churning water. The refugee crisis erupted after Rohingya militant raids on Myanmar police posts on August 25 prompted a brutal military backlash. The United Nations has said the army campaign could amount to "ethnic cleansing" while Myanmar military leaders have blamed the unrest on the Rohingya. The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group and considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh. While the worst of the violence appears to have abated, insecurity, food shortages and tensions with Buddhist neighbours are still driving thousands of Rohingya to make the arduous trek to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has made the journey even more difficult with a clampdown on boats running refugees across the Naf river. Authorities have destroyed at least 30 wooden fishing vessels whose captains are accused of smuggling Rohingya and illegal drugs into the country. Gangs of boat owners, crew and fishermen have been charging the fleeing Rohingya upwards of $250 for the two-hour journey that normally costs no more than $5.

At least 12 dead, scores missing after Rohingya boat capsizes

Thousands of&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;Muslims from&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;sought refugee in Bangladesh on Monday, in a&nbsp;new&nbsp;surge&nbsp;in an unrelenting flow of people driven by violence&nbsp;the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing and increasingly by&nbsp;hunger&nbsp;too.

Reuters reporters on the Bangladeshi side of the border, in Palong Khali district, saw several thousand people crossing from&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State, filing along embankments between flooded fields and scrubby forest.

&quot;Half of my village was burned down. I saw them do it,&quot; said Sayed Azin, 46, who said he had walked for eight days with his 80-year-old mother in a basket strung on a bamboo pole between him and his son.

Soldiers and Buddhist mobs had torched his village, he said.

&quot;I left everything,&quot; he said, sobbing. &quot;I can&#39;t find my relatives&nbsp;I can&#39;t take this anymore.&quot;

Some&nbsp;new&nbsp;arrivals spoke of bloody attacks by Buddhist mobs on people trekking towards the border.

About 519,000&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;have fled&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;since Aug. 25, when attacks by&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;militants on security posts in Rakhine State sparked a ferocious military response.

Refugees and rights groups say the army and Buddhist vigilantes have engaged in a campaign of killing and arson aimed at driving the&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;out of&nbsp;Myanmar.

Myanmar&nbsp;rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and has labelled the militants from the Arakan Rohingya&nbsp;Salvation Army who launched the initial attacks as terrorists who have killed civilians and burnt villages.

Among those&nbsp;fleeing were up to 35 people on a boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday. At least 12 of them drowned while 13 were rescued, Bangladeshi police said.

&quot;We faced so many difficulties, for food and survival,&quot; survivor Sayed Hossein, 30, told Reuters, adding that his wife, three children, mother and father in law had drowned.

&quot;We came here to save our lives.&quot;

&#39;GETTING WORSE&#39;

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government has said its &quot;clearance operations&quot; against the militants ended in early September and people had no reason to&nbsp;flee. But in recent days the government has reported large numbers of Muslims preparing to leave, with more than 17,000 people in one area alone.

The government cited worries about food and security as their reasons.

Some villagers in Rakhine State said the food was running out because rice in the fields was not ready for harvest and the state government had closed village markets and restricted the transport of food, apparently to cut supplies to the militants.

&quot;The situation&#39;s getting worse, we have no food and no guarantee of security,&quot; said a&nbsp;Rohingya resident of Hsin Hnin Pyar village on the south of the state&#39;s Buthidaung district.

He said he knew&nbsp;of several people who had been picked up by police and beaten on suspicion of having militant links, adding that a lot of people were preparing to&nbsp;flee.

Senior state government official Kyaw Swar Tun declined to go into details when asked about the food situation, except to ask, &quot;Have you heard of anyone dying of&nbsp;hunger&nbsp;in Buthidaung?&quot;

The reports of food shortages will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone.

The insurgents declared a one-month ceasefire from Sept. 10 to enable the delivery of aid but the government rebuffed them, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists.

The ceasefire is due to end at midnight on Monday but the insurgents said in a statement they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government.

The ability of the group, which only surfaced in October last year, to mount any sort of challenge to the army is not known, but it does not appear to have been able to put up resistance to the latest military offensive.

COMING, GOING

Bangladesh was already home to 400,000&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;who had fled earlier bouts of&nbsp;violence.

Mostly Buddhist&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;does not recognise the&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;as citizens, even though many have lived there for generations.

But even as refugees arrive, Bangladesh insists they will all have to go home.&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;has responded by saying it will take back those who can be verified as genuine refugees.

Many&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;fear they will not be able to prove their right to return.

Myanmar&nbsp;leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi have faced scathing international criticism for not doing more to stop the&nbsp;violence, although she has no power over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution.

The United States and Britain have warned&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;the crisis is putting at risk the progress it has made since the military began to loosen its grip on power in 2011.

The European Union and the United States are considering targeted sanctions against&nbsp;Myanmar military leaders over the&nbsp;violence, officials familiar with the discussions say.

Several thousand people cross from?Myanmar's Rakhine State, filing along embankments between flooded fields and scrubby forest

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar sought refugee in Bangladesh on Monday, in a new surge in an unrelenting flow of people driven by violence the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing and increasingly by hunger too. Reuters reporters on the Bangladeshi side of the border, in Palong Khali district, saw several thousand people crossing from Myanmar's Rakhine State, filing along embankments between flooded fields and scrubby forest. "Half of my village was burned down. I saw them do it," said Sayed Azin, 46, who said he had walked for eight days with his 80-year-old mother in a basket strung on a bamboo pole between him and his son. Soldiers and Buddhist mobs had torched his village, he said. "I left everything," he said, sobbing. "I can't find my relatives I can't take this anymore." Some new arrivals spoke of bloody attacks by Buddhist mobs on people trekking towards the border. About 519,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants on security posts in Rakhine State sparked a ferocious military response. Refugees and rights groups say the army and Buddhist vigilantes have engaged in a campaign of killing and arson aimed at driving the Rohingya out of Myanmar. Myanmar rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and has labelled the militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army who launched the initial attacks as terrorists who have killed civilians and burnt villages. Among those fleeing were up to 35 people on a boat that capsized off the Bangladesh coast on Sunday. At least 12 of them drowned while 13 were rescued, Bangladeshi police said. "We faced so many difficulties, for food and survival," survivor Sayed Hossein, 30, told Reuters, adding that his wife, three children, mother and father in law had drowned. "We came here to save our lives." 'GETTING WORSE' The Myanmar government has said its "clearance operations" against the militants ended in early September and people had no reason to flee. But in recent days the government has reported large numbers of Muslims preparing to leave, with more than 17,000 people in one area alone. The government cited worries about food and security as their reasons. Some villagers in Rakhine State said the food was running out because rice in the fields was not ready for harvest and the state government had closed village markets and restricted the transport of food, apparently to cut supplies to the militants. "The situation's getting worse, we have no food and no guarantee of security," said a Rohingya resident of Hsin Hnin Pyar village on the south of the state's Buthidaung district. He said he knew of several people who had been picked up by police and beaten on suspicion of having militant links, adding that a lot of people were preparing to flee. Senior state government official Kyaw Swar Tun declined to go into details when asked about the food situation, except to ask, "Have you heard of anyone dying of hunger in Buthidaung?" The reports of food shortages will add to the urgency of calls by aid agencies and the international community for unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone. The insurgents declared a one-month ceasefire from Sept. 10 to enable the delivery of aid but the government rebuffed them, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists. The ceasefire is due to end at midnight on Monday but the insurgents said in a statement they were ready to respond to any peace move by the government. The ability of the group, which only surfaced in October last year, to mount any sort of challenge to the army is not known, but it does not appear to have been able to put up resistance to the latest military offensive. COMING, GOING Bangladesh was already home to 400,000 Rohingya who had fled earlier bouts of violence. Mostly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya as citizens, even though many have lived there for generations. But even as refugees arrive, Bangladesh insists they will all have to go home. Myanmar has responded by saying it will take back those who can be verified as genuine refugees. Many Rohingya fear they will not be able to prove their right to return. Myanmar leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi have faced scathing international criticism for not doing more to stop the violence, although she has no power over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution. The United States and Britain have warned Myanmar the crisis is putting at risk the progress it has made since the military began to loosen its grip on power in 2011. The European Union and the United States are considering targeted sanctions against Myanmar military leaders over the violence, officials familiar with the discussions say.

More Rohingya refugees flee Myanmar citing violence, hunger

Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said today Dhaka has backed India&#39;s stand on the Rohingya issue

&quot;I think the way India is currently approaching on the Rohingya issue, we are extremely happy,&quot; Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said.

Haque, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, has met Indian officials to deal with the Rohingya crisis, with which Dhaka is grappling because of the arrival of refugees.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier described the Rohingyas as &quot;illegal immigrants&quot;&nbsp;and not refugees who had applied for asylum in India.

The home minister had also said that India would not violate any international law by deporting Rohingyas, as it was not a signatory to the UN Refugees Convention 1951.

Addressing a seminar organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Singh asked why some people were objecting to the deportation of Rohingyas when Myanmar was ready to accept them.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to visit Dhaka for a joint consultative commission meeting.

Swaraj had earlier expressed India`s full support to Bangladesh`s stance over the Rohingya issue as international concern grows over the fate of the refugees.

Rajnath Singh had earlier described the Rohingyas as "illegal immigrants"?and not refugees who had applied for asylum in India.

Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said today Dhaka has backed India's stand on the Rohingya issue "I think the way India is currently approaching on the Rohingya issue, we are extremely happy," Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said. Haque, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday, has met Indian officials to deal with the Rohingya crisis, with which Dhaka is grappling because of the arrival of refugees. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier described the Rohingyas as "illegal immigrants" and not refugees who had applied for asylum in India. The home minister had also said that India would not violate any international law by deporting Rohingyas, as it was not a signatory to the UN Refugees Convention 1951. Addressing a seminar organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Singh asked why some people were objecting to the deportation of Rohingyas when Myanmar was ready to accept them. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to visit Dhaka for a joint consultative commission meeting. Swaraj had earlier expressed India`s full support to Bangladesh`s stance over the Rohingya issue as international concern grows over the fate of the refugees.

Rohingya issue: Bangladesh backs India's stand, says foreign minister Shahidul Haque

Thousands of Islamist hardliners marched in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-to-press-for-muslim-refugees-return-to-myanmar-20902" target="_blank">Bangladesh&#39;s port city of Chittagong Friday calling for the government to arm Rohingya Muslim refugees </a>fleeing a crackdown in Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/10000-rohingya-poised-to-enter-bangladesh-as-exodus-swells-again-20965" target="_blank">More than half a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh</a> since attacks by militants belonging to the Muslim minority on Myanmar police posts sparked brutal reprisals by security forces.

The refugees accuse Myanmar&#39;s army, flanked by mobs of ethnic Rakhine, of slaughtering them and burning their villages in a campaign which the United Nations says amounts to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Myanmar&#39;s military has blamed the unrest on the Rohingya.

Up to 15,000 people joined the demonstrations in Bangladesh&#39;s second largest city, police said, organised by hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam to protest against the killings of the Rohingya.

&quot;We demanded a halt to the genocide of the Rohingya,&quot; Hefazat spokesman Azizul Hoque Islamabad told AFP.

&quot;We have also asked the government to train and arm the Rohingya so that they can liberate their homeland,&quot; he said.

Communities in Chittagong share close cultural, religious and linguistic ties with the Rohingya, and images on social media purportedly showing abuses against the Muslim minority in mainly Buddhist Myanmar have aroused strong sympathy in Bangladesh.

Islamist parties, including Hefazat, have staged several demonstrations over the issue in recent weeks and some firebrand leaders have called on the government to go to war with Myanmar to liberate Rakhine for the persecuted Rohingya.

Experts said Bangladeshi Islamist extremist groups could exploit the situation and forge closer ties with Rohingya militants.

The plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority who are reviled and denied citizenship in Myanmar, has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/wion-exclusive-pakistans-role-behind-rohingya-insurgent-groups-cant-be-ruled-out-says-ht-imam-20803" target="_blank">roused anger across the Islamic world, with protests held in Pakistan</a>, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The influx has also put Bangladesh under immense strain, with the South Asian country already hosting at least 300,000 Rohingya refugees in squalid camps along its border with Myanmar before the latest surge in arrivals.

Thousands of Islamist hardliners marched in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong Friday

Thousands of Islamist hardliners marched in Bangladesh's port city of Chittagong Friday calling for the government to arm Rohingya Muslim refugees fleeing a crackdown in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state. More than half a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since attacks by militants belonging to the Muslim minority on Myanmar police posts sparked brutal reprisals by security forces. The refugees accuse Myanmar's army, flanked by mobs of ethnic Rakhine, of slaughtering them and burning their villages in a campaign which the United Nations says amounts to "ethnic cleansing". Myanmar's military has blamed the unrest on the Rohingya. Up to 15,000 people joined the demonstrations in Bangladesh's second largest city, police said, organised by hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam to protest against the killings of the Rohingya. "We demanded a halt to the genocide of the Rohingya," Hefazat spokesman Azizul Hoque Islamabad told AFP. "We have also asked the government to train and arm the Rohingya so that they can liberate their homeland," he said. Communities in Chittagong share close cultural, religious and linguistic ties with the Rohingya, and images on social media purportedly showing abuses against the Muslim minority in mainly Buddhist Myanmar have aroused strong sympathy in Bangladesh. Islamist parties, including Hefazat, have staged several demonstrations over the issue in recent weeks and some firebrand leaders have called on the government to go to war with Myanmar to liberate Rakhine for the persecuted Rohingya. Experts said Bangladeshi Islamist extremist groups could exploit the situation and forge closer ties with Rohingya militants. The plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority who are reviled and denied citizenship in Myanmar, has roused anger across the Islamic world, with protests held in Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. The influx has also put Bangladesh under immense strain, with the South Asian country already hosting at least 300,000 Rohingya refugees in squalid camps along its border with Myanmar before the latest surge in arrivals.

Bangladesh Islamists call on government to arm Rohingyas

Britain&#39;s Prince Charles will tour southeast Asia and India later this month, but the heir to the throne will not visit Myanmar, after a spate of violence and allegations that authorities are carrying out ethnic cleansing.

Media reports last month said an official visit to Myanmar was being suggested for the trip, which the prince is undertaking on behalf of the British government, and aides acknowledged it had been considered as part of the schedule.

But it was omitted from the final programme issued on Wednesday. Charles and his wife Camilla will travel to Singapore, Malaysia and then to India where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

&quot;We looked at a range of options in the region and, as we&#39;re announcing today, we&#39;re going ahead with the visit to Singapore and Malaysia,&quot; Philip Malone, Deputy Head of Department at Britain&#39;s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, told reporters.

Malone and royal aides declined to elaborate.

More than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in the past month since insurgents attacked security posts near the border, triggering fierce military retaliation that the United Nations has branded ethnic cleansing.

Last month Britain suspended its training programme for the military in Myanmar because of the violence, and diplomatic relations have deteriorated.

Rights campaigners had argued against a royal visit.

&quot;To have someone of Prince Charles&rsquo;s stature go to visit the country would be seen as a reward, and giving legitimacy to the government and the military that are currently violating international law,&quot; said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK.

Charles and Camilla will begin their tour in Singapore on Oct. 31 before going to Malaysia, where they will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties since the former British colony became independent, before concluding the 11-day tour in India.

Last month Britain suspended its training programme for the military in Myanmar because of the violence, and diplomatic relations have deteriorated.

Britain's Prince Charles will tour southeast Asia and India later this month, but the heir to the throne will not visit Myanmar, after a spate of violence and allegations that authorities are carrying out ethnic cleansing. Media reports last month said an official visit to Myanmar was being suggested for the trip, which the prince is undertaking on behalf of the British government, and aides acknowledged it had been considered as part of the schedule. But it was omitted from the final programme issued on Wednesday. Charles and his wife Camilla will travel to Singapore, Malaysia and then to India where he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We looked at a range of options in the region and, as we're announcing today, we're going ahead with the visit to Singapore and Malaysia," Philip Malone, Deputy Head of Department at Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, told reporters. Malone and royal aides declined to elaborate. More than 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in the past month since insurgents attacked security posts near the border, triggering fierce military retaliation that the United Nations has branded ethnic cleansing. Last month Britain suspended its training programme for the military in Myanmar because of the violence, and diplomatic relations have deteriorated. Rights campaigners had argued against a royal visit. "To have someone of Prince Charles’s stature go to visit the country would be seen as a reward, and giving legitimacy to the government and the military that are currently violating international law," said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. Charles and Camilla will begin their tour in Singapore on Oct. 31 before going to Malaysia, where they will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic ties since the former British colony became independent, before concluding the 11-day tour in India.

Prince Charles leaves out Myanmar visit in southeast Asia tour

A few days after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-fleeing-myanmar-say-army-redoubling-push-to-clear-villages-21005">Oxford took down the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi,</a> the University decided to stip her of the Freedom of Oxford award over her handling of the Rohingya crisis in &nbsp;Myanmar.

Suu Kyi is an alumnus of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-beauty-queen-calls-rohingya-muslims-terrorist-organisation-stripped-of-title-20981">Oxford University having graduated in philosophy</a>, politics and economics in 1967 from St Hugh&#39;s college before completing her masters in politics in 1968.

The Oxford City Council voted unanimously to support a motion that said it was &quot;no longer appropriate&quot; to celebrate Suu Kyi, who has come under fierce criticism for inaction in the face of reported atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, Britain&#39;s The Independent reported.

On Saturday, Oxford had decided to place her portrait in storage at St Hugh&#39;s college and replace it with a new painting gifted by Japanese artist Yoshihiro Takada.

&quot;The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to a secure location,&quot; the college had said in a statement.

Oxford&#39;s decision to strip Suu Kyi of the Freedom award and the removal of her&nbsp;1997 portrait&nbsp;comes a few days before new students arrive at the college to start their course.

The Oxford City Council has voted unanimously to support a motion that said it was "no longer appropriate" to celebrate Suu Kyi

A few days after Oxford took down the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, the University decided to stip her of the Freedom of Oxford award over her handling of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. Suu Kyi is an alumnus of Oxford University having graduated in philosophy, politics and economics in 1967 from St Hugh's college before completing her masters in politics in 1968. The Oxford City Council voted unanimously to support a motion that said it was "no longer appropriate" to celebrate Suu Kyi, who has come under fierce criticism for inaction in the face of reported atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, Britain's The Independent reported. On Saturday, Oxford had decided to place her portrait in storage at St Hugh's college and replace it with a new painting gifted by Japanese artist Yoshihiro Takada. "The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to a secure location," the college had said in a statement. Oxford's decision to strip Suu Kyi of the Freedom award and the removal of her 1997 portrait comes a few days before new students arrive at the college to start their course.

Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Oxford award amid Rohingya crisis

Bangladesh police have rescued 20 Rohingya after busting a gang which ferried the refugees from Myanmar but demanded thousands of dollars for the boat ride, an official said Tuesday.

The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin.&nbsp;

The RAB chief who led the operation at Sabrung near Cox&#39;s Bazar told AFP the 20 included seven women, five men and eight children.

&quot;They were held there by a gang of boat owners and crew who demanded 20,000 takas ($250) per person for a two-hour boat ride from Myanmar,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

A boat ride between Maungdaw and Bangladesh&#39;s main landing station at Shah Porir Dwip would cost no more than five dollars normally.

Amin said they arrested three members of the gang for profiteering. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The UN estimates that 507,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine into Bangladesh since late August after the latest eruption of violence in the northern Myanmar state.

Many have arrived on rickety boats crossing the Naf river, which marks the border between Bangladesh&#39;s Cox&#39;s Bazar district and Rakhine.

Police said boat owners, crew and fishermen have charged exorbitant prices for the rides.

&quot;It has become a common phenomenon&quot; since the influx began, Amin said.

Authorities have deployed mobile courts to crack down on the profiteering gangs and handed down sentences of up to six months&#39; jail on nearly 200 people.

&quot;We have arrested 20 brokers and freed nearly 2,000 people in raids in the coastal villages. In one raid we rescued about 1,000 Rohingya who were held at six houses,&quot; Amin said.

Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh said the boatmen extracted every last penny from them for the ferry and threatened to throw them overboard if they refused to surrender valuables including gold ornaments

Media reports have mentioned Rohingya being held by boatmen and agents for hours in coastal villages until they made inflated payments for the trip.&nbsp;

Rohingya living in established refugee camps in Bangladesh have also been accused of joining the profiteering.

The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin

Bangladesh police have rescued 20 Rohingya after busting a gang which ferried the refugees from Myanmar but demanded thousands of dollars for the boat ride, an official said Tuesday. The Rapid Action Battalion raided a village near the border with Myanmar late Monday to free the Rohingya Muslims who had been held there for a day, said Major Ruhul Amin. The RAB chief who led the operation at Sabrung near Cox's Bazar told AFP the 20 included seven women, five men and eight children. "They were held there by a gang of boat owners and crew who demanded 20,000 takas ($250) per person for a two-hour boat ride from Myanmar," he said. A boat ride between Maungdaw and Bangladesh's main landing station at Shah Porir Dwip would cost no more than five dollars normally. Amin said they arrested three members of the gang for profiteering. The UN estimates that 507,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine into Bangladesh since late August after the latest eruption of violence in the northern Myanmar state. Many have arrived on rickety boats crossing the Naf river, which marks the border between Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district and Rakhine. Police said boat owners, crew and fishermen have charged exorbitant prices for the rides. "It has become a common phenomenon" since the influx began, Amin said. Authorities have deployed mobile courts to crack down on the profiteering gangs and handed down sentences of up to six months' jail on nearly 200 people. "We have arrested 20 brokers and freed nearly 2,000 people in raids in the coastal villages. In one raid we rescued about 1,000 Rohingya who were held at six houses," Amin said. Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh said the boatmen extracted every last penny from them for the ferry and threatened to throw them overboard if they refused to surrender valuables including gold ornaments Media reports have mentioned Rohingya being held by boatmen and agents for hours in coastal villages until they made inflated payments for the trip. Rohingya living in established refugee camps in Bangladesh have also been accused of joining the profiteering.

Bangladesh rescues 20 Rohingya held by refugee racket gang

More than 10,000 Muslim Rohingya have massed in Myanmar near a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/aid-group-warns-of-death-among-rohingya-in-bangladesh-20298" target="_blank">crossing point into Bangladesh</a>, Myanmar media said&nbsp;Tuesday, apparently poised to join an exodus across the border due to food shortages and fear of attacks in their mainly Buddhist homeland.

Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks, and numbers are again swelling, raising doubts about the practicality of a Myanmar proposal to begin repatriating them.

Myanmar&#39;s northern state of Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks.

More are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave those villages which have so far been spared the worst of the violence that ripped through the state.

Attacks by Rohingya militants on&nbsp;August 25&nbsp;spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Over 10,000 &quot;Muslims&quot; have arrived &quot;between Letphwekya and Kwunthpin village to emigrate to the neighbouring country&quot;, the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported&nbsp;Tuesday.

Myanmar&#39;s government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, instead of calling them &quot;Muslims&quot; or &quot;Bengalis&quot;, code for illegal migrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Authorities have tried to reassure fleeing Rohingya that they are now safe in Rakhine, the report added, but they want to leave &quot;of their own accord&quot;.

Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still prevented by an army lockdown.&nbsp;

But fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain, threatened by Myanmar&#39;s army and their hostile ethnic Rakhine neighbours and cut off from aid agencies.&nbsp;

After a brief lull in arrivals, the Bangladesh Border Guard says 4-5,000 Rohingya are now crossing each day.

&quot;They don&#39;t want to stay (in Myanmar). They want to come here... they are being told to leave,&quot; Lieutenant-Colonel SM Ariful Islam told AFP.

Food is also running out, with villagers too fearful to tend to their crops in case they are attacked by their neighbours.

&quot;In some villages, they are scared to pass by Rakhine villages,&quot; Chris Lewa, from Rohingya advocacy group the Arakan Project, told AFP.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-infant-washes-up-dead-reminds-world-of-syrian-boy-alan-kurdi-10903" target="_blank">Rohingya infant washes up dead, reminds world of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi</a>

Rakhine in ruins&nbsp;

Myanmar denies most Rohingya citizenship and the public in the Buddhist-majority nation does not want them back.

Myanmar&#39;s army has branded them illegal immigrants intent on imposing Islam via the country&#39;s western gateway.

On Monday&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s Minister of the Office of State Counselor, Kyaw Tint Swe, told Bangladesh his country was ready to accept refugees subject to a verification process agreed in the early 1990s by the neighbours.

The minister&#39;s offer applies only to those who fled in the past year, according to a Bangladeshi official, excluding some 300,000 Rohingya who fled earlier.&nbsp;

And refugees and rights groups say the verification which Myanmar wants will leave huge numbers in the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh since it relies on documentation which most Rohingya do not have.

The refugees are also deeply fearful of what awaits back in Myanmar, with many recounting stories of rape and mass murder at the hands of the army while their villages have been destroyed.

Relief agencies&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;were fighting to contain a diarrhoea outbreak around hugely overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

A 20-bed clinic was opened at Kutupalong camp&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;for diarrhoea victims and another 60-bed facility will be set up this week.

&quot;We have seen an increasing trend of diarrhoeal disease cases, including cases of diarrhoea with severe dehydration,&quot; said United Nations refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic.

The UN said it would seek $430 million to increase operations in the camps.

Inside Rakhine, already one of Myanmar&#39;s poorest states, conditions are worsening for those left behind.

UN officials toured a conflict-hit portion of the state&nbsp;on Monday, noting the &quot;unimaginable&quot; scale of suffering and urging humanitarian access.

An EU delegation accompanying them on the government-steered day trip urged an end to the violence after seeing &quot;villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants&quot;.

<h1 title="Fires rage in Rakhine as Myanmar army blames Rohingya for mosque blast">&nbsp;</h1>

Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks

More than 10,000 Muslim Rohingya have massed in Myanmar near a crossing point into Bangladesh, Myanmar media said Tuesday, apparently poised to join an exodus across the border due to food shortages and fear of attacks in their mainly Buddhist homeland. Over 500,000 Rohingya have streamed into Bangladesh in just the past five weeks, and numbers are again swelling, raising doubts about the practicality of a Myanmar proposal to begin repatriating them. Myanmar's northern state of Rakhine has been emptied of half of its Rohingya population in weeks. More are on the move as insecurity presses them to leave those villages which have so far been spared the worst of the violence that ripped through the state. Attacks by Rohingya militants on August 25 spurred a ferocious Myanmar army crackdown that the UN says amounted to "ethnic cleansing". Over 10,000 "Muslims" have arrived "between Letphwekya and Kwunthpin village to emigrate to the neighbouring country", the state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Tuesday. Myanmar's government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, instead of calling them "Muslims" or "Bengalis", code for illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Authorities have tried to reassure fleeing Rohingya that they are now safe in Rakhine, the report added, but they want to leave "of their own accord". Violence appears to have ebbed in northern Rakhine, although independent reporting is still prevented by an army lockdown. But fear has unsettled many of the Rohingya who remain, threatened by Myanmar's army and their hostile ethnic Rakhine neighbours and cut off from aid agencies. After a brief lull in arrivals, the Bangladesh Border Guard says 4-5,000 Rohingya are now crossing each day. "They don't want to stay (in Myanmar). They want to come here... they are being told to leave," Lieutenant-Colonel SM Ariful Islam told AFP. Food is also running out, with villagers too fearful to tend to their crops in case they are attacked by their neighbours. "In some villages, they are scared to pass by Rakhine villages," Chris Lewa, from Rohingya advocacy group the Arakan Project, told AFP. Also read: Rohingya infant washes up dead, reminds world of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi Rakhine in ruins Myanmar denies most Rohingya citizenship and the public in the Buddhist-majority nation does not want them back. Myanmar's army has branded them illegal immigrants intent on imposing Islam via the country's western gateway. On Monday Myanmar's Minister of the Office of State Counselor, Kyaw Tint Swe, told Bangladesh his country was ready to accept refugees subject to a verification process agreed in the early 1990s by the neighbours. The minister's offer applies only to those who fled in the past year, according to a Bangladeshi official, excluding some 300,000 Rohingya who fled earlier. And refugees and rights groups say the verification which Myanmar wants will leave huge numbers in the squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh since it relies on documentation which most Rohingya do not have. The refugees are also deeply fearful of what awaits back in Myanmar, with many recounting stories of rape and mass murder at the hands of the army while their villages have been destroyed. Relief agencies Tuesday were fighting to contain a diarrhoea outbreak around hugely overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. A 20-bed clinic was opened at Kutupalong camp Monday for diarrhoea victims and another 60-bed facility will be set up this week. "We have seen an increasing trend of diarrhoeal disease cases, including cases of diarrhoea with severe dehydration," said United Nations refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic. The UN said it would seek $430 million to increase operations in the camps. Inside Rakhine, already one of Myanmar's poorest states, conditions are worsening for those left behind. UN officials toured a conflict-hit portion of the state on Monday, noting the "unimaginable" scale of suffering and urging humanitarian access. An EU delegation accompanying them on the government-steered day trip urged an end to the violence after seeing "villages burned to the ground and emptied of inhabitants".

10,000 Rohingya poised to enter Bangladesh as exodus swells again

Bangladesh opened talks with neighbouring Myanmar on Monday with the aim of securing the return of more than half a million Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, most of whom have arrived since late August.

The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world&#39;s fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar rejects that, Its forces launched an offensive in the north of Rakhine state in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug 25.

Myanmar blames the insurgents for attacks on civilians and for setting most of the fires that have reduced more than half of more than 400 Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine to ashes. The insurgents deny that.

Myanmar says more than 500 people have been killed in the latest violence, most of the insurgents.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for an end to the violence and for safe zones to be set up in Myanmar to enable refugees to return.

She has also called for a U.N. fact-finding mission to go to Myanmar and for Myanmar to implement recommendations on solving problems in Rakhine drawn up by a team led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Bangladesh would focus on those five proposals in talks in Dhaka on Monday between Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar government official Kyaw Tint Swe, in particular, the return of the refugees, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said.

&quot;We don&#39;t think this crisis is going to be resolved in just one meeting,&quot; said the official who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to media.

The crisis over Myanmar&#39;s treatment of the Rohingya is the biggest problem national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had to face since forming a government last year after winning a landmark election in late 2015.

The Nobel peace laureate, in an address to the nation last month, said Myanmar was ready to start a verification process under a 1993 agreement with Bangladesh and &quot;refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem&quot;.

There were already about 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus.

In Myanmar, the government took diplomats to Rakhine to let them see the situation.

&quot;Maungdaw feels like a ghost town,&quot; Swiss ambassador Paul Seger said on Twitter, as he arrived in the main town in the north of Rakhine.

Myanmar has blocked most aid workers and the media from the area despite calls from Western countries for access to deal with what aid groups fear is an unfolding humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border.

PROTEST

Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out strongly enough on behalf of the long-persecuted minority and of defending the army action.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots in Myanmar that go back centuries, with communities marginalised and occasionally subjected to communal violence.

Suu Kyi has no power over security policy under a military-drafted constitution and the public in Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has surged over recent years, largely supports the offensive against the insurgents.

The United States, in its strongest criticism of Myanmar over the crisis, called last week on countries to suspend providing weapons to Myanmar&#39;s military. But it stopped short of threatening to reimpose sanctions, which were suspended under the Obama administration.

A protest against Western pressure and foreign media coverage of the crisis is planned in the biggest city of Yangon on Monday.

Myanmar has refused to grant access to a U.N. fact-finding mission but Suu Kyi appointed Annan last year to lead an advisory commission and propose solutions.

The commission presented its recommendations on Aug. 24, a day before the insurgent attacks sparked the latest crisis, among them a review of a law that links citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless.

The panel also recommended that the government hold perpetrators of rights violations accountable, ensure the right to freedom of movement for everyone in Rakhine and invest in infrastructure to lift the state out of poverty.

Suu Kyi, in her address to the nation last month, said she was committed to the recommendations.

The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority

Bangladesh opened talks with neighbouring Myanmar on Monday with the aim of securing the return of more than half a million Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, most of whom have arrived since late August. The United Nations has called the exodus of 507,000 Rohingya since Aug. 25 the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency and says Buddhist-majority Myanmar is engaging in ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar rejects that, Its forces launched an offensive in the north of Rakhine state in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Aug 25. Myanmar blames the insurgents for attacks on civilians and for setting most of the fires that have reduced more than half of more than 400 Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine to ashes. The insurgents deny that. Myanmar says more than 500 people have been killed in the latest violence, most of the insurgents. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for an end to the violence and for safe zones to be set up in Myanmar to enable refugees to return. She has also called for a U.N. fact-finding mission to go to Myanmar and for Myanmar to implement recommendations on solving problems in Rakhine drawn up by a team led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan. Bangladesh would focus on those five proposals in talks in Dhaka on Monday between Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Myanmar government official Kyaw Tint Swe, in particular, the return of the refugees, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official said. "We don't think this crisis is going to be resolved in just one meeting," said the official who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to media. The crisis over Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya is the biggest problem national leader Aung San Suu Kyi has had to face since forming a government last year after winning a landmark election in late 2015. The Nobel peace laureate, in an address to the nation last month, said Myanmar was ready to start a verification process under a 1993 agreement with Bangladesh and "refugees from this country will be accepted without any problem". There were already about 300,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh before the latest exodus. In Myanmar, the government took diplomats to Rakhine to let them see the situation. "Maungdaw feels like a ghost town," Swiss ambassador Paul Seger said on Twitter, as he arrived in the main town in the north of Rakhine. Myanmar has blocked most aid workers and the media from the area despite calls from Western countries for access to deal with what aid groups fear is an unfolding humanitarian crisis on both sides of the border. PROTEST Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out strongly enough on behalf of the long-persecuted minority and of defending the army action. The Rohingya are denied citizenship and classified as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots in Myanmar that go back centuries, with communities marginalised and occasionally subjected to communal violence. Suu Kyi has no power over security policy under a military-drafted constitution and the public in Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has surged over recent years, largely supports the offensive against the insurgents. The United States, in its strongest criticism of Myanmar over the crisis, called last week on countries to suspend providing weapons to Myanmar's military. But it stopped short of threatening to reimpose sanctions, which were suspended under the Obama administration. A protest against Western pressure and foreign media coverage of the crisis is planned in the biggest city of Yangon on Monday. Myanmar has refused to grant access to a U.N. fact-finding mission but Suu Kyi appointed Annan last year to lead an advisory commission and propose solutions. The commission presented its recommendations on Aug. 24, a day before the insurgent attacks sparked the latest crisis, among them a review of a law that links citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless. The panel also recommended that the government hold perpetrators of rights violations accountable, ensure the right to freedom of movement for everyone in Rakhine and invest in infrastructure to lift the state out of poverty. Suu Kyi, in her address to the nation last month, said she was committed to the recommendations.

Bangladesh to press for Muslim refugees' return to Myanmar

&quot;Why have they come here? Why can&#39;t they stay there,&quot; RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&quot;We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Bhagwat was speaking in Nagpur on Dussehra.

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Wo wahan se yahan yahan kyun aaye hain? Wahan kyun nahi reh sake?: Mohan Bhagwat on Rohingyas
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/913975640403066880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us: Mohan Bhagwat on Rohingyas <a href="https://t.co/nBK7N6PaIG">pic.twitter.com/nBK7N6PaIG</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/913974101156306944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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If we let such ppl stay here, they will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our national security: Mohan Bhagwat <a href="https://t.co/qNhqq0OGVo">pic.twitter.com/qNhqq0OGVo</a>
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He added that &quot;if we let the Rohingya stay here, they will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our national security.&quot;&nbsp;

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Jihadi taaktaon se unke samabandh wahan pe ujagar ho gaye. Isliye us desh ka shaasan ka bhi unke prati rawaiyya kada hi hai: Mohan Bhagwat
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Saari jaankari lete hain toh dhyaan ata hai ki unki algavwadi, hinsak aur apradhik gatividhiyan iska kaaran hain: Mohan Bhagwat
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Over 500,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in recent weeks.&nbsp;

The exodus began on August 25 after a Rohingya insurgent group attacked army and police posts in Myanmar&#39;s western state of Rakhine.&nbsp;

The Myanmarese Army responded with what the UN has since called a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.&nbsp;

There are at the moment some 40,000 Rohingya registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as living in India.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

?'We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us,' Mohan Bhagwat added

"Why have they come here? Why can't they stay there," RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday. "We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us," he added. Bhagwat was speaking in Nagpur on Dussehra. Wo wahan se yahan yahan kyun aaye hain? Wahan kyun nahi reh sake?: Mohan Bhagwat on Rohingyas — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017 × We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us: Mohan Bhagwat on Rohingyas pic.twitter.com/nBK7N6PaIG — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017 × If we let such ppl stay here, they will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our national security: Mohan Bhagwat pic.twitter.com/qNhqq0OGVo — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017 × He added that "if we let the Rohingya stay here, they will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our national security." Jihadi taaktaon se unke samabandh wahan pe ujagar ho gaye. Isliye us desh ka shaasan ka bhi unke prati rawaiyya kada hi hai: Mohan Bhagwat — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017 × Saari jaankari lete hain toh dhyaan ata hai ki unki algavwadi, hinsak aur apradhik gatividhiyan iska kaaran hain: Mohan Bhagwat — ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017 × Over 500,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in recent weeks. The exodus began on August 25 after a Rohingya insurgent group attacked army and police posts in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. The Myanmarese Army responded with what the UN has since called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". There are at the moment some 40,000 Rohingya registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as living in India.

RSS chief on Rohingya: Why have they come here? Why can't they live there?

UN chief Antonio Guterres exhorted Myanmar&#39;s leaders to end the &quot;nightmare&quot; faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing an army campaign, after at least 19 people drowned with scores more feared dead when a boat carrying Rohingya families capsized off Bangladesh.&nbsp;

More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state.

Scores have drowned while trying to cross waters separating the two countries, while those who survive face new dangers as they cram into squalid refugee settlements where food and clean water are in short supply.

The billowing humanitarian crisis prompted the UN Security Council to hold its first meeting on Myanmar in eight years, though the member countries failed to arrive at a joint resolution.&nbsp;

The US slammed the army for trying &quot;to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority&quot;, while Beijing and Moscow offered support to Myanmar authorities who have vehemently rebuffed allegations that ethnic cleansing is underway.

Speaking to the 15-member council, Guterres urged Myanmar to halt military operations and open humanitarian access to the conflict-wracked western region.

&quot;The situation has spiralled into the world&#39;s fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare,&quot; he said while calling for those displaced by the conflict to be allowed to return home.

The UN chief noted that the &quot;systemic violence&quot; could cause unrest to spill south to the central part of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, threatening 250,000 Muslims with displacement.&nbsp;

Some of the strongest criticism came from US envoy Nikki Haley, who accused Myanmar authorities of waging a &quot;brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority&quot;.

&quot;It should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar,&quot; she added, in what appeared to be a rebuke to the country&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a human rights champion has been battered by the crisis.

But Myanmar received strong backing from Russia and China, a close ally and key trade partner.&nbsp;

&quot;The international community must be aware of the difficulties faced by the Burmese government, be patient and provide its assistance,&quot; Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said.&nbsp;

&quot;We must be very careful when we talk about ethnic cleansing and genocide,&quot; added Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, taking the Myanmar government line as he blamed Rohingya militants for &quot;burning villages&quot;.

Fires have razed hundreds of communities in northern Rakhine over the past month, in what rights groups say is an army-led effort to drive out the stateless minority that has faced decades of persecution.&nbsp;

Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, has denied the allegation and defended its operations as a proportionate crackdown on the Rohingya militants whose deadly raids on police posts on August 25 sparked the military backlash.&nbsp;

Authorities have restricted access to the epicentre of the violence but agreed this week to allow a UN visit to the conflict zone.&nbsp;

The trip has been postponed to October 2 due to bad weather, state media reported Friday.&nbsp;

Boat tragedy&nbsp;

The drowning tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly accidents as desperate refugees surge into Bangladesh, where they are penned into ramshackle tent cities amid dire shortages of nearly all forms of aid.

Witnesses and survivors said the vessel that overturned Thursday was just metres from the coast in rough waters after it was lashed by torrential rain and high winds.

There are fears the death toll could rise sharply with the International Organization for Migration saying about 100 people, mainly children, were believed aboard the downed vessel.

The bodies of 16 people, mostly children, were found Thursday and brought to a local school, said coastguard commander Nasir Uddin.

Two more bodies of young boys were retrieved Friday morning, he added, while another woman was washed ashore in a separate location.

&quot;They drowned before our eyes. Minutes later, the waves washed the bodies to the beach,&quot; said Mohammad Sohel, a local shopkeeper.

One distraught survivor said&nbsp;that his wife and one of their children had been killed when the ship sank.

&quot;The boat hit something underground as it came close to the beach. Then it overturned,&quot; said Nurus Salam, who had set off for Bangladesh from a coastal village in Myanmar late Wednesday with his family.

More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state

UN chief Antonio Guterres exhorted Myanmar's leaders to end the "nightmare" faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing an army campaign, after at least 19 people drowned with scores more feared dead when a boat carrying Rohingya families capsized off Bangladesh. More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month, fleeing a vicious Myanmar military crackdown on Rohingya rebels that has gutted villages across northern Rakhine state. Scores have drowned while trying to cross waters separating the two countries, while those who survive face new dangers as they cram into squalid refugee settlements where food and clean water are in short supply. The billowing humanitarian crisis prompted the UN Security Council to hold its first meeting on Myanmar in eight years, though the member countries failed to arrive at a joint resolution. The US slammed the army for trying "to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority", while Beijing and Moscow offered support to Myanmar authorities who have vehemently rebuffed allegations that ethnic cleansing is underway. Speaking to the 15-member council, Guterres urged Myanmar to halt military operations and open humanitarian access to the conflict-wracked western region. "The situation has spiralled into the world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," he said while calling for those displaced by the conflict to be allowed to return home. The UN chief noted that the "systemic violence" could cause unrest to spill south to the central part of Myanmar's Rakhine state, threatening 250,000 Muslims with displacement. Some of the strongest criticism came from US envoy Nikki Haley, who accused Myanmar authorities of waging a "brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority". "It should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar," she added, in what appeared to be a rebuke to the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose reputation as a human rights champion has been battered by the crisis. But Myanmar received strong backing from Russia and China, a close ally and key trade partner. "The international community must be aware of the difficulties faced by the Burmese government, be patient and provide its assistance," Chinese envoy Wu Haitao said. "We must be very careful when we talk about ethnic cleansing and genocide," added Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, taking the Myanmar government line as he blamed Rohingya militants for "burning villages". Fires have razed hundreds of communities in northern Rakhine over the past month, in what rights groups say is an army-led effort to drive out the stateless minority that has faced decades of persecution. Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, has denied the allegation and defended its operations as a proportionate crackdown on the Rohingya militants whose deadly raids on police posts on August 25 sparked the military backlash. Authorities have restricted access to the epicentre of the violence but agreed this week to allow a UN visit to the conflict zone. The trip has been postponed to October 2 due to bad weather, state media reported Friday. Boat tragedy The drowning tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly accidents as desperate refugees surge into Bangladesh, where they are penned into ramshackle tent cities amid dire shortages of nearly all forms of aid. Witnesses and survivors said the vessel that overturned Thursday was just metres from the coast in rough waters after it was lashed by torrential rain and high winds. There are fears the death toll could rise sharply with the International Organization for Migration saying about 100 people, mainly children, were believed aboard the downed vessel. The bodies of 16 people, mostly children, were found Thursday and brought to a local school, said coastguard commander Nasir Uddin. Two more bodies of young boys were retrieved Friday morning, he added, while another woman was washed ashore in a separate location. "They drowned before our eyes. Minutes later, the waves washed the bodies to the beach," said Mohammad Sohel, a local shopkeeper. One distraught survivor said that his wife and one of their children had been killed when the ship sank. "The boat hit something underground as it came close to the beach. Then it overturned," said Nurus Salam, who had set off for Bangladesh from a coastal village in Myanmar late Wednesday with his family.

UN chief tells Myanmar to end 'nightmare' as 19 drown in Rohingya boat capsize

The United States accused Myanmar Thursday of the&nbsp;ethnic&nbsp;cleansing&nbsp;of minority&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&#39;s government.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley pressed for members of Myanmar&#39;s military to face action from the global body in response to the violence and expressed sharp criticism of the civilian government.&nbsp;

&quot;We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be&nbsp;a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an&nbsp;ethnic&nbsp;minority,&quot; said Haley.

&quot;And it should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar&quot; she added.

&quot;The time for well-meaning, diplomatic words in this council has passed. We must now consider action against Burmese security forces who are implicated in abuses and stoking hatred among their fellow citizens.&quot;

More than half a million&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;Muslims have fled from Rakhine in western Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh in the last month after a militant attack sparked a vicious military campaign.

While the UN has previously called the violent&nbsp;ethnic&nbsp;cleansing, Haley&#39;s comments mark the strong criticism yet from Washington.

Suu&nbsp;Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who is the de facto head of government, has been widely berated for failing to speak up for the&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;minority.

But her supporters say the 72-year-old lacks the power to rein in the army, with whom she has been in a delicate power-sharing arrangement since elections in 2015.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley pressed for members of Myanmar's military to face action from the global body in response to the violence and expressed sharp criticism of the civilian government

The United States accused Myanmar Thursday of the ethnic cleansing of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi's government. Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley pressed for members of Myanmar's military to face action from the global body in response to the violence and expressed sharp criticism of the civilian government. "We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority," said Haley. "And it should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Myanmar" she added. "The time for well-meaning, diplomatic words in this council has passed. We must now consider action against Burmese security forces who are implicated in abuses and stoking hatred among their fellow citizens." More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have fled from Rakhine in western Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh in the last month after a militant attack sparked a vicious military campaign. While the UN has previously called the violent ethnic cleansing, Haley's comments mark the strong criticism yet from Washington. Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who is the de facto head of government, has been widely berated for failing to speak up for the Rohingya minority. But her supporters say the 72-year-old lacks the power to rein in the army, with whom she has been in a delicate power-sharing arrangement since elections in 2015.

US says Rohingya 'ethnic cleansing' shames Suu Kyi govt

Bangladesh is faced with a multi-pronged crisis. The ongoing influx of Rohingya refugees in the hundreds of thousands has tested the country, while the situation and its implications will define geopolitics in the region in the coming days.&nbsp;

WION&rsquo;s Bangladesh Bureau Chief&nbsp;Saad Hammadi&nbsp;spoke to&nbsp;Hossain Toufique Imam, the political affairs adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Saad Hammadi: Advisor Imam, thank you for joining us.&nbsp;

To begin with, we have come across a recent report of a failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on&nbsp;August 24. The Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office in Bangladesh has dismissed the report saying that it is false and irresponsible journalism. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has survived several assassination attempts in the past. For the record for our audience, please share with us when was the last time Prime Minister Hasina has survived such an assassination attempt.

Hossain Toufique Imam: The most serious attempt was on the 21st of August, 2004. That was the grenade attack not only our honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, she was the leader of the opposition at the time, but also the entire top leadership of Awami League. That was the plan of the then ruling party. It was essentially state managed., state organised, state-orchestrated. The then state minister for home and prime minister&rsquo;s son were directly involved. There have been multiple cases on this. The main murder case revolving the&nbsp;21st August&nbsp;is nearing an end. The evidences, witnesses and the documents revealed that the totality of the plan was very well executed. They were able to kill at least 22 leaders of the party including Ivy Rahman, who was a very respected leader and wife of the last president of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman. Almost 500 were injured. There are still many people who are bearing the scars of that attack. Thirteen arges grenades exploded, which are used in war only. They were manufactured in Pakistan. The grenades that were recovered later, they were all arges grenades with the seal of Pakistan Ordnance Factory.&nbsp;

SH: As we look into the present crisis that Bangladesh is facing with, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has waged an armed struggle in Myanmar and some of them may have joined with the Rohingyas who have fled into Bangladesh. We have come across reports suggesting that this terrorist outfit has nexus with the opposition party and the Pakistan intelligence. They may be orchestrating attacks in the future. What are your thoughts on this?

HTI: You see this is a very old problem. The relationship between the Rohingyas and our people here, between the militants, goes back to many years. It was during Pakistan time that the Rohingya Liberation Front was organised. The Rohingya Liberation Army was created. With both of them, the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan was deeply involved with funding from abroad. That had continued for many years. Only during the period of Bangabandhu between the early 1972 and mid-1975, they were expelled. There was trace of Rohingya militant camps in Bangladesh. Then, after Bangabandhu&rsquo;s death, the external operatives came back. The militants also came back and from 1975 to 1996, almost continuously throughout this period, there was nexus between the government in power, first Ziaur Rahman, then General Ershad, then again Begum Khaleda Zia, during all that time they received assistance. The government turned the eyes away when it came to their knowledge. The result was the militants with other groups here started movement easily. The late Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who was hanged last year, who was a top leader of BNP and earlier at the Muslim League, was reportedly the major connection for not only giving the militants assistance but also in gun running. Arms and ammunition used to flow in that corridor. Many of these were sent to India for the northeastern states, the seven sisters. It was a safe haven for movement of arms and ammunition, drugs and now you can see Yaba, and also human trafficking. These usually go together. That&rsquo;s why I say that it&rsquo;s a long history. Only during the first term of Sheikh Hasina between 1996 and 2000, she was able to drive them out again. That was the period of lull. During that period the Prime Minister was able to solve the crisis in Chittagong Hill Tracts. She signed the Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord. That was held throughout the world. Peace came back to Chittagong Hill Tracts. The accord has been more or less implemented by them. At the time of signing this agreement, there was so much of opposition from Pakistan, from BNP, from Jamaat. It is on record that Begum Zia said that if the peace accord is signed, the next day Indian, the Indian flags will fly in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Feni will become part of India. There was a massive propaganda against the peace accord. That itself suggests that BNP did not like and want that there is any peace there. That would ensure the free flow of arms, ammunition, drugs, human trafficking and control by the ISI. The period between 2001-2006 was the worst. Not only for the local people but all the militants, the rise of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and most recently we hear about other militant groups&rsquo; names, they were involved in the racket.

SH: We have recently come across reports that the Rohingya insurgent groups may be conspiring with the opposition in Bangladesh and the intelligence of Pakistan to hatch attacks in Bangladesh. How credible are these threats?&nbsp;

HTI: Given the background and what they did in the past, the nexus that was seen in August 2004, you can presume that they are not sitting idle. Only a few days back one of the staunch supporters of BNP, a retired major general Fazlur Rahman came out with a suggestion that we should not only give shelter to the Rohingyas but we should create a Rohingya army and that will go and that will create their own land in Rakhine province and that will be an independent Rakhine. But this is an atrocious idea. Some of the BNP leaders say that Bangladesh should have done more. What else can be done? The ovation that was given to Bangladesh Prime Minister at the UN, even the United States along with United Kingdom, France and several members of the security council convened the meeting to discuss Rohingya issues for a third time. They are all coming to support in a very large manner which they didn&rsquo;t do before. This time around I think we have been able to really make it an international issue. The BNP and Jamaat are for more aggressive stance. Where would it lead us to? Do you want a war with Myanmar? That is what they are suggesting because sending trained guerrillas from Bangladesh, let us say Rohingya Liberation Army or the ARSA with arms and training in Bangladesh into Myanmar would immediately bring in Myanmar reaction and our armed forces would be face to face with them. That is what they want.&nbsp;

SH: The Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has had an informal meeting with the foreign ministers in New York and she has said that the regional cooperation among the SAARC member states are facing an impediment due to the peace and security crisis in the region. Bangladesh is, of course, a key member in the regional and economic cooperation and corridors such as the BCIM and BBIN. With the violence erupting in Myanmar and the impact on Bangladesh, how do you see these regional pacts being impacted?

HTI: Naturally, I think Sushma Swaraj is right that our regional cooperation is not working the way it should. In fact, it has never taken off the way it should have.&nbsp;

What is very important (to notice) is that&nbsp;within six hours&nbsp;of the publication of the Kofi Annan report, the ARSA militants attacked more than 25 Burmese border police outposts and even an army camp. It was very well orchestrated. We have heard, I don&rsquo;t have any confirmation, that the timing had something to do with meetings that were held in London, also in Karachi and the attacks.&nbsp;

The other thing that poses a big question is why now? Bangladesh is on a very rapid stride on development, we have achieved a very remarkable 7.2 growth rate, all the major projects, mega projects and other projects that this government has taken up, the seventh five-year plan is nearing completion. We have completed all the MDG goals. We have now launched in a very large manner the SDG goals. We are poised to become a middle-income country by 2021. This is on the development scenario. On the other side, the elections are around. Bangladesh national elections will be held in a year&rsquo;s time. This is the time when they have chosen, in my own analysis, to start this. Last October there was a similar crisis but on a much lower scale. That time also the Rohingya exodus was sparked off by the militants. At that time almost 200,000 came in. First, we stopped them and later on they were allowed to come in. This time the Myanmar government has also responded that we should work out a joint strategy for meting (out) this common enemy, the ARSA. They are threatening the security of not only of Myanmar, security of Bangladesh and also security of India. India has a common border with Myanmar very near that point.&nbsp;

SH: You have referred about meetings in Karachi and London. Could you be more specific about who you are referring to or what these meetings were about? Is there any information that Bangladesh or its intelligence agencies have acquired that you can share with us?

HTI: I am afraid I cannot share it with you because it is not our own intelligence agencies. I have read reports from outside. Some of them from India. There are people, think tanks, organisations which are keeping tabs on all of these developments. From them, I have learnt this. During my recent visit to Calcutta, I heard the grapevines. There are lot of rumours about these meetings. I can neither confirm nor deny these meetings.&nbsp;

SH: But who are these people who may have been part of hatching this conspiracy?

HTI: Most likely it would be the people who would benefit. I would leave it to you to conjecture about who are the people or the organisations or the agencies who would benefit from such an attack.

SH: If we look into the geopolitical aspect on the note that we started that the Rohingya crisis has given Bangladesh a clear sign or an indication of who the real friends of Bangladesh are. Tell us what you have learnt about your friends and allies given that beyond the humanitarian assistance there has not been much pressure put into Myanmar to stop the violence.

HTI: In the last two to three days there has been increasing pressure being put on Myanmar. The heat is on. That has prompted the Myanmar leader, Ms Aung Suu Kyi, to come out with some suggestions, some proposals even.&nbsp;

If we say that this has given the opportunity for us to select our friend or our enemies, that would be too simplistic an approach. You can&rsquo;t identify friends or enemies like that. In times of crisis, those who side by you solidly are of course your friends. Now, for example, Russia is our very good friend. In spite of that Russia has not played the role it could have played. They have their own national interests to safeguard. That&rsquo;s one thing. We know that China has been a very old friend of Pakistan and China has for many years been in Myanmar. They have invested heavily in Myanmar. They have trained and armed the Myanmar army and all of those. China has a much longer border with Myanmar. Also, China has its own share of the problem. They have given shelter to a large part of the Shan rebels. They have their own interests. National interests [come] first and then friendship. For India, initially there was some misgivings here but India has come out very strongly for us. The one problem that India has is common to us again, the militancy. Regarding militancy, we have zero tolerance against militancy in Bangladesh. It has two aspects: one, we will not allow any militant to grow in Bangladesh, far from being able to operate, secondly, since the Holey Artisan incident we have not allowed any militant to concentrate or gather strength here in Bangladesh. Most recently, the Rapid Action Battalion and our intelligence agencies have been able to bust a huge group which has been responsible for money laundering and funding the militant activities in Bangladesh. Eleven of them were caught here and their mastermind was caught simultaneously in Spain. That was a real successful operation. We have success stories of operations against militancy in Bangladesh. Bangladesh will not allow any group to use the soil of Bangladesh against the integrity or sovereignty of any of our neighbours, that is most importantly India and then Myanmar and even Bhutan. These are the pillars of our policies.&nbsp;

SH: Bangladesh government has signed a defence pact with India during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s visit to India this year. We have learnt that this defence pact paves the way for a security cooperation between the two countries. What does this security cooperation between India and Bangladesh entail?

HTI: The document was made public. There is no secret defence pact between India and Bangladesh. We will collaborate in all areas of security, which we have been doing. India also offered us facilities for training and line of credit for purchase of defence equipment from India. All of these are usual aspects of mutual pacts against any aggression from outside. In times of crisis, we will stand by each other.&nbsp;

SH: How about some of the report suggesting that there would be joint military exercise on both sides if need be?

HTI: Not that I am aware of. If you had alerted me I would have gotten a copy of the defence treaty and tell you what is there.&nbsp;

SH: But some critiques of the treaty have been laying concerns on those areas.

HTI: You might recall that the Bangladesh-India mutual friendship treaty, which was signed in 1972, came under constant attack from BNP, Jamaat and other critiques from even General Ershad&rsquo;s party. On completion of the 25 years period, when the treaty was made public, you will see what is there. There is no secret agreement for any military assistance from India or from Bangladesh. All these are wild guesswork and an attempt to sabotage the relationship. There are many in Bangladesh or for that matter in India, who do not like closer cooperation between Bangladesh and India.

SH: India and Russia are collaborating on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant as we get to hear from some of the reports. Please clarify to us what kind of assistance is Bangladesh seeking in the Nuclear power project that India would be assisting Russia as well.

HTI: I am not aware of any Russian-Indian agreement. We have signed an agreement with Russia. That is a long-term credit and also for the establishment of the Rooppur power plant. It is done entirely by Russian companies under Russian supervision. All these are being done in accordance with International Atomic Energy Commission&rsquo;s supervision and mandates. They have constant supervision here as well.

SH: My last question to you as we conclude, the 2014 elections in Bangladesh was deemed controversial by some of the international community for the lack of participation of the majority opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The next election is coming ahead. What is the government&rsquo;s effort in making the elections conducive and so that the opposition BNP also participates to make this election credible?

HTI: Again there are two aspects here. The elections are conducted according to our constitution by the Election Commission. The Bangladesh Election Commission today is totally an independent entity and under the constitution, the election commission has been strengthened over the years. We have initiated the steps for the strengthening of election commission itself, making it independent financially and also for setting the timing and all that. Most importantly, as soon as the Election Commission declares the schedule for the elections, the government in power resigns and then the president forms an interim government. The interim government under the constitution has very limited powers. It will only perform routine works, nothing beyond, no new expenditure, no new projects, and it is mandated to provide all the support that is requisitioned by the election commission.&nbsp;

The election commission is holding series of dialogues with different groups of people, with political parties, media, intelligentsia. All of these are being held. It is almost at the end. BNP will also go soon. Bangladesh Awami League will have its dialogue with the Election Commission on the&nbsp;18th of October. All the parties have submitted various proposals for holding free, fair, transparent and credible elections. That&rsquo;s what we want. That is what we have been saying.

In 2014 BNP not only refrained from participating in the election, you know the havoc they created with the firebombing of buses, trucks and even steamers and launches and railways. If BNP had just boycotted the elections and remained peaceful, the international community would have seen it differently. Initially, I must admit, a part of the international community were hesitant to accept the results, but later on when they found that it was BNP which tried to foil the elections, gradually the international community accepted the results. There was no denial of the facts.

Hossain Toufique Imam says 'It was during Pakistan time that the Rohingya Liberation Front was organised'

Bangladesh is faced with a multi-pronged crisis. The ongoing influx of Rohingya refugees in the hundreds of thousands has tested the country, while the situation and its implications will define geopolitics in the region in the coming days. WION’s Bangladesh Bureau Chief Saad Hammadi spoke to Hossain Toufique Imam, the political affairs adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Saad Hammadi: Advisor Imam, thank you for joining us. To begin with, we have come across a recent report of a failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 24. The Prime Minister’s Office in Bangladesh has dismissed the report saying that it is false and irresponsible journalism. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has survived several assassination attempts in the past. For the record for our audience, please share with us when was the last time Prime Minister Hasina has survived such an assassination attempt. Hossain Toufique Imam: The most serious attempt was on the 21st of August, 2004. That was the grenade attack not only our honourable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, she was the leader of the opposition at the time, but also the entire top leadership of Awami League. That was the plan of the then ruling party. It was essentially state managed., state organised, state-orchestrated. The then state minister for home and prime minister’s son were directly involved. There have been multiple cases on this. The main murder case revolving the 21st August is nearing an end. The evidences, witnesses and the documents revealed that the totality of the plan was very well executed. They were able to kill at least 22 leaders of the party including Ivy Rahman, who was a very respected leader and wife of the last president of Bangladesh Zillur Rahman. Almost 500 were injured. There are still many people who are bearing the scars of that attack. Thirteen arges grenades exploded, which are used in war only. They were manufactured in Pakistan. The grenades that were recovered later, they were all arges grenades with the seal of Pakistan Ordnance Factory. SH: As we look into the present crisis that Bangladesh is facing with, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army has waged an armed struggle in Myanmar and some of them may have joined with the Rohingyas who have fled into Bangladesh. We have come across reports suggesting that this terrorist outfit has nexus with the opposition party and the Pakistan intelligence. They may be orchestrating attacks in the future. What are your thoughts on this? HTI: You see this is a very old problem. The relationship between the Rohingyas and our people here, between the militants, goes back to many years. It was during Pakistan time that the Rohingya Liberation Front was organised. The Rohingya Liberation Army was created. With both of them, the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan was deeply involved with funding from abroad. That had continued for many years. Only during the period of Bangabandhu between the early 1972 and mid-1975, they were expelled. There was trace of Rohingya militant camps in Bangladesh. Then, after Bangabandhu’s death, the external operatives came back. The militants also came back and from 1975 to 1996, almost continuously throughout this period, there was nexus between the government in power, first Ziaur Rahman, then General Ershad, then again Begum Khaleda Zia, during all that time they received assistance. The government turned the eyes away when it came to their knowledge. The result was the militants with other groups here started movement easily. The late Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, who was hanged last year, who was a top leader of BNP and earlier at the Muslim League, was reportedly the major connection for not only giving the militants assistance but also in gun running. Arms and ammunition used to flow in that corridor. Many of these were sent to India for the northeastern states, the seven sisters. It was a safe haven for movement of arms and ammunition, drugs and now you can see Yaba, and also human trafficking. These usually go together. That’s why I say that it’s a long history. Only during the first term of Sheikh Hasina between 1996 and 2000, she was able to drive them out again. That was the period of lull. During that period the Prime Minister was able to solve the crisis in Chittagong Hill Tracts. She signed the Chittagong Hill Tracts peace accord. That was held throughout the world. Peace came back to Chittagong Hill Tracts. The accord has been more or less implemented by them. At the time of signing this agreement, there was so much of opposition from Pakistan, from BNP, from Jamaat. It is on record that Begum Zia said that if the peace accord is signed, the next day Indian, the Indian flags will fly in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Feni will become part of India. There was a massive propaganda against the peace accord. That itself suggests that BNP did not like and want that there is any peace there. That would ensure the free flow of arms, ammunition, drugs, human trafficking and control by the ISI. The period between 2001-2006 was the worst. Not only for the local people but all the militants, the rise of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and most recently we hear about other militant groups’ names, they were involved in the racket. SH: We have recently come across reports that the Rohingya insurgent groups may be conspiring with the opposition in Bangladesh and the intelligence of Pakistan to hatch attacks in Bangladesh. How credible are these threats? HTI: Given the background and what they did in the past, the nexus that was seen in August 2004, you can presume that they are not sitting idle. Only a few days back one of the staunch supporters of BNP, a retired major general Fazlur Rahman came out with a suggestion that we should not only give shelter to the Rohingyas but we should create a Rohingya army and that will go and that will create their own land in Rakhine province and that will be an independent Rakhine. But this is an atrocious idea. Some of the BNP leaders say that Bangladesh should have done more. What else can be done? The ovation that was given to Bangladesh Prime Minister at the UN, even the United States along with United Kingdom, France and several members of the security council convened the meeting to discuss Rohingya issues for a third time. They are all coming to support in a very large manner which they didn’t do before. This time around I think we have been able to really make it an international issue. The BNP and Jamaat are for more aggressive stance. Where would it lead us to? Do you want a war with Myanmar? That is what they are suggesting because sending trained guerrillas from Bangladesh, let us say Rohingya Liberation Army or the ARSA with arms and training in Bangladesh into Myanmar would immediately bring in Myanmar reaction and our armed forces would be face to face with them. That is what they want. SH: The Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has had an informal meeting with the foreign ministers in New York and she has said that the regional cooperation among the SAARC member states are facing an impediment due to the peace and security crisis in the region. Bangladesh is, of course, a key member in the regional and economic cooperation and corridors such as the BCIM and BBIN. With the violence erupting in Myanmar and the impact on Bangladesh, how do you see these regional pacts being impacted? HTI: Naturally, I think Sushma Swaraj is right that our regional cooperation is not working the way it should. In fact, it has never taken off the way it should have. What is very important (to notice) is that within six hours of the publication of the Kofi Annan report, the ARSA militants attacked more than 25 Burmese border police outposts and even an army camp. It was very well orchestrated. We have heard, I don’t have any confirmation, that the timing had something to do with meetings that were held in London, also in Karachi and the attacks. The other thing that poses a big question is why now? Bangladesh is on a very rapid stride on development, we have achieved a very remarkable 7.2 growth rate, all the major projects, mega projects and other projects that this government has taken up, the seventh five-year plan is nearing completion. We have completed all the MDG goals. We have now launched in a very large manner the SDG goals. We are poised to become a middle-income country by 2021. This is on the development scenario. On the other side, the elections are around. Bangladesh national elections will be held in a year’s time. This is the time when they have chosen, in my own analysis, to start this. Last October there was a similar crisis but on a much lower scale. That time also the Rohingya exodus was sparked off by the militants. At that time almost 200,000 came in. First, we stopped them and later on they were allowed to come in. This time the Myanmar government has also responded that we should work out a joint strategy for meting (out) this common enemy, the ARSA. They are threatening the security of not only of Myanmar, security of Bangladesh and also security of India. India has a common border with Myanmar very near that point. SH: You have referred about meetings in Karachi and London. Could you be more specific about who you are referring to or what these meetings were about? Is there any information that Bangladesh or its intelligence agencies have acquired that you can share with us? HTI: I am afraid I cannot share it with you because it is not our own intelligence agencies. I have read reports from outside. Some of them from India. There are people, think tanks, organisations which are keeping tabs on all of these developments. From them, I have learnt this. During my recent visit to Calcutta, I heard the grapevines. There are lot of rumours about these meetings. I can neither confirm nor deny these meetings. SH: But who are these people who may have been part of hatching this conspiracy? HTI: Most likely it would be the people who would benefit. I would leave it to you to conjecture about who are the people or the organisations or the agencies who would benefit from such an attack. SH: If we look into the geopolitical aspect on the note that we started that the Rohingya crisis has given Bangladesh a clear sign or an indication of who the real friends of Bangladesh are. Tell us what you have learnt about your friends and allies given that beyond the humanitarian assistance there has not been much pressure put into Myanmar to stop the violence. HTI: In the last two to three days there has been increasing pressure being put on Myanmar. The heat is on. That has prompted the Myanmar leader, Ms Aung Suu Kyi, to come out with some suggestions, some proposals even. If we say that this has given the opportunity for us to select our friend or our enemies, that would be too simplistic an approach. You can’t identify friends or enemies like that. In times of crisis, those who side by you solidly are of course your friends. Now, for example, Russia is our very good friend. In spite of that Russia has not played the role it could have played. They have their own national interests to safeguard. That’s one thing. We know that China has been a very old friend of Pakistan and China has for many years been in Myanmar. They have invested heavily in Myanmar. They have trained and armed the Myanmar army and all of those. China has a much longer border with Myanmar. Also, China has its own share of the problem. They have given shelter to a large part of the Shan rebels. They have their own interests. National interests [come] first and then friendship. For India, initially there was some misgivings here but India has come out very strongly for us. The one problem that India has is common to us again, the militancy. Regarding militancy, we have zero tolerance against militancy in Bangladesh. It has two aspects: one, we will not allow any militant to grow in Bangladesh, far from being able to operate, secondly, since the Holey Artisan incident we have not allowed any militant to concentrate or gather strength here in Bangladesh. Most recently, the Rapid Action Battalion and our intelligence agencies have been able to bust a huge group which has been responsible for money laundering and funding the militant activities in Bangladesh. Eleven of them were caught here and their mastermind was caught simultaneously in Spain. That was a real successful operation. We have success stories of operations against militancy in Bangladesh. Bangladesh will not allow any group to use the soil of Bangladesh against the integrity or sovereignty of any of our neighbours, that is most importantly India and then Myanmar and even Bhutan. These are the pillars of our policies. SH: Bangladesh government has signed a defence pact with India during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India this year. We have learnt that this defence pact paves the way for a security cooperation between the two countries. What does this security cooperation between India and Bangladesh entail? HTI: The document was made public. There is no secret defence pact between India and Bangladesh. We will collaborate in all areas of security, which we have been doing. India also offered us facilities for training and line of credit for purchase of defence equipment from India. All of these are usual aspects of mutual pacts against any aggression from outside. In times of crisis, we will stand by each other. SH: How about some of the report suggesting that there would be joint military exercise on both sides if need be? HTI: Not that I am aware of. If you had alerted me I would have gotten a copy of the defence treaty and tell you what is there. SH: But some critiques of the treaty have been laying concerns on those areas. HTI: You might recall that the Bangladesh-India mutual friendship treaty, which was signed in 1972, came under constant attack from BNP, Jamaat and other critiques from even General Ershad’s party. On completion of the 25 years period, when the treaty was made public, you will see what is there. There is no secret agreement for any military assistance from India or from Bangladesh. All these are wild guesswork and an attempt to sabotage the relationship. There are many in Bangladesh or for that matter in India, who do not like closer cooperation between Bangladesh and India. SH: India and Russia are collaborating on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant as we get to hear from some of the reports. Please clarify to us what kind of assistance is Bangladesh seeking in the Nuclear power project that India would be assisting Russia as well. HTI: I am not aware of any Russian-Indian agreement. We have signed an agreement with Russia. That is a long-term credit and also for the establishment of the Rooppur power plant. It is done entirely by Russian companies under Russian supervision. All these are being done in accordance with International Atomic Energy Commission’s supervision and mandates. They have constant supervision here as well. SH: My last question to you as we conclude, the 2014 elections in Bangladesh was deemed controversial by some of the international community for the lack of participation of the majority opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The next election is coming ahead. What is the government’s effort in making the elections conducive and so that the opposition BNP also participates to make this election credible? HTI: Again there are two aspects here. The elections are conducted according to our constitution by the Election Commission. The Bangladesh Election Commission today is totally an independent entity and under the constitution, the election commission has been strengthened over the years. We have initiated the steps for the strengthening of election commission itself, making it independent financially and also for setting the timing and all that. Most importantly, as soon as the Election Commission declares the schedule for the elections, the government in power resigns and then the president forms an interim government. The interim government under the constitution has very limited powers. It will only perform routine works, nothing beyond, no new expenditure, no new projects, and it is mandated to provide all the support that is requisitioned by the election commission. The election commission is holding series of dialogues with different groups of people, with political parties, media, intelligentsia. All of these are being held. It is almost at the end. BNP will also go soon. Bangladesh Awami League will have its dialogue with the Election Commission on the 18th of October. All the parties have submitted various proposals for holding free, fair, transparent and credible elections. That’s what we want. That is what we have been saying. In 2014 BNP not only refrained from participating in the election, you know the havoc they created with the firebombing of buses, trucks and even steamers and launches and railways. If BNP had just boycotted the elections and remained peaceful, the international community would have seen it differently. Initially, I must admit, a part of the international community were hesitant to accept the results, but later on when they found that it was BNP which tried to foil the elections, gradually the international community accepted the results. There was no denial of the facts.

Exclusive: Pak role behind Rohingya insurgents can't be ruled out, says Bangladesh PM adviser

Myanmar is poised to begin &quot;verifying&quot; how many of the near half a million Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh it will take back, the Ministry of Information said on Thursday, naming land and sea points in restive Rakhine state for their return.

Some 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25, when militant attacks on sparked an army campaign that the UN says was tantamount to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The new arrivals are living in increasingly desperate conditions in over-crowded rain-battered camps, reliant on a trickle of aid.

Bangladesh, which already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya before the latest crisis, has led the global chorus calling on Myanmar to take back the Rohingya and guarantee their safety.

But it is unclear how many Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar before August 25, will be eligible for return to a country that does not recognise them as citizens.

Many others are unwilling to move back to charred villages and communities cut by communal hate in Rakhine.

Last week Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi said her country will repatriate those who meet a strict criteria set between the two countries in 1993, when tens of thousands of Rohingya were repatriated having fled Myanmar authorities.

Verification will be carried out &quot;soon&quot; on Myanmar soil at two border points, the Ministry of Information said in a Facebook statement.

They will be checked at &quot;Taungpyo Latwe village for those who return by road and at Naguya Village for those who return by water,&quot; it said, quoting Win Myat Aye, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

&quot;After the verification process, the refugees will be settled at Dargyizar village,&quot; he was quoted as saying.

Dargyizar village is in an area of Maungdaw hit hard by the recent communal violence, that saw hundreds killed and gutted countless Rohingya villages.

The minority do not qualify for Myanmar citizenship despite many tracing back their family history in Rakhine for generations.

The army insists they are not an ethnic group, but instead &quot;Bengalis&quot; -- or interlopers from across the border -- and therefore needed to be carefully counted back in.

The Muslim group were stripped of citizenship by a junta-scripted law in 1982 and have been corralled ever since by a combination of legal controls and violence.&nbsp;

Rights groups say the Myanmar government verification&nbsp;process will fall flat as many Rohingya will snub it, while others have lost the required documents in fires and flight.

Many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are now refusing to register with authorities there as repatriation talk grows louder, saying their identity as an ethnic group is not recognised on the forms.

Close to 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25

Myanmar is poised to begin "verifying" how many of the near half a million Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh it will take back, the Ministry of Information said on Thursday, naming land and sea points in restive Rakhine state for their return. Some 480,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh since August 25, when militant attacks on sparked an army campaign that the UN says was tantamount to "ethnic cleansing". The new arrivals are living in increasingly desperate conditions in over-crowded rain-battered camps, reliant on a trickle of aid. Bangladesh, which already hosted hundreds of thousands of Rohingya before the latest crisis, has led the global chorus calling on Myanmar to take back the Rohingya and guarantee their safety. But it is unclear how many Rohingya, who numbered around one million in Myanmar before August 25, will be eligible for return to a country that does not recognise them as citizens. Many others are unwilling to move back to charred villages and communities cut by communal hate in Rakhine. Last week Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi said her country will repatriate those who meet a strict criteria set between the two countries in 1993, when tens of thousands of Rohingya were repatriated having fled Myanmar authorities. Verification will be carried out "soon" on Myanmar soil at two border points, the Ministry of Information said in a Facebook statement. They will be checked at "Taungpyo Latwe village for those who return by road and at Naguya Village for those who return by water," it said, quoting Win Myat Aye, Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. "After the verification process, the refugees will be settled at Dargyizar village," he was quoted as saying. Dargyizar village is in an area of Maungdaw hit hard by the recent communal violence, that saw hundreds killed and gutted countless Rohingya villages. The minority do not qualify for Myanmar citizenship despite many tracing back their family history in Rakhine for generations. The army insists they are not an ethnic group, but instead "Bengalis" -- or interlopers from across the border -- and therefore needed to be carefully counted back in. The Muslim group were stripped of citizenship by a junta-scripted law in 1982 and have been corralled ever since by a combination of legal controls and violence. Rights groups say the Myanmar government verification process will fall flat as many Rohingya will snub it, while others have lost the required documents in fires and flight. Many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are now refusing to register with authorities there as repatriation talk grows louder, saying their identity as an ethnic group is not recognised on the forms.

Myanmar says poised to take back 'verified' Rohingya refugees

Seven-year-old Hasina only sat down for a moment&#39;s rest from chasing aid trucks that are a lifeline for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. When she got up she was alone, lost in a vast camp that activists say is a target for traffickers.

Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar.

All have lost homes and endured a long and difficult journey. Many have seen parents and family members killed in the ethnic strife that has riven Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

Newly arrived families have had to find space in makeshift settlements far from aid distribution points, so the dirt tracks teem with small children carrying heavy bags of rice, pitchers of water and tarpaulins.

Hasina is one of the luckier ones. She was found by Nazir Ahmed, a Rohingya who came to Bangladesh as a baby in the early 1990s and has been trying to reunite families divided in the chaos of the camps.

From the small stand he runs on the side of a muddy road running through Kutupalong camp, the 26-year-old community volunteer broadcasts details of the missing on a loudhailer through the day.

He has not been able to reunite Hasina with her family, but she is being well looked after by his mother in the family&#39;s small mud shelter nearby.

&quot;If people find kids who are lost and crying on the roadside, they bring them here. Then I make the announcements,&quot; Ahmed told AFP at his stall as a steady stream of refugees arrived seeking his help to track down missing relatives.

&quot;If parents come to find them, I hand them over.&quot;

Exploitation fears&nbsp;

Ahmed says the influx of nearly half a million Rohingya has led to a huge increase in families becoming separated in the chaotic and overcrowded camps.

He started his volunteer effort a few days into the crisis that began August 25 and has since received funds from the UN refugee agency for a loudhailer.

Aid distribution is becoming more organised but remains disorderly in places. Women and children have been injured in stampedes for supplies.

&quot;People came with so many children and this is a new place for them. They don&#39;t know the roads,&quot; said Ahmed&#39;s mother Nasima Khatun, who took Hasina in 20 days ago.

&quot;I have my own children and I feel the pain of these children&#39;s parents.&quot;

Ahmed said the Rohingya had already foiled two separate attempts by Bangladeshis to abduct young children. In both cases, the perpetrators were beaten up and ordered to leave the camp.

According to Bangladeshi police, there have seen several attempts to abduct minors, and mobile courts have been set up to provide swift punishment around the camps.

Save the Children and UNICEF have expressed concerns about the risk of exploitation in a country where child marriage is rife.

Save the Children chief Helle Thorning-Schmidt said hundreds of children had arrived alone, having become separated from their families in the chaos of escape or because their relatives were killed.

That puts them at increased risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking, she added.&nbsp;

Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers are also working to reunite families in the camps and has so far brought around two dozen back together.

Team leader Jafor Imam said it was a long and difficult process in the huge camps, where hundreds of thousands have settled since August 25.

For Ahmed, the community volunteer, it is an effort worth making.

&quot;The parents gave birth and worked hard to raise their children. After that, they protected them from massacres and they managed to get here,&quot; he said.

&quot;I cannot bear to think that after all that, families could be divided.&quot;

Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar

Seven-year-old Hasina only sat down for a moment's rest from chasing aid trucks that are a lifeline for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. When she got up she was alone, lost in a vast camp that activists say is a target for traffickers. Suddenly split from her family, Hasina joined the most vulnerable of the estimated 250,000 or more children among the Rohingya in Bangladesh who have fled burning villages in Myanmar. All have lost homes and endured a long and difficult journey. Many have seen parents and family members killed in the ethnic strife that has riven Myanmar's Rakhine state. Newly arrived families have had to find space in makeshift settlements far from aid distribution points, so the dirt tracks teem with small children carrying heavy bags of rice, pitchers of water and tarpaulins. Hasina is one of the luckier ones. She was found by Nazir Ahmed, a Rohingya who came to Bangladesh as a baby in the early 1990s and has been trying to reunite families divided in the chaos of the camps. From the small stand he runs on the side of a muddy road running through Kutupalong camp, the 26-year-old community volunteer broadcasts details of the missing on a loudhailer through the day. He has not been able to reunite Hasina with her family, but she is being well looked after by his mother in the family's small mud shelter nearby. "If people find kids who are lost and crying on the roadside, they bring them here. Then I make the announcements," Ahmed told AFP at his stall as a steady stream of refugees arrived seeking his help to track down missing relatives. "If parents come to find them, I hand them over." Exploitation fears Ahmed says the influx of nearly half a million Rohingya has led to a huge increase in families becoming separated in the chaotic and overcrowded camps. He started his volunteer effort a few days into the crisis that began August 25 and has since received funds from the UN refugee agency for a loudhailer. Aid distribution is becoming more organised but remains disorderly in places. Women and children have been injured in stampedes for supplies. "People came with so many children and this is a new place for them. They don't know the roads," said Ahmed's mother Nasima Khatun, who took Hasina in 20 days ago. "I have my own children and I feel the pain of these children's parents." Ahmed said the Rohingya had already foiled two separate attempts by Bangladeshis to abduct young children. In both cases, the perpetrators were beaten up and ordered to leave the camp. According to Bangladeshi police, there have seen several attempts to abduct minors, and mobile courts have been set up to provide swift punishment around the camps. Save the Children and UNICEF have expressed concerns about the risk of exploitation in a country where child marriage is rife. Save the Children chief Helle Thorning-Schmidt said hundreds of children had arrived alone, having become separated from their families in the chaos of escape or because their relatives were killed. That puts them at increased risk of exploitation, abuse and trafficking, she added. Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers are also working to reunite families in the camps and has so far brought around two dozen back together. Team leader Jafor Imam said it was a long and difficult process in the huge camps, where hundreds of thousands have settled since August 25. For Ahmed, the community volunteer, it is an effort worth making. "The parents gave birth and worked hard to raise their children. After that, they protected them from massacres and they managed to get here," he said. "I cannot bear to think that after all that, families could be divided."

Refugee family hunters bring hope to Rohingya children

For members of Europe&#39;s biggest Rohingya community in Bradford, Northern England, the news from Myanmar brings a mix of anger, fear and haunting memories of dramatic escapes from their homeland.

Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren.

&quot;If I grew up in Myanmar&nbsp;I would be dead today,&quot; said Omme Kulsum Harun, a 17-year-old wrapped in a traditional long white and yellow robe with a thick grey veil covering most of her head of black hair.

Kulsum said she would like to study nursing in order to help fellow Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled into Bangladesh in recent weeks following a crackdown by Myanmar&#39;s military.

Harun&#39;s mother Samuda saw her own aunt raped by a soldier when she was a little girl and was told by villagers that her sister suffered the same fate while the family were trying to flee Myanmar.

&quot;Today, I don&#39;t even know if my sister is alive,&quot; the mother of seven told AFP, holding back tears.

&quot;It makes me so sad and angry when I watch the news and see the situation in Myanmar,&quot; she said.

The contrast could not be bigger with her new life.

Harun shows off a picture of her son Ismail Mohamed, a student at Bradford University.

A former wool-making hub, Bradford is one of Britain&#39;s most diverse cities and around a quarter of the population is Muslim, according to the latest census figures.

We won&#39;t give up

In a city where Victorian-era terraced houses stand side by side with mosques and abandoned industrial plants, Nijam Uddin Mohammed said he has found freedom.

The 36-year-old arrived in 2008 after spending more than 18 years in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

&quot;My life started in Bradford. In the refugee camps back in Bangladesh we couldn&#39;t do what we wanted.&quot;

&quot;If we wanted to go for a walk or see some friends in another camp we had to seek permission. It was like a mini-prison. It was not a life.&quot; he said.

During the day, the father of two young children works as an interpreter for the state-run National Health Service and at night he drives a minicab.

He also heads up the Rohingya association of Bradford, which holds meetings at the homes of local Rohingya families every Monday.

At these meetings, the Rohingyas share news about their loved ones and discuss how to put pressure on the British government to become more active.

They have started petitions, held public meetings and sent letters to politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May.

&quot;The (Myanmar) army wants to shut us down but here in Bradford we are free and we are not afraid,&quot; Mohammed said.

&quot;Even if they have never known their homeland, our kids will always raise their voices. We won&#39;t give up.&quot;

Suu Kyi &#39;betrayed us&#39;

Their anger has been stoked further by speeches from the head of Myanmar&#39;s civilian administration, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has refused to condemn the military.

&quot;She betrayed us. We had great expectations but instead of helping us she remained silent.&quot;

&quot;She&#39;s doing politics with our lives,&quot; Mohammed said.

Referring to Suu Kyi&#39;s comments about reports of Rohingya suffering as &quot;fake news&quot;, Harun said: &quot;Is it fake news that my sister was raped by the military?&quot;

Mohammed said he welcomed Britain&#39;s decision to suspend military assistance to Myanmar&#39;s army.

But the deputy head of the association, Nur Huda, said it was up to Muslim countries to take the lead and follow the example of Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned &quot;Buddhist terrorism&quot;.

But Mohammed said: &quot;It is not a Muslim issue. We are all human beings who share the same blood and want to live.&quot;

Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren

For members of Europe's biggest Rohingya community in Bradford, Northern England, the news from Myanmar brings a mix of anger, fear and haunting memories of dramatic escapes from their homeland. Some 300 members of the Muslim minority have settled in Bradford in recent years under a refugee programme and they are desperate to draw international attention to the plight of their brethren. "If I grew up in Myanmar I would be dead today," said Omme Kulsum Harun, a 17-year-old wrapped in a traditional long white and yellow robe with a thick grey veil covering most of her head of black hair. Kulsum said she would like to study nursing in order to help fellow Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled into Bangladesh in recent weeks following a crackdown by Myanmar's military. Harun's mother Samuda saw her own aunt raped by a soldier when she was a little girl and was told by villagers that her sister suffered the same fate while the family were trying to flee Myanmar. "Today, I don't even know if my sister is alive," the mother of seven told AFP, holding back tears. "It makes me so sad and angry when I watch the news and see the situation in Myanmar," she said. The contrast could not be bigger with her new life. Harun shows off a picture of her son Ismail Mohamed, a student at Bradford University. A former wool-making hub, Bradford is one of Britain's most diverse cities and around a quarter of the population is Muslim, according to the latest census figures. We won't give up In a city where Victorian-era terraced houses stand side by side with mosques and abandoned industrial plants, Nijam Uddin Mohammed said he has found freedom. The 36-year-old arrived in 2008 after spending more than 18 years in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. "My life started in Bradford. In the refugee camps back in Bangladesh we couldn't do what we wanted." "If we wanted to go for a walk or see some friends in another camp we had to seek permission. It was like a mini-prison. It was not a life." he said. During the day, the father of two young children works as an interpreter for the state-run National Health Service and at night he drives a minicab. He also heads up the Rohingya association of Bradford, which holds meetings at the homes of local Rohingya families every Monday. At these meetings, the Rohingyas share news about their loved ones and discuss how to put pressure on the British government to become more active. They have started petitions, held public meetings and sent letters to politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May. "The (Myanmar) army wants to shut us down but here in Bradford we are free and we are not afraid," Mohammed said. "Even if they have never known their homeland, our kids will always raise their voices. We won't give up." Suu Kyi 'betrayed us' Their anger has been stoked further by speeches from the head of Myanmar's civilian administration, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has refused to condemn the military. "She betrayed us. We had great expectations but instead of helping us she remained silent." "She's doing politics with our lives," Mohammed said. Referring to Suu Kyi's comments about reports of Rohingya suffering as "fake news", Harun said: "Is it fake news that my sister was raped by the military?" Mohammed said he welcomed Britain's decision to suspend military assistance to Myanmar's army. But the deputy head of the association, Nur Huda, said it was up to Muslim countries to take the lead and follow the example of Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned "Buddhist terrorism". But Mohammed said: "It is not a Muslim issue. We are all human beings who share the same blood and want to live."

'I would be dead': Britain's Rohingyas speak out

Turkey&rsquo;s Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmus has said his country will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees who are currently in Bangladesh.

Hundreds more refugees on Sunday walked through rice paddies from the Naf river separating the two countries into Bangladesh, straining scarce resources of aid groups and local communities already helping tens of thousands.Kurtulmus, said his country will stand beside Bangladesh to help resolve the Rohingya issue.

Later on the former Turkish deputy prime minister Kurtulmus had assured people for constructing 20,000-25,000 shelter homes for around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, where each of the homes will accommodate a family consisting at best six members.

Turkey&#39;s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he was pressing world leaders to do more to help Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslims, who face what he has described as genocide.

Turkey has taken one step forward towards helping Rohingya refugees by assured people for constructing shelter homes

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Numan Kurtulmus has said his country will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees who are currently in Bangladesh. Hundreds more refugees on Sunday walked through rice paddies from the Naf river separating the two countries into Bangladesh, straining scarce resources of aid groups and local communities already helping tens of thousands.Kurtulmus, said his country will stand beside Bangladesh to help resolve the Rohingya issue. Later on the former Turkish deputy prime minister Kurtulmus had assured people for constructing 20,000-25,000 shelter homes for around 100,000 Rohingya refugees, where each of the homes will accommodate a family consisting at best six members. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday he was pressing world leaders to do more to help Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims, who face what he has described as genocide.

Turkey will take measures to repatriate Rohingya refugees

Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine state, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, calling for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and an arms embargo.

Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape.

The UN Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, it said.

The UN refugee agency called for a redoubling of international aid for the 480,000 refugees, 60 per cent of the children, who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 to escape the violence.

A Myanmar government spokesman rejected the accusation of crimes against humanity, saying there was no evidence.

The US government, which has worked hard to establish close ties with Myanmar&#39;s civilian government in the face of competition from strategic rival China, did not comment directly on the Human Rights Watch charge.

However, a spokeswoman said, &quot;We are closely monitoring the situation and the facts on the ground as they continue to unfold.

&quot;We are deeply troubled by reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and burning of Rohingya villages by security forces and non-Rohingya individuals.&quot;

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US ambassador to Myanmar would visit the border of Rakhine, to look into the crisis &quot;within the next two days.&quot;

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi invited foreign diplomats to visit the area in a speech last week.

Myanmar has also rejected UN accusations that its forces are engaged in ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on the security forces on August 25.

Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have accused the army and Buddhist vigilantes of trying to drive Rohingya out of Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

&quot;The Burmese military is brutally expelling the Rohingya from northern Rakhine state,&quot; said James Ross, legal and policy director at New York-based Human Rights Watch.

&quot;The massacres of villagers and mass arson driving people from their homes are all crimes against humanity.&quot;

Myanmar, also known as Burma, says its forces are fighting insurgents responsible for attacking the police and the army, killing civilians and torching villages.

The International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity as acts including murder, torture, rape and deportation &quot;when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack&quot;.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said no Myanmar government had ever been as committed to the promotion of rights as the current one.

&quot;Accusations without any strong evidence are dangerous,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It makes it difficult for the government to handle things.&quot;

A coordinating group of aid organisations said the total number of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 had been revised up to 480,000 after 35,000 people in two camps were found to have been missed out of the previous tally.

&quot;The massive influx of people seeking safety has been outpacing capacities to respond, and the situation for these refugees has still not stabilised,&quot; Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva.

&quot;UNHCR is calling for a redoubling of the international humanitarian response in Bangladesh.&quot;

Little Sympathy

The violence and the refugee exodus is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year in a transition from nearly 50 years of military rule.

Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and bouts of suppression and violence have flared for decades. Most Rohingya are stateless.

Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn.

She denounced rights violations in an address to the nation last week and vowed that abusers would be prosecuted. She also said the government was trying to determine why so many people fled.

Seven UN experts, including Yanghee Lee, special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, called on Suu Kyi to meet Rohingya to hear for herself the reasons for their exodus.

&quot;No one chooses, especially not in the hundreds of thousands, to leave their homes and ancestral land, no matter how poor the conditions, to flee to a strange land to live under plastic sheets and in dire circumstances, except in life-threatening situations,&quot; they said.

They called on Myanmar to provide humanitarian access to Rakhine state, where the military has been restricting entry.

Suu Kyi has little, if any, control over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution that also bars her from the presidency and gives the military veto power over political reform.

Myanmar has seen a surge of Buddhist nationalism in recent years, and the public is supportive of the campaign against the insurgents.

Since Sunday, the army has unearthed the bodies of 45 members of Myanmar&#39;s small Hindu community who authorities say were killed by the insurgents soon after the violence erupted.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which has claimed attacks on the security forces since October, denied killing the villagers.

Some Hindus have fled to Bangladesh. Others have taken refuge in Myanmar towns, accusing the insurgents of attacking them on suspicion of being government spies.

Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape

Myanmar is committing crimes against humanity in its campaign against Muslim insurgents in Rakhine state, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, calling for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions and an arms embargo. Human Rights Watch said its research, supported by satellite imagery, had found crimes of deportation, forced population transfers, murder, and rape. The UN Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, it said. The UN refugee agency called for a redoubling of international aid for the 480,000 refugees, 60 per cent of the children, who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 to escape the violence. A Myanmar government spokesman rejected the accusation of crimes against humanity, saying there was no evidence. The US government, which has worked hard to establish close ties with Myanmar's civilian government in the face of competition from strategic rival China, did not comment directly on the Human Rights Watch charge. However, a spokeswoman said, "We are closely monitoring the situation and the facts on the ground as they continue to unfold. "We are deeply troubled by reports of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and burning of Rohingya villages by security forces and non-Rohingya individuals." US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US ambassador to Myanmar would visit the border of Rakhine, to look into the crisis "within the next two days." Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi invited foreign diplomats to visit the area in a speech last week. Myanmar has also rejected UN accusations that its forces are engaged in ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in response to coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on the security forces on August 25. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh have accused the army and Buddhist vigilantes of trying to drive Rohingya out of Buddhist-majority Myanmar. "The Burmese military is brutally expelling the Rohingya from northern Rakhine state," said James Ross, legal and policy director at New York-based Human Rights Watch. "The massacres of villagers and mass arson driving people from their homes are all crimes against humanity." Myanmar, also known as Burma, says its forces are fighting insurgents responsible for attacking the police and the army, killing civilians and torching villages. The International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity as acts including murder, torture, rape and deportation "when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack". Government spokesman Zaw Htay said no Myanmar government had ever been as committed to the promotion of rights as the current one. "Accusations without any strong evidence are dangerous," he told Reuters. "It makes it difficult for the government to handle things." A coordinating group of aid organisations said the total number of refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25 had been revised up to 480,000 after 35,000 people in two camps were found to have been missed out of the previous tally. "The massive influx of people seeking safety has been outpacing capacities to respond, and the situation for these refugees has still not stabilised," Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva. "UNHCR is calling for a redoubling of the international humanitarian response in Bangladesh." Little Sympathy The violence and the refugee exodus is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year in a transition from nearly 50 years of military rule. Myanmar regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and bouts of suppression and violence have flared for decades. Most Rohingya are stateless. Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn. She denounced rights violations in an address to the nation last week and vowed that abusers would be prosecuted. She also said the government was trying to determine why so many people fled. Seven UN experts, including Yanghee Lee, special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, called on Suu Kyi to meet Rohingya to hear for herself the reasons for their exodus. "No one chooses, especially not in the hundreds of thousands, to leave their homes and ancestral land, no matter how poor the conditions, to flee to a strange land to live under plastic sheets and in dire circumstances, except in life-threatening situations," they said. They called on Myanmar to provide humanitarian access to Rakhine state, where the military has been restricting entry. Suu Kyi has little, if any, control over the security forces under a military-drafted constitution that also bars her from the presidency and gives the military veto power over political reform. Myanmar has seen a surge of Buddhist nationalism in recent years, and the public is supportive of the campaign against the insurgents. Since Sunday, the army has unearthed the bodies of 45 members of Myanmar's small Hindu community who authorities say were killed by the insurgents soon after the violence erupted. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which has claimed attacks on the security forces since October, denied killing the villagers. Some Hindus have fled to Bangladesh. Others have taken refuge in Myanmar towns, accusing the insurgents of attacking them on suspicion of being government spies.

Murder, rape of Rohingyas in Myanmar: Human Rights Watch

Myanmar government forces found on Sunday the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hindus-of-myanmar-suffer-as-much-as-the-rohingyas-20219"> bodies of 28 Hindu villagers </a>who authorities suspected were killed by Muslim insurgents last month, at the beginning of a spasm of violence that has sent 430,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-violence-thousands-of-rohingyas-enter-bangladesh-more-stranded-in-no-mans-land-19554">The latest violence in western Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State began on Aug. 25</a> when ARSA militants attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence

The United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing a sweeping government offensive in the north of Rakhine State in response to those attacks.&nbsp;

The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar has said more than 400 people have been killed, most of the insurgents. It rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying it is fighting terrorists.

Members of the small Hindu minority appear to have been caught in the middle. Some have fled to Bangladesh, complaining of violence against them by soldiers or Buddhist vigilantes. Others have complained of being attacked by the insurgents on suspicion of being government spies.

The government said a search was mounted near Ye Baw Kya village in the north of Rakhine State after a refugee in Bangladesh contacted a Hindu community leader in Myanmar. The refugee said about 300 ARSA militants had marched about 100 people out of the village on Aug. 25 and killed them.&nbsp;

Twenty of the dead were female and eight were male children, the government said.

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.&nbsp;

&quot;They forced eight female villagers to convert to the Islamic religion and took them to Bangladesh,&quot; the government said.

A government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said the security forces were investigating.

Access to the area by journalists as well as human rights workers and aid workers is largely restricted and Reuters could not independently verify the report.

An ARSA spokesman said he believed Buddhist nationalists trying to divide Hindus and Muslims were behind the &quot;lies&quot; that ARSA militants had killed the villagers.

&quot;ARSA has internationally pledged not to target civilians and that remains unchanged no matter what,&quot; the spokesman, who is based in a neighbouring country and identified himself only as Abdullah, told Reuters through a messaging service.

MALAYSIAN OBJECTION

The violence in Rakhine State and the exodus of refugees is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year as part of a transition away from nearly 50 years of harsh military rule.

Bangladesh and aid organisations are struggling to help the Rohingya refugees there, while aid agencies fear a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the north of Rakhine State, where rights groups say nearly half of all Muslim villages have been torched.

The United States and the United Nations have called for an end to the violence, unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone and for the right of those who have fled to go home safely.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not speaking out more forcefully against the violence or doing more to rein in security forces over which she has little power.

The chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, issued a statement urging all parties to avoid worsening the situation on the ground and calling for a &quot;viable and long-term solutions to the root causes of the conflict&quot;.

Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed concern about the situation, with Malaysia in particular being critical of Myanmar.

In a rare show of disagreement in the 10-member grouping, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman later said Malaysia disassociated itself from the statement as it misrepresented the &quot;reality of the situation&quot; and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities.

Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of Rakhine State are not a distinct ethnic group but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

This month, Malaysia summoned Myanmar&#39;s ambassador to express displeasure over the violence in Myanmar. It also &quot;expressed grave concerns over such atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis&quot;.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians.

Myanmar government forces found on Sunday the bodies of 28 Hindu villagers who authorities suspected were killed by Muslim insurgents last month, at the beginning of a spasm of violence that has sent 430,000 Muslim Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgent group denied killing the Hindus saying it did not attack civilians. The latest violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine State began on Aug. 25 when ARSA militants attacked about 30 police posts and an army camp, killing about 12 people. Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence The United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing a sweeping government offensive in the north of Rakhine State in response to those attacks. The government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar has said more than 400 people have been killed, most of the insurgents. It rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing, saying it is fighting terrorists. Members of the small Hindu minority appear to have been caught in the middle. Some have fled to Bangladesh, complaining of violence against them by soldiers or Buddhist vigilantes. Others have complained of being attacked by the insurgents on suspicion of being government spies. The government said a search was mounted near Ye Baw Kya village in the north of Rakhine State after a refugee in Bangladesh contacted a Hindu community leader in Myanmar. The refugee said about 300 ARSA militants had marched about 100 people out of the village on Aug. 25 and killed them. Twenty of the dead were female and eight were male children, the government said. Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence. "They forced eight female villagers to convert to the Islamic religion and took them to Bangladesh," the government said. A government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said the security forces were investigating. Access to the area by journalists as well as human rights workers and aid workers is largely restricted and Reuters could not independently verify the report. An ARSA spokesman said he believed Buddhist nationalists trying to divide Hindus and Muslims were behind the "lies" that ARSA militants had killed the villagers. "ARSA has internationally pledged not to target civilians and that remains unchanged no matter what," the spokesman, who is based in a neighbouring country and identified himself only as Abdullah, told Reuters through a messaging service. MALAYSIAN OBJECTION The violence in Rakhine State and the exodus of refugees is the biggest crisis the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year as part of a transition away from nearly 50 years of harsh military rule. Bangladesh and aid organisations are struggling to help the Rohingya refugees there, while aid agencies fear a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the north of Rakhine State, where rights groups say nearly half of all Muslim villages have been torched. The United States and the United Nations have called for an end to the violence, unfettered humanitarian access to the conflict zone and for the right of those who have fled to go home safely. Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not speaking out more forcefully against the violence or doing more to rein in security forces over which she has little power. The chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member, issued a statement urging all parties to avoid worsening the situation on the ground and calling for a "viable and long-term solutions to the root causes of the conflict". Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia have expressed concern about the situation, with Malaysia in particular being critical of Myanmar. In a rare show of disagreement in the 10-member grouping, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman later said Malaysia disassociated itself from the statement as it misrepresented the "reality of the situation" and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities. Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of Rakhine State are not a distinct ethnic group but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This month, Malaysia summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express displeasure over the violence in Myanmar. It also "expressed grave concerns over such atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis".

Myanmar says bodies of 28 Hindu villagers found in Rakhine State

Myanmar&#39;s army said Sunday it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence.

The announcement could not be independently verified in a region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar&#39;s army.

&quot;Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State,&quot; a statement posted on the army chief&#39;s website said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.

More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground.&nbsp;

Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence.&nbsp;

Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya militants.

Corpses in rows

The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten.

A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said.&nbsp;

Unverifiable photos published by the government&#39;s Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on the grass near two mud pits where they were found.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity.&nbsp;

The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik.

Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest.

Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the militants.

The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar.

The epicentre of the unrest, in northern Rakhine, is dominated by Rohingya Muslims who are a minority elsewhere and have been the target of decades of state-backed persecution and discrimination.

Around half of their estimated 1.1 million population has fled over the last year.

Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups.

Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence.

But the scale of the latest unrest is the worst to hit the region in years.&nbsp;

While the wretched lines of Rohingya streaming into Bangladesh have shocked and alarmed the world, there is scant sympathy for the Muslim group inside Myanmar.&nbsp;

Many in the Buddhist majority view the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite their long-established roots in the country.

Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence

Myanmar's army said Sunday it had discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of 28 Hindus, including women and children, in violence-wracked Rakhine state, blaming the killings on Muslim Rohingya militants. Thousands of Hindus have fled villages where they once lived alongside Muslims, alleging that they were targeted by militants whose August 25 raids plunged Rakhine into communal violence. The announcement could not be independently verified in a region where access has been tightly controlled by Myanmar's army. "Security members found and dug up 28 dead bodies of Hindus who were cruelly and violently killed by ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in Rakhine State," a statement posted on the army chief's website said. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is the group whose attacks on police posts triggered an army backlash so brutal that the UN believes it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority. More than 430,000 Rohingya have fled the region to Bangladesh in under a month, telling stories of Myanmar soldiers teaming up with vigilante mobs to slaughter civilians and burn entire villages to the ground. Around 30,000 Hindus and Buddhists based in the area have also been displaced by the violence. Both communities have told AFP they were terrorised by Rohingya militants. Corpses in rows The army said that security officers found a total of 20 dead women and eight men in two graves, including six boys under the age of ten. A strong smell led security officers to the burial site outside of Ye Baw Kya village, the army said. Unverifiable photos published by the government's Information Committee showed corpses laid out in rows on the grass near two mud pits where they were found. Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay confirmed the grim discovery to AFP, as did a senior police officer in Rakhine who requested anonymity. The village where the bodies were found, Ye Baw Kya, lies near a cluster of Hindu and Muslim communities in northern Rakhine called Kha Maung Seik. Last week Hindus from the area told AFP that militants swept into their villages on August 25 with sticks and knives, attacking people who stood in their way, killing many and taking others into the forest. Hindu women are believed to have been abducted by the militants. The grim discovery of the graves will further fuel already white-hot hatred between ethnic groups in Myanmar. The epicentre of the unrest, in northern Rakhine, is dominated by Rohingya Muslims who are a minority elsewhere and have been the target of decades of state-backed persecution and discrimination. Around half of their estimated 1.1 million population has fled over the last year. Northern Rakhine is also home to ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, Hindus and a myriad of other groups. Religious tensions have simmered for years, erupting into sporadic bouts of violence. But the scale of the latest unrest is the worst to hit the region in years. While the wretched lines of Rohingya streaming into Bangladesh have shocked and alarmed the world, there is scant sympathy for the Muslim group inside Myanmar. Many in the Buddhist majority view the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite their long-established roots in the country.

Mass grave of 28 Hindus found in Rakhine: Myanmar Army

Myanmar&#39;s army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning.

The unrest comes days after Myanmar&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared troops had ceased &quot;clearance operations&quot; in the border area that have forced more than 430,000 Rohingya refugees to flee for Bangladesh in under a month.

The army claims it is targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts on August 25. But its operation has been so sweeping and brutal that the UN says it likely amounts to &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of the Rohingya Muslim minority, a group reviled by many in the mainly Buddhist country.&nbsp;

On Saturday Myanmar&#39;s commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying Rohingya militants planted a &quot;home-made mine&quot; that exploded in between a mosque and madrasa in northern Rakhine&#39;s Buthidaung township on Friday.

The army chief accused the militants of trying to drive out around 700 villagers who have remained in Mi Chaung Zay an argument analysts have said makes little sense for a group whose power depends on the networks it has built across Rohingya communities.&nbsp;

&quot;As our villagers did not want to leave their homes, the terrorists blew up the bomb during the prayer time as a way of terrorizing the villagers,&quot; the army chief&#39;s statement said.

&quot;It is the act of ARSA terrorist group,&quot; it added, using an acronym for the Rohingya militant group whose raids on police posts in August triggered the military backlash.

No one was reported injured in the explosion.

With the government blocking access to the conflict zone, it is difficult to verify the swirl of claims and counterclaims over who is driving the unrest, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus.

But rights groups say there is overwhelming evidence that the army is using its crackdown on militants to&nbsp;systematically purge the 1.1-million strong stateless Rohingya from its borders.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-us-official-barred-from-rohingya-conflict-zone-20306" target="_blank">Also Read: Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone</a>

Fires and landmines

On Friday Amnesty International said new videos and satellite imagery confirmed fires were still ripping through Rohingya villages, scores of which have already been burned to the ground.&nbsp;

&quot;Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to,&quot; said Tirana Hasan from Amnesty.

According to government figures, nearly 40 percent of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine have been completely abandoned over the past month.&nbsp;

Many of those who stayed behind are now living in isolated Muslim communities, gripped by fear and cut off from crucial aid, according to the UN&#39;s humanitarian coordination office, UNOCHA.&nbsp;

&quot;Following continuous threats from local Rakhine people to leave, many of these vulnerable people are so terrified that they are calling the Government, the UN and others asking for additional measures to protect them,&quot; UNOCHA said in its latest update.

Human Rights Watch on Saturday also echoed allegations from Bangladeshi officials that Myanmar security forces were laying landmines along the border, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have crossed in the largest mass refugee movement in recent decades.&nbsp;

&quot;The dangers faced by thousands of Rohingya fleeing atrocities in Burma are deadly enough without adding landmines to the mix,&quot; said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW&#39;s South Asia director.

&quot;The Burmese military needs to stop using these banned weapons, which kill and maim without distinction.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Myanmar's army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning

Myanmar's army chief on Saturday blamed Rohingya militants for an explosion outside a mosque in Rakhine state, as a rights group accused the military of starting fires in the region to prevent refugees from returning. The unrest comes days after Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi declared troops had ceased "clearance operations" in the border area that have forced more than 430,000 Rohingya refugees to flee for Bangladesh in under a month. The army claims it is targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts on August 25. But its operation has been so sweeping and brutal that the UN says it likely amounts to "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya Muslim minority, a group reviled by many in the mainly Buddhist country. On Saturday Myanmar's commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing posted a statement on Facebook saying Rohingya militants planted a "home-made mine" that exploded in between a mosque and madrasa in northern Rakhine's Buthidaung township on Friday. The army chief accused the militants of trying to drive out around 700 villagers who have remained in Mi Chaung Zay an argument analysts have said makes little sense for a group whose power depends on the networks it has built across Rohingya communities. "As our villagers did not want to leave their homes, the terrorists blew up the bomb during the prayer time as a way of terrorizing the villagers," the army chief's statement said. "It is the act of ARSA terrorist group," it added, using an acronym for the Rohingya militant group whose raids on police posts in August triggered the military backlash. No one was reported injured in the explosion. With the government blocking access to the conflict zone, it is difficult to verify the swirl of claims and counterclaims over who is driving the unrest, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists and Hindus. But rights groups say there is overwhelming evidence that the army is using its crackdown on militants to systematically purge the 1.1-million strong stateless Rohingya from its borders. Also Read: Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone Fires and landmines On Friday Amnesty International said new videos and satellite imagery confirmed fires were still ripping through Rohingya villages, scores of which have already been burned to the ground. "Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to," said Tirana Hasan from Amnesty. According to government figures, nearly 40 percent of Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine have been completely abandoned over the past month. Many of those who stayed behind are now living in isolated Muslim communities, gripped by fear and cut off from crucial aid, according to the UN's humanitarian coordination office, UNOCHA. "Following continuous threats from local Rakhine people to leave, many of these vulnerable people are so terrified that they are calling the Government, the UN and others asking for additional measures to protect them," UNOCHA said in its latest update. Human Rights Watch on Saturday also echoed allegations from Bangladeshi officials that Myanmar security forces were laying landmines along the border, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have crossed in the largest mass refugee movement in recent decades. "The dangers faced by thousands of Rohingya fleeing atrocities in Burma are deadly enough without adding landmines to the mix," said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW's South Asia director. "The Burmese military needs to stop using these banned weapons, which kill and maim without distinction."

Fires rage in Rakhine as Myanmar army blames Rohingya for mosque blast

A Rohingya refugee has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government&#39;s claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan&#39;s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State.

The affidavit states that&nbsp;the Rohingyas should&nbsp;be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees, a media outlet reported.

The affidavit accessed by the media outlet dismisses the claims of the Indian government that the Muslim community is a threat to the country, stating that Rohingyas have not indulged in any anti-national activity.

The affidavit relies upon Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti&#39;s statement in the state assembly that &quot;no Rohingya has been found involved in militancy-related incidents.&quot;

The top court is already hearing a Public Interest Petition (PIL) filed by two Rohingya refugees that challenge the government&rsquo;s decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community.&nbsp;

The Indian government earlier told the top court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions.

A Rohingya refugee has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with the ISI and the Islamic State

A Rohingya refugee has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, denying the Indian government's claims that the Muslim community from Myanmar has terror links with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Islamic State. The affidavit states that the Rohingyas should be treated at par with Tibetan and Sri Lankan refugees, a media outlet reported. The affidavit accessed by the media outlet dismisses the claims of the Indian government that the Muslim community is a threat to the country, stating that Rohingyas have not indulged in any anti-national activity. The affidavit relies upon Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti's statement in the state assembly that "no Rohingya has been found involved in militancy-related incidents." The top court is already hearing a Public Interest Petition (PIL) filed by two Rohingya refugees that challenge the government’s decision to deport around 40,000 people of the community. The Indian government earlier told the top court that besides being a security threat because of links to the ISI and the IS, Rohingyas will exhaust natural resources meant for Indian citizens resulting in hostility and social tensions.

No links with IS, ISI: Rohingya refugee to Supreme Court

&ldquo;This is not just a diplomatic briefing, but in some ways, a friendly appeal to all those who wish Myanmar well,&rdquo; said Myanmar&rsquo;s State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her characteristically sombre tone, at the end of her public address on 19 September.

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<h5>Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine.</h5>
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The speech came at a time when the Nobel Peace laureate finds herself in a thick swamp over her passivity on the alleged use of disproportionate and extrajudicial force by state security forces against the stateless community of Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

Damage Control

The State Counsellor&rsquo;s speech, delivered in English for international consumption, came in lieu of her absence at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly held on the same date. In words that were heavily weighed, she offered a fairly broad and ostensibly neutral narrative aimed at damage-control.&nbsp;

Much unlike how the Tatmadaw (military) would have addressed criticism from the outside, the Lady&rsquo;s tone was one of conciliation rather than abrasive dismissal. She was fully aware of the importance of the global community of active and passive stakeholders that she was addressing in consolidating Myanmar&rsquo;s image as a progressive democracy. This was a target audience that the Lady does not wish to lose anytime soon.

However, the speech has been met with damning criticism from certain quarters of the international community. &ldquo;Too little, too late&rdquo;, &ldquo;disappointing&rdquo;, &ldquo;shameful&rdquo;, &quot;little more than a mix of untruths and victim blaming&quot; are some of the phrases that were employed to describe it. As she herself conceded in an interview with ANI next day, Suu Kyi stuck to Naypyidaw&rsquo;s standard narrative on the Rakhine/Rohingya issue, the crux of which is that the situation is complex, warrants the time to resolve, and is being misrepresented in the international media.

Let&#39;s take a look at some of the key themes in her cautiously-framed narrative, and the veracity of the claims made under them.

Rule of Law and Human Rights Violations

Suu Kyi said that her government was committed to the rule of law and condemned all forms of human rights violations and unlawful violence. She said that the security forces were under instructions to adhere to a strict code of conduct and exercise maximum restraint insofar as their operations in northern Rakhine are concerned.

However, these statements carry little value without corresponding evidence from the ground which is impossible owing to the security lockdown imposed in the core conflict zone.

The closest to any &lsquo;evidence&rsquo; that we have at the moment are the countless eyewitness accounts of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, which paint an entirely different picture. This is further backed up by satellite images released recently showing entire villages razed to the ground. The government, so far, has not furnished any solid material counter-evidence to thwart this accusatory narrative.

Further, &lsquo;rule of law&rsquo; is always a non-starter when serious allegations of human rights abuses by state forces are concerned. In fact, on many occasions, the law is used as a shield of legitimacy to carry out a draconian action. Such a broad mandate often leads to excessive use of force and overkill when combatants are diffused within a bigger non-combatant civilian population, like in this case. The situation is somewhat similar to India&rsquo;s use of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in insurgent areas.

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<h5>Temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement.&nbsp;</h5>
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The Situation on the Ground

Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. She, however, stated that 50 per cent of the Rohingya villages is intact. Even if we take this at face value without triangulating it with material evidence (which remains obscure for now), the obvious question that pops up is: what happened to the other 50 per cent? Who burnt them?&nbsp;

She also stated that the government had launched relief and resettlement programmes on 27 August, two days after the attack. However, almost all media reports tell us that these programmes, involving temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement.&nbsp;

Exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh

Suu Kyi&rsquo;s comments on the continuing mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh were met with sharp criticism and apprehension by international observers. She said that &lsquo;most&rsquo; of the Muslims had not fled, and called upon the international community to visit northern Rakhine and speak to these Rohingyas who chose to stay back. She also stated that the government wants to find out why the exodus was happening and that it wants to talk to those who had fled.

These are, at best, tactical comments aimed at deflection. Fact remains that 4 lakh Rohingyas have already crossed the perilous border, at least according to UN agencies operating in the area. Considering that around 10 lakh Rohingyas live in northern Rakhine, the displaced indeed accounts for just a part of the entire Muslim population. But, 4 lakh is not a small figure in itself and neither is the proportion of displaced so paltry that it ought to be dismissed.

Her cautiously minced statement does not issue any clear invitation to talk to the displaced - something that it believes is reserved for the state authorities alone.

Observers have also accused her of sounding ignorant for wondering what the reasons for the exodus could be. While she might have been fed inaccurate information about the ground reality in northern Rakhine, this seems to be another strategically-framed narrative like the rest. In asking this question, Suu Kyi implicitly absolved the military of responsibility for the ongoing displacement and shifted the blame to elements beyond the control of her government. The idea that she wants to project is that if the refugee exodus was indeed because of the state&rsquo;s conduct, then she would certainly know the reason.

One of the most crucial elements under this theme that Suu Kyi talked about was her government&rsquo;s willingness to engage with the government of Bangladesh to resolve the refugee crisis. She stated that Myanmar is willing to begin the National Verification Process (NVP) - a policy to ascertain the citizenship of non-citizen Rakhine residents, Rohingyas included - and repatriate refugees in Bangladesh in adherence to the principles agreed upon by the two countries in 1993 under UN supervision.

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<h5>The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given &ldquo;green cards&rdquo;</h5>
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This is a welcome move that addresses the root of the problem i.e. citizenship rights for Rohingyas. However, while the NVP has been termed as a nominal policy to partially rehabilitate roving refugees in Rakhine (without giving them full citizenship status), the 1993 guidelines earlier came under scrutiny for violating international law by repatriating refugees in Bangladesh against their own wishes. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given &ldquo;green cards&rdquo; (temporary resident status).&nbsp;

For now, the exact provisions of both remain, at best, dubious. Further, Suu Kyi said that all those who are legitimately accepted as &lsquo;refugees&rsquo; (in Myanmar) would receive full state entitlements, including security and access to humanitarian aid. What would happen to the rest remains unclear as ever?

An Exercise in Vain?

Clearly, the State Counsellor&rsquo;s speech was fraught with grave inconsistencies, those that third-party observers are ready to pounce on and expose. Thus, this exercise in damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the situation in northern Rakhine.&nbsp;

However, the overall tone of the narrative was not of denial, which is a refreshing break from past official narratives. It was, nonetheless, ridden with passive omissions. Truth is that the Lady does not enjoy full autonomy when it comes to handling the ground situation in the affected conflict zone. The Tatmadaw is the key decision-making authority in this regard; and, thanks to the civilian government&rsquo;s delicate relationship with the ever-powerful army, Suu Kyi remains tied to the ground for now.

Aung Suu Kyi's attempt at damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the Rohingya situation.

“This is not just a diplomatic briefing, but in some ways, a friendly appeal to all those who wish Myanmar well,” said Myanmar’s State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in her characteristically sombre tone, at the end of her public address on 19 September. Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. × The speech came at a time when the Nobel Peace laureate finds herself in a thick swamp over her passivity on the alleged use of disproportionate and extrajudicial force by state security forces against the stateless community of Rohingya Muslims. Damage Control The State Counsellor’s speech, delivered in English for international consumption, came in lieu of her absence at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly held on the same date. In words that were heavily weighed, she offered a fairly broad and ostensibly neutral narrative aimed at damage-control. Much unlike how the Tatmadaw (military) would have addressed criticism from the outside, the Lady’s tone was one of conciliation rather than abrasive dismissal. She was fully aware of the importance of the global community of active and passive stakeholders that she was addressing in consolidating Myanmar’s image as a progressive democracy. This was a target audience that the Lady does not wish to lose anytime soon. However, the speech has been met with damning criticism from certain quarters of the international community. “Too little, too late”, “disappointing”, “shameful”, "little more than a mix of untruths and victim blaming" are some of the phrases that were employed to describe it. As she herself conceded in an interview with ANI next day, Suu Kyi stuck to Naypyidaw’s standard narrative on the Rakhine/Rohingya issue, the crux of which is that the situation is complex, warrants the time to resolve, and is being misrepresented in the international media. Let's take a look at some of the key themes in her cautiously-framed narrative, and the veracity of the claims made under them. Rule of Law and Human Rights Violations Suu Kyi said that her government was committed to the rule of law and condemned all forms of human rights violations and unlawful violence. She said that the security forces were under instructions to adhere to a strict code of conduct and exercise maximum restraint insofar as their operations in northern Rakhine are concerned. However, these statements carry little value without corresponding evidence from the ground which is impossible owing to the security lockdown imposed in the core conflict zone. The closest to any ‘evidence’ that we have at the moment are the countless eyewitness accounts of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh, which paint an entirely different picture. This is further backed up by satellite images released recently showing entire villages razed to the ground. The government, so far, has not furnished any solid material counter-evidence to thwart this accusatory narrative. Further, ‘rule of law’ is always a non-starter when serious allegations of human rights abuses by state forces are concerned. In fact, on many occasions, the law is used as a shield of legitimacy to carry out a draconian action. Such a broad mandate often leads to excessive use of force and overkill when combatants are diffused within a bigger non-combatant civilian population, like in this case. The situation is somewhat similar to India’s use of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in insurgent areas. Temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement. × The Situation on the Ground Suu Kyi categorically avoided touching upon specific allegations and counter-allegations with regard to the ground situation in northern Rakhine. She, however, stated that 50 per cent of the Rohingya villages is intact. Even if we take this at face value without triangulating it with material evidence (which remains obscure for now), the obvious question that pops up is: what happened to the other 50 per cent? Who burnt them? She also stated that the government had launched relief and resettlement programmes on 27 August, two days after the attack. However, almost all media reports tell us that these programmes, involving temporary resettlement in camps and aid provision, catered only to the non-Muslim population, including ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, sub-ethnic groups (like Mru), and Hindus. In fact, 4000 of them have already returned to their homes by now - an indication of effective but discriminatory crisis resettlement. Exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh Suu Kyi’s comments on the continuing mass exodus of Rohingyas to Bangladesh were met with sharp criticism and apprehension by international observers. She said that ‘most’ of the Muslims had not fled, and called upon the international community to visit northern Rakhine and speak to these Rohingyas who chose to stay back. She also stated that the government wants to find out why the exodus was happening and that it wants to talk to those who had fled. These are, at best, tactical comments aimed at deflection. Fact remains that 4 lakh Rohingyas have already crossed the perilous border, at least according to UN agencies operating in the area. Considering that around 10 lakh Rohingyas live in northern Rakhine, the displaced indeed accounts for just a part of the entire Muslim population. But, 4 lakh is not a small figure in itself and neither is the proportion of displaced so paltry that it ought to be dismissed. Her cautiously minced statement does not issue any clear invitation to talk to the displaced - something that it believes is reserved for the state authorities alone. Observers have also accused her of sounding ignorant for wondering what the reasons for the exodus could be. While she might have been fed inaccurate information about the ground reality in northern Rakhine, this seems to be another strategically-framed narrative like the rest. In asking this question, Suu Kyi implicitly absolved the military of responsibility for the ongoing displacement and shifted the blame to elements beyond the control of her government. The idea that she wants to project is that if the refugee exodus was indeed because of the state’s conduct, then she would certainly know the reason. One of the most crucial elements under this theme that Suu Kyi talked about was her government’s willingness to engage with the government of Bangladesh to resolve the refugee crisis. She stated that Myanmar is willing to begin the National Verification Process (NVP) - a policy to ascertain the citizenship of non-citizen Rakhine residents, Rohingyas included - and repatriate refugees in Bangladesh in adherence to the principles agreed upon by the two countries in 1993 under UN supervision. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given “green cards” × This is a welcome move that addresses the root of the problem i.e. citizenship rights for Rohingyas. However, while the NVP has been termed as a nominal policy to partially rehabilitate roving refugees in Rakhine (without giving them full citizenship status), the 1993 guidelines earlier came under scrutiny for violating international law by repatriating refugees in Bangladesh against their own wishes. The futility of the NVP is reaffirmed by the fact that only 4000 of the 10 lakh Rohingyas have been accepted as citizens so far, with rest being given “green cards” (temporary resident status). For now, the exact provisions of both remain, at best, dubious. Further, Suu Kyi said that all those who are legitimately accepted as ‘refugees’ (in Myanmar) would receive full state entitlements, including security and access to humanitarian aid. What would happen to the rest remains unclear as ever? An Exercise in Vain? Clearly, the State Counsellor’s speech was fraught with grave inconsistencies, those that third-party observers are ready to pounce on and expose. Thus, this exercise in damage control certainly falls short of its prime objective of placating international observers concerned about the situation in northern Rakhine. However, the overall tone of the narrative was not of denial, which is a refreshing break from past official narratives. It was, nonetheless, ridden with passive omissions. Truth is that the Lady does not enjoy full autonomy when it comes to handling the ground situation in the affected conflict zone. The Tatmadaw is the key decision-making authority in this regard; and, thanks to the civilian government’s delicate relationship with the ever-powerful army, Suu Kyi remains tied to the ground for now.

Rohingyas: Grave inconsistencies if not denial marks Aung Suu Kyi's speech

Apparently, it&rsquo;s quite unnatural for Bangladesh and India not to be close allies, especially with India&#39;s involvement in Bangladesh&#39;s War of Independence of 1971. And then, of course, there are the unique cultural similarities and geographical realities with regards to common Ganges-Bramhaputra plain that runs through both the countries. Despite the overt Hasina-Modi bonhomie, the political reality is, however, very different. Bangladesh&#39;s relations with India can best be described as a loose friendship with hidden mutual mistrust and suspicion.&nbsp;

The lack of trust between the two countries&nbsp;comes forth more in the context of Bangladesh-Myanmar tussle on persecution and expulsion of &nbsp;Rohingyas from Arakan.&nbsp;

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<h5>The tensed Bangladesh &ndash;India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as &lsquo;equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration.</h5>
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The prime deficiency of India&rsquo;s South Asia policy has been its obsession with Pakistan. Only recently a separate desk has been introduced for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal in the Ministry of External Affairs at the South Block of Raisina Hills in New Delhi. Pakistan became important for its nuisance value while India failed to see the constructive value of the rest, especially Bangladesh which is already the 31st largest economy in the world with more than 6 per cent average economic growth in the last couple of decades. Courtesy the economic growth, the western world has come to view Bangladesh as one of the &lsquo;Next Eleven&rsquo;. Bangladesh has come to develop relations with the west, Japan, Middle-East and China and derived great economic benefits out of those relations.&nbsp;

The tensed Bangladesh &ndash;India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as &lsquo;equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. Since 1996 gradual progress has been achieved by Bangladesh and India to address some of these issues. Bangladesh has destroyed the dens the Indian rebels made along Bangladesh - 
India borders and proactively searched and sealed all channels of logistics and arms supply to these rebels. Bangladeshi intelligence agencies are also blocking ISI or its proxies&rsquo; probable operations against India from Bangladeshi soil. &nbsp;

Geo-politically, in South Asia and beyond, there are several areas where an alliance between the India and Bangladesh could have brought good mutual dividend and uphold some great IR principles. One such area is Pakistan&rsquo;s export of terrorism and Islamic radicalism. Both India and Bangladesh are affected by that. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Myanmar on the other hand hardly has any principled position. It is buying good numbers of multi-role fighter aircraft&nbsp;from Pakistan, the regional hub of Islamic terrorism, giving a boost to Pakistani military industry and technology. These are made through the collaboration between Pakistan and China, Myanmar&rsquo;s closest ally and India&rsquo;s geo-strategic nemesis. In this context, it&rsquo;s difficult to make sense as to why&nbsp;India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya.&nbsp;

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<h5>It&rsquo;s difficult to make sense as to why&nbsp;India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya.&nbsp;</h5>
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Apart from the principle and propriety angle, India hardly gains anything from Myanmar. India can&rsquo;t match the kind of investment China made in Myanmar.&nbsp;

A further irony is, lacs of &nbsp;Indians were expelled from Myanmar like the Rohingyas in the fifties and sixties. The remaining ones and later migrant Indian in Myanmar are still abused in that country with racial slur &#39;Kala&rsquo;. The Myanmar Indians falls in the same absurd 1982 citizenship law as Rohingyas. Myanmar is always likely to be on China&#39;s side despite India&rsquo;s disgraceful pampering.&nbsp;

On the other hand, India has much to lose not by standing by Bangladesh&rsquo;s side at the time of its need both in comparative and absolute terms. &nbsp;Bangladesh might again lean more towards the Islamic bondage rather than the subcontinental one. If Islamic solidarity is revived on this issue, India&rsquo;s massive stake in the Middle East might even be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion.&nbsp;

It seems&nbsp;some of PM Modi&rsquo;s strategic advisors have gone bonkers with anti-Muslim preoccupation and very weak Rohingya terrorism stories. Because of them, soon India might find herself on the wrong side of geopolitics and history. Bangladesh did a balancing act between concerns of India and interest of China by postponing China&rsquo;s proposal for a Sri Lanka and Pakistan like the development of a deep sea port in Sonadia of Chittagong. Now, it&rsquo;s a payback time for India and an opportunity for it to befriend Bangladesh for the long term by strongly being by the latter&rsquo;s side in this crisis.&nbsp;

If India is strongly by the side of Bangladesh now, much of the remaining &nbsp;Indo-Bangla mistrust in the relationship will be gone, and Bangladeshi people, as well as the political forces, will appreciate the value of India&rsquo;s friendship immensely. It will bring a defining shift in Bangladesh-India relation for a very long term. &nbsp;The question is whether PM Modi is ready for an in-depth strategic re-assessment and would his policy strategists allow him to do that?

India?s massive stake in the Middle East and South Asia might be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion.

Apparently, it’s quite unnatural for Bangladesh and India not to be close allies, especially with India's involvement in Bangladesh's War of Independence of 1971. And then, of course, there are the unique cultural similarities and geographical realities with regards to common Ganges-Bramhaputra plain that runs through both the countries. Despite the overt Hasina-Modi bonhomie, the political reality is, however, very different. Bangladesh's relations with India can best be described as a loose friendship with hidden mutual mistrust and suspicion. The lack of trust between the two countries comes forth more in the context of Bangladesh-Myanmar tussle on persecution and expulsion of Rohingyas from Arakan. The tensed Bangladesh –India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as ‘equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. × The prime deficiency of India’s South Asia policy has been its obsession with Pakistan. Only recently a separate desk has been introduced for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal in the Ministry of External Affairs at the South Block of Raisina Hills in New Delhi. Pakistan became important for its nuisance value while India failed to see the constructive value of the rest, especially Bangladesh which is already the 31st largest economy in the world with more than 6 per cent average economic growth in the last couple of decades. Courtesy the economic growth, the western world has come to view Bangladesh as one of the ‘Next Eleven’. Bangladesh has come to develop relations with the west, Japan, Middle-East and China and derived great economic benefits out of those relations. The tensed Bangladesh –India relationship stems from a variety of issues, such as ‘equitable sharing of all common river water, terrorist camps and migration. Since 1996 gradual progress has been achieved by Bangladesh and India to address some of these issues. Bangladesh has destroyed the dens the Indian rebels made along Bangladesh - India borders and proactively searched and sealed all channels of logistics and arms supply to these rebels. Bangladeshi intelligence agencies are also blocking ISI or its proxies’ probable operations against India from Bangladeshi soil. Geo-politically, in South Asia and beyond, there are several areas where an alliance between the India and Bangladesh could have brought good mutual dividend and uphold some great IR principles. One such area is Pakistan’s export of terrorism and Islamic radicalism. Both India and Bangladesh are affected by that. Myanmar on the other hand hardly has any principled position. It is buying good numbers of multi-role fighter aircraft from Pakistan, the regional hub of Islamic terrorism, giving a boost to Pakistani military industry and technology. These are made through the collaboration between Pakistan and China, Myanmar’s closest ally and India’s geo-strategic nemesis. In this context, it’s difficult to make sense as to why India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya. It’s difficult to make sense as to why India is siding with Myanmar in its dissension with Bangladesh on an acute humanitarian crisis like Rohingya. × Apart from the principle and propriety angle, India hardly gains anything from Myanmar. India can’t match the kind of investment China made in Myanmar. A further irony is, lacs of Indians were expelled from Myanmar like the Rohingyas in the fifties and sixties. The remaining ones and later migrant Indian in Myanmar are still abused in that country with racial slur 'Kala’. The Myanmar Indians falls in the same absurd 1982 citizenship law as Rohingyas. Myanmar is always likely to be on China's side despite India’s disgraceful pampering. On the other hand, India has much to lose not by standing by Bangladesh’s side at the time of its need both in comparative and absolute terms. Bangladesh might again lean more towards the Islamic bondage rather than the subcontinental one. If Islamic solidarity is revived on this issue, India’s massive stake in the Middle East might even be harmed for its direct or indirect support in Rohingya genocide and expulsion. It seems some of PM Modi’s strategic advisors have gone bonkers with anti-Muslim preoccupation and very weak Rohingya terrorism stories. Because of them, soon India might find herself on the wrong side of geopolitics and history. Bangladesh did a balancing act between concerns of India and interest of China by postponing China’s proposal for a Sri Lanka and Pakistan like the development of a deep sea port in Sonadia of Chittagong. Now, it’s a payback time for India and an opportunity for it to befriend Bangladesh for the long term by strongly being by the latter’s side in this crisis. If India is strongly by the side of Bangladesh now, much of the remaining Indo-Bangla mistrust in the relationship will be gone, and Bangladeshi people, as well as the political forces, will appreciate the value of India’s friendship immensely. It will bring a defining shift in Bangladesh-India relation for a very long term. The question is whether PM Modi is ready for an in-depth strategic re-assessment and would his policy strategists allow him to do that?

Rohingya: Why India should side with Bangladesh and not Myanmar

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/we-have-to-take-care-of-everyone-whether-or-not-they-are-our-citizens-aung-san-suu-kyi-19988">Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an interview</a> to a local TV channel said there is a small Hindu community in Rakhine and some of them have been killed even as several thousand Hindus trapped in the Rohingya crossfire have fled Myanmar in large numbers.

There is still no confirmation <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/want-to-find-out-why-rohingya-have-fled-myanmar-suu-kyi-says-in-state-of-union-address-20372">on the number of Hindus killed in the ongoing Rohingya crisis</a> which has led to at least 421,000 Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.&nbsp;

As the Rohingya crisis continues to create fissures in the region, India&nbsp;sealed its&nbsp;maritime boundary with Bangladesh, media reports said.

Meanwhile, nearly 500 Hindus have taken shelter in Bangladesh&#39;s southeast, Reuters reported. The Hindus fear going back to Myanmar&#39;s restive Rakhine state.

Reuters sources say the government is waiting for the Supreme Court&#39;s view on an appeal filed by the home ministry&nbsp;to deport Rohingyas from the country.

The Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday asserting that the total number of &quot;such illegal immigrants into our country&quot; was more than 40,000, approximately.&nbsp;

The Indian government told the Supreme Court that it has<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/some-rohingya-have-links-with-pakistan-terror-groups-centre-tells-supreme-court-20332"> &quot;contemporaneous inputs from security agencies indicating links of some </a>unauthorized Rohingyas with Pakistan terror organisations&quot;.

With Bangladesh bearing the brunt of the Rohingya crisis, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sheikh-hasina-says-expects-no-help-from-trump-on-refugees-fleeing-myanmar-5205">Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to US President Donald Trump</a> on Monday about the Rohingyas flooding the country but the US president did not make any comment.

&quot;He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said &#39;it&#39;s doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar&#39;,&quot; Hasina told Reuters in an interview.&nbsp;

&quot;But he didn&#39;t make any comment about refugees,&quot; the Bangladesh PM added.

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Aung San Suu Kyi in an interview said she is doing her best and she makes no distinction between Muslims, Hindus or Rakhines. (ANI)
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There is still no confirmation on the number of Hindus killed in the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an interview to a local TV channel said there is a small Hindu community in Rakhine and some of them have been killed even as several thousand Hindus trapped in the Rohingya crossfire have fled Myanmar in large numbers. There is still no confirmation on the number of Hindus killed in the ongoing Rohingya crisis which has led to at least 421,000 Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state. As the Rohingya crisis continues to create fissures in the region, India sealed its maritime boundary with Bangladesh, media reports said. Meanwhile, nearly 500 Hindus have taken shelter in Bangladesh's southeast, Reuters reported. The Hindus fear going back to Myanmar's restive Rakhine state. Reuters sources say the government is waiting for the Supreme Court's view on an appeal filed by the home ministry to deport Rohingyas from the country. The Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday asserting that the total number of "such illegal immigrants into our country" was more than 40,000, approximately. The Indian government told the Supreme Court that it has "contemporaneous inputs from security agencies indicating links of some unauthorized Rohingyas with Pakistan terror organisations". With Bangladesh bearing the brunt of the Rohingya crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to US President Donald Trump on Monday about the Rohingyas flooding the country but the US president did not make any comment. "He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees," the Bangladesh PM added. Aung San Suu Kyi in an interview said she is doing her best and she makes no distinction between Muslims, Hindus or Rakhines. (ANI) ×

Small Hindu community in Rakhine, some were killed: Aung San Suu Kyi

India will need to make some hard choices in dealing with the Rohingya crisis fermenting at its doorstep, threatening to explode any minute.&nbsp;

What the country is facing right now, is a difficult choice between its constitutional ideals, and more pressing concerns relating to national security and foreign policy. To dub India&#39;s decision to deport the Rohingya refugees as a &ldquo;heartless, inhumane act&rdquo;, would be naivety of the highest order. To conclude that national security is a myth- a phenomenon designed to further state control over individual lives- would amount to a serious academic blunder.&nbsp;

State security and human security are not mutually exclusive, as is being termed by those who keep undermining the former against the latter. In reality, national security is an essential, if not the only, precursor to human security. In a country ravaged by inter-state war, civil conflict and ethnic discord, human security always ends up facing a grave threat. Essential determinants of human security, including the right to food, clothing, shelter, livelihood, the right to life, liberty and freedom of expression, cannot be guaranteed by a state that faces a grave threat to its external borders, social discord or ethnic tensions.&nbsp;

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Human rights violations are, therefore, the gravest in countries where state building is still incomplete or where the state has lost the authority and the control to govern and administer. Today, Syria and Iraq- the liberal world&#39;s experiments at democracy, present the worst picture of human security. This probably resolves, to some extent, the illusion of mutual exclusivity, which has been underlining most scholarly analysis of the current crisis.

To be clear, the Rohingya crisis, as it is unfolding today, is a grave human rights situation confronting the South Asian region. Ethnic cleansing of over a million people at the hands of a national army is an issue which must be condemned and the Burmese government must be held responsible. However, to expect that the countries hosting the millions of refugees, pouring through their borders, must be open to their resettlement and rehabilitation within their boundaries, is an idealistic demand on the nations already dealing with intra-state refugee problems, communal strife and terror-related violence.&nbsp;

How are Rohingyas a threat to national security, you ask? The answer to this question is more grey, than simply black or white.&nbsp;

An entire community cannot be (and must not) be labelled as criminal offenders, without any substantial evidence. By chastising the Rohingyas as terrorists and subjecting them to inhuman treatment, India will be following Myanmar in its footsteps. However, India cannot remain blind to the idea that radicalisation and social alienation are inextricably linked, and the Rohingyas, therefore, make a vulnerable target for those who seek to perpetuate Jihad in their name.&nbsp;

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The change in the character of Rohingya violence, especially over the last couple of years is also an alarming trend. In the last one year, the violence has been largely organised and carried out by radicalised Rohingyas based in other countries. The terror activities carried out by militant organisations like ARSA and HaY are supported, organised and funded by the Rohingyas living in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Besides, they have also garnered voices of support from notorious terror organisations like the Al-Qaeda. In India too, Zakir Musa, the terror commander in Kashmir, was the first to voice his support for the group and threaten the establishment with dire consequences if the Rohingyas were to be &ldquo;touched&rdquo;.&nbsp;

The issue not only stems from their vulnerability. Rather, a lack of clear identification of the 40, 000 Rohingyas staying in India. There is little knowledge about their whereabouts which have led to some serious outcomes. The thriving drug market in Jammu, banking on the huge chunk of Rohingya population staying in the region is an important case in point. Only last week, a Rohingya national was caught with 10 kg of narcotics in the city. It is not coincidental, therefore, that drug trafficking in Jammu and Samba has seen a concurrent rise with the rise in the number of Rohingya refugees in the city. The issue has already sparked communal tensions in the region, where only last week the Jammu city erupted in a huge protest over the allegations of cattle slaughtered by a Rohingya national.&nbsp;

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Even assuming that this wasn&#39;t the case, the situation, however, points to a very fragile communal scenario in our country, which can be exacerbated by non-state actors.

This, however, doesn&#39;t absolve India of its responsibility towards this community. India will have to persuade Myanmar, at least diplomatically, to resolve the crisis. The social fabric in many South Asian nations is threatened by the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas and it is, therefore, in every country&#39;s interest to take this up with the Burmese government.&nbsp;

Besides, humanitarian assistance and relief work must be taken up by the state and the civil society. The deportation of Rohingyas will prove to be a contentious step, but the exercise will have to be carried out in the utmost humane and sensitive manner; without the unnecessary politicisation of a crisis.

State security and human security are not mutually exclusive, as is being termed by those who keep undermining the former against the latter.

India will need to make some hard choices in dealing with the Rohingya crisis fermenting at its doorstep, threatening to explode any minute. What the country is facing right now, is a difficult choice between its constitutional ideals, and more pressing concerns relating to national security and foreign policy. To dub India's decision to deport the Rohingya refugees as a “heartless, inhumane act”, would be naivety of the highest order. To conclude that national security is a myth- a phenomenon designed to further state control over individual lives- would amount to a serious academic blunder. State security and human security are not mutually exclusive, as is being termed by those who keep undermining the former against the latter. In reality, national security is an essential, if not the only, precursor to human security. In a country ravaged by inter-state war, civil conflict and ethnic discord, human security always ends up facing a grave threat. Essential determinants of human security, including the right to food, clothing, shelter, livelihood, the right to life, liberty and freedom of expression, cannot be guaranteed by a state that faces a grave threat to its external borders, social discord or ethnic tensions. To conclude that national security is a myth- a phenomenon designed to further state control over individual lives- would amount to a serious academic blunder. × Human rights violations are, therefore, the gravest in countries where state building is still incomplete or where the state has lost the authority and the control to govern and administer. Today, Syria and Iraq- the liberal world's experiments at democracy, present the worst picture of human security. This probably resolves, to some extent, the illusion of mutual exclusivity, which has been underlining most scholarly analysis of the current crisis. To be clear, the Rohingya crisis, as it is unfolding today, is a grave human rights situation confronting the South Asian region. Ethnic cleansing of over a million people at the hands of a national army is an issue which must be condemned and the Burmese government must be held responsible. However, to expect that the countries hosting the millions of refugees, pouring through their borders, must be open to their resettlement and rehabilitation within their boundaries, is an idealistic demand on the nations already dealing with intra-state refugee problems, communal strife and terror-related violence. How are Rohingyas a threat to national security, you ask? The answer to this question is more grey, than simply black or white. An entire community cannot be (and must not) be labelled as criminal offenders, without any substantial evidence. By chastising the Rohingyas as terrorists and subjecting them to inhuman treatment, India will be following Myanmar in its footsteps. However, India cannot remain blind to the idea that radicalisation and social alienation are inextricably linked, and the Rohingyas, therefore, make a vulnerable target for those who seek to perpetuate Jihad in their name. By chastising the Rohingyas as terrorists and subjecting them to inhuman treatment, India will be following Myanmar in its footsteps. × The change in the character of Rohingya violence, especially over the last couple of years is also an alarming trend. In the last one year, the violence has been largely organised and carried out by radicalised Rohingyas based in other countries. The terror activities carried out by militant organisations like ARSA and HaY are supported, organised and funded by the Rohingyas living in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Besides, they have also garnered voices of support from notorious terror organisations like the Al-Qaeda. In India too, Zakir Musa, the terror commander in Kashmir, was the first to voice his support for the group and threaten the establishment with dire consequences if the Rohingyas were to be “touched”. The issue not only stems from their vulnerability. Rather, a lack of clear identification of the 40, 000 Rohingyas staying in India. There is little knowledge about their whereabouts which have led to some serious outcomes. The thriving drug market in Jammu, banking on the huge chunk of Rohingya population staying in the region is an important case in point. Only last week, a Rohingya national was caught with 10 kg of narcotics in the city. It is not coincidental, therefore, that drug trafficking in Jammu and Samba has seen a concurrent rise with the rise in the number of Rohingya refugees in the city. The issue has already sparked communal tensions in the region, where only last week the Jammu city erupted in a huge protest over the allegations of cattle slaughtered by a Rohingya national. The thriving drug market in Jammu, banking on the huge chunk of Rohingya population staying in the region is an important case in point. × Even assuming that this wasn't the case, the situation, however, points to a very fragile communal scenario in our country, which can be exacerbated by non-state actors. This, however, doesn't absolve India of its responsibility towards this community. India will have to persuade Myanmar, at least diplomatically, to resolve the crisis. The social fabric in many South Asian nations is threatened by the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas and it is, therefore, in every country's interest to take this up with the Burmese government. Besides, humanitarian assistance and relief work must be taken up by the state and the civil society. The deportation of Rohingyas will prove to be a contentious step, but the exercise will have to be carried out in the utmost humane and sensitive manner; without the unnecessary politicisation of a crisis.

Constitutional ideals or Security concerns: Rohingya issue poses a dilemma for India

The Myanmar government today rejected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-us-official-barred-from-rohingya-conflict-zone-20306">UN human rights investigators </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-us-official-barred-from-rohingya-conflict-zone-20306">demand for</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-says-us-official-barred-from-rohingya-conflict-zone-20306"> access to Rakhine</a> state even as Aung San Suu Kyi appealed to outside observers &quot;to visit Myanmar and see the situation for themselves&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/want-to-find-out-why-rohingya-have-fled-myanmar-suu-kyi-says-in-state-of-union-address-20372">Suu Kyi in a televised address to the nation said</a>, &quot;Myanmar invites members of the international community to visit. There have been allegations and counter-allegations, will listen to all, culprits will be punished irrespective of race or religion.&quot;&nbsp;

However, Myanmar&#39;s UN ambassador Htin Lynn made his governments position clear asserting that&nbsp;&quot;instituting such a mission is not a helpful course of action in solving the already-intricated Rakhine issue&quot;.

The UN had set up a council in March to investigate allegations of violence against Rohingyas in Rakhine state.

The head of the UN mission Marzuki Darusman said: &quot;In the government&rsquo;s interest and in the interests of the people of Myanmar to communicate their views and evidence directly to the UN mission.&quot;

The UN mission has already dispatched a team to Bangladesh to probe the state of Rohingyas who have fled to the country.

Almost 400,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar&nbsp;since August 25.

 
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Rohingya refugee woman waits for aid with her daughter along a road in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Bangladesh (Reuters)
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Aung San Suu Kyi in a televised address to the nation had appealed to outside observers to visit Myanmar and see the situation for themselves

The Myanmar government today rejected UN human rights investigators demand for access to Rakhine state even as Aung San Suu Kyi appealed to outside observers "to visit Myanmar and see the situation for themselves". Suu Kyi in a televised address to the nation said, "Myanmar invites members of the international community to visit. There have been allegations and counter-allegations, will listen to all, culprits will be punished irrespective of race or religion." However, Myanmar's UN ambassador Htin Lynn made his governments position clear asserting that "instituting such a mission is not a helpful course of action in solving the already-intricated Rakhine issue". The UN had set up a council in March to investigate allegations of violence against Rohingyas in Rakhine state. The head of the UN mission Marzuki Darusman said: "In the government’s interest and in the interests of the people of Myanmar to communicate their views and evidence directly to the UN mission." The UN mission has already dispatched a team to Bangladesh to probe the state of Rohingyas who have fled to the country. Almost 400,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar since August 25. Rohingya refugee woman waits for aid with her daughter along a road in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (Reuters) ×

Rohingya crisis: Myanmar rejects UN demand for access to Rakhine state

&quot;Myanmar is a complex nation. People expect us to overcome all the challenges in shortest time possible,&quot; Myanmar state counsellor and de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi said Tuesday in her state of the union address.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has been under intense global scrutiny because of the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Close to 400,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25 when violence broke out in Myanmar&#39;s western Rahkhine state after a Rohingya militant group allegedly attacked police outposts there.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Myanmar&#39;s Aung San Suu Kyi delivers State of the Union address in Nay Pyi Taw <a href="https://t.co/UV80NVsW2Y">https://t.co/UV80NVsW2Y</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/909983585746042880">September 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Since then, Myanmarese security forces have been accused of conducting a &quot;genocide&quot; or &quot;progrom&quot; against the Rohingya minority. &nbsp;

The United Nations has said that what is happening in Rakhine looks like a &quot;textbook case of ethnic cleansing&quot;.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi was speaking in the Myanmar capital Nyapyidaw.&nbsp;

She had recently cancelled her trip to the United Nations General Assembly, presumably because of the scrutiny of the Rohingya crisis.&nbsp;

World leaders have been calling for Suu Kyi to speak out against what is allegedly being done to the Rohingya, and to put a stop to the violence and the crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;Peace and stability was something we had to achieve after nearly 70 yrs of internal conflict,&quot; Suu Kyi said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

&quot;We condemn all human rights violations, we are committed to peace and rule of law,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

&quot;Myanmar does not fear international scrutiny, (we are) committed to (a) sustainable solution in Rakhine state,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

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We would like to find out why this exodus is happening, would like to talk to the people who have fled: Aung San Suu Kyi <a href="https://t.co/ZSVSR4CTPX">pic.twitter.com/ZSVSR4CTPX</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/909986565841084416">September 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We condemn all human rights violations, we are committed to peace and rule of law: Aung San Suu Kyi
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We would like you(world) to think of our country as a whole, not just as little afflicted areas: Aung San Suu Kyi
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&quot;We would like to find out why this exodus is happening, would like to talk to the people who have fled,&quot; said Suu Kyi.&nbsp;

&quot;(The) government has been making every effort to restore peace and stability and to bring harmony in Rakhine communities,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

But Suu Kyi also added a dodge.&nbsp;

She added that: &quot;Myanmar feels deeply for (the) suffering of all groups in Rakhine.&quot; &nbsp;

Suu Kyi has so far maintained a studied silence on the Rohingya crisis, even as world leaders have poured opprobrium on her.&nbsp;

She added that she is &quot;concerned to hear about Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh.&quot;&nbsp;

Suu Kyi said that &quot;many Muslim villagers have remained&quot;, that &quot;not all have fled&quot;. &nbsp;

She added that Myanmar &quot;invite(s) members of the international community to visit.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;There have been allegations and counter-allegations, will listen to all, culprits will be punished irrespective of race or religion.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;We had made a central committee for implementing rule of law and development in Rakhine,&quot; Suu Kyi said.&nbsp;

She added that Myanmar had invited former UN secretary general Dr Kofi Annan to lead a commission to help resolve long-standing problems in Rakhine state.&nbsp;

&quot;Throughout the last year, we continued with our program of development and establishment of peace,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

And that &quot;Myanmar (was) prepared to start a refugee verification process for those who wish to return.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;We don&#39;t want Myanmar to be a nation divided by religious beliefs or ethnicities. Hate and fear are (the) main scourges,&quot; Suu Kyi said on Tuesday. &nbsp;

&quot;We would like you (the world) to think of our country as a whole, not just as little afflicted areas,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

And she said that since August 25, Myanmar has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army - the organisation Myanmar says carried out the attacks on the police posts in Rakhine -- a terrorist group.&nbsp;

India&#39;s high commissioner to Myanmar Vikram Misri, reacting to Suu Kyi&#39;s address, said &quot;it was an encouraging address and had many positives&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;Aid, assistance, and development must reach all those who are affected,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

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It was an encouraging address and had many positives: Vikram Misri,Indian Envoy to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Myanmar?src=hash">#Myanmar</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AungSanSuuKyi?src=hash">#AungSanSuuKyi</a> <a href="https://t.co/fQ3rwp7DcJ">pic.twitter.com/fQ3rwp7DcJ</a>
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India had, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s recent visit to Myanmar, offered development assistance to Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.&nbsp;

'We condemn all human rights violations,' she added

"Myanmar is a complex nation. People expect us to overcome all the challenges in shortest time possible," Myanmar state counsellor and de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi said Tuesday in her state of the union address. Suu Kyi has been under intense global scrutiny because of the Rohingya refugee crisis. Close to 400,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since August 25 when violence broke out in Myanmar's western Rahkhine state after a Rohingya militant group allegedly attacked police outposts there. #WATCH Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi delivers State of the Union address in Nay Pyi Taw https://t.co/UV80NVsW2Y — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × Since then, Myanmarese security forces have been accused of conducting a "genocide" or "progrom" against the Rohingya minority. The United Nations has said that what is happening in Rakhine looks like a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing". Suu Kyi was speaking in the Myanmar capital Nyapyidaw. She had recently cancelled her trip to the United Nations General Assembly, presumably because of the scrutiny of the Rohingya crisis. World leaders have been calling for Suu Kyi to speak out against what is allegedly being done to the Rohingya, and to put a stop to the violence and the crisis. "Peace and stability was something we had to achieve after nearly 70 yrs of internal conflict," Suu Kyi said on Tuesday. "We condemn all human rights violations, we are committed to peace and rule of law," she added. "Myanmar does not fear international scrutiny, (we are) committed to (a) sustainable solution in Rakhine state," she said. We would like to find out why this exodus is happening, would like to talk to the people who have fled: Aung San Suu Kyi pic.twitter.com/ZSVSR4CTPX — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × We condemn all human rights violations, we are committed to peace and rule of law: Aung San Suu Kyi — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × We would like you(world) to think of our country as a whole, not just as little afflicted areas: Aung San Suu Kyi — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × "We would like to find out why this exodus is happening, would like to talk to the people who have fled," said Suu Kyi. "(The) government has been making every effort to restore peace and stability and to bring harmony in Rakhine communities," she added. But Suu Kyi also added a dodge. She added that: "Myanmar feels deeply for (the) suffering of all groups in Rakhine." Suu Kyi has so far maintained a studied silence on the Rohingya crisis, even as world leaders have poured opprobrium on her. She added that she is "concerned to hear about Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh." Suu Kyi said that "many Muslim villagers have remained", that "not all have fled". She added that Myanmar "invite(s) members of the international community to visit." "There have been allegations and counter-allegations, will listen to all, culprits will be punished irrespective of race or religion." "We had made a central committee for implementing rule of law and development in Rakhine," Suu Kyi said. She added that Myanmar had invited former UN secretary general Dr Kofi Annan to lead a commission to help resolve long-standing problems in Rakhine state. "Throughout the last year, we continued with our program of development and establishment of peace," she added. And that "Myanmar (was) prepared to start a refugee verification process for those who wish to return." "We don't want Myanmar to be a nation divided by religious beliefs or ethnicities. Hate and fear are (the) main scourges," Suu Kyi said on Tuesday. "We would like you (the world) to think of our country as a whole, not just as little afflicted areas," she added. And she said that since August 25, Myanmar has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army - the organisation Myanmar says carried out the attacks on the police posts in Rakhine -- a terrorist group. India's high commissioner to Myanmar Vikram Misri, reacting to Suu Kyi's address, said "it was an encouraging address and had many positives". "Aid, assistance, and development must reach all those who are affected," he added. It was an encouraging address and had many positives: Vikram Misri,Indian Envoy to #Myanmar on #AungSanSuuKyi pic.twitter.com/fQ3rwp7DcJ — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × Aid,assistance and development must reach all those who are affected: Vikram Misri,Indian Envoy to #Myanmar on #AungSanSuuKyi speech pic.twitter.com/Xo1wowC8En — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × India had, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Myanmar, offered development assistance to Myanmar's Rakhine state.

WATCH: Want to find out why Rohingya have fled Myanmar, Suu Kyi says in state of union address

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