A group of Rohingya refugees held a rally at a camp in Bangladesh early on Sunday, demanding that their Myanmar citizenship is restored and that the United Nations protect them and their homes if they are repatriated.

Carrying photocopied signs reading "Protected Return to Protected Homeland", the refugees sought to make their voices heard as a UN&nbsp;Security Council (UNSC) delegation visited camps to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States, and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

"We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 sparked the military operation that has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh.

Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes, and arson on a large scale. Myanmar has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

"We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp

A group of Rohingya refugees held a rally at a camp in Bangladesh early on Sunday, demanding that their Myanmar citizenship is restored and that the United Nations protect them and their homes if they are repatriated. Carrying photocopied signs reading "Protected Return to Protected Homeland", the refugees sought to make their voices heard as a UN Security Council (UNSC) delegation visited camps to see firsthand the aftermath of a Myanmar military crackdown that Britain, the United States, and others have denounced as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. "We hope the UNSC will probe and settle our difficulties," said Abdul Rahim one of the few dozen rally participants at the Kutupalong camp. Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 sparked the military operation that has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to many basic services such as healthcare and education. They are considered illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes, and arson on a large scale. Myanmar has said its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents.

Rohingya rally seeking guarantees for safe return as UNSC visits Bangladesh camps

Firefighters in Myanmar scrambled to put out a fire in a massive garbage dump on the edge of its largest city, Yangon, as foul-smelling smoke from the burning trash that injured dozens extended into its second week on Saturday.

The fire has generated a haze blanketing parts of Myanmar's commercial hub and raised concerns about public health. It has spread across nearly a third of the 300-acre landfill in Yangon's northern township of Hlaing Thar Yar.

Some 600 firefighters and members of security forces have been fighting the blaze since April 21. Authorities have imported fire suppression bio-foam from neighbouring Thailand and tried to create artificial rain to contain the spread of the flames in the peak of the hot season.

While authorities have brought the fire under control, deputy director of Myanmar Fire Service Department Win Naing told Reuters it was difficult to estimate when it would be extinguished. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined, Win Naing said.

Twenty-six people have been hospitalised, many suffering smoke inhalation. Myanmar has sought medical help from the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, state-run newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Saturday.

Myanmar media have criticised the government's slow response in tackling what Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein called a "national problem".

It also highlights the growing waste problem in Yangon, a city of more than five million people without a long-term waste management solution. The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city's daily trash of more than 2,500 tons.

"We have been throwing trash for ages that way. Old trash produces methane and it causes fires," Phyo Min Thein told reporters.

Firefighters described challenges battling the flames and smoke under scorching heat without adequate protective equipment.

"We can't even see each other due to the smoke," said Zaw Naing Myint, a fire station leader who was hospitalised for smoke inhalation. Zaw Naing Myint broke down in tears as he described climbing trash "piled up like mountains".

Among the worst affected were residents of Hlaing Thar Yar, one of Yangon's poorest neighbourhoods. Tens of thousands of people live in shanty towns there built from bamboo and plastic sheets and lack access to electricity, running water and drainage systems.

"I feel terrible because I can't breathe and my feet were swollen and still swelling a bit," said 65-year-old Tin Ohn, a Hlaing Thar Yar resident who suffers diabetes and was also hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

Twenty-six people have been hospitalised, many suffering smoke inhalation

Firefighters in Myanmar scrambled to put out a fire in a massive garbage dump on the edge of its largest city, Yangon, as foul-smelling smoke from the burning trash that injured dozens extended into its second week on Saturday. The fire has generated a haze blanketing parts of Myanmar's commercial hub and raised concerns about public health. It has spread across nearly a third of the 300-acre landfill in Yangon's northern township of Hlaing Thar Yar. Some 600 firefighters and members of security forces have been fighting the blaze since April 21. Authorities have imported fire suppression bio-foam from neighbouring Thailand and tried to create artificial rain to contain the spread of the flames in the peak of the hot season. While authorities have brought the fire under control, deputy director of Myanmar Fire Service Department Win Naing told Reuters it was difficult to estimate when it would be extinguished. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined, Win Naing said. Twenty-six people have been hospitalised, many suffering smoke inhalation. Myanmar has sought medical help from the World Health Organization and other aid agencies, state-run newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Saturday. Myanmar media have criticised the government's slow response in tackling what Yangon Region Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein called a "national problem". It also highlights the growing waste problem in Yangon, a city of more than five million people without a long-term waste management solution. The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city's daily trash of more than 2,500 tons. "We have been throwing trash for ages that way. Old trash produces methane and it causes fires," Phyo Min Thein told reporters. Firefighters described challenges battling the flames and smoke under scorching heat without adequate protective equipment. "We can't even see each other due to the smoke," said Zaw Naing Myint, a fire station leader who was hospitalised for smoke inhalation. Zaw Naing Myint broke down in tears as he described climbing trash "piled up like mountains". Among the worst affected were residents of Hlaing Thar Yar, one of Yangon's poorest neighbourhoods. Tens of thousands of people live in shanty towns there built from bamboo and plastic sheets and lack access to electricity, running water and drainage systems. "I feel terrible because I can't breathe and my feet were swollen and still swelling a bit," said 65-year-old Tin Ohn, a Hlaing Thar Yar resident who suffers diabetes and was also hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

Dozens hospitalised as Myanmar battles week-long landfill fire

Referring to the potential threat that is surrounding the Rohingyas ahead of the monsoon and cyclone seasons, the United Nations said on Saturday that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as the approaching seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

The UN records states that about 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in order to escape violence in their country's Rakhine State.

The Rohingya deportation from Myanmar started since August 25, 2017 after the army launched a military crackdown on the minority community.

Myanmar does not consider Rohingya as an ethnic group and maintains that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

To keep a check on the potential threat that looms over the Rohingya refugees, the United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- has appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides.

"We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred. We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved,"&nbsp;said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar.

The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working together with the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar – the world's biggest refugee settlement.

Only nine per cent of a $ 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, $ 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost $ 151 million.

The UN has described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide.

The majority community in Myanmar, Buddhist, however, rejects the charge of ethnic cleansing, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

Referring to the potential threat that is surrounding the Rohingyas ahead of the monsoon and cyclone seasons, the United Nations said on Saturday that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as the approaching seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh

Referring to the potential threat that is surrounding the Rohingyas ahead of the monsoon and cyclone seasons, the United Nations said on Saturday that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as the approaching seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh. The UN records states that about 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh in order to escape violence in their country's Rakhine State. The Rohingya deportation from Myanmar started since August 25, 2017 after the army launched a military crackdown on the minority community. Myanmar does not consider Rohingya as an ethnic group and maintains that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. To keep a check on the potential threat that looms over the Rohingya refugees, the United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- has appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides. "We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred. We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar. The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working together with the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar – the world's biggest refugee settlement. Only nine per cent of a $ 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, $ 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost $ 151 million. The UN has described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide. The majority community in Myanmar, Buddhist, however, rejects the charge of ethnic cleansing, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks. (With inputs from PTI)

UN urges urgent financial support for Rohingya refugees to tackle cyclone, monsoon

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh.

According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown.

Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country.

The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides.

Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said.

"We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar.

"We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said.

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides.

Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services.

"Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said.

He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms.

He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases.

Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million.

Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said.

The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement.

"If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said.

The Security Council members are making their way to the region.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million.

New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said.

The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said.

To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded.

It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018.

The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

 
&nbsp

Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes 25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides

The UN has said that lives of tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees hang in the balance as monsoon and cyclone seasons threaten their makeshift camps in Bangladesh. According to the UN estimates, nearly 700,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 25 last year when the army launched a military crackdown. Myanmar does not recognise Rohingya as an ethnic group and insists that they are Bangladeshi migrants living illegally in the country. The United Nations migration agency -- the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -- appealed for urgent financial support to prepare the area in southern Bangladesh against floods and landslides. Without new funding, tens of thousands of people in the camps, fleeing violence triggered in Myanmar last August, will be at risk, the IOM said. "We cannot wait for funding to come in after the emergency is over and possibly preventable tragedies have occurred," said John McCue, IOM's Senior Operations Coordinator in Cox's Bazar. "We need to be able to act now if lives are to be saved," he said. Almost a million Rohingya refugees live in Cox's Bazar under tarpaulins, on steep, sandy slopes&nbsp25,000 of whom are said to be at the highest risk of landslides. Without aid, numerous refugees will have to remain in these hazardous locations and hundreds of thousands of others will also be at risk if roads become impassible, blocking access to aid supplies and medical services. "Tarp stocks are also rapidly running out and the IOM, which oversees shelter distribution, reports that by mid-May supplies will fall below critical levels," McCue said. He said that without more funding, neither new shelters nor replacements would be available to those who lost homes during storms. He also pointed out that other risks included safe water supply systems, which if collapsed could put hundreds of thousands of refugees in jeopardy of waterborne diseases. Only nine per cent of a USD 951 million joint agency response plan has been secured. Of that, USD 182 million allocated to provide Cox's Bazar with assistance through December 2018 is facing a shortfall of almost USD 151 million. Aid staff on the ground are working to improve shelters, secure key access roads and have emergency response services ready should the worst happens, "but the harsh truth is that we cannot keep doing that if we do not have the funds," McCue said. The IOM, the World Food Programme and the UN refugee agency are working alongside the Bangladesh government and others to manage the scale of the response in Cox's Bazar&nbspthe world's biggest refugee settlement. "If significant funding is not secured in the next few weeks to keep operations running, there is a high likelihood that many children, women and men may die, when they could have otherwise been saved," McCue said. The Security Council members are making their way to the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the overall population of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is currently estimated to be over one million. New refugees are still arriving, with some 8,000 new arrivals since January 2018, he said. The latest round of food distribution reached over 470,000 people and humanitarian partners on the ground also conduct protection monitoring missions to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, Dujarric said. To date, the joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, launched in mid-March, is only nine per cent funded. It requests USD 951 million to help respond to the needs of some 1.3 million people, both Rohingya refugees and vulnerable members of the host community, until December 2018. The UN described the atrocities by the Myanmar military on Rohingya refugees as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing while the rights groups called it a genocide. Buddhist-majority Myanmar, however, rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a counter-insurgency operation on August 25 in response to Rohingya militant attacks.

Monsoon threatens tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees: UN

The hapless, homeless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have another challenge at hand, protecting themselves from a drug trap. An exclusive DNA report brings to light how the poor and traumatised ethnic minority is fast falling prey to drug mafia.&nbsp;

Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar into the neighbouring nation. For many Rohingyas, agreeing to carry drugs can aptly be described as a desperate move to get out of Myanmar.&nbsp;

Rashid Alam sneaked into Bangladesh in September 2017 and was living at a refugee camp at Teknaf, Cox Bazar. In December, he was caught with 3,5000 Yaba tablets. He told the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that he fell into the hands of touts who promised to bring his family and relatives safely out of Myanmar and provide them with a job in Bangladesh.&nbsp;

30-year-old Alam hails from of Dongkhali, and like many belonging to the ethnic group, he harbours hope of meeting his family someday.

The report suggests many women, men and teenagers have become drug mules for the international drug mafia. It is easy to lure them as they live in despicable conditions in refugees camps spread across Cox Bazar. All they have to do is carry the 'madness drug' over the border to India or distribute it within Bangladesh.

Over 11.5 lakh Rohingyas are estimated to live in Bangladesh, close to the Myanmar border. While a new settlement is built almost every day to accommodate them, a fresh group of refugees pour in from Myanmar almost every day.&nbsp;

The huts, spread over kilometres, are concentrated at two major camps at Kutupalong and Balukhali. Nearly four to five people share a hut which has room for just one person. The refugees take turns to sleep.

The food and other essential aid provided to the refugees from various NGOs and the United Nations High Commissioner is barely adequate for the swelling numbers.

In such a situation, the refugees become an easy prey and fall for the touts luring them with a promise of sending them to their motherland or securing employment in other countries.&nbsp;

"The smuggling of Yaba tablets has increased manifold since last year," Colonel Gazi Md Ahsanuzzaman, acting regional commander of south-east region of BGB told DNA.&nbsp;

"Yaba pills worth Taka 1.25 crore are smuggled per day in Bangladesh earlier it was limited to few lakhs," said Ahsanuzzaman.&nbsp;

The tablets are smuggled from the no-man's land near Gumdhum village in Bangladesh, where the border is plain and porous, and from there to Teknaf.

Last month, BGB seized yaba tablets worth Taka 52 crore from a Rohingya woman. "They carry it in their shoes. Now everybody is suspicious of the Rohingyas. The basic instinct of a person is to work. we cannot keep them idle," said Brigadier General SM Rakibullah, regional director of BGB (Cox Bazar).

In Rakibullah's words, there seems to be no permanent solution to this humanitarian crisis. "They cannot be contained for long. There will be a spill-over, and more will be recruited by the drug mafia," he noted.

As many as 1,49,99,570 Yaba tablets were seized last year. This year 52,97,234 tablets have already been seized till March. Each tablet costs between 450-500 taka.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar

The hapless, homeless Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have another challenge at hand, protecting themselves from a drug trap. An exclusive DNA report brings to light how the poor and traumatised ethnic minority is fast falling prey to drug mafia. Several Rohingya families were enlisted by the international drug mafia as they fled from Myanmar into the neighbouring nation. For many Rohingyas, agreeing to carry drugs can aptly be described as a desperate move to get out of Myanmar. Rashid Alam sneaked into Bangladesh in September 2017 and was living at a refugee camp at Teknaf, Cox Bazar. In December, he was caught with 3,5000 Yaba tablets. He told the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that he fell into the hands of touts who promised to bring his family and relatives safely out of Myanmar and provide them with a job in Bangladesh. 30-year-old Alam hails from of Dongkhali, and like many belonging to the ethnic group, he harbours hope of meeting his family someday. The report suggests many women, men and teenagers have become drug mules for the international drug mafia. It is easy to lure them as they live in despicable conditions in refugees camps spread across Cox Bazar. All they have to do is carry the 'madness drug' over the border to India or distribute it within Bangladesh. Over 11.5 lakh Rohingyas are estimated to live in Bangladesh, close to the Myanmar border. While a new settlement is built almost every day to accommodate them, a fresh group of refugees pour in from Myanmar almost every day. The huts, spread over kilometres, are concentrated at two major camps at Kutupalong and Balukhali. Nearly four to five people share a hut which has room for just one person. The refugees take turns to sleep. The food and other essential aid provided to the refugees from various NGOs and the United Nations High Commissioner is barely adequate for the swelling numbers. In such a situation, the refugees become an easy prey and fall for the touts luring them with a promise of sending them to their motherland or securing employment in other countries. "The smuggling of Yaba tablets has increased manifold since last year," Colonel Gazi Md Ahsanuzzaman, acting regional commander of south-east region of BGB told DNA. "Yaba pills worth Taka 1.25 crore are smuggled per day in Bangladesh earlier it was limited to few lakhs," said Ahsanuzzaman. The tablets are smuggled from the no-man's land near Gumdhum village in Bangladesh, where the border is plain and porous, and from there to Teknaf. Last month, BGB seized yaba tablets worth Taka 52 crore from a Rohingya woman. "They carry it in their shoes. Now everybody is suspicious of the Rohingyas. The basic instinct of a person is to work. we cannot keep them idle," said Brigadier General SM Rakibullah, regional director of BGB (Cox Bazar). In Rakibullah's words, there seems to be no permanent solution to this humanitarian crisis. "They cannot be contained for long. There will be a spill-over, and more will be recruited by the drug mafia," he noted. As many as 1,49,99,570 Yaba tablets were seized last year. This year 52,97,234 tablets have already been seized till March. Each tablet costs between 450-500 taka.

Homeless Rohingya refugees falling into drug trap: Report

Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing has told military personnel in the country that they must obey the law, citing as an example the sentencing of seven soldiers for a massacre of Rohingya Muslim men that was the subject of a Reuters investigation.

In a speech at a military school in the country's north, Min Aung Hlaing told soldiers they "must abide by the military codes of conduct and international laws and conventions", according to a translation posted on his official Facebook page on Thursday.

"No one is above the law. Actions will be taken if someone breaks the law. The problems in Inn Din village ... were solved in line with the Geneva Convention and legal action was taken against military officers and other ranks who failed to respect the law," said Min Aung Hlaing, in his first direct comment on the killings.

Seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour this month for taking part in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in the village of Inn Din, in northwestern Rakhine state, last September.

The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were arrested in December and remain in custody accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act.

The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation into the killings independently and that it was unrelated to the Reuters reporters, who they said were accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist civilian neighbours and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murders in February.

The killings were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August.&nbsp

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar as a result, according to United Nations agencies. The UN&nbspand the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation that Myanmar denies.

Min Aung Hlaing, one of the most powerful people in a country where the constitution requires the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi to share power with the military, reiterated in his speech the army's position that the Rakhine operation was a legitimate counteroffensive against "Bengali terrorists".

Seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour this month for taking part in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in the village of Inn Din

Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing has told military personnel in the country that they must obey the law, citing as an example the sentencing of seven soldiers for a massacre of Rohingya Muslim men that was the subject of a Reuters investigation. In a speech at a military school in the country's north, Min Aung Hlaing told soldiers they "must abide by the military codes of conduct and international laws and conventions", according to a translation posted on his official Facebook page on Thursday. "No one is above the law. Actions will be taken if someone breaks the law. The problems in Inn Din village ... were solved in line with the Geneva Convention and legal action was taken against military officers and other ranks who failed to respect the law," said Min Aung Hlaing, in his first direct comment on the killings. Seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour this month for taking part in the massacre of 10 Rohingya men in the village of Inn Din, in northwestern Rakhine state, last September. The massacre was being investigated by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were arrested in December and remain in custody accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act. The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation into the killings independently and that it was unrelated to the Reuters reporters, who they said were accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers. The Rohingya men were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist civilian neighbours and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murders in February. The killings were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar as a result, according to United Nations agencies. The UN&nbspand the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation that Myanmar denies. Min Aung Hlaing, one of the most powerful people in a country where the constitution requires the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi to share power with the military, reiterated in his speech the army's position that the Rakhine operation was a legitimate counteroffensive against "Bengali terrorists".

Citing Rohingya massacre, Myanmar army chief urges soldiers to obey law

When a Rohingya refugee boat capsized on the Bangladesh coastline, photographer Damir Sagolj rushed to the scene and saw locals collecting the drowned and arranging their bodies next to the road.&nbsp;

In the torrential night-time rain, the sheets that covered them clung to the bodies.&nbsp;

"You couldn't see how many were under the sheets, but what I could see was that most were children," Sagolj said.&nbsp;

The photo he captured was one of a series awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography on Monday, described by the judging committee as "shocking photographs that exposed the world to the violence Rohingya refugees faced in fleeing Myanmar."&nbsp;

The latest crackdown by authorities and Buddhist civilians against the Rohingya population in Myanmar’s Rakhine state created a mass exodus of over 600,000 Rohingya children, women and men who fled their homes at the end of 2017.&nbsp;

The refugees have reported killings, rape and arson on a large scale, and senior United Nations officials have described the violence against the Muslim Rohingya population as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."&nbsp;

Myanmar has denied ethnic cleansing or systematic human rights abuses, saying it waged a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The army has said its crackdown was provoked by the attacks of Rohingya militants on more than two dozen police posts and an army base last August.

Reuters has covered the plight of the Rohingya since 2012, but in 2017 it became clear that the scale of this exodus was far larger than previous migrations.&nbsp;

For the next several months, a team of photographers, including Sagolj, Cathal McNaughton, Danish Siddiqui, Soe Zeya Tun, Adnan Abidi, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, and Hannah McKay, working under the direction of Asia Pictures Editor Ahmad Masood, documented the journeys of refugees by sea on rickety fishing boats and over land through barbed wire and along other routes.&nbsp;

They also visited refugee camps to tell the stories of the new lives the Rohingya built and the scars they brought with them.

While the size of camps expanded, one thing that never changed was the stories the refugees brought with them.&nbsp;

"The same horror stories of killings and rape and massacres that we were hearing when the first refugees started crossing in August and September, the exact same – if not worse – stories were being told three months after that," Sagolj said.&nbsp;

Even as the team captured images of the refugees at their most vulnerable – mourning mothers, scarred children, survivors of violent attacks – the journalists found that the refugees were surprisingly open. The photographers experienced almost no resistance from refugees as they photographed the refugees and asked about their experiences.&nbsp;

"I had the impression that these people want everybody to know what happens to them," Sagolj said. "They all really wanted their story to be told."&nbsp;

In 2017 it became clear that the scale of this exodus was far larger than previous migrations

When a Rohingya refugee boat capsized on the Bangladesh coastline, photographer Damir Sagolj rushed to the scene and saw locals collecting the drowned and arranging their bodies next to the road. In the torrential night-time rain, the sheets that covered them clung to the bodies. "You couldn't see how many were under the sheets, but what I could see was that most were children," Sagolj said. The photo he captured was one of a series awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography on Monday, described by the judging committee as "shocking photographs that exposed the world to the violence Rohingya refugees faced in fleeing Myanmar." The latest crackdown by authorities and Buddhist civilians against the Rohingya population in Myanmar’s Rakhine state created a mass exodus of over 600,000 Rohingya children, women and men who fled their homes at the end of 2017. The refugees have reported killings, rape and arson on a large scale, and senior United Nations officials have described the violence against the Muslim Rohingya population as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing." Myanmar has denied ethnic cleansing or systematic human rights abuses, saying it waged a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The army has said its crackdown was provoked by the attacks of Rohingya militants on more than two dozen police posts and an army base last August. Reuters has covered the plight of the Rohingya since 2012, but in 2017 it became clear that the scale of this exodus was far larger than previous migrations. For the next several months, a team of photographers, including Sagolj, Cathal McNaughton, Danish Siddiqui, Soe Zeya Tun, Adnan Abidi, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, and Hannah McKay, working under the direction of Asia Pictures Editor Ahmad Masood, documented the journeys of refugees by sea on rickety fishing boats and over land through barbed wire and along other routes. They also visited refugee camps to tell the stories of the new lives the Rohingya built and the scars they brought with them. While the size of camps expanded, one thing that never changed was the stories the refugees brought with them. "The same horror stories of killings and rape and massacres that we were hearing when the first refugees started crossing in August and September, the exact same – if not worse – stories were being told three months after that," Sagolj said. Even as the team captured images of the refugees at their most vulnerable – mourning mothers, scarred children, survivors of violent attacks – the journalists found that the refugees were surprisingly open. The photographers experienced almost no resistance from refugees as they photographed the refugees and asked about their experiences. "I had the impression that these people want everybody to know what happens to them," Sagolj said. "They all really wanted their story to be told."

Violence against Rohingyas exposed in 'shocking photos'

As many as 46 shacks were gutted in a major fire at the only Rohingya camp in the national capital in the wee hours of Sunday.

No casualty was reported. One of the residents sustained burn injuries, a report in DNA said. The lives of over 200 residents were affected by the fire in the camp located in South-East Delhi's Kalindi Kunj area.

The fire broke out around 3 am and gutted 46 shacks within half an hour. The residents tried to douse the fire but it spread fast, the DNA report said.

"The fire department received a call at 3:38 am regarding the fire at JJ colony in Madanpur Khadar area. The fire was doused by around 6:50 am. Eleven fire tenders were rushed to the spot," a fire official told DNA.

Most of the houses were built of plywoods, card-boards and plastic, which are highly combustible and hence the fire spread wild. School uniforms of children were also burnt to ashes.

"We were told to vacate our houses by the police patrolling team, and within seconds of leaving the house the only shelter on our head was engulfed in the flames," said Mohammad Atif, a resident at the camp.

The Rohingya refugees have been shifted to a nearby ground.

"Everything we had was gutted in the fire. We're being provided food and clothes by locals, a lot of help was provided by police,"&nbsp; the Rohingya refugees told ANI.

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Delhi: Rohingya refugees, living in a slum near Kalindi Kunj Metro Station, shifted to the nearby ground after the slum caught fire last morning, say 'Everything we had was gutted in the fire. We're being provided food & clothes by locals, a lot of help was provided by police'. <a href="https://t.co/U7dSlf24lm">pic.twitter.com/U7dSlf24lm</a>
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&nbsp;

The fire was prima facie caused by a short circuit. Locals, who lost all their documents and identity cards, said that the fire was not an accident but an attempt to damage the lives of the Rohingya refugees.

A police officer said that the main cause of the short circuit was residents illegally pulling out electricity from electric cables, the only source of electricity in the area. The police team also alleged that the residents had begun to use coolers which put a strain on the light-duty wires and resulted in a short circuit.

"The only source of electricity for the residents were the electric cables in the area. The residents were illegally pulling out electricity from the wires. The wires being used were not of fine quality and weak. They were unable to pull the load of the amount of electricity they were consuming and hence one of these snapped," a police officer told DNA.

"It was the first time on Saturday that the residents had started using coolers in their houses, but the wires used to carry the current could not withstand the heavy stand and could have possibly led to the fire," said the officer.

Locals said they had expressed their concerns of the possibility of a fire to the Delhi-based NGO Zakat Foundation which had allocated the camp to the Rohingya refugees. They said their concerns remained unaddressed.

 
&nbsp;

No casualty was reported. One of the residents sustained burn injuries.

As many as 46 shacks were gutted in a major fire at the only Rohingya camp in the national capital in the wee hours of Sunday. No casualty was reported. One of the residents sustained burn injuries, a report in DNA said. The lives of over 200 residents were affected by the fire in the camp located in South-East Delhi's Kalindi Kunj area. The fire broke out around 3 am and gutted 46 shacks within half an hour. The residents tried to douse the fire but it spread fast, the DNA report said. "The fire department received a call at 3:38 am regarding the fire at JJ colony in Madanpur Khadar area. The fire was doused by around 6:50 am. Eleven fire tenders were rushed to the spot," a fire official told DNA. Most of the houses were built of plywoods, card-boards and plastic, which are highly combustible and hence the fire spread wild. School uniforms of children were also burnt to ashes. "We were told to vacate our houses by the police patrolling team, and within seconds of leaving the house the only shelter on our head was engulfed in the flames," said Mohammad Atif, a resident at the camp. The Rohingya refugees have been shifted to a nearby ground. "Everything we had was gutted in the fire. We're being provided food and clothes by locals, a lot of help was provided by police," the Rohingya refugees told ANI. Delhi: Rohingya refugees, living in a slum near Kalindi Kunj Metro Station, shifted to the nearby ground after the slum caught fire last morning, say 'Everything we had was gutted in the fire. We're being provided food & clothes by locals, a lot of help was provided by police'. pic.twitter.com/U7dSlf24lm — ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2018 × The fire was prima facie caused by a short circuit. Locals, who lost all their documents and identity cards, said that the fire was not an accident but an attempt to damage the lives of the Rohingya refugees. A police officer said that the main cause of the short circuit was residents illegally pulling out electricity from electric cables, the only source of electricity in the area. The police team also alleged that the residents had begun to use coolers which put a strain on the light-duty wires and resulted in a short circuit. "The only source of electricity for the residents were the electric cables in the area. The residents were illegally pulling out electricity from the wires. The wires being used were not of fine quality and weak. They were unable to pull the load of the amount of electricity they were consuming and hence one of these snapped," a police officer told DNA. "It was the first time on Saturday that the residents had started using coolers in their houses, but the wires used to carry the current could not withstand the heavy stand and could have possibly led to the fire," said the officer. Locals said they had expressed their concerns of the possibility of a fire to the Delhi-based NGO Zakat Foundation which had allocated the camp to the Rohingya refugees. They said their concerns remained unaddressed.

Delhi's only Rohingya camp gutted in major fire

Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to “10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area” for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday.

The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder".

The sentencing of the seven soldiers comes after an internal investigation by Tatmadaw or the Myanmar military recently revealed that the bodies of 10 Rohingya men were found buried in a mass grave in Inn Din, a village located in the strife-torn Rakhine State.

The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers.

The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February.

The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies.

“Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of ‘private’, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area,” read the military statement.

It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians “involved in the crime” are still underway.

On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said.

The military’s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story.

Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labor for 'contributing and participating in murder'

Seven Myanmar soldiers have been sentenced to “10 years in prison with hard labor in a remote area” for participating in a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslim men in a village in northwestern Rakhine state last September, the army said on Tuesday. The military said in a statement the soldiers will serve 10 years with hard labour for "contributing and participating in murder". The sentencing of the seven soldiers comes after an internal investigation by Tatmadaw or the Myanmar military recently revealed that the bodies of 10 Rohingya men were found buried in a mass grave in Inn Din, a village located in the strife-torn Rakhine State. The authorities told Reuters in February the military opened an internal investigation independently and that it is unrelated to the Reuters reporters who are accused of obtaining unrelated secret government papers. The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers. Reuters published its story on the murder in February. The murders were part of a larger army crackdown on the Rohingya, beset by allegations of murder, rape, arson and looting, unleashed in response to Rohingya militant attacks on security forces in late August. The United Nations and the United States described it as ethnic cleansing - an accusation which Myanmar denies. “Four officers were denounced and permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area. Three soldiers of other rank were demoted to the rank of ‘private’, permanently dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a prison in a remote area,” read the military statement. It added that legal proceedings against the police personnel and civilians “involved in the crime” are still underway. On Jan. 10, the military said the 10 Rohingya men belonged to a group of 200 militants who had attacked security forces. Buddhist villagers attacked some of them with swords and soldiers shot the others dead, the military had said. The military’s version of events is contradicted by accounts given to Reuters by Rakhine Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim witnesses published in the February story. Buddhist villagers reported no attack by a large number of insurgents on security forces in Inn Din. And Rohingya witnesses. (With inputs from Reuters)

7 Myanmar soldiers sentenced to 10 years in prison for Rohingya massacre

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Supreme Court verdict on Rohingya case likely today

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

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

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

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

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

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

News brief: Big stories of the day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Myanmar lures Bangladesh Buddhists to take over Rohingya land: Officials

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

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

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

UN in talks with Bangladesh about relocating 150,000 Rohingyas

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

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

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

Myanmar clears some Rohingya for return but no date on horizon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters reporters in court 100 days after their arrest in Myanmar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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