India&#39;s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, met with Ivanka Trump.&nbsp;

Swaraj and the US President&#39;s daughter,&nbsp;a spokesman for the external affairs ministry said, discussed women&#39;s empowerment.&nbsp;

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New York: EAM Sushma Swaraj met Ivanka Trump, discussed women empowerment <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/unga?src=hash">#unga</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Q9YWkeCRC">pic.twitter.com/0Q9YWkeCRC</a>
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EAM Swaraj and Ivanka Trump also discussed Ivanka Trump&#39;s forthcoming visit to India <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash">#UNGA</a> <a href="https://t.co/P7PVLAmVfo">pic.twitter.com/P7PVLAmVfo</a>
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EAM Sushma Swaraj meets Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in New York <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash">#UNGA</a> <a href="https://t.co/tUrrPFtHtV">pic.twitter.com/tUrrPFtHtV</a>
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EAM Sushma Swaraj&#39;s meeting with Bangladesh PM was a courtesy meeting and issue of Rohingyas did not come up during it: MEA <a href="https://t.co/ejAy91mQ6N">pic.twitter.com/ejAy91mQ6N</a>
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Swaraj and Trump also talked about Ivanka&#39;s forthcoming visit to India for the Global Entrepreneurs Summit.&nbsp;

Swaraj also met with a number of other leaders, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Denmark.&nbsp;

An external affairs ministry spokesman later said Swaraj&#39;s meeting with the &quot;Bangladesh PM was a courtesy meeting&quot; and that the &quot;issue of (the) Rohingyas did not come up during it&quot;.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Swaraj and Trump also talked about Ivanka's forthcoming visit to India for the Global Entrepreneurs Summit

India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, met with Ivanka Trump. Swaraj and the US President's daughter, a spokesman for the external affairs ministry said, discussed women's empowerment. New York: EAM Sushma Swaraj met Ivanka Trump, discussed women empowerment #unga pic.twitter.com/0Q9YWkeCRC — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × EAM Swaraj and Ivanka Trump also discussed Ivanka Trump's forthcoming visit to India #UNGA pic.twitter.com/P7PVLAmVfo — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × EAM Sushma Swaraj meets Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in New York #UNGA pic.twitter.com/tUrrPFtHtV — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × EAM Sushma Swaraj's meeting with Bangladesh PM was a courtesy meeting and issue of Rohingyas did not come up during it: MEA pic.twitter.com/ejAy91mQ6N — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2017 × Swaraj and Trump also talked about Ivanka's forthcoming visit to India for the Global Entrepreneurs Summit. Swaraj also met with a number of other leaders, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Denmark. An external affairs ministry spokesman later said Swaraj's meeting with the "Bangladesh PM was a courtesy meeting" and that the "issue of (the) Rohingyas did not come up during it".

Sushma Swaraj meets Ivanka Trump, they discuss women's empowerment

Pressure grew on Myanmar Monday as a rights group urged world leaders to impose sanctions on its military, which is accused of driving out more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims in an orchestrated &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; campaign.

The call from Human Rights Watch came as the UN General Assembly prepared to convene in New York, with the crisis in Myanmar one of the most pressing topics.

It also came on the eve of a highly-anticipated national address by Myanmar&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- her first on the Rakhine crisis.&nbsp;

The exodus of Rohingya refugees from mainly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh has sparked a humanitarian emergency. Aid groups are struggling to provide relief to a daily stream of new arrivals, more than half of whom are children.

Myanmar has suggested it will not take back all who had fled across the border, accusing those refugees of having links to the Rohingya militants whose raids on police posts in August triggered the army backlash.

Any clear moves to block the refugees&#39; return will likely anger Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina, who will press the General Assembly to raise global pressure Myanmar to take back all the Rohingya massing in shanty towns and camps near the border.

Human Rights Watch also called for the &quot;safe and voluntary return&quot; of the displaced as it urge governments around the globe to punish Myanmar&#39;s army with sanctions for the &quot;ongoing atrocities&quot; against the Rohingya.

&quot;The United Nations Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on the Burmese military to end its ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims,&quot; the group said in a statement.

Myanmar&#39;s military was hit with Western sanctions during its 50-year rule of the country. But most have been lifted in recent years as the generals have allowed a partial transition to democracy.

&quot;Burma&#39;s senior military commanders are more likely to heed the calls of the international community if they are suffering real economic consequences,&quot; said John Sifton, HRW&#39;s Asia advocacy director.

Suu Kyi&#39;s &#39;last chance&#39;&nbsp;

Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has shocked the international community with her near-silence on the plight of the Rohingya and her failure to condemn the actions of the army, with whom she has a delicate power-sharing arrangement.

Speaking to the BBC over the weekend, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called Suu Kyi&#39;s upcoming address a &quot;last chance&quot; to stop the unfolding humanitarian calamity.

But analysts say it will be difficult for her to tamp both global outrage and combustible religious tensions at home, where there is broad support among the mainly Buddhist populace for the army&#39;s crackdown.

&quot;I&#39;m worried that there is almost no possibility given the political climate in Myanmar for balancing the expectations of most of the country and the expectations of the international community,&quot; Richard Horsey, an independent analyst based in Myanmar, told AFP.&nbsp;

Duelling protests&nbsp;

The sharp divide was on display Monday as protests broke out in Dhaka -- where 20,000 Islamist hardliners marched in solidarity with the Rohingya -- and in Yangon, where a much smaller group of 300 gathered to blast global interference in the conflict.&nbsp;

The ultra-nationalists in Yangon braved a downpour as they waved Myanmar flags and banners describing the UN and global NGOs as &quot;supporting organisations for the terrorists&quot;.&nbsp;

While the world has watched the refugee crisis unfold with horror, there is little sympathy for the Rohingya inside Myanmar.

Many Buddhists revile the Muslim minority and have long denied the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi&#39;s government has so far defended the military campaign as a legitimate crackdown on the Rohingya militants, who first emerged as a fighting force last October.

On Sunday Myanmar&#39;s Information Committee accused those who fled to Bangladesh -- more than a third of the Rohingya population -- of working in cahoots with the Rohingya militants, a rag-tag group of fighters armed with mostly rudimentary weapons.

&quot;Those who fled the villages made their way to the other country for fear of being arrested as they got involved in the violent attacks,&quot; the statement said.

&quot;Legal protection will be given to the villages whose residents did not flee,&quot; it added.

The violence has gutted large swaths of northern Rakhine in just over three weeks, with fires visible almost daily across the border from the Bangladesh camps.

Some 30,000 ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been displaced by unrest in northern Rakhine, where foreign aid has been severely curtailed.&nbsp;

On Monday, Doctors Without Borders repeated calls for &quot;unfettered access&quot; to the conflict zone, saying hundreds of thousands of people are thought to be languishing &quot;without any meaningful form of humanitarian assistance&quot;.

The call from Human Rights Watch came as the UN General Assembly prepared to convene in New York, with the crisis in Myanmar one of the most pressing topics.

Pressure grew on Myanmar Monday as a rights group urged world leaders to impose sanctions on its military, which is accused of driving out more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims in an orchestrated "ethnic cleansing" campaign. The call from Human Rights Watch came as the UN General Assembly prepared to convene in New York, with the crisis in Myanmar one of the most pressing topics. It also came on the eve of a highly-anticipated national address by Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- her first on the Rakhine crisis. The exodus of Rohingya refugees from mainly Buddhist Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh has sparked a humanitarian emergency. Aid groups are struggling to provide relief to a daily stream of new arrivals, more than half of whom are children. Myanmar has suggested it will not take back all who had fled across the border, accusing those refugees of having links to the Rohingya militants whose raids on police posts in August triggered the army backlash. Any clear moves to block the refugees' return will likely anger Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina, who will press the General Assembly to raise global pressure Myanmar to take back all the Rohingya massing in shanty towns and camps near the border. Human Rights Watch also called for the "safe and voluntary return" of the displaced as it urge governments around the globe to punish Myanmar's army with sanctions for the "ongoing atrocities" against the Rohingya. "The United Nations Security Council and concerned countries should impose targeted sanctions and an arms embargo on the Burmese military to end its ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims," the group said in a statement. Myanmar's military was hit with Western sanctions during its 50-year rule of the country. But most have been lifted in recent years as the generals have allowed a partial transition to democracy. "Burma's senior military commanders are more likely to heed the calls of the international community if they are suffering real economic consequences," said John Sifton, HRW's Asia advocacy director. Suu Kyi's 'last chance' Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi has shocked the international community with her near-silence on the plight of the Rohingya and her failure to condemn the actions of the army, with whom she has a delicate power-sharing arrangement. Speaking to the BBC over the weekend, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called Suu Kyi's upcoming address a "last chance" to stop the unfolding humanitarian calamity. But analysts say it will be difficult for her to tamp both global outrage and combustible religious tensions at home, where there is broad support among the mainly Buddhist populace for the army's crackdown. "I'm worried that there is almost no possibility given the political climate in Myanmar for balancing the expectations of most of the country and the expectations of the international community," Richard Horsey, an independent analyst based in Myanmar, told AFP. Duelling protests The sharp divide was on display Monday as protests broke out in Dhaka -- where 20,000 Islamist hardliners marched in solidarity with the Rohingya -- and in Yangon, where a much smaller group of 300 gathered to blast global interference in the conflict. The ultra-nationalists in Yangon braved a downpour as they waved Myanmar flags and banners describing the UN and global NGOs as "supporting organisations for the terrorists". While the world has watched the refugee crisis unfold with horror, there is little sympathy for the Rohingya inside Myanmar. Many Buddhists revile the Muslim minority and have long denied the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Suu Kyi's government has so far defended the military campaign as a legitimate crackdown on the Rohingya militants, who first emerged as a fighting force last October. On Sunday Myanmar's Information Committee accused those who fled to Bangladesh -- more than a third of the Rohingya population -- of working in cahoots with the Rohingya militants, a rag-tag group of fighters armed with mostly rudimentary weapons. "Those who fled the villages made their way to the other country for fear of being arrested as they got involved in the violent attacks," the statement said. "Legal protection will be given to the villages whose residents did not flee," it added. The violence has gutted large swaths of northern Rakhine in just over three weeks, with fires visible almost daily across the border from the Bangladesh camps. Some 30,000 ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been displaced by unrest in northern Rakhine, where foreign aid has been severely curtailed. On Monday, Doctors Without Borders repeated calls for "unfettered access" to the conflict zone, saying hundreds of thousands of people are thought to be languishing "without any meaningful form of humanitarian assistance".

UN urged to punish Myanmar army over Rohingya 'atrocities'

The Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday on the Rohingya matter.&nbsp;

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the total number of &quot;such illegal immigrants into our country&quot; was more than 40,000, approximately.&nbsp;

The Centre added that the &quot;continuance of the Rohingyas&rsquo; illegal immigration into India and their continued stay has serious national security ramifications and threats&quot;.&nbsp;

The Centre added that it has &quot;contemporaneous inputs from security agencies indicating links of some unauthorised Rohingyas with Pakistan terror organisations&quot;.&nbsp;

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Centre has contemporaneous from security agencies inputs indicating links of some unauthorized <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rohingyas?src=hash">#Rohingyas</a> with Pak terror orgs:Centre in SC
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Some Rohingyas are indulging in illegal /anti national activities i.e. mobilization of funds through hundi/hawala channels: Centre in SC 1/2
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Procuring fake Indian identities for other <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rohingyas?src=hash">#Rohingyas</a> and also indulging in human trafficking: Centre in SC 2/2
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The Centre added that some Rohingyas are indulging in illegal/ anti-national activities ie mobilisation of funds through hundi/ hawala channels.&nbsp;

The Centre added that these Rohingyas are procuring fake Indian identities for other Rohingyas and that they are also indulging in human trafficking.&nbsp;

The Centre added that the &quot;court may decline interference, leaving to Centre to exercise essential executive function by way of policy decision&quot;.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court will now hear the matter on October 3.&nbsp;

The Centre added that these Rohingyas are indulging in illegal/ anti-national activities, ie the mobilisation of funds through hawala channels

The Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Monday on the Rohingya matter. The Centre told the Supreme Court that the total number of "such illegal immigrants into our country" was more than 40,000, approximately. The Centre added that the "continuance of the Rohingyas’ illegal immigration into India and their continued stay has serious national security ramifications and threats". The Centre added that it has "contemporaneous inputs from security agencies indicating links of some unauthorised Rohingyas with Pakistan terror organisations". Centre has contemporaneous from security agencies inputs indicating links of some unauthorized #Rohingyas with Pak terror orgs:Centre in SC — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × Some Rohingyas are indulging in illegal /anti national activities i.e. mobilization of funds through hundi/hawala channels: Centre in SC 1/2 — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × Procuring fake Indian identities for other #Rohingyas and also indulging in human trafficking: Centre in SC 2/2 — ANI (@ANI) September 18, 2017 × The Centre added that some Rohingyas are indulging in illegal/ anti-national activities ie mobilisation of funds through hundi/ hawala channels. The Centre added that these Rohingyas are procuring fake Indian identities for other Rohingyas and that they are also indulging in human trafficking. The Centre added that the "court may decline interference, leaving to Centre to exercise essential executive function by way of policy decision". The Supreme Court will now hear the matter on October 3.

Some Rohingya have links with Pakistan terror groups, Centre tells Supreme Court

Myanmar said on Friday a visiting US official would not be allowed to go to a region where violence has triggered an exodus of nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims that the United Nations has branded a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The Rohingya have fled from western Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that has raised questions about Myanmar&#39;s transition to civilian rule under the leadership of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington&#39;s concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers, the State Department said.

Myanmar officials said he would meet government leaders in the capital, Naypyitaw, and attend an address to the nation by Suu Kyi on Tuesday.

He would also visit Sittwe, the state capital, and meet the governor of Rakhine, the state government secretary, Tin Maung Swe, told Reuters, but the north of the state, where the conflict erupted on August 25 would be off limits.

&quot;Not allowed,&quot; Tin Maung Swe said, when asked if Murphy would be going to Maungdaw district, at the heart of the strife that began when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people.

While nearly 400,000 refugees have poured across the border into Bangladesh, fears have also been growing of a humanitarian crisis on the Myanmar side, but access for aid workers and reporters has been severely restricted.

Myanmar insisted on Friday it was not barring aid workers but a government spokesman said authorities on the ground might have concerns over security.

Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have mounted a campaign of arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population.

A Reuters photographer on the Bangladesh side of the border said he could see huge banks of dark smoke billowing up over Myanmar territory on Friday, while international aid organisations said the refugees kept coming.

&quot;There&rsquo;s really no sign that this flow of people is going to dry up,&quot; Chris Lom of the International Organisation for Migration, said from the Bangladeshi border district of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar.

&quot;There are still, we believe, thousands of people waiting to take boats across to Cox&#39;s Bazar.&rdquo;

&#39;Scorched Earth&#39;&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have urged Myanmar to end the violence, which he said was best described as ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar rejects the accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the Aug. 25 attacks and similar, though smaller, attacks in October.

Russia&#39;s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday that while Moscow was concerned &quot;we cannot discard the fact that it was triggered by terrorist activities.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;re talking to the Myanmar government, of course,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We are concerned with what is happening. ... We are looking forward to an early cessation of the violence and to elevating the humanitarian situation of the population.&quot;

The government has declared Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians.

Ethnic cleansing is not recognised as a separate crime under international law but allegations of ethnic cleansing as part of wider, systematic human rights violations have been heard in international courts.

Rights group Amnesty International said evidence pointed to a &quot;mass-scale scorched-earth campaign&quot; across the north of Rakhine that was unmistakably ethnic cleansing.

&quot;The evidence is irrefutable &ndash; the Myanmar security forces are setting northern Rakhine state ablaze in a targeted campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar,&quot; said Tirana Hassan, the group&#39;s crisis response director.

The group said it had detected 80 big fires in Rohingya areas since Aug. 25. While the extent of damage could not be verified, due to access restrictions by the government, &quot;they are likely to have burned down whole villages&quot;.

It said it also had credible reports of Rohingya militants burning the homes of ethnic Rakhine and other minorities. About 30,000 non-Muslims have also been displaced.

US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday he had spoken with Suu Kyi and that she said she was working to get aid to areas in Myanmar affected by violence.

The generals still control national security policy but nevertheless, Suu Kyi has been widely criticised abroad for not stopping or condemning the violence. The campaign against the Muslim insurgents is popular at home.

The UN refugee agency said the Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh were suffering &quot;real hardship, and some of the most difficult conditions seen in any current refugee situation&quot;.

&quot;With the influx increasing daily, UNHCR is appealing for an initial amount of $30 million for the emergency humanitarian response in Bangladesh until the end of year,&quot; an agency spokesman said in Geneva.

Bangladesh says all refugees must go home and has called for safe areas in Myanmar. Myanmar has ruled that out and says it will accept anyone who can verify their citizenship. Most Rohingya are stateless.

Thousands of people demonstrated after Friday prayers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to denounce the treatment of the Rohingya.

One protest leader said they were demanding a UN peacekeeping force and that Myanmar face charges in an international court.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington's concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers

Myanmar said on Friday a visiting US official would not be allowed to go to a region where violence has triggered an exodus of nearly 400,000 Rohingya Muslims that the United Nations has branded a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The Rohingya have fled from western Rakhine state to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that has raised questions about Myanmar's transition to civilian rule under the leadership of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Murphy will voice Washington's concerns about the Rohingya and press for greater access to the conflict area for humanitarian workers, the State Department said. Myanmar officials said he would meet government leaders in the capital, Naypyitaw, and attend an address to the nation by Suu Kyi on Tuesday. He would also visit Sittwe, the state capital, and meet the governor of Rakhine, the state government secretary, Tin Maung Swe, told Reuters, but the north of the state, where the conflict erupted on August 25 would be off limits. "Not allowed," Tin Maung Swe said, when asked if Murphy would be going to Maungdaw district, at the heart of the strife that began when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people. While nearly 400,000 refugees have poured across the border into Bangladesh, fears have also been growing of a humanitarian crisis on the Myanmar side, but access for aid workers and reporters has been severely restricted. Myanmar insisted on Friday it was not barring aid workers but a government spokesman said authorities on the ground might have concerns over security. Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have mounted a campaign of arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population. A Reuters photographer on the Bangladesh side of the border said he could see huge banks of dark smoke billowing up over Myanmar territory on Friday, while international aid organisations said the refugees kept coming. "There’s really no sign that this flow of people is going to dry up," Chris Lom of the International Organisation for Migration, said from the Bangladeshi border district of Cox’s Bazar. "There are still, we believe, thousands of people waiting to take boats across to Cox's Bazar.” 'Scorched Earth' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council have urged Myanmar to end the violence, which he said was best described as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar rejects the accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the Aug. 25 attacks and similar, though smaller, attacks in October. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Friday that while Moscow was concerned "we cannot discard the fact that it was triggered by terrorist activities." "We're talking to the Myanmar government, of course," he told reporters. "We are concerned with what is happening. ... We are looking forward to an early cessation of the violence and to elevating the humanitarian situation of the population." The government has declared Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians. Ethnic cleansing is not recognised as a separate crime under international law but allegations of ethnic cleansing as part of wider, systematic human rights violations have been heard in international courts. Rights group Amnesty International said evidence pointed to a "mass-scale scorched-earth campaign" across the north of Rakhine that was unmistakably ethnic cleansing. "The evidence is irrefutable – the Myanmar security forces are setting northern Rakhine state ablaze in a targeted campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar," said Tirana Hassan, the group's crisis response director. The group said it had detected 80 big fires in Rohingya areas since Aug. 25. While the extent of damage could not be verified, due to access restrictions by the government, "they are likely to have burned down whole villages". It said it also had credible reports of Rohingya militants burning the homes of ethnic Rakhine and other minorities. About 30,000 non-Muslims have also been displaced. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday he had spoken with Suu Kyi and that she said she was working to get aid to areas in Myanmar affected by violence. The generals still control national security policy but nevertheless, Suu Kyi has been widely criticised abroad for not stopping or condemning the violence. The campaign against the Muslim insurgents is popular at home. The UN refugee agency said the Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh were suffering "real hardship, and some of the most difficult conditions seen in any current refugee situation". "With the influx increasing daily, UNHCR is appealing for an initial amount of $30 million for the emergency humanitarian response in Bangladesh until the end of year," an agency spokesman said in Geneva. Bangladesh says all refugees must go home and has called for safe areas in Myanmar. Myanmar has ruled that out and says it will accept anyone who can verify their citizenship. Most Rohingya are stateless. Thousands of people demonstrated after Friday prayers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to denounce the treatment of the Rohingya. One protest leader said they were demanding a UN peacekeeping force and that Myanmar face charges in an international court.

Myanmar says US official barred from Rohingya conflict zone

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh could die due to a lack of food, shelter, and water available for the huge numbers of them fleeing violence in Myanmar, an aid agency warned on Sunday.

Nearly 410,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority fled from western Rakhine state to Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that the United Nations has branded a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

&quot;Many people are arriving hungry, exhausted and with no food or water,&quot; Mark Pierce, Bangladesh country director for the Save the Children aid agency said in a statement.

&quot;I&rsquo;m particularly worried that the demand for food, shelter, water and basic hygiene support is not being met due to the sheer number of people in need. If families can&rsquo;t meet their basic needs, the suffering will get even worse and lives could be lost.&quot;

Bangladesh has for decades faced influxes of Rohingya fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where the Rohingya are regarded as illegal migrants.

Bangladesh was already home to 400,000 Rohingya before the latest crisis erupted on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people.

Pierce said the humanitarian response needed to be rapidly scaled up.

&quot;That can only be done if the international community steps up funding,&rdquo; he said.

Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes responded to the Aug. 25 insurgent attacks with what they say is a campaign of violence and arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population.

Myanmar rejects those accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the August attacks and similar, smaller, raids in October.

The Myanmar government has declared the group a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians.

Suu Kyi Address

More than 430 people have been killed, most of them insurgents, and about 30,000 non-Muslim villagers have been displaced, Myanmar has said. Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery showed 62 Rohingya villages had been torched.

Myanmar government leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of criticism from abroad for not stopping the violence or condemning it more forcefully.

The military remains in full control of security policy and there is little sympathy for the Rohingya in a country where the end of military rule has unleashed old animosities and the military campaign in Rakhine State is widely supported.

Suu Kyi is due to make her first address to the nation on the crisis on Tuesday.

Her foreign supporters and Western governments that backed her campaign against military rule, and see her as the best hope for Myanmar&#39;s future, will be hoping to see her make a new commitment to protect the rights of the Muslim minority.

At home, her supporters could be disappointed if she is perceived to be caving in to foreign pressure and taking the side of a Muslim minority blamed for initiating the violence with the attacks on the security forces.

The Myanmar military has called for unity on the issue.

The political party founded by retired officers and trounced by Suu Kyi&#39;s party in the 2015 election, could be expected to take heart to see her support eroded by the crisis.

Nearly 410,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority fled from western Rakhine state to Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that the United Nations has branded a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing'

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh could die due to a lack of food, shelter, and water available for the huge numbers of them fleeing violence in Myanmar, an aid agency warned on Sunday. Nearly 410,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority fled from western Rakhine state to Bangladesh to escape a military offensive that the United Nations has branded a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". "Many people are arriving hungry, exhausted and with no food or water," Mark Pierce, Bangladesh country director for the Save the Children aid agency said in a statement. "I’m particularly worried that the demand for food, shelter, water and basic hygiene support is not being met due to the sheer number of people in need. If families can’t meet their basic needs, the suffering will get even worse and lives could be lost." Bangladesh has for decades faced influxes of Rohingya fleeing persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where the Rohingya are regarded as illegal migrants. Bangladesh was already home to 400,000 Rohingya before the latest crisis erupted on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army camp, killing a dozen people. Pierce said the humanitarian response needed to be rapidly scaled up. "That can only be done if the international community steps up funding,” he said. Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes responded to the Aug. 25 insurgent attacks with what they say is a campaign of violence and arson aimed at driving out the Muslim population. Myanmar rejects those accusations, saying its security forces are carrying out clearance operations to defend against the insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which claimed responsibility for the August attacks and similar, smaller, raids in October. The Myanmar government has declared the group a terrorist organisation and accused it of setting the fires and attacking civilians. Suu Kyi Address More than 430 people have been killed, most of them insurgents, and about 30,000 non-Muslim villagers have been displaced, Myanmar has said. Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery showed 62 Rohingya villages had been torched. Myanmar government leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of criticism from abroad for not stopping the violence or condemning it more forcefully. The military remains in full control of security policy and there is little sympathy for the Rohingya in a country where the end of military rule has unleashed old animosities and the military campaign in Rakhine State is widely supported. Suu Kyi is due to make her first address to the nation on the crisis on Tuesday. Her foreign supporters and Western governments that backed her campaign against military rule, and see her as the best hope for Myanmar's future, will be hoping to see her make a new commitment to protect the rights of the Muslim minority. At home, her supporters could be disappointed if she is perceived to be caving in to foreign pressure and taking the side of a Muslim minority blamed for initiating the violence with the attacks on the security forces. The Myanmar military has called for unity on the issue. The political party founded by retired officers and trounced by Suu Kyi's party in the 2015 election, could be expected to take heart to see her support eroded by the crisis.

Aid group warns of death among Rohingya in Bangladesh

A military campaign to wipe out Rohingya insurgents has rained violence down on Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, sending nearly 390,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees fleeing for sanctuary in Bangladesh.

Around 30,000 Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been displaced, as ethnic and religious hatreds carve through the western state.

Access to the epicentre of unrest -- the northern wedge of Rakhine -- has been blocked by the government as the crisis unfolds.

But the weary and wounded Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh have told consistent but unverifiable accounts of village massacres, with soldiers and vigilante mobs teaming up to empty out communities and burn them to the ground.

The UN has accused Myanmar of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, a stateless group that the Buddhist-majority country refuses to recognise as citizens.&nbsp;

The government refutes the accusations, instead saying the army has carried out targeted operations to snuff out the militant group, whose attacks on police posts in late August unleashed the massive military response.

Here is what we know about who is left in violence-ravaged Rakhine, where tens of thousands of people are believed to still be on the move.

Empty villages

A census published in 2015 said three million people lived in Rakhine, including an estimated 1.1 million Rohingya.&nbsp;

Rakhine&#39;s northernmost Maungdaw district was home to around three quarters of that population, according to government figures.

But nearly forty percent of its Rohingya villages have been completely abandoned in the past three weeks, said government spokesman Zaw Htay.&nbsp;

&quot;There are 176 villages where the whole village fled,&quot; he told reporters Wednesday night, out of 471 Rohingya communities in total.

The recent refugee arrivals in Bangladesh amount to more than a third of the total number of Rohingya once based in Myanmar.

Tens of thousands of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been driven from their homes since late August, saying they were targeted by the Rohingya militants.

On Thursday Myanmar&#39;s government said some 4,000 people had started trickling back to their villages in Maungdaw as clashes between the army and militants ebbed, without specifying their ethnicity.&nbsp;

Raging fires

Myanmar&#39;s Information Committee has said over 7,000 homes have been destroyed by fire across at least 59 villages -- the vast majority belonging to &quot;Bengalis&quot; as the government pejoratively calls the Rohingya.

New satellite images released by Amnesty International on Friday showed that more than two dozen villages in the Rohingya-majority area had been set alight since August 25, with patches of grey ash marking the area where structures had stood.

AFP reporters on government-steered press trips have seen abandoned villages and homes reduced to ashes.

Columns of smoke from the gutted villages have also been visible almost daily from across the Naf river in Bangladesh, where the Rohingya refugees are massing in ramshackle camps.&nbsp;

Rohingya refugees say Myanmar officers and Buddhist vigilantes started the fires after driving them out of their homes with gunshots and other threats, a tactic that Amnesty has described as an &quot;orchestrated campaign&quot; of ethnic cleansing.&nbsp;

Myanmar authorities deny that, saying the militants have torched the villages in a bid to attract global sympathy.

People on the move

Tens of thousands of Rohingya are believed to still be trekking through the monsoon-soaked area.

For those fleeing fire-hit areas further south, it may take weeks to cross over difficult terrain, blanketed by security forces, to reach the Bangladesh border.&nbsp;

Aid groups have been unable to access northern Rakhine since the violence erupted in late August, compounding the humanitarian crisis.

&quot;Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, may be trapped in remote areas far from the border with limited food and medical supplies and are unable to reach safety,&quot; said Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Rohingya who have stayed in their villages are living in fear and struggling to survive without the food deliveries that have supported their impoverished communities for years, said Laura Haigh from Amnesty International.

&quot;They are essentially locked in and markets are not functioning,&quot; she told AFP.

Myanmar has said it will establish camps in Rohingya-majority areas of Maungdaw to provide relief, but details of the project are scant.

On Thursday the Information Committee said shelters will be set up for Muslims &quot;who can guarantee they are no way connected to the terrorists&quot;.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay has also said the country would not allow all of those who crossed into Bangladesh to return -- comments likely to fuel allegations Myanmar is intentionally ejecting the Rohingya, whose presence in Myanmar has incensed powerful Buddhist nationalists for years.&nbsp;

&quot;Some reached the other side of border. If they come back, we cannot accept all of them,&quot; Zaw Htay said, adding that returnees would need to be &quot;scrutinised&quot;.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Rohingyas are fleeing the violence-hit Rakhine state and seeking safety in Bangladesh

A military campaign to wipe out Rohingya insurgents has rained violence down on Myanmar's Rakhine state, sending nearly 390,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees fleeing for sanctuary in Bangladesh. Around 30,000 Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been displaced, as ethnic and religious hatreds carve through the western state. Access to the epicentre of unrest -- the northern wedge of Rakhine -- has been blocked by the government as the crisis unfolds. But the weary and wounded Rohingya arriving in Bangladesh have told consistent but unverifiable accounts of village massacres, with soldiers and vigilante mobs teaming up to empty out communities and burn them to the ground. The UN has accused Myanmar of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, a stateless group that the Buddhist-majority country refuses to recognise as citizens. The government refutes the accusations, instead saying the army has carried out targeted operations to snuff out the militant group, whose attacks on police posts in late August unleashed the massive military response. Here is what we know about who is left in violence-ravaged Rakhine, where tens of thousands of people are believed to still be on the move. Empty villages A census published in 2015 said three million people lived in Rakhine, including an estimated 1.1 million Rohingya. Rakhine's northernmost Maungdaw district was home to around three quarters of that population, according to government figures. But nearly forty percent of its Rohingya villages have been completely abandoned in the past three weeks, said government spokesman Zaw Htay. "There are 176 villages where the whole village fled," he told reporters Wednesday night, out of 471 Rohingya communities in total. The recent refugee arrivals in Bangladesh amount to more than a third of the total number of Rohingya once based in Myanmar. Tens of thousands of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus have also been driven from their homes since late August, saying they were targeted by the Rohingya militants. On Thursday Myanmar's government said some 4,000 people had started trickling back to their villages in Maungdaw as clashes between the army and militants ebbed, without specifying their ethnicity. Raging fires Myanmar's Information Committee has said over 7,000 homes have been destroyed by fire across at least 59 villages -- the vast majority belonging to "Bengalis" as the government pejoratively calls the Rohingya. New satellite images released by Amnesty International on Friday showed that more than two dozen villages in the Rohingya-majority area had been set alight since August 25, with patches of grey ash marking the area where structures had stood. AFP reporters on government-steered press trips have seen abandoned villages and homes reduced to ashes. Columns of smoke from the gutted villages have also been visible almost daily from across the Naf river in Bangladesh, where the Rohingya refugees are massing in ramshackle camps. Rohingya refugees say Myanmar officers and Buddhist vigilantes started the fires after driving them out of their homes with gunshots and other threats, a tactic that Amnesty has described as an "orchestrated campaign" of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar authorities deny that, saying the militants have torched the villages in a bid to attract global sympathy. People on the move Tens of thousands of Rohingya are believed to still be trekking through the monsoon-soaked area. For those fleeing fire-hit areas further south, it may take weeks to cross over difficult terrain, blanketed by security forces, to reach the Bangladesh border. Aid groups have been unable to access northern Rakhine since the violence erupted in late August, compounding the humanitarian crisis. "Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, may be trapped in remote areas far from the border with limited food and medical supplies and are unable to reach safety," said Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Rohingya who have stayed in their villages are living in fear and struggling to survive without the food deliveries that have supported their impoverished communities for years, said Laura Haigh from Amnesty International. "They are essentially locked in and markets are not functioning," she told AFP. Myanmar has said it will establish camps in Rohingya-majority areas of Maungdaw to provide relief, but details of the project are scant. On Thursday the Information Committee said shelters will be set up for Muslims "who can guarantee they are no way connected to the terrorists". Government spokesman Zaw Htay has also said the country would not allow all of those who crossed into Bangladesh to return -- comments likely to fuel allegations Myanmar is intentionally ejecting the Rohingya, whose presence in Myanmar has incensed powerful Buddhist nationalists for years. "Some reached the other side of border. If they come back, we cannot accept all of them," Zaw Htay said, adding that returnees would need to be "scrutinised". (AFP)

Empty villages, Rohingya on the run: Who is left in Myanmar's Rakhine?

China today waded into the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/india-asks-myanmar-to-handle-situation-in-rakhine-state-with-maturity-20034">Rohingya crisis</a> declaring that the &quot;international community should support&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;s efforts in safeguarding the stability of its national development&quot; even as<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/bangladesh-plans-to-move-rohingya-to-uninhabited-island-20113"> Bangladesh requested for international support</a> to move Rohingyas to a nearby island.

Ahead of the UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya crisis, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said:&nbsp;&quot;We think the international community should support the efforts of Myanmar in safeguarding the stability of its national development.&quot;

On Monday, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra&rsquo;ad Zeid al-Hussein had<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-situation-textbook-example-of-ethnic-cleansing-un-human-rights-commission-20075"> slammed the Myanmar government, declaring the situation</a> in Myanmar as a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

UN spokesman had said on Monday that an estimated 313,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since August 25, just last week UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Refugees had said about&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmars-suu-kyi-under-pressure-as-almost-125000-rohingya-flee-violence-19909">270,000 Rohingyas had fled&nbsp;violence in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;</a>and sought refuge in Bangladesh. The surge in refugees has led Bangladesh authorities to look for land to rehabilitate the&nbsp;Rohingyas.

The Bangladesh government is trying to find new room for the Rohingyas, including establishing a new 2,000 acre&nbsp;camp near Cox&#39;s Bazar, close to the Myanmar border, which will house around 250,000 Rohingya.

However, as even more&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/india-asks-myanmar-to-handle-situation-in-rakhine-state-with-maturity-20034">Rohingya</a>s pour into Bangladesh, international agencies fear authorities on the ground would be forced to send the Rohingyas back to Myanmar.

&nbsp;

 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bMabO-NgbYk" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra?ad Zeid al-Hussein had slammed the Myanmar government over its handling of the Rohingya issue

China today waded into the Rohingya crisis declaring that the "international community should support Myanmar's efforts in safeguarding the stability of its national development" even as Bangladesh requested for international support to move Rohingyas to a nearby island. Ahead of the UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya crisis, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said: "We think the international community should support the efforts of Myanmar in safeguarding the stability of its national development." On Monday, UN human rights chief Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein had slammed the Myanmar government, declaring the situation in Myanmar as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". UN spokesman had said on Monday that an estimated 313,000 Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh since August 25, just last week UN High Commissioner for Refugees had said about 270,000 Rohingyas had fled violence in Myanmar and sought refuge in Bangladesh. The surge in refugees has led Bangladesh authorities to look for land to rehabilitate the Rohingyas. The Bangladesh government is trying to find new room for the Rohingyas, including establishing a new 2,000 acre camp near Cox's Bazar, close to the Myanmar border, which will house around 250,000 Rohingya. However, as even more Rohingyas pour into Bangladesh, international agencies fear authorities on the ground would be forced to send the Rohingyas back to Myanmar.

Rohingya crisis: International community should back Myanmar in safeguarding stability, says China

Thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled violence in Myanmar in search of refuge could be forced to make their new homes on a barren Bangladeshi island that floods every year.

The Bangladesh government has appealed for international support to move the Rohingya to the island as the impoverished country confronts a growing crisis over where to house an influx that has mounted following a military crackdown in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

More than 300,000 Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh since the latest flare-up in violence on August 25, adding to around 300,000 refugees already living in overflowing UN-run camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar district, close to the border with Myanmar.

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The surge has overwhelmed the Bangladesh authorities, who are scrambling to find land to build more camps, including on the inhospitable and uninhabited Thengar Char island -- recently renamed Bhasan Char -- despite reluctance on the part of Rohingya leaders and UN officials.

Bhasan Char, located in the estuary of the Meghna river, is a one-hour boat ride from Sandwip, the nearest inhabited island, and two hours from Hatiya, one of Bangladesh&#39;s largest islands.

The authorities first proposed settling Rohingya refugees there in 2015, as the camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar became overstretched with new arrivals.

But the plan was apparently shelved last year amid reports that the silt island, which only emerged from the sea in 2006, was unhabitable due to regular tidal flooding.

The government is trying to find new room for the Rohingya, including establishing a new 2,000-acre (800-hectare) camp near Cox&#39;s Bazar, close to the Myanmar border, which will house around 250,000 Rohingya.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was to visit the construction site on Tuesday.

As the exodus swells, however, there are fears that may not be enough to accommodate all those in need of shelter.

As a result, the Bangladesh government is speeding up work at Bhasan Char with a view to building a 10,000-acre facility that can house hundreds of thousands of Rohingya.

But they face huge challenges.

&nbsp;&#39;Complex and controversial&#39;&nbsp;

A police official in the region told AFP that the island, which is used sporadically by fishermen and farmers seeking to graze their animals, was susceptible to tidal flooding once or twice a year.

&quot;I think the island needs&nbsp;massive infrastructure before it gets habitable,&quot; the official said.

The presence of the Bangladesh Navy, which is involved in developing the island, has deterred pirates who used to operate in the seas around Bhasan Char.

&quot;The Navy has already set up two helipads and are now building roads and a shed for their use&quot;, said Mahbub Alam Talkukder, a government administrator based in the region.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H Mahmood Ali on Sunday appealed for international assistance to help transport the Rohingya to Bhashan Char during a meeting with diplomats and UN officials.

But Rohingya leaders remain opposed to the move, while a UN agency official warned that any attempt at a forced relocation would be &quot;very complex and controversial&quot;.

The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar where they are regarded as illegal immigrants, despite having lived there for generations.

Exhausted refugees in Cox&#39;s Bazar told AFP they did not want to move yet again.&nbsp;

&quot;I fled my village in Rakhine to escape murder at the hands of the Burmese,&quot; said Ayubur Rahman, a 26-year-old who fled Rakhine before the latest violence erupted.

&quot;I don&#39;t want to go to the island,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;I would rather stay here.&quot;

More than 300,000 Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh, adding to around 300,000 refugees already living in overflowing UN-run camps

Thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled violence in Myanmar in search of refuge could be forced to make their new homes on a barren Bangladeshi island that floods every year. The Bangladesh government has appealed for international support to move the Rohingya to the island as the impoverished country confronts a growing crisis over where to house an influx that has mounted following a military crackdown in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar's Rakhine state. More than 300,000 Rohingya have poured into Bangladesh since the latest flare-up in violence on August 25, adding to around 300,000 refugees already living in overflowing UN-run camps in Cox's Bazar district, close to the border with Myanmar. The authorities first proposed settling Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island in 2015 but the plan was apparently shelved last year amid reports that the silt island, which only emerged from the sea in 2006, was unhabitable due to regular tidal flooding × The surge has overwhelmed the Bangladesh authorities, who are scrambling to find land to build more camps, including on the inhospitable and uninhabited Thengar Char island -- recently renamed Bhasan Char -- despite reluctance on the part of Rohingya leaders and UN officials. Bhasan Char, located in the estuary of the Meghna river, is a one-hour boat ride from Sandwip, the nearest inhabited island, and two hours from Hatiya, one of Bangladesh's largest islands. The authorities first proposed settling Rohingya refugees there in 2015, as the camps in Cox's Bazar became overstretched with new arrivals. But the plan was apparently shelved last year amid reports that the silt island, which only emerged from the sea in 2006, was unhabitable due to regular tidal flooding. The government is trying to find new room for the Rohingya, including establishing a new 2,000-acre (800-hectare) camp near Cox's Bazar, close to the Myanmar border, which will house around 250,000 Rohingya. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was to visit the construction site on Tuesday. As the exodus swells, however, there are fears that may not be enough to accommodate all those in need of shelter. As a result, the Bangladesh government is speeding up work at Bhasan Char with a view to building a 10,000-acre facility that can house hundreds of thousands of Rohingya. But they face huge challenges. 'Complex and controversial' A police official in the region told AFP that the island, which is used sporadically by fishermen and farmers seeking to graze their animals, was susceptible to tidal flooding once or twice a year. "I think the island needs massive infrastructure before it gets habitable," the official said. The presence of the Bangladesh Navy, which is involved in developing the island, has deterred pirates who used to operate in the seas around Bhasan Char. "The Navy has already set up two helipads and are now building roads and a shed for their use", said Mahbub Alam Talkukder, a government administrator based in the region. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H Mahmood Ali on Sunday appealed for international assistance to help transport the Rohingya to Bhashan Char during a meeting with diplomats and UN officials. But Rohingya leaders remain opposed to the move, while a UN agency official warned that any attempt at a forced relocation would be "very complex and controversial". The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar where they are regarded as illegal immigrants, despite having lived there for generations. Exhausted refugees in Cox's Bazar told AFP they did not want to move yet again. "I fled my village in Rakhine to escape murder at the hands of the Burmese," said Ayubur Rahman, a 26-year-old who fled Rakhine before the latest violence erupted. "I don't want to go to the island," he told AFP. "I would rather stay here."

Bangladesh plans to move Rohingya to uninhabited island

Recent weeks have seen an <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/09/who-are-the-rohingya-and-why-are-they-fleeing-myanmar/">escalation of violence against the Rohingya</a> in Rakhine, the poorest state of Myanmar. A tide of displaced people are seeking refuge from atrocities &ndash; they are fleeing both on foot and by boat to Bangladesh. It is <a href="https://theconversation.com/world-must-act-to-end-the-violence-against-rohingya-in-myanmar-83645">the latest surge of displaced people</a> and is exacerbated by the recent activity of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

Religious and ethnic differences have been widely considered the leading cause of the persecution. But it is becoming increasingly hard to believe that there are no other factors at play. Especially given that Myanmar is home to <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2017/03/myanmar-major-ethnic-groups-live-170309143208539.html">135 official recognised ethnic groups</a> (the Rohingya were removed from this list in 1982).

In analysing the recent violence, much of the western media has focused on the role of the military and the figure of the de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her status as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/08/desmond-tutu-condemns-aung-san-suu-kyi-price-of-your-silence-is-too-steep?CMP=soc_567">widely questioned</a> since the latest evidence of atrocities emerged.

She continues to <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/04/13/burmese-nobel-prize-winner-aung-san-suu-kyi-has-turned-into-an-apologist-for-genocide-against-muslims/">avoid condemning</a> the systematic violence against the Rohingya. At least the media gaze has finally shifted somewhat towards <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/04/the-guardian-view-on-the-slaughter-in-myanmar-a-against-humanity?CMP=fb_gu">their plight</a>.

But there remain issues that are not being explored. It is also critical to look beyond religious and ethnic differences towards other root causes of persecution, vulnerability, and displacement.

We must consider vested political and economic interests as contributing factors to forced displacement in Myanmar, not just of the Rohingya people but of other minorities such as the Kachin, the Shan, the Karen, the Chin, and the Mon.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/185357/width754/file-20170910-12546-g93x37.JPG" />
<figcaption>
Major ethnic groups in Myanmar. Al Jazeera
</figcaption>
</figure>

Land grabbing

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2017/jan/04/is-rohingya-persecution-caused-by-business-interests-rather-than-religion">Land grabbing and confiscation</a> in Myanmar is widespread. It is not a new phenomenon.

Since the 1990s, military juntas have been <a href="https://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/world-hunger/land-ownership-and-hunger/52166-commission-will-report-over-300-land-grabs-to-myanmar-mps-.html">taking away the land of smallholders</a> across the country, without any compensation and regardless of ethnicity or religious status.

The land has often been acquired for &ldquo;<a href="http://www.ashleysouth.co.uk/files/COHRE_November_2007.pdf">development</a>&rdquo; projects, including military base expansions, natural resource exploitation, and extraction, large agriculture projects, infrastructure, and tourism. For example, in Kachin state, the military confiscated more than 500 acres of villagers&rsquo; land to support extensive gold mining.

Development has forcibly <a href="http://saskiasassen.com/PDFs/publications/SS%20Massive%20Loss%20Habitat.pdf">displaced thousands of people</a> - both internally and across borders with Bangladesh, India, and Thailand - or compelled them to set out by sea to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia.

In 2011, Myanmar instituted economic and political reforms that led it to be dubbed &ldquo;<a href="http://thediplomat.com/2016/11/myanmars-opening-doing-business-in-asias-final-frontier/">Asia&rsquo;s final frontier</a>&rdquo; as it opened up to foreign investment. Shortly afterward, in 2012, violent attacks escalated against the <a href="http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/2613925/upload_binary/2613925.pdf;fileType=application/pdf">Rohingya in Rakhine state and, to a lesser extent, against the Muslim Karen</a>. Meanwhile, the government of Myanmar established several laws relating to the management and distribution of farmland.

These moves were <a href="https://library.ecc-platform.org/conflicts/land-grabbing-myanmar">severely criticised</a> for reinforcing the ability of large corporations to profit from land grabs. For instance, agribusiness multinationals such as POSCO Daewoo have <a href="https://www.farmlandgrab.org/post/view/26876-posco-daewoo-launches-agribusiness-in-myanmar">eagerly entered the market</a>, contracted by the government.

A regional prize

Myanmar is positioned between countries that have long eyed its resources, such as China and India. Since the 1990s, <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2016/03/between-china-and-myanmar-the-battleground-region-of-northeastern-myanmar-faces-an-uncertain-future/">Chinese companies have exploited</a> timber, rivers, and minerals in Shan State in the North.

This led to violent armed conflicts between the military regime and armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its ethnic allies in eastern Kachin State and northern Shan State.

In Rakhine State, <a href="https://www.sisp.it/files/papers/2013/andrea-passeri-1531.pdf">Chinese</a> and <a href="http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/the-trouble-with-indias-projects-in-myanmar/">Indian</a> interests are part of broader China-India relations. These interests revolve principally around the construction of infrastructure and pipelines in the region. Such projects claim to guarantee employment, transit fees and oil and gas revenues for the whole of Myanmar.

Among numerous development projects, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericrmeyer/2015/02/09/oil-and-gas-china-takes-a-shortcut/#566f99c07aff">a transnational pipeline</a> built by China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) connecting Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, to Kunming, China, began operations in September 2013. The wider efforts to take Myanmar oil and gas from the Shwe gas field to Guangzhou, China, <a href="https://ejatlas.org/conflict/shwe-gas-field-and-pipeline">are well documented</a>.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/185352/width754/file-20170910-3138-1l370ec.jpg" />
<figcaption>
Pipeline from the Shwe gas field to China. The Shwe Gas Movement
</figcaption>
</figure>

A parallel pipeline is also <a href="http://archive-3.mizzima.com/business/natural-resources/item/16206-kyaukpyu-deep-sea-port-ready-to-send-oil-to-china/16206-kyaukpyu-deep-sea-port-ready-to-send-oil-to-china">expected to send Middle East oil</a> from the Kyaukphyu port to China. However, the neutral Advisory Commission on Rakhine State <a href="http://www.rakhinecommission.org/statement-kofi-annan-chair-advisory-commission-rakhine-state-interim-report/">has urged</a> the Myanmar government to carry out a comprehensive impact assessment.

In fact, the Commission <a href="http://www.rakhinecommission.org/app/uploads/2017/08/FinalReport_Eng.pdf">recognises</a> that pipelines put local communities at risk. There is significant local tension related to land seizures, insufficient compensation for damages, environmental degradation, and an influx of foreign workers rather than increased local employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Sittwe deep-sea port was <a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/03/31/are-indias-plans-in-myanmar-a-pipeline-or-a-pipe-dream/">financed and constructed</a> by India as part of the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project. The aim is to connect the northeast Mizoram state in India with the Bay of Bengal.

Coastal areas of Rakhine State are clearly of strategic importance to both India and China. The government of Myanmar, therefore, has vested interests in clearing land to prepare for further development and to boost its <a href="https://www.adb.org/countries/myanmar/economy">already rapid economic growth</a>.

All of this takes place within the wider context of <a href="https://nsnbc.me/2012/09/08/myanmar-gas-and-the-soros-funded-explosion-of-a-nation-state/">geopolitical maneuvering</a>. The role of Bangladesh in fuelling ethnic tensions is also hotly contested. In such power struggles, the human cost is terribly high.

Compounding the vulnerability of minorities

In Myanmar, the groups that fall victim to land grabbing have often started in an extremely vulnerable state and are left even worse off. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/world-must-act-to-end-the-violence-against-rohingya-in-myanmar-83645?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=twitterbutton">treatment</a> of the Rohingya in Rakhine State is the highest profile example of broader expulsion that is inflicted on minorities.

When a group is marginalised and oppressed it is difficult to reduce their vulnerability and protect their rights, including their property. In the case of the Rohingya, their ability to protect their homes was decimated through the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/nov/03/myanmar-casts-minorities-to-margins-citizenship-law-denies-legal-identity">revocation of their Burmese citizenship</a>.

<figure class="align-center "><img alt="" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/185329/width754/file-20170909-32284-lofmnv.jpg" />
<figcaption>
Rohingya settlement near Sittwe.Thomas Johnson
</figcaption>
</figure>

Since the late 1970s <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2017/03/persecution-path-myanmar-fleeing-rohingya-170314125333337.html">around a million Rohingya have fled</a> Myanmar to escape persecution. Tragically, they are often marginalised in their host countries.

With no country willing to take responsibility for them, they are either forced or encouraged to continuously cross borders. The techniques used to encourage this movement have trapped the Rohingya in a vulnerable state.

The tragedy of the Rohingya is part of a bigger picture which sees the oppression and displacement of minorities across Myanmar and into neighboring countries.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/83726/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />The relevance and complexity of religious and ethnic issues in Myanmar are undeniable. But we cannot ignore the political and economic context and the root causes of displacement that often go undetected.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/religion-is-not-the-only-reason-rohingyas-are-being-forced-out-of-myanmar-83726">original article</a>.

The tragedy of the Rohingya is part of a bigger picture which sees the oppression and displacement of minorities across Myanmar and into neighboring countries.

Recent weeks have seen an escalation of violence against the Rohingya in Rakhine, the poorest state of Myanmar. A tide of displaced people are seeking refuge from atrocities – they are fleeing both on foot and by boat to Bangladesh. It is the latest surge of displaced people and is exacerbated by the recent activity of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Religious and ethnic differences have been widely considered the leading cause of the persecution. But it is becoming increasingly hard to believe that there are no other factors at play. Especially given that Myanmar is home to 135 official recognised ethnic groups (the Rohingya were removed from this list in 1982). In analysing the recent violence, much of the western media has focused on the role of the military and the figure of the de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her status as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been widely questioned since the latest evidence of atrocities emerged. She continues to avoid condemning the systematic violence against the Rohingya. At least the media gaze has finally shifted somewhat towards their plight. But there remain issues that are not being explored. It is also critical to look beyond religious and ethnic differences towards other root causes of persecution, vulnerability, and displacement. We must consider vested political and economic interests as contributing factors to forced displacement in Myanmar, not just of the Rohingya people but of other minorities such as the Kachin, the Shan, the Karen, the Chin, and the Mon. Major ethnic groups in Myanmar. Al Jazeera Land grabbing Land grabbing and confiscation in Myanmar is widespread. It is not a new phenomenon. Since the 1990s, military juntas have been taking away the land of smallholders across the country, without any compensation and regardless of ethnicity or religious status. The land has often been acquired for “development” projects, including military base expansions, natural resource exploitation, and extraction, large agriculture projects, infrastructure, and tourism. For example, in Kachin state, the military confiscated more than 500 acres of villagers’ land to support extensive gold mining. Development has forcibly displaced thousands of people - both internally and across borders with Bangladesh, India, and Thailand - or compelled them to set out by sea to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia. In 2011, Myanmar instituted economic and political reforms that led it to be dubbed “Asia’s final frontier” as it opened up to foreign investment. Shortly afterward, in 2012, violent attacks escalated against the Rohingya in Rakhine state and, to a lesser extent, against the Muslim Karen. Meanwhile, the government of Myanmar established several laws relating to the management and distribution of farmland. These moves were severely criticised for reinforcing the ability of large corporations to profit from land grabs. For instance, agribusiness multinationals such as POSCO Daewoo have eagerly entered the market, contracted by the government. A regional prize Myanmar is positioned between countries that have long eyed its resources, such as China and India. Since the 1990s, Chinese companies have exploited timber, rivers, and minerals in Shan State in the North. This led to violent armed conflicts between the military regime and armed groups, including the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) and its ethnic allies in eastern Kachin State and northern Shan State. In Rakhine State, Chinese and Indian interests are part of broader China-India relations. These interests revolve principally around the construction of infrastructure and pipelines in the region. Such projects claim to guarantee employment, transit fees and oil and gas revenues for the whole of Myanmar. Among numerous development projects, a transnational pipeline built by China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) connecting Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, to Kunming, China, began operations in September 2013. The wider efforts to take Myanmar oil and gas from the Shwe gas field to Guangzhou, China, are well documented. Pipeline from the Shwe gas field to China. The Shwe Gas Movement A parallel pipeline is also expected to send Middle East oil from the Kyaukphyu port to China. However, the neutral Advisory Commission on Rakhine State has urged the Myanmar government to carry out a comprehensive impact assessment. In fact, the Commission recognises that pipelines put local communities at risk. There is significant local tension related to land seizures, insufficient compensation for damages, environmental degradation, and an influx of foreign workers rather than increased local employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the Sittwe deep-sea port was financed and constructed by India as part of the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project. The aim is to connect the northeast Mizoram state in India with the Bay of Bengal. Coastal areas of Rakhine State are clearly of strategic importance to both India and China. The government of Myanmar, therefore, has vested interests in clearing land to prepare for further development and to boost its already rapid economic growth. All of this takes place within the wider context of geopolitical maneuvering. The role of Bangladesh in fuelling ethnic tensions is also hotly contested. In such power struggles, the human cost is terribly high. Compounding the vulnerability of minorities In Myanmar, the groups that fall victim to land grabbing have often started in an extremely vulnerable state and are left even worse off. The treatment of the Rohingya in Rakhine State is the highest profile example of broader expulsion that is inflicted on minorities. When a group is marginalised and oppressed it is difficult to reduce their vulnerability and protect their rights, including their property. In the case of the Rohingya, their ability to protect their homes was decimated through the revocation of their Burmese citizenship. Rohingya settlement near Sittwe.Thomas Johnson Since the late 1970s around a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar to escape persecution. Tragically, they are often marginalised in their host countries. With no country willing to take responsibility for them, they are either forced or encouraged to continuously cross borders. The techniques used to encourage this movement have trapped the Rohingya in a vulnerable state. The tragedy of the Rohingya is part of a bigger picture which sees the oppression and displacement of minorities across Myanmar and into neighboring countries. The relevance and complexity of religious and ethnic issues in Myanmar are undeniable. But we cannot ignore the political and economic context and the root causes of displacement that often go undetected. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Are Rohingyas being forced out of Myanmar because they are Muslims?

International divisions have emerged ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, with China voicing support for a military crackdown that has been criticised by the US, slammed as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; and forced 370,000 Rohingya to flee the violence.

Beijing&#39;s intervention appears aimed at heading off any attempt to censure Myanmar at the council when it convenes on Wednesday.

China was one of the few foreign friends of Myanmar&#39;s former junta.

Beijing has tightened its embrace under Aung San Suu Kyi&#39;s civilian government as part of its giant trade, energy and infrastructure strategy for Southeast Asia.&nbsp;

The exodus from Myanmar&#39;s western Rakine state began after Rohingya militants attacked police posts on August 25, prompting a military backlash that has sent a third of the Muslim minority population fleeing for their lives.

Exhausted Rohingya refugees have given accounts of atrocities at the hands of soldiers and Buddhist mobs who burned their villages to the ground.

They can not be independently verified as access to Rakhine state is heavily controlled.

Myanmar&#39;s government denies any abuses and instead blames militants for burning down thousands of villages, including many belonging to Rohingya.

But international pressure on Myanmar heightened this week after United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said the violence seemed to be a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The US also raised alarm over the violence while the Security Council announced it would meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis.

Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to -- and even abetting -- a humanitarian catastrophe by Western powers who once feted her as well as a slew of fellow Nobel Laureates.

But Beijing offered more encouraging words to her on Tuesday, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang voicing support for her government&#39;s efforts to &quot;uphold peace and stability&quot; in Rakhine.

&quot;We hope order and the normal life there will be recovered as soon as possible,&quot; he told a press briefing.

The Rohingya minority are denied citizenship and have suffered years of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

&quot;An estimated 370,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh,&quot; since August 25 Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told AFP.&nbsp;

The real figure may be higher as many new arrivals are still on the move making it difficult to include them in the count, the UN said, adding 60 percent of refugees are children.

Most are in dire need of food, medical care and shelter after trekking for days through hills and jungles or braving dangerous boat journeys.

In a statement late Monday Suu Kyi&#39;s foreign ministry defended the military for doing their &quot;legitimate duty to restore stability&quot;, saying troops were under orders &quot;to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage.&quot;

Britain and Sweden requested the urgent Security Council meeting amid growing international concern over the ongoing violence.

The council met behind closed doors in late August to discuss the violence, but could not agree a formal statement.

Stop the oppression: Bangladesh&#39;s Sheikh Hasina 
 
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has said the latest violence may have left more than 1,000 dead, most of them Rohingya.

Myanmar says the number of dead is around 430, the majority of them &quot;extremist terrorists&quot; from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

It says a further 30,000 ethnic Rakhine and Hindus have been displaced inside northern Rakhine, where aid programmes have been severely curtailed due to the violence.

The exodus of Rohingya has saddled Bangladesh with its own humanitarian crisis, as aid workers scramble to provide food and shelter to a daily stream of bedraggled refugees.

The UN-run refugee camps in its Cox&#39;s Bazar district were already packed with Rohingya who had fled from previous waves of persecution.

Dhaka is providing them temporary shelter.&nbsp;

But Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who visited a Rohingya camp on Tuesday, stressed it was up to Myanmar to &quot;resolve&quot; the issue.

&quot;We will request the Myanmar government to stop oppressing innocent people,&quot; she said during a tour of a camp in Cox&#39;s Bazar, according to local outlet bdnews24.com.

Dhaka, which has refused to permanently absorb the Rohingya, said it plans to build a huge new camp that will house a quarter of a million refugees.

But it remains unclear if or when they will be able to return.

Plumes of smoke continued to rise on the Myanmar side of the border this week despite the militants&#39; announcement on Sunday of a unilateral ceasefire.&nbsp;

There was no direct response from Myanmar&#39;s military, though government spokesman Zaw Htay tweeted: &quot;We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists.&quot;

Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to a humanitarian catastrophe

International divisions have emerged ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on the Rohingya refugee crisis in Myanmar, with China voicing support for a military crackdown that has been criticised by the US, slammed as "ethnic cleansing" and forced 370,000 Rohingya to flee the violence. Beijing's intervention appears aimed at heading off any attempt to censure Myanmar at the council when it convenes on Wednesday. China was one of the few foreign friends of Myanmar's former junta. Beijing has tightened its embrace under Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government as part of its giant trade, energy and infrastructure strategy for Southeast Asia. The exodus from Myanmar's western Rakine state began after Rohingya militants attacked police posts on August 25, prompting a military backlash that has sent a third of the Muslim minority population fleeing for their lives. Exhausted Rohingya refugees have given accounts of atrocities at the hands of soldiers and Buddhist mobs who burned their villages to the ground. They can not be independently verified as access to Rakhine state is heavily controlled. Myanmar's government denies any abuses and instead blames militants for burning down thousands of villages, including many belonging to Rohingya. But international pressure on Myanmar heightened this week after United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said the violence seemed to be a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The US also raised alarm over the violence while the Security Council announced it would meet Wednesday to discuss the crisis. Opprobrium has been heaped Suu Kyi, who was once a darling of the rights community but now faces accusations of turning a blind eye to -- and even abetting -- a humanitarian catastrophe by Western powers who once feted her as well as a slew of fellow Nobel Laureates. But Beijing offered more encouraging words to her on Tuesday, with foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang voicing support for her government's efforts to "uphold peace and stability" in Rakhine. "We hope order and the normal life there will be recovered as soon as possible," he told a press briefing. The Rohingya minority are denied citizenship and have suffered years of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. "An estimated 370,000 Rohingya have entered Bangladesh," since August 25 Joseph Tripura, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency, told AFP. The real figure may be higher as many new arrivals are still on the move making it difficult to include them in the count, the UN said, adding 60 percent of refugees are children. Most are in dire need of food, medical care and shelter after trekking for days through hills and jungles or braving dangerous boat journeys. In a statement late Monday Suu Kyi's foreign ministry defended the military for doing their "legitimate duty to restore stability", saying troops were under orders "to exercise all due restraint, and to take full measures to avoid collateral damage." Britain and Sweden requested the urgent Security Council meeting amid growing international concern over the ongoing violence. The council met behind closed doors in late August to discuss the violence, but could not agree a formal statement. Stop the oppression: Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has said the latest violence may have left more than 1,000 dead, most of them Rohingya. Myanmar says the number of dead is around 430, the majority of them "extremist terrorists" from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). It says a further 30,000 ethnic Rakhine and Hindus have been displaced inside northern Rakhine, where aid programmes have been severely curtailed due to the violence. The exodus of Rohingya has saddled Bangladesh with its own humanitarian crisis, as aid workers scramble to provide food and shelter to a daily stream of bedraggled refugees. The UN-run refugee camps in its Cox's Bazar district were already packed with Rohingya who had fled from previous waves of persecution. Dhaka is providing them temporary shelter. But Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who visited a Rohingya camp on Tuesday, stressed it was up to Myanmar to "resolve" the issue. "We will request the Myanmar government to stop oppressing innocent people," she said during a tour of a camp in Cox's Bazar, according to local outlet bdnews24.com. Dhaka, which has refused to permanently absorb the Rohingya, said it plans to build a huge new camp that will house a quarter of a million refugees. But it remains unclear if or when they will be able to return. Plumes of smoke continued to rise on the Myanmar side of the border this week despite the militants' announcement on Sunday of a unilateral ceasefire. There was no direct response from Myanmar's military, though government spokesman Zaw Htay tweeted: "We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists."

Global split over Rohingya crisis as China backs Myanmar crackdown

A plea to identify and deport Rohingya refugees in India was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday by the Chennai-based trust Indic Collective.

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A plea has been filed in Supreme Court seeking identification and deportation of Rohingya Muslim refugees
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/906059001040736256">September 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The plea claims that &quot;accommodating Rohingyas in India is equivalent to inviting wretchedness, turbulence, and disturbance on Indian soil.&quot;

The plea comes at a time when a petition filed by two Rohingya refugees seeking a stay on the expulsion of the Rohingyas has been taken up by the top court.&nbsp;

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Indic Collective has filed an intervention petition in Sri Prashant Bhushan&#39;s writ petition.
&mdash; Indic Collective (@indiccollective) <a href="https://twitter.com/indiccollective/status/905409681954226176">September 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The plea to deport Rohingyas describes the refugee community as &quot;a face of Islamic terror&quot;.

It also claims that their settlement is a social, economic and security threat to India.&nbsp;

&quot;Around 40,000 Rohingyas residing in India as illegal immigrants pose a serious threat not only to national security but also to peacefully living Indian citizens,&quot; the plea says.

The plea acknowledges the plight of the Rohingya refugees, terming it a &quot;humanitarian disaster&quot;, but says &quot;India cannot solve this crisis by importing and welcoming it.&quot;

The plea comes at a time when a petition seeking a stay on the expulsion of the Rohingyas from India has been taken up by the top court

A plea to identify and deport Rohingya refugees in India was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday by the Chennai-based trust Indic Collective. A plea has been filed in Supreme Court seeking identification and deportation of Rohingya Muslim refugees — ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 × The plea claims that "accommodating Rohingyas in India is equivalent to inviting wretchedness, turbulence, and disturbance on Indian soil." The plea comes at a time when a petition filed by two Rohingya refugees seeking a stay on the expulsion of the Rohingyas has been taken up by the top court. Indic Collective has filed an intervention petition in Sri Prashant Bhushan's writ petition. — Indic Collective (@indiccollective) September 6, 2017 × The plea to deport Rohingyas describes the refugee community as "a face of Islamic terror". It also claims that their settlement is a social, economic and security threat to India. "Around 40,000 Rohingyas residing in India as illegal immigrants pose a serious threat not only to national security but also to peacefully living Indian citizens," the plea says. The plea acknowledges the plight of the Rohingya refugees, terming it a "humanitarian disaster", but says "India cannot solve this crisis by importing and welcoming it."

Plea filed in Supreme Court seeking immediate deportation of Rohingyas

Turkey&#39;s foreign minister will travel to Bangladesh to hold meetings about the fighting in northwestern Myanmar, sources from the ministry said on Tuesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ahead-of-modis-visit-to-myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-under-pressure-to-end-rohingya-crisis-19884">Myanmar has come under pressure from countries with large Muslim populations</a> to stop violence against Rohingya Muslims after at least 400 people were killed and nearly 125,000 fled to Bangladesh in the deadliest bout of violence targeting the minority group in decades.

Mevlut Cavusoglu will travel to Bangladesh from Baku on Wednesday evening, the sources said. President Tayyip Erdogan has said the death of Rohingya Muslims constituted a genocide.

Myanmar has come under pressure from countries with large Muslim populations

Turkey's foreign minister will travel to Bangladesh to hold meetings about the fighting in northwestern Myanmar, sources from the ministry said on Tuesday. Myanmar has come under pressure from countries with large Muslim populations to stop violence against Rohingya Muslims after at least 400 people were killed and nearly 125,000 fled to Bangladesh in the deadliest bout of violence targeting the minority group in decades. Mevlut Cavusoglu will travel to Bangladesh from Baku on Wednesday evening, the sources said. President Tayyip Erdogan has said the death of Rohingya Muslims constituted a genocide.

Turkish foreign minister to visit Bangladesh to discuss Myanmar issue: Sources

Five Rohingya villagers whose distraught relatives say they were shot dead by the Myanmar military were buried&nbsp;Thursday&nbsp;in Bangladesh at a mass funeral attended by hundreds of people after their bodies were carried across the border.

The relatives said the victims had been killed by the Myanmar military&nbsp;on Wednesday, a claim that could not be independently confirmed but tallies with multiple accounts of killings in Rohingya villages.

Their bodies were brought across the Naf river on a boat, landing on a remote stretch where thousands of Rohingya refugees have been streaming into Bangladesh over the last fortnight.

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Sufia Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman aboard, said she had relatives among the dead.

&quot;They were all killed,&quot; she wept, pointing to a lifeless man covered in plastic sheeting and another corpse wrapped in cloth.

They were buried&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;in a Muslim graveyard along with a sixth man who died of unknown causes.

One victim, identified by survivors as the imam of their village mosque in Myanmar, had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.&nbsp;

&quot;Five of them had bullet wounds,&quot; Chailau Marma, deputy police chief of Cox&#39;s Bazar, which borders Myanmar, told AFP.

&quot;Relatives of the deceased carried the bodies into Bangladesh after they failed to bury them in Myanmar. They all died yesterday.&quot;

Myanmar&#39;s more than one million Rohingya are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions in the majority Buddhist country, which has come under increased criticism over its apartheid-like treatment of the Muslim minority.

UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year has unleashed &quot;devastating cruelty&quot; on civilians which may amount to ethnic cleansing.

On Thursday&nbsp;the UN said 164,000 refugees have now crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting between militants and Myanmar&#39;s military.

The fighting is the fiercest Myanmar&#39;s western Rakhine state has witnessed in years.&nbsp;

Columns of Rohingya civilians arrived steadily throughout&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;from the jungles along the border, carrying infants, chickens and their belongings bundled in sacks.

Long queues formed to cross a collapsed bridge over a marshy river, with elderly civilians with canes and infants being carried across the impasse.

Many have brought allegations of homes being torched and villagers shot and hacked to death by Myanmar troops.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-crisis-has-myanmar-planted-landmines-along-its-bangladesh-border-19941" target="_blank">Also read: Rohingya crisis: Has Myanmar planted landmines along its Bangladesh border?</a>

Myanmar&#39;s government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

Marium Begum, who crossed by a river into Bangladesh&nbsp;on Wednesday, said soldiers had opened fire as she and her family tried to flee their village.

&quot;They shot over our heads. We submerged ourselves underwater. &nbsp;The children swallowed a lot of water,&quot; she told AFP.

&quot;There were many of them. They had long machetes.&quot;

Bangladesh border guards also allowed a Rohingya couple to be buried in Bangladesh after they were shot dead and the wife gang-raped when they went back into Myanmar to retrieve their belongings, commander Manzurul Hasan Khan, told AFP.

Five Rohingya villagers whose distraught relatives say they were shot dead by the Myanmar military were buried?Thursday?in Bangladesh

Five Rohingya villagers whose distraught relatives say they were shot dead by the Myanmar military were buried Thursday in Bangladesh at a mass funeral attended by hundreds of people after their bodies were carried across the border. The relatives said the victims had been killed by the Myanmar military on Wednesday, a claim that could not be independently confirmed but tallies with multiple accounts of killings in Rohingya villages. Their bodies were brought across the Naf river on a boat, landing on a remote stretch where thousands of Rohingya refugees have been streaming into Bangladesh over the last fortnight. They were all killed, an elderly Rohingya woman wept, pointing to a lifeless man covered in plastic sheeting and another corpse wrapped in cloth × Sufia Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman aboard, said she had relatives among the dead. "They were all killed," she wept, pointing to a lifeless man covered in plastic sheeting and another corpse wrapped in cloth. They were buried on Thursday in a Muslim graveyard along with a sixth man who died of unknown causes. One victim, identified by survivors as the imam of their village mosque in Myanmar, had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. "Five of them had bullet wounds," Chailau Marma, deputy police chief of Cox's Bazar, which borders Myanmar, told AFP. "Relatives of the deceased carried the bodies into Bangladesh after they failed to bury them in Myanmar. They all died yesterday." Myanmar's more than one million Rohingya are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions in the majority Buddhist country, which has come under increased criticism over its apartheid-like treatment of the Muslim minority. UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year has unleashed "devastating cruelty" on civilians which may amount to ethnic cleansing. On Thursday the UN said 164,000 refugees have now crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting between militants and Myanmar's military. The fighting is the fiercest Myanmar's western Rakhine state has witnessed in years. Columns of Rohingya civilians arrived steadily throughout Wednesday from the jungles along the border, carrying infants, chickens and their belongings bundled in sacks. Long queues formed to cross a collapsed bridge over a marshy river, with elderly civilians with canes and infants being carried across the impasse. Many have brought allegations of homes being torched and villagers shot and hacked to death by Myanmar troops. Also read: Rohingya crisis: Has Myanmar planted landmines along its Bangladesh border? Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications. Marium Begum, who crossed by a river into Bangladesh on Wednesday, said soldiers had opened fire as she and her family tried to flee their village. "They shot over our heads. We submerged ourselves underwater. The children swallowed a lot of water," she told AFP. "There were many of them. They had long machetes." Bangladesh border guards also allowed a Rohingya couple to be buried in Bangladesh after they were shot dead and the wife gang-raped when they went back into Myanmar to retrieve their belongings, commander Manzurul Hasan Khan, told AFP.

Bangladesh buries Rohingya shot dead in Myanmar

It is monsoon in Burma now, the clouds gathering over the hills cast a long shadow on&nbsp;the lush green meadows of the Burmese countryside. The same shadow, may be a deeper one, has transported itself onto the face of Tun Khin. Tun is a human rights activist from Arakan State in Burma. He is a Rohingya-Muslim with large number of family members still living in Burma, a country which he fled in 2004, in pursuit of higher education in the UK.&nbsp;

As the Rohingya villages get razed down and UN AID forcibly stopped, it became increasingly hectic for Tun Khin. As the Founder-President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, he was called upon by every international English channel under the sun for an interview.&nbsp;

Rohingyas in Myanmar are beyond our reach, silenced and confined by a repressive regime. So, WION went exploring the pain, the struggle, the desperation and the grit of the Rohingyas through the words of Tun Khin.&nbsp;

Incidentally, never once in the interview did Tun referred to Burma as Myanmar. &nbsp;&ldquo;Myanmar is the name given by the military&rdquo;, he explained to me. On the other hand, &ldquo;Burma was used by Aung Suun Syu ki. While she was under house arrest, military government changed it &nbsp;to Myanmar.&rdquo; Guessing that the change of name comes with lot of personal and political baggage for Tun, we stick with Burma during the interview.

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Why did you flee from your own country, Mr Khin?

Because of continued persecution, I left. I could not&nbsp;go to a university in Burma.

Why? What stopped you?

In order to go to a university in Burma, one needs a citizenship&nbsp;card. A Rohingya does not have a citizenship card. So, he can&rsquo;t apply to a university.

Even though my grandfather was a parliamentary secretary&nbsp;during the democratic period of 1950 to 1962 but I was not recognised as a citizen because of discriminatory laws, particularly&nbsp;the 1982 Citizenship Act that made Rohingyas stateless in their own country.

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A Rohingya family begging for life and home. (Zee News Network)
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Do you have family members still in&nbsp;Burma?

Many of my relatives are trapped in Burma. Some of my&nbsp;relatives have been burnt alive. It is a horrific moment in our history we are witnessing.

If you are saying that it is the most&nbsp;horrific moment the Rohingyas are experiencing, how do you explain the silence of Aung San&nbsp;Suu Kyi?

I find it really frustrating. She is siding with the military.&nbsp;She won the Nobel Peace Prize, but how can she keep quiet as a human being when so many other human beings are being persecuted.

The Rohingyas supported Aung San Suu Kyi when she was under&nbsp;house arrest. I have personally campaigned for her release in the UK, European Union and in the European Union Human Rights Commission. But, Aung San Suu&nbsp;Kyi is not speaking up for my people. I urge her, as she herself did once, please use your liberty to&nbsp;support ours.

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<h5>I find India&rsquo;s recent decision to brand Rohingyas as &ldquo;terrorist&rdquo;&nbsp;disappointing. Rohingyas are peace loving people. We are not terrorists.</h5>
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Why do you think the military in Myanmar&nbsp;is cracking down so hard on the &nbsp;Rohingyas?

When you look at the Rohingyas, it is a political and&nbsp;a religious persecution we are facing. It is a systematic well-planned move to wipe out the Rohingyas. That is the basic plan of the Burmese military. Rohingya look like Indians, not like other Burmese people. So, they (Burmese military) don&rsquo;t want to see in the&nbsp;country people of South Asian appearance. There is a kind of hatred that I have witnessed.

And, on top of it, there is a political angle. Rohingya&nbsp;are the largest Muslim minority in Myanmar.

Hate crime/genocide/ethnic cleansing&nbsp;- these and many others terms are being used to describe what is happening to the Rohingyas, a Rohingya yourself, how do you see it?

I completely agree that it is a genocide. It is not even&nbsp;ethnic cleansing. Why? Because direct killings are involved in it. Rohingya have been facing decades of persecution. After 1962, when a general came to power they stripped us of ethnic rights and then by the 1982 law of the citizenship rights.They imposed restrictions&nbsp;on movements and marriage (as well as) confiscation of land by the government and military. They started creating popular violence against Rohingyas. Resulting in mass migration to Bangladesh and India.

How come in a free, democratic country&nbsp;a Rohingya can&rsquo;t move about? Will you please explain?

If a Rohingya wants to move from one city of Burma to&nbsp;another, a pass is needed which will take 5-7 days. And, that also he will get after bribing some government official.

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If a Rohingya wants to get married, he has to apply for&nbsp;a permit. It will take like 3 to 5 years. You can&rsquo;t get married without that permission. Only if you provide a big bribe, you can get it in one year. That bribe can range between $500-1000. But Rohingyas have become weak, they don&rsquo;t have much money. Left&nbsp;with no other option, they marry secretly.&nbsp;

There are many Rohingyas who marry secretly. And for marrying secretly, the government&nbsp;can send you to jail for 5-7 years. This has been documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc. UN Reporter Mr Quinta has documented how many Rohingyas are languishing in jail for marrying secretly.

After you get the permission, one has to shave the beard,&nbsp;one can&rsquo;t marry according to the norms of Muslim culture. They will interview the girl and certainly the man. It is a lot of humiliation as to how they do.

As a Rohingya yourself, and someone&nbsp;who has been speaking up against atrocities committed against the community, what do you see as the solution to this crisis?

Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and other countries must stand&nbsp;up for the UN Security council to intervene, to send UN Peacekeeping Force to Burma. If this does not happen soon, there will be no more Rohingyas left in few more days.

I find India&rsquo;s recent decision to brand Rohingyas as &ldquo;terrorist&rdquo;&nbsp;disappointing. Rohingyas are peace loving people. We are not terrorists. Even if there were some attacks from the Rohingyas, it was an act of desperation. Sometimes we don&rsquo;t get water to drink, you have to understand. Burma has become an open prison for&nbsp;us.

"Aung San Suu Kyi is not speaking up for my people. I urge her, as she herself did once, please use your liberty to support ours", says Tun Khin.

It is monsoon in Burma now, the clouds gathering over the hills cast a long shadow on the lush green meadows of the Burmese countryside. The same shadow, may be a deeper one, has transported itself onto the face of Tun Khin. Tun is a human rights activist from Arakan State in Burma. He is a Rohingya-Muslim with large number of family members still living in Burma, a country which he fled in 2004, in pursuit of higher education in the UK. As the Rohingya villages get razed down and UN AID forcibly stopped, it became increasingly hectic for Tun Khin. As the Founder-President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, he was called upon by every international English channel under the sun for an interview. Rohingyas in Myanmar are beyond our reach, silenced and confined by a repressive regime. So, WION went exploring the pain, the struggle, the desperation and the grit of the Rohingyas through the words of Tun Khin. Incidentally, never once in the interview did Tun referred to Burma as Myanmar. “Myanmar is the name given by the military”, he explained to me. On the other hand, “Burma was used by Aung Suun Syu ki. While she was under house arrest, military government changed it to Myanmar.” Guessing that the change of name comes with lot of personal and political baggage for Tun, we stick with Burma during the interview. Even though my grandfather was a parliamentary secretary during the democratic period of 1950 to 1962 but I was not recognised as a citizen because of discriminatory laws, particularly the 1982 Citizenship Act that made Rohingyas stateless in their own country. × Why did you flee from your own country, Mr Khin? Because of continued persecution, I left. I could not go to a university in Burma. Why? What stopped you? In order to go to a university in Burma, one needs a citizenship card. A Rohingya does not have a citizenship card. So, he can’t apply to a university. Even though my grandfather was a parliamentary secretary during the democratic period of 1950 to 1962 but I was not recognised as a citizen because of discriminatory laws, particularly the 1982 Citizenship Act that made Rohingyas stateless in their own country. A Rohingya family begging for life and home. (Zee News Network) × Do you have family members still in Burma? Many of my relatives are trapped in Burma. Some of my relatives have been burnt alive. It is a horrific moment in our history we are witnessing. If you are saying that it is the most horrific moment the Rohingyas are experiencing, how do you explain the silence of Aung San Suu Kyi? I find it really frustrating. She is siding with the military. She won the Nobel Peace Prize, but how can she keep quiet as a human being when so many other human beings are being persecuted. The Rohingyas supported Aung San Suu Kyi when she was under house arrest. I have personally campaigned for her release in the UK, European Union and in the European Union Human Rights Commission. But, Aung San Suu Kyi is not speaking up for my people. I urge her, as she herself did once, please use your liberty to support ours. I find India’s recent decision to brand Rohingyas as “terrorist” disappointing. Rohingyas are peace loving people. We are not terrorists. × Why do you think the military in Myanmar is cracking down so hard on the Rohingyas? When you look at the Rohingyas, it is a political and a religious persecution we are facing. It is a systematic well-planned move to wipe out the Rohingyas. That is the basic plan of the Burmese military. Rohingya look like Indians, not like other Burmese people. So, they (Burmese military) don’t want to see in the country people of South Asian appearance. There is a kind of hatred that I have witnessed. And, on top of it, there is a political angle. Rohingya are the largest Muslim minority in Myanmar. Hate crime/genocide/ethnic cleansing - these and many others terms are being used to describe what is happening to the Rohingyas, a Rohingya yourself, how do you see it? I completely agree that it is a genocide. It is not even ethnic cleansing. Why? Because direct killings are involved in it. Rohingya have been facing decades of persecution. After 1962, when a general came to power they stripped us of ethnic rights and then by the 1982 law of the citizenship rights.They imposed restrictions on movements and marriage (as well as) confiscation of land by the government and military. They started creating popular violence against Rohingyas. Resulting in mass migration to Bangladesh and India. How come in a free, democratic country a Rohingya can’t move about? Will you please explain? If a Rohingya wants to move from one city of Burma to another, a pass is needed which will take 5-7 days. And, that also he will get after bribing some government official. If a Rohingya wants to get married, he has to apply for a permit. It will take like 3 to 5 years. × If a Rohingya wants to get married, he has to apply for a permit. It will take like 3 to 5 years. You can’t get married without that permission. Only if you provide a big bribe, you can get it in one year. That bribe can range between $500-1000. But Rohingyas have become weak, they don’t have much money. Left with no other option, they marry secretly. There are many Rohingyas who marry secretly. And for marrying secretly, the government can send you to jail for 5-7 years. This has been documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch etc. UN Reporter Mr Quinta has documented how many Rohingyas are languishing in jail for marrying secretly. After you get the permission, one has to shave the beard, one can’t marry according to the norms of Muslim culture. They will interview the girl and certainly the man. It is a lot of humiliation as to how they do. As a Rohingya yourself, and someone who has been speaking up against atrocities committed against the community, what do you see as the solution to this crisis? Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and other countries must stand up for the UN Security council to intervene, to send UN Peacekeeping Force to Burma. If this does not happen soon, there will be no more Rohingyas left in few more days. I find India’s recent decision to brand Rohingyas as “terrorist” disappointing. Rohingyas are peace loving people. We are not terrorists. Even if there were some attacks from the Rohingyas, it was an act of desperation. Sometimes we don’t get water to drink, you have to understand. Burma has become an open prison for us.

"I am a Rohingya. And Rohingyas are not terrorist": Rohingya activist Tun Khin speaks to WION

At least five children have been killed after&nbsp;several boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar sank early on Wednesday.

&quot;So far, the bodies of five male and female children have been found at different locations,&quot; Border Guard Bangladesh officer Alyosius Sangma told AFP. 
&nbsp;

Developing

A Bangladesh border officer said five male and female children were killed after boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar sank

At least five children have been killed after several boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar sank early on Wednesday. "So far, the bodies of five male and female children have been found at different locations," Border Guard Bangladesh officer Alyosius Sangma told AFP. Developing

Boats carrying Rohingya refugees sinks, five children dead

Rohingyas of no man&#39;s land -- Who are they?

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indonesian-minister-to-meet-suu-kyi-amid-protests-over-rohingya-19834">Rohingyas are frequently described as the world&#39;s</a> most persecuted social minority group. For centuries, the marginalised Muslim group have been living&nbsp;in Rakhine state in&nbsp;Buddhist dominated Myanmar.

As much as 90% of Myanmar&#39;s population follow Buddhism. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingyas-fleeing-violence-in-myanmar-turned-back-by-bangladesh-9442">Rohingyas are not recognised as citizens</a> and are considered illegal migrants. The South Asian country has 135 official ethnic groups and Rohingyas are not one of them.

Roughly 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims live in the country at the moment. They have been denied citizenship since 1982, leaving them stateless. The group is confined to the western coastal state of Rakhine and are not allowed to leave without the government&#39;s permission. The area does not have basic amenities and is, therefore, the poorest state of the country.&nbsp;

Due to the ongoing disturbance, several thousands of Rohingyas have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Where do they belong?

According to historians, Rohingyas have roots in Myanmar since the 12th century. Historians say&nbsp;Rakhine state has been inhabited by them since time immemorial.

During the times when British had colonised a major region of South Asia, several Muslims migrated from India and Bangladesh to Myanmar. Since Myanmar was considered a province of India under the British rule, the migration was considered legal and internal.

They were brought into British Burma as cheap labour. However, the locals and natives were not happy about this and when Myanmar&nbsp;got independence, they declared the Muslim groups as illegal.

The term Rohingya is rejected by the government and is called a recent invention for political reasons. Rohingyas are considered newcomers and outcast by the majority in the country.

However, after independence, the government allowed Rohingya families living in Myanmar for at least two generations to apply for ID cards or citizenship. Some from the group were also serving in&nbsp;Parliament.

Things changed for them after the 1962 military coup - they were given foreign ID cards - thereby limiting educational and employment opportunities.

In 1982, the new citizenship law declared them stateless. The only way for them to obtain naturalised citizenship was to provide proof of their family living in Myanmar prior to 1948 and speak any of the national languages fluently.

Otherwise, the 1.6 per cent of the country&#39;s population was denied work, study, religious, health, voting and marital rights.

The ongoing crisis

In late August, in an act of protest, Rohingya insurgents attacked the country&#39;s army base and police posts. The military, in return, started firing. Unarmed and innocent people were shot by the government.

At least 10 areas of Rakhine state have been affected. As a result, more than 50,000 people have fled and thousands are still trapped in borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Bangladesh has refused to let more Rohingyas enter.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army is a group formed to &quot;defend, salvage and protect the community&quot;.

However, it is considered a &quot;terrorist&quot; organisation by the government. The group claims responsibility for the attack in August. &nbsp;According to the government, nearly 400 people were killed, the majority of whom were members of the ARSA. Rights groups, however, say hundreds of civilians have been killed by security forces. &nbsp;

This is termed as the biggest humanitarian crisis by the United Nations.

 
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Stuck in no man's land, the most persecuted social group strives for identity

Rohingyas of no man's land -- Who are they? Rohingyas are frequently described as the world's most persecuted social minority group. For centuries, the marginalised Muslim group have been living in Rakhine state in Buddhist dominated Myanmar. As much as 90% of Myanmar's population follow Buddhism. Rohingyas are not recognised as citizens and are considered illegal migrants. The South Asian country has 135 official ethnic groups and Rohingyas are not one of them. Roughly 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims live in the country at the moment. They have been denied citizenship since 1982, leaving them stateless. The group is confined to the western coastal state of Rakhine and are not allowed to leave without the government's permission. The area does not have basic amenities and is, therefore, the poorest state of the country. Due to the ongoing disturbance, several thousands of Rohingyas have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Where do they belong? According to historians, Rohingyas have roots in Myanmar since the 12th century. Historians say Rakhine state has been inhabited by them since time immemorial. During the times when British had colonised a major region of South Asia, several Muslims migrated from India and Bangladesh to Myanmar. Since Myanmar was considered a province of India under the British rule, the migration was considered legal and internal. They were brought into British Burma as cheap labour. However, the locals and natives were not happy about this and when Myanmar got independence, they declared the Muslim groups as illegal. The term Rohingya is rejected by the government and is called a recent invention for political reasons. Rohingyas are considered newcomers and outcast by the majority in the country. However, after independence, the government allowed Rohingya families living in Myanmar for at least two generations to apply for ID cards or citizenship. Some from the group were also serving in Parliament. Things changed for them after the 1962 military coup - they were given foreign ID cards - thereby limiting educational and employment opportunities. In 1982, the new citizenship law declared them stateless. The only way for them to obtain naturalised citizenship was to provide proof of their family living in Myanmar prior to 1948 and speak any of the national languages fluently. Otherwise, the 1.6 per cent of the country's population was denied work, study, religious, health, voting and marital rights. The ongoing crisis In late August, in an act of protest, Rohingya insurgents attacked the country's army base and police posts. The military, in return, started firing. Unarmed and innocent people were shot by the government. At least 10 areas of Rakhine state have been affected. As a result, more than 50,000 people have fled and thousands are still trapped in borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Bangladesh has refused to let more Rohingyas enter. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army is a group formed to "defend, salvage and protect the community". However, it is considered a "terrorist" organisation by the government. The group claims responsibility for the attack in August. According to the government, nearly 400 people were killed, the majority of whom were members of the ARSA. Rights groups, however, say hundreds of civilians have been killed by security forces. This is termed as the biggest humanitarian crisis by the United Nations.

All you need to know about Rohingyas and the ongoing crisis

Indonesian police have pledged to bar Islamist groups from staging a rally on Friday at the Borobudur Buddhist temple in central Java to protest against the persecution of Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya Muslims.

Islamist groups say they plan the demonstration close to the stupa-topped Borobudur temple, which dates from the 9th century and is a popular tourist site, to call for an end to violence against the religious and ethnic minority in Myanmar.

Indonesia has the world&#39;s largest population of Muslims and there have been a number of anti-Myanmar protests in Jakarta and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur over the treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar&#39;s roughly 1.1 million Rohingyas.

Almost 125,000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee clashes between Rohingya insurgents and the army in the northwest Rakhine state. Tens of thousands have crossed the border into neighbouring Bangladesh.

&quot;The action at Borobudur temple will be prohibited,&quot; National Police Chief Tito Karnavian told reporters, according to media.

&quot;This is not just part of the heritage of Indonesia, but that of the world. There is no need for protests in response to the Rohingya conflict because the Indonesian government is taking action on it already.&quot;

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and top security officials to call for a halt to the bloodshed. Marsudi was due in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, on Tuesday.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed &quot;deep anguish at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims&quot; and urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take &quot;immediate and effective action to bring an end to all human-rights violations against innocent and unarmed Rohingya Muslim population&quot;.

An organiser of Friday&#39;s planned protest said the groups wanted to protest peacefully near the Borobodur temple to show Indonesia&#39;s tolerance.

&quot;The Borobudur is an extraordinary symbol of tolerance,&quot; said Anang Imamuddin. &quot;We want the world to know that it is in a majority Muslim country but it is safe. Buddhist monks are safe here too.&quot;

Islamist groups say they plan the demonstration close to the stupa-topped Borobudur temple, to call for an end to violence against the religious and ethnic minority in Myanmar.

Indonesian police have pledged to bar Islamist groups from staging a rally on Friday at the Borobudur Buddhist temple in central Java to protest against the persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims. Islamist groups say they plan the demonstration close to the stupa-topped Borobudur temple, which dates from the 9th century and is a popular tourist site, to call for an end to violence against the religious and ethnic minority in Myanmar. Indonesia has the world's largest population of Muslims and there have been a number of anti-Myanmar protests in Jakarta and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur over the treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar's roughly 1.1 million Rohingyas. Almost 125,000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee clashes between Rohingya insurgents and the army in the northwest Rakhine state. Tens of thousands have crossed the border into neighbouring Bangladesh. "The action at Borobudur temple will be prohibited," National Police Chief Tito Karnavian told reporters, according to media. "This is not just part of the heritage of Indonesia, but that of the world. There is no need for protests in response to the Rohingya conflict because the Indonesian government is taking action on it already." Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and top security officials to call for a halt to the bloodshed. Marsudi was due in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, on Tuesday. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed "deep anguish at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims" and urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take "immediate and effective action to bring an end to all human-rights violations against innocent and unarmed Rohingya Muslim population". An organiser of Friday's planned protest said the groups wanted to protest peacefully near the Borobodur temple to show Indonesia's tolerance. "The Borobudur is an extraordinary symbol of tolerance," said Anang Imamuddin. "We want the world to know that it is in a majority Muslim country but it is safe. Buddhist monks are safe here too."

Indonesia to bar Myanmar protest at world's biggest Buddhist temple

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indonesian-minister-to-meet-suu-kyi-amid-protests-over-rohingya-19834">Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi</a> has come under pressure from countries with large Muslim populations including Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan to stop violence against Rohingya Muslims after nearly 125,000 of them fled to Bangladesh.

Indonesian foreign minister met the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing on Monday to call on Myanmar to halt the bloodshed. The minister, Retno Marsudi, was due in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

&quot;The security authorities need to immediately stop all forms of violence there and provide humanitarian assistance and development aid for the short and long term,&quot; Retno said after her meetings in the Myanmar capital.

The latest violence in Myanmar&#39;s northwestern Rakhine state began on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh.

The treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar&#39;s roughly 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya is the biggest challenge facing Suu Kyi, who has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution.

Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against &quot;terrorists&quot; responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October.

Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force Rohingya out with a campaign of arson and killings.

&quot;Indonesia is taking the lead on this and ultimately there is a possibility of ASEAN countries joining in,&quot; H.T. Imam, political adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, told Reuters, referring to the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, of which both Myanmar and Indonesia are members.

&quot;If we can keep the pressure on Myanmar from ASEAN, from India as well, that will be good.&quot;

CONSCIENCE AWAKENED?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a visit to Myanmar later on Tuesday, during which he is due to meet top officials, including Suu Kyi.

&quot;PM Modi is going there and our foreign secretary has already briefed the foreign secretary of India on this. If international conscience is awakened then that would put pressure on Myanmar,&quot; said H.T. Imam.

The latest estimate of the number of people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, based on calculations by U.N. workers on the Bangladeshi side, is 123,600.

That takes to about 210,000 the number of Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh since October, when Rohingya insurgents staged much smaller attacks on security posts, triggering a major Myanmar army counteroffensive and sending about 87,000 people fleeing into Bangladesh.

The new arrivals - many sick or wounded with burns or bullet wounds - have strained aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous spasms of violence in Myanmar.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed &quot;deep anguish at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims&quot; and urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take &quot;immediate and effective action to bring an end to all human-rights violations against innocent and unarmed Rohingya Muslim population&quot;.

Pakistan is home to a large Rohingya community.

Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, on Monday called on Suu Kyi to condemn the &quot;shameful&quot; treatment of the Rohingya, saying &quot;the world is waiting&quot; for her to speak out.

Indonesian foreign minister met the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing on Monday to call on Myanmar to halt the bloodshed. The minister, Retno Marsudi, was due in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has come under pressure from countries with large Muslim populations including Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan to stop violence against Rohingya Muslims after nearly 125,000 of them fled to Bangladesh. Indonesian foreign minister met the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing on Monday to call on Myanmar to halt the bloodshed. The minister, Retno Marsudi, was due in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday. "The security authorities need to immediately stop all forms of violence there and provide humanitarian assistance and development aid for the short and long term," Retno said after her meetings in the Myanmar capital. The latest violence in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state began on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh. The treatment of Buddhist-majority Myanmar's roughly 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya is the biggest challenge facing Suu Kyi, who has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution. Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October. Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force Rohingya out with a campaign of arson and killings. "Indonesia is taking the lead on this and ultimately there is a possibility of ASEAN countries joining in," H.T. Imam, political adviser to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, told Reuters, referring to the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations, of which both Myanmar and Indonesia are members. "If we can keep the pressure on Myanmar from ASEAN, from India as well, that will be good." CONSCIENCE AWAKENED? Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a visit to Myanmar later on Tuesday, during which he is due to meet top officials, including Suu Kyi. "PM Modi is going there and our foreign secretary has already briefed the foreign secretary of India on this. If international conscience is awakened then that would put pressure on Myanmar," said H.T. Imam. The latest estimate of the number of people who have crossed the border into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, based on calculations by U.N. workers on the Bangladeshi side, is 123,600. That takes to about 210,000 the number of Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh since October, when Rohingya insurgents staged much smaller attacks on security posts, triggering a major Myanmar army counteroffensive and sending about 87,000 people fleeing into Bangladesh. The new arrivals - many sick or wounded with burns or bullet wounds - have strained aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous spasms of violence in Myanmar. Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif expressed "deep anguish at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims" and urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take "immediate and effective action to bring an end to all human-rights violations against innocent and unarmed Rohingya Muslim population". Pakistan is home to a large Rohingya community. Malala Yousafzai, the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, on Monday called on Suu Kyi to condemn the "shameful" treatment of the Rohingya, saying "the world is waiting" for her to speak out.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi under pressure as almost 125,000 Rohingya flee violence

Indonesia&#39;s foreign minister is due to meet Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday to discuss delivering <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-of-rohingyas-seek-safety-in-bangladesh-as-clashes-in-myanamr-intensify-19661">humanitarian aid to members of Myanmar&#39;s Rohingya minority</a>, as Indonesian protesters urged their government to take a tougher line.

Dozens of I<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-violence-thousands-of-rohingyas-enter-bangladesh-more-stranded-in-no-mans-land-19554">ndonesians protested outside the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta</a> on Monday, calling for a cut in diplomatic ties with Myanmar over violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Aid agencies estimate that about 90,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh since violence erupted in the north of Rakhine state last week.

&quot;We will discuss in detail Indonesia&#39;s proposal on how Indonesia can give humanitarian aid to Rakhine state,&quot; Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a video statement from the Myanmar city of Yangon.

She is also scheduled to travel to Bangladesh to urge authorities there to protect fleeing Rohingya refugees.

In a sign of mounting public anger in Jakarta, a petrol bomb was thrown at the Myanmar embassy on Sunday, causing a small fire.

The protests follow demonstrations in Malaysia and condemnation from world leaders such as President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who on Friday said the violence against Muslims amounted to genocide.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries. Bangladesh is also growing increasingly hostile to Rohingya, more than 400,000 of whom live in the poor South Asian country after fleeing Myanmar since the early 1990s.

Indonesia is home to the world&#39;s largest population of Muslims. Its government has been actively involved in providing aid for Myanmar to develop Rakhine state and protect the rights of the Rohingya, alongside the majority Buddhist community.

Ifah Rohma, an activist from a Jakarta-based organisation called Muslim Friends of Rohingya, said many Indonesians as fellow Muslims were concerned about the fate of Rohingya.

&quot;Indonesia should not be engaging in soft diplomacy,&quot; Rohma said outside the Myanmar embassy, which was surrounded by heavy security and barbed wire.

&quot;Now is the time to cut ties, recall our ambassador and expel their ambassador,&quot; she said.

Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against &quot;terrorists&quot; responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October.

Dozens of Indonesians protested outside the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta on Monday, calling for a cut in diplomatic ties with Myanmar over violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

Indonesia's foreign minister is due to meet Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday to discuss delivering humanitarian aid to members of Myanmar's Rohingya minority, as Indonesian protesters urged their government to take a tougher line. Dozens of Indonesians protested outside the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta on Monday, calling for a cut in diplomatic ties with Myanmar over violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority. Aid agencies estimate that about 90,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh since violence erupted in the north of Rakhine state last week. "We will discuss in detail Indonesia's proposal on how Indonesia can give humanitarian aid to Rakhine state," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said in a video statement from the Myanmar city of Yangon. She is also scheduled to travel to Bangladesh to urge authorities there to protect fleeing Rohingya refugees. In a sign of mounting public anger in Jakarta, a petrol bomb was thrown at the Myanmar embassy on Sunday, causing a small fire. The protests follow demonstrations in Malaysia and condemnation from world leaders such as President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who on Friday said the violence against Muslims amounted to genocide. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries. Bangladesh is also growing increasingly hostile to Rohingya, more than 400,000 of whom live in the poor South Asian country after fleeing Myanmar since the early 1990s. Indonesia is home to the world's largest population of Muslims. Its government has been actively involved in providing aid for Myanmar to develop Rakhine state and protect the rights of the Rohingya, alongside the majority Buddhist community. Ifah Rohma, an activist from a Jakarta-based organisation called Muslim Friends of Rohingya, said many Indonesians as fellow Muslims were concerned about the fate of Rohingya. "Indonesia should not be engaging in soft diplomacy," Rohma said outside the Myanmar embassy, which was surrounded by heavy security and barbed wire. "Now is the time to cut ties, recall our ambassador and expel their ambassador," she said. Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October.

Indonesian minister to meet Suu Kyi amid protests over Rohingyas

Mo&nbsp;Farah&nbsp;won the final&nbsp;track&nbsp;race&nbsp;of his career by the skin of his teeth on Thursday, clinching a dramatic 5,000 metres win after three chasing rivals collided with each other in the&nbsp;last&nbsp;couple of metres.

World champion Muktar Edris, who beat&nbsp;Farah&nbsp;at the World Championships in London two weeks ago, was among the trio left sprawled on the&nbsp;track&nbsp;in the Briton&#39;s wake as&nbsp;Farah&nbsp;dived over the line.

With quadruple Olympic and six-time world champion&nbsp;Farah&nbsp;leading going into the final straight, Ethiopian Edris came powering through and appeared set to snatch victory on the line.

But Edris tripped after being clipped on the shoulder by Paul Chelimo as the American tried to force his way through a gap and he, in turn, bowled over Yomif Kejelcha, another Ethiopian, on the outside.

Chelimo stumbled over the line in second and Edris&#39;s momentum took him over in third.

Britain&#39;s greatest&nbsp;racer,&nbsp;and perhaps the best the world has seen too after 10 global title&nbsp;wins, will take to the roads next season to run marathons.

Farah&nbsp;stayed on Edris&#39;s shoulder for almost the whole&nbsp;race&nbsp;as they gradually moved up to the field, determined not to be outsmarted by his rivals.

&quot;It&#39;s amazing to come away with a win today,&quot;&nbsp;Farah&nbsp;told reporters.

&quot;I&#39;ve been resting up and watching Edris, what tactics he normally uses, studying, working out and tonight the game plan was to sit on him and make him do a lot of the work,&quot; he added.

&quot;Going into the&nbsp;last&nbsp;lap, the plan was not to give anyone an inch, and that&#39;s what I did.&quot;

&quot;I will really miss it but everything must come to an end sometime.&quot;

There was plenty of drama elsewhere, not least in the 400 metres which were won by Botswana&#39;s Isaac Makwala who was barred from the same event in London by the IAAF after falling ill despite the athlete saying he was fit to run.

Olympic champion Ruth Jebet, fifth in London, ran the second-fastest time in history in the women&#39;s 3,000 metres steeplechase, the Bahraini winning in 8:55.29, nearly 20 seconds ahead of fourth-placed world champion Emma Coburn of the United States.

Justin Gatlin, who upstaged Usain Bolt in the Jamaican&#39;s final 100 metres in London, was fourth in his&nbsp;race, won by Britain&#39;s Chijindu Ujah in 9.97 seconds.

Dafne Schippers, world champion in the 200 metres, was also fourth as Shaunae Miller-Uibo produced a late surge over the&nbsp;last&nbsp;few metres to win in a Bahamas record time of 21.88 seconds. Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was second.

Norway&#39;s Karsten Warholm, a surprise world champion in the 400 metres hurdles, was upstaged by Kyron McMaster of British Virgin Islands after he faltered at the eighth barrier.

Timothy Cheruiyot, the silver medallist in London, won the men&#39;s 1,500 metres while world champion and fellow Kenyan Elijah Manangoi was third.

There were no surprises, however, in the women&#39;s 800 metres where South African Caster Semenya powered into the lead with around 200 metres left to win comfortably.

Other world champions who celebrated their triumphs in style included Qatar&#39;s Mutaz Essa Barshim who won the high jump with 2.36 metres and Sam Kendricks of the United States who took the pole vault with 5.87 metres.

The dead had been trying to cross the Naf river into Bangladesh

Mo Farah won the final track race of his career by the skin of his teeth on Thursday, clinching a dramatic 5,000 metres win after three chasing rivals collided with each other in the last couple of metres. World champion Muktar Edris, who beat Farah at the World Championships in London two weeks ago, was among the trio left sprawled on the track in the Briton's wake as Farah dived over the line. With quadruple Olympic and six-time world champion Farah leading going into the final straight, Ethiopian Edris came powering through and appeared set to snatch victory on the line. But Edris tripped after being clipped on the shoulder by Paul Chelimo as the American tried to force his way through a gap and he, in turn, bowled over Yomif Kejelcha, another Ethiopian, on the outside. Chelimo stumbled over the line in second and Edris's momentum took him over in third. Britain's greatest racer, and perhaps the best the world has seen too after 10 global title wins, will take to the roads next season to run marathons. Farah stayed on Edris's shoulder for almost the whole race as they gradually moved up to the field, determined not to be outsmarted by his rivals. "It's amazing to come away with a win today," Farah told reporters. "I've been resting up and watching Edris, what tactics he normally uses, studying, working out and tonight the game plan was to sit on him and make him do a lot of the work," he added. "Going into the last lap, the plan was not to give anyone an inch, and that's what I did." "I will really miss it but everything must come to an end sometime." There was plenty of drama elsewhere, not least in the 400 metres which were won by Botswana's Isaac Makwala who was barred from the same event in London by the IAAF after falling ill despite the athlete saying he was fit to run. Olympic champion Ruth Jebet, fifth in London, ran the second-fastest time in history in the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase, the Bahraini winning in 8:55.29, nearly 20 seconds ahead of fourth-placed world champion Emma Coburn of the United States. Justin Gatlin, who upstaged Usain Bolt in the Jamaican's final 100 metres in London, was fourth in his race, won by Britain's Chijindu Ujah in 9.97 seconds. Dafne Schippers, world champion in the 200 metres, was also fourth as Shaunae Miller-Uibo produced a late surge over the last few metres to win in a Bahamas record time of 21.88 seconds. Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was second. Norway's Karsten Warholm, a surprise world champion in the 400 metres hurdles, was upstaged by Kyron McMaster of British Virgin Islands after he faltered at the eighth barrier. Timothy Cheruiyot, the silver medallist in London, won the men's 1,500 metres while world champion and fellow Kenyan Elijah Manangoi was third. There were no surprises, however, in the women's 800 metres where South African Caster Semenya powered into the lead with around 200 metres left to win comfortably. Other world champions who celebrated their triumphs in style included Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim who won the high jump with 2.36 metres and Sam Kendricks of the United States who took the pole vault with 5.87 metres.

As bodies wash up, UN says 27,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar

Around 9,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled north-west Myanmar, which has been hit by violence triggered by coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Myanmar&#39;s security forces.

Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state.

Authorities in Myanmar have evacuated thousands of Rohingya Buddhists.&nbsp;

United Nations, while taking note of the violence, asked the Myanmar government to protect civilian lives without discrimination, Reuters said in a report.

In one of the worst incidents of violence in Myanmar involving Rohingyas, 109 people have been killed so far in the clashes.

&quot;The situation is very terrifying, houses are burning, all the people ran away from their homes, parents and children were divided, some were lost, some are dead,&quot; Reuters quoted one of the Rohingyas as saying.

Rohingya Muslims face discrimination in Myanmar. The government in Myanmar calls them illegal immigrants and denies citizenship rights to them.

Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state

Around 9,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled north-west Myanmar, which has been hit by violence triggered by coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on Myanmar's security forces. Many are still stuck at the Bangladesh border hoping to flee the violence-hit Rakhine state. Authorities in Myanmar have evacuated thousands of Rohingya Buddhists. United Nations, while taking note of the violence, asked the Myanmar government to protect civilian lives without discrimination, Reuters said in a report. In one of the worst incidents of violence in Myanmar involving Rohingyas, 109 people have been killed so far in the clashes. "The situation is very terrifying, houses are burning, all the people ran away from their homes, parents and children were divided, some were lost, some are dead," Reuters quoted one of the Rohingyas as saying. Rohingya Muslims face discrimination in Myanmar. The government in Myanmar calls them illegal immigrants and denies citizenship rights to them.

Thousands of Rohingyas seek safety in Bangladesh as clashes in Myanmar intensify

Hundreds of people gathered in Yangon, one of Myanmar&#39;s largest cities, on Wednesday (August 30) to protest against the latest insurgent attack in northwestern Rakhine State and the findings and recommendations of Kofi Annan&#39;s Rakhine State Advisory Commission on the Rohingya crisis.

Nationalists who joined the protest have called for the Tatmadaw, Myanmar&#39;s military, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-unrest-villagers-aid-workers-escape-violence-19579">to &#39;take control&#39; in the Rakhine state after Friday&#39;s (August 25)</a> series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in the north of Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state.

The attack and ensuing clashes triggered the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/thousands-of-rohingyas-seek-safety-in-bangladesh-as-clashes-in-myanamr-intensify-19661">Rohingya exodus with more than 18,000 Rohingya Muslims</a> fleeing into Bangladesh and the government evacuated thousands of Rakhine Buddhists.

The former UN chief&#39;s commission, appointed last year by leader Aung San Suu Kyi to come up with long-term solutions for the violence-driven, ethnically and religiously divided Rakhine state, said perpetrators of rights abuses should be held accountable or risk the deteriorating of the situation.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries.

People gathered in hundreds in protest against the insurgent attack in Rakhine state

Hundreds of people gathered in Yangon, one of Myanmar's largest cities, on Wednesday (August 30) to protest against the latest insurgent attack in northwestern Rakhine State and the findings and recommendations of Kofi Annan's Rakhine State Advisory Commission on the Rohingya crisis. Nationalists who joined the protest have called for the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's military, to 'take control' in the Rakhine state after Friday's (August 25) series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in the north of Myanmar's Rakhine state. The attack and ensuing clashes triggered the Rohingya exodus with more than 18,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing into Bangladesh and the government evacuated thousands of Rakhine Buddhists. The former UN chief's commission, appointed last year by leader Aung San Suu Kyi to come up with long-term solutions for the violence-driven, ethnically and religiously divided Rakhine state, said perpetrators of rights abuses should be held accountable or risk the deteriorating of the situation. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar and regarded as illegal immigrants, despite claiming roots that date back centuries.

Myanmar nationalists call for military to 'take control' in Rakhine

As violence erupts in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-witnesses-fresh-influx-of-rohingya-muslims-from-myanmar-19108">Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine state, the government evacuated</a> more than 4,000 non-Muslim villagers. Moreover, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-violence-thousands-of-rohingyas-enter-bangladesh-more-stranded-in-no-mans-land-19554">thousands of Rohingya Muslims crossed </a>the border to enter Bangladesh to escape the unrest.

The outbreak involved clashes between the military and several hundred of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine. According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw.

International aid workers from different organisations&nbsp;who were residing in Maungdaw&nbsp;were seen fleeing the township of Buthiduang--since the area is in close proximity to the villages hit by the conflict. The situation further worsened in Rakhine state&#39;s capital Sittwe.

According to Reuters, the death toll from coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents reached 104 which&nbsp;included majority militants, security forces and several innocent civilians.

The government is investigating if representatives of international aid groups were involved in an alleged blockade by the insurgents of a village in Rakhine.

According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw

As violence erupts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the government evacuated more than 4,000 non-Muslim villagers. Moreover, thousands of Rohingya Muslims crossed the border to enter Bangladesh to escape the unrest. The outbreak involved clashes between the military and several hundred of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine. According to the residents and the government, the most aggressive fight took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw. International aid workers from different organisations who were residing in Maungdaw were seen fleeing the township of Buthiduang--since the area is in close proximity to the villages hit by the conflict. The situation further worsened in Rakhine state's capital Sittwe. According to Reuters, the death toll from coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents reached 104 which included majority militants, security forces and several innocent civilians. The government is investigating if representatives of international aid groups were involved in an alleged blockade by the insurgents of a village in Rakhine.

Myanmar unrest: Villagers, aid workers flee Buthiduang

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh in recent days following a fresh military build-up in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, community leaders said Wednesday.

They said at least 500 Rohingya had made the difficult journey into Bangladesh, some claiming they had been abused by soldiers in Myanmar.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-hide-run-pay-and-stay-alive-891">Also read:&nbsp;Rohingya refugees--Hide, run, pay and stay alive</a>

The latest influx follows a months-long bloody military crackdown on the mainly Muslim minority in Myanmar last year that led tens of thousands to flee across the border. The United Nations has said the violence may amount to ethnic cleansing.

Abu Toyyob said he escaped with his seven-member family as the army vandalised Rohingya houses and detained young men.

&quot;They arrested my younger brother from home and injured my two-year-old son by kicking him with boots,&quot; the 25-year-old told AFP.

&quot;I immediately set off with my family and crossed the Naf two nights ago,&quot; he added, referring to the river that divides the two countries.

Dhaka estimates that nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees are living in squalid refugee camps and makeshift settlements in the resort district of Cox&#39;s Bazar, which borders Rakhine.

Their numbers swelled last October when more than 70,000 Rohingya villagers began arriving, bringing stories of systematic rape, murder and arson at the hands of Myanmar soldiers.

Bangladesh border guards said they had stepped up patrols after reports of a military build-up on the other side of the river.

Last week, the UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee voiced alarm at reports that an army battalion had flown into Rakhine to help local authorities boost security in the region.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long faced criticism for its treatment of the more than one million Rohingya who live in Rakhine, who are seen as interlopers from Bangladesh, denied citizenship and access to basic rights.

But they are also increasingly unwelcome in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where police often blame them for crimes such as drug trafficking.

Dhaka has floated the idea of relocating tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote, flood-prone island off its coast, despite opposition from rights groups.

An official with the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which looks after settlements for unregistered Rohingya refugees, said the organisation was aware of new arrivals.

The numbers were &quot;not as alarming as the October influx,&quot; the official said.

Dhaka estimates that nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees are living in squalid refugee camps and makeshift settlements in the resort district of Cox's Bazar, which borders Rakhine

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh in recent days following a fresh military build-up in Myanmar's Rakhine state, community leaders said Wednesday. They said at least 500 Rohingya had made the difficult journey into Bangladesh, some claiming they had been abused by soldiers in Myanmar. Also read: Rohingya refugees--Hide, run, pay and stay alive The latest influx follows a months-long bloody military crackdown on the mainly Muslim minority in Myanmar last year that led tens of thousands to flee across the border. The United Nations has said the violence may amount to ethnic cleansing. Abu Toyyob said he escaped with his seven-member family as the army vandalised Rohingya houses and detained young men. "They arrested my younger brother from home and injured my two-year-old son by kicking him with boots," the 25-year-old told AFP. "I immediately set off with my family and crossed the Naf two nights ago," he added, referring to the river that divides the two countries. Dhaka estimates that nearly 400,000 Rohingya refugees are living in squalid refugee camps and makeshift settlements in the resort district of Cox's Bazar, which borders Rakhine. Their numbers swelled last October when more than 70,000 Rohingya villagers began arriving, bringing stories of systematic rape, murder and arson at the hands of Myanmar soldiers. Bangladesh border guards said they had stepped up patrols after reports of a military build-up on the other side of the river. Last week, the UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee voiced alarm at reports that an army battalion had flown into Rakhine to help local authorities boost security in the region. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long faced criticism for its treatment of the more than one million Rohingya who live in Rakhine, who are seen as interlopers from Bangladesh, denied citizenship and access to basic rights. But they are also increasingly unwelcome in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where police often blame them for crimes such as drug trafficking. Dhaka has floated the idea of relocating tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote, flood-prone island off its coast, despite opposition from rights groups. An official with the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which looks after settlements for unregistered Rohingya refugees, said the organisation was aware of new arrivals. The numbers were "not as alarming as the October influx," the official said.

Bangladesh witnesses fresh influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar

India is in talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar about its plan to deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims it says are living in the country illegally, a government spokesman said on Friday, with state governments told to form task forces for the purpose.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India.

New Delhi says only around 14,000 of the Rohingya living in India are registered with the UN refugee agency, making the rest illegal and liable to be sent back. India is not a signatory to UN conventions on refugees and no national law covers it.

&quot;These things are being discussed at diplomatic level with both Bangladesh and Myanmar,&quot; Interior Ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said.

&quot;More clarity will emerge at an appropriate time.&quot;

Junior Interior Minister Kiren Rijiju told parliament on Wednesday the federal government had directed state governments to &quot;constitute task forces at district levels to identify and deport the illegally staying foreign nationals&quot;.

Rijiju was in Myanmar recently to attend an event, although it was not clear if he discussed the Rohingya issue.

Officials in Myanmar could not be contacted immediately for comment.

Amnesty International has said deporting and abandoning the Rohingya would be &quot;unconscionable&quot;.

The Indian office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was &quot;trying to find the facts&quot; about New Delhi&#39;s plans to deport them.

Rohingya are generally reviled in India, where its 1.3 billion people are fighting for resources and job opportunities. Nationalist, anti-Islamic sentiments have also fuelled hatred towards them.

More than 75,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Oct. 9 after an insurgent group called Harakah al-Yaqin attacked Myanmar border police posts, prompting a huge security crackdown in which troops have been accused of murder and rape of Rohingya civilians.

A senior government official in Bangladesh, which has complained of being burdened by the heavy flow of refugees, said New Delhi was helping it solve the crisis.

The Rohingya in India live mainly in Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi in the north, Hyderabad in the south, and Rajasthan in the west.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India&#39;s only Muslim-majority state, drew widespread condemnation in April when it threatened to launch an &quot;identify and kill movement&quot; if the government did not deport Rohingya settlers there.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India

India is in talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar about its plan to deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims it says are living in the country illegally, a government spokesman said on Friday, with state governments told to form task forces for the purpose. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh since the early 1990s, with some of them then crossing over a porous border into Hindu-majority India. New Delhi says only around 14,000 of the Rohingya living in India are registered with the UN refugee agency, making the rest illegal and liable to be sent back. India is not a signatory to UN conventions on refugees and no national law covers it. "These things are being discussed at diplomatic level with both Bangladesh and Myanmar," Interior Ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said. "More clarity will emerge at an appropriate time." Junior Interior Minister Kiren Rijiju told parliament on Wednesday the federal government had directed state governments to "constitute task forces at district levels to identify and deport the illegally staying foreign nationals". Rijiju was in Myanmar recently to attend an event, although it was not clear if he discussed the Rohingya issue. Officials in Myanmar could not be contacted immediately for comment. Amnesty International has said deporting and abandoning the Rohingya would be "unconscionable". The Indian office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it was "trying to find the facts" about New Delhi's plans to deport them. Rohingya are generally reviled in India, where its 1.3 billion people are fighting for resources and job opportunities. Nationalist, anti-Islamic sentiments have also fuelled hatred towards them. More than 75,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Oct. 9 after an insurgent group called Harakah al-Yaqin attacked Myanmar border police posts, prompting a huge security crackdown in which troops have been accused of murder and rape of Rohingya civilians. A senior government official in Bangladesh, which has complained of being burdened by the heavy flow of refugees, said New Delhi was helping it solve the crisis. The Rohingya in India live mainly in Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi in the north, Hyderabad in the south, and Rajasthan in the west. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state, drew widespread condemnation in April when it threatened to launch an "identify and kill movement" if the government did not deport Rohingya settlers there.

India in talks with Myanmar, Bangladesh to deport 40,000 Rohingya

Myanmar may be seeking to &quot;expel&quot; all ethnic Rohingya from its territory, a UN rights expert said Monday, pushing for a high-level inquiry into abuses against the Muslim minority community.&nbsp;

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, said a full purge could be the ultimate goal of the institutional persecution and horrific violence being perpetrated against the Rohingya.

The evidence &quot;indicates the government may be trying to expel the Rohingya population from the country altogether,&quot; Lee told the UN rights council. &nbsp;

The army launched a bloody crackdown against the Rohingya in October in the northern Rakhine state, following attacks by militants on several border posts.

UN investigators say that during the military operation women were gang-raped by soldiers and Rohingya babies were slaughtered.&nbsp;

Lee wants the rights council to establish the UN&#39;s highest-level probe, a Commission of Inquiry, to investigate that crackdown as well as violent episodes in 2012 and 2014.&nbsp;

The council could set up the commission before its session ends later this month, but key players including the European Union have not yet backed Lee&#39;s call because of concern that a damning UN investigation might threaten the country&#39;s fragile democracy drive. &nbsp;

Representatives from the EU, The Netherlands and Britain all avoided the question of a Commission of Inquiry during Monday&#39;s discussion.&nbsp;

Britain&#39;s envoy to the council, Julian Braithwaite, said the international community needed to &quot;engage (Myanmar) without damaging the delicate civilian/military balance&quot;.

UN reports have blamed the security services for the atrocities, but they have also implicated the civilian government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which took over last year after decades of oppressive military rule.&nbsp;

Myanmar has pushed back against Lee&#39;s call for a Commission of Inquiry, insisting that its own investigation into the Rakhine crisis would uncover the facts.&nbsp;

But Lee told the council that the government&#39;s probe had already been proved inadequate.

(AFP)

The army launched a crackdown against Rohingya last October in Rakhine state, following attacks by militants on border posts

Myanmar may be seeking to "expel" all ethnic Rohingya from its territory, a UN rights expert said Monday, pushing for a high-level inquiry into abuses against the Muslim minority community. The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, said a full purge could be the ultimate goal of the institutional persecution and horrific violence being perpetrated against the Rohingya. The evidence "indicates the government may be trying to expel the Rohingya population from the country altogether," Lee told the UN rights council. The army launched a bloody crackdown against the Rohingya in October in the northern Rakhine state, following attacks by militants on several border posts. UN investigators say that during the military operation women were gang-raped by soldiers and Rohingya babies were slaughtered. Lee wants the rights council to establish the UN's highest-level probe, a Commission of Inquiry, to investigate that crackdown as well as violent episodes in 2012 and 2014. The council could set up the commission before its session ends later this month, but key players including the European Union have not yet backed Lee's call because of concern that a damning UN investigation might threaten the country's fragile democracy drive. Representatives from the EU, The Netherlands and Britain all avoided the question of a Commission of Inquiry during Monday's discussion. Britain's envoy to the council, Julian Braithwaite, said the international community needed to "engage (Myanmar) without damaging the delicate civilian/military balance". UN reports have blamed the security services for the atrocities, but they have also implicated the civilian government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which took over last year after decades of oppressive military rule. Myanmar has pushed back against Lee's call for a Commission of Inquiry, insisting that its own investigation into the Rakhine crisis would uncover the facts. But Lee told the council that the government's probe had already been proved inadequate. (AFP)

Myanmar may want to 'expel' all Rohingya Muslims: UN expert

Aung San Suu Kyi&nbsp;has denied the ethnic cleansing of Myanmar&#39;s Muslim minority, speaking to the BBC after the UN rights council agreed to investigate allegations against the army.

&quot;I don&#39;t think there is ethnic cleansing going on.&nbsp;I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening,&quot;&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;said in the interview televised on Wednesday.

Her one-year-old government has faced international condemnation for the treatment of the&nbsp;country&#39;s Rohingya Muslims, who are regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, prompting the UN rights council to agree last month to launch an investigation into violations against the minority.

The Geneva-based body&#39;s fact-finding mission will examine allegations of torture, murder and rape allegedly committed by troops.

Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;told the BBC there was &quot;a lot of hostility&quot; in the western state of Rakhine, where more than one million Rohingya live.

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<h5>Rohingya who have fled Myanmar have told UN rights office that soldiers executed babies in front of their mothers, as part of a campaign to terrorise the Muslim minority</h5>
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&quot;It is Muslims&nbsp;killing Muslims, as well, if they think they are collaborating with authorities.

&quot;It is not just a matter of ethnic cleansing.&nbsp;It is a matter of people on different sides of a divide, and this divide we are trying to close up. As best as possible and not to widen it further,&quot; she said.

Myanmar has launched its own domestic probe into possible crimes in Rahkine and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to head a commission tasked with healing long-simmering divisions between Buddhists and Muslims.

Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;said the army was &quot;not free to rape, pillage and torture&quot;.

&quot;They are free to go in and fight.&nbsp;And of course, that is in the constitution... Military matters are to be left to the army,&quot; she said, adding that she aimed to amend the constitution.&nbsp;

Almost 75,000 people from the persecuted minority have escaped to Bangladesh after the military launched operations in the north of Rakhine state to find Rohingya militants who raided police border posts in October.

Rohingya who have fled have told UN rights office that soldiers executed babies in front of their mothers, as part of a campaign to terrorise the Muslim minority.

(AFP)

'I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening,' she told the BBC

Aung San Suu Kyi has denied the ethnic cleansing of Myanmar's Muslim minority, speaking to the BBC after the UN rights council agreed to investigate allegations against the army. "I don't think there is ethnic cleansing going on. I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening," Suu Kyi said in the interview televised on Wednesday. Her one-year-old government has faced international condemnation for the treatment of the country's Rohingya Muslims, who are regarded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, prompting the UN rights council to agree last month to launch an investigation into violations against the minority. The Geneva-based body's fact-finding mission will examine allegations of torture, murder and rape allegedly committed by troops. Suu Kyi told the BBC there was "a lot of hostility" in the western state of Rakhine, where more than one million Rohingya live. Rohingya who have fled Myanmar have told UN rights office that soldiers executed babies in front of their mothers, as part of a campaign to terrorise the Muslim minority × "It is Muslims killing Muslims, as well, if they think they are collaborating with authorities. "It is not just a matter of ethnic cleansing. It is a matter of people on different sides of a divide, and this divide we are trying to close up. As best as possible and not to widen it further," she said. Myanmar has launched its own domestic probe into possible crimes in Rahkine and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to head a commission tasked with healing long-simmering divisions between Buddhists and Muslims. Suu Kyi said the army was "not free to rape, pillage and torture". "They are free to go in and fight. And of course, that is in the constitution... Military matters are to be left to the army," she said, adding that she aimed to amend the constitution. Almost 75,000 people from the persecuted minority have escaped to Bangladesh after the military launched operations in the north of Rakhine state to find Rohingya militants who raided police border posts in October. Rohingya who have fled have told UN rights office that soldiers executed babies in front of their mothers, as part of a campaign to terrorise the Muslim minority. (AFP)

Suu Kyi denies ethnic cleansing of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims

The Muslim Rohingya minority has urged Bangladesh to coerce neighbouring Myanmar to allow them to return to their ancestral land through international pressure.

Scores of thousands of Rohingyas are fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh following a bloody army crackdown, especially in the riven western state of Rakhine --&nbsp;an action that has drawn widespread rebuke from the international community.

Around 70,000 Rohingya Muslims have entered Bangladesh since &quot;clearing operations&quot; began four months back, sparking a grievous refugee crisis in the Southasian nation.

Since then, Bangladesh has resurrected plans to relocate the thousands of refugess to a remote island called Thengar Char in the Bay of Bengal. But Dhaka&#39;s plan to shift them there has faced stiff controversy as critics say the island is inhabitable and prone to flooding.

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President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation, Tun Khin, told WION Dhaka&#39;s plan to relocate the Rohingya Muslims&nbsp;would &quot;not solve the problem&quot;.

Instead, he felt that the problem would not be alleviated &quot;until the Burmese government do not stop these human rights abuses and restore their right to their native land&quot;.

Rohingya Muslims have lived in Myanmar for centuries but have faced persecution from the Burmese authorities.

There are 1.1 million Rohingya residing in Myanmar, many of whom who have stayed in the country for generations but they are still viewed by many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Malaysian aid ship reaches Bangladesh

A Malaysian ship carrying aid for thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled a bloody army crackdown in Myanmar docked in Bangladesh Tuesday, days after it met with protests in Yangon.

Senior Bangladeshi officials and Malaysian diplomats gathered at Chittagong port as Nautical Aliya docked in the southern city, from where its aid cargo will be transported to Rohingya camps.

The shipment was received by local officials of the Red Crescent and International Organisation of Migration at the port&rsquo;s container terminal in a brief handover ceremony.

Trucks will carry the 1,472 tonnes of food, clothing and medical items to Cox&#39;s Bazar, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Chittagong for distribution to tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Burmese Rohingya Organisation said Myanmar homecoming and not Bangladesh's refugees' relocation plan would solve the problem

The Muslim Rohingya minority has urged Bangladesh to coerce neighbouring Myanmar to allow them to return to their ancestral land through international pressure. Scores of thousands of Rohingyas are fleeing Myanmar for Bangladesh following a bloody army crackdown, especially in the riven western state of Rakhine -- an action that has drawn widespread rebuke from the international community. Around 70,000 Rohingya Muslims have entered Bangladesh since "clearing operations" began four months back, sparking a grievous refugee crisis in the Southasian nation. Since then, Bangladesh has resurrected plans to relocate the thousands of refugess to a remote island called Thengar Char in the Bay of Bengal. But Dhaka's plan to shift them there has faced stiff controversy as critics say the island is inhabitable and prone to flooding. President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation, Tun Khin, told WION Dhaka's plan to relocate the Rohingya Muslims would "not solve the problem". Instead, he felt that the problem would not be alleviated "until the Burmese government do not stop these human rights abuses and restore their right to their native land". Rohingya Muslims have lived in Myanmar for centuries but have faced persecution from the Burmese authorities. There are 1.1 million Rohingya residing in Myanmar, many of whom who have stayed in the country for generations but they are still viewed by many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Malaysian aid ship reaches Bangladesh A Malaysian ship carrying aid for thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have fled a bloody army crackdown in Myanmar docked in Bangladesh Tuesday, days after it met with protests in Yangon. Senior Bangladeshi officials and Malaysian diplomats gathered at Chittagong port as Nautical Aliya docked in the southern city, from where its aid cargo will be transported to Rohingya camps. The shipment was received by local officials of the Red Crescent and International Organisation of Migration at the port’s container terminal in a brief handover ceremony. Trucks will carry the 1,472 tonnes of food, clothing and medical items to Cox's Bazar, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Chittagong for distribution to tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Rohingya group urges Bangladesh to pressure Myanmar on return to ancestral land

The UN&#39;s rights envoy for Myanmar arrived in troubled Rakhine state on Friday for a trip north to probe allegations of horrific abuse of Rohingya Muslims by security forces.

Special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee touched down in the state capital Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate escalating violence in Myanmar&#39;s restive ethnic border areas.&nbsp;

Lee has faced threats and been branded a &quot;whore&quot; by Buddhist hardliners on previous visits for her criticism of how Myanmar treats the Rohingya, a stateless group that has suffered years of poverty and repression.&nbsp;

Over the past three months they have been targeted by a military crackdown in northern Rakhine that the UN said has forced at least 65,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh.

In Sittwe, Lee met with senior local officials and then visited the only Muslim neighbourhood left in the city since sectarian clashes in 2012 drove tens of thousands of Rohingya into displacement camps.

&quot;We told her that nothing has changed for us,&quot; a local Muslim called Zaw Zaw told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;We want our children to learn in schools peacefully and we want jobs like we had before.&quot;

Earlier a senior figure from the nationalist Arakan National Party, which controls the state parliament and aggressively opposes any moves to grant the Rohingya citizenship, said they had refused to meet with Lee.

&quot;They offered to meet with us from their side but we have no plans to meet them,&quot; ANP&#39;s vice-president Khine Pyi Soe told AFP.&nbsp;

Villages in northern Rakhine have been under military control since October as the army stages &quot;clearance operations&quot; to find Rohingya insurgents allegedly behind deadly raids on police border posts.

The crisis has drawn a storm of international criticism for the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March.

Lee has slammed the lockdown as &quot;unacceptable&quot; and called for an international investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority.

Ahead of her trip, she said violence in Rakhine had contributed to &quot;disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year&quot;.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has lashed out at Nobel laureate Suu Kyi for not stopping the violence, and next week will host foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for talks on the crisis.

Bangladesh has urged Myanmar&#39;s government to take back the thousands of refugees that have entered already overcrowded camps along the border.

&quot;Bangladesh has demanded (the) quick restoration of (a) normal situation in Rakhine state so that Myanmar nationals... can quickly go back home,&quot; foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said after meeting Myanmar&#39;s special envoy in Dhaka this week.

Myanmar&#39;s foreign ministry said the two sides had &quot;agreed to commence consultations for verification and repatriation&quot; of those who had fled the lockdown.

(AFP)

Special rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, is in Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate the escalating ethnic violence

The UN's rights envoy for Myanmar arrived in troubled Rakhine state on Friday for a trip north to probe allegations of horrific abuse of Rohingya Muslims by security forces. Special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee touched down in the state capital Sittwe as part of a 12-day visit to investigate escalating violence in Myanmar's restive ethnic border areas. Lee has faced threats and been branded a "whore" by Buddhist hardliners on previous visits for her criticism of how Myanmar treats the Rohingya, a stateless group that has suffered years of poverty and repression. Over the past three months they have been targeted by a military crackdown in northern Rakhine that the UN said has forced at least 65,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh. In Sittwe, Lee met with senior local officials and then visited the only Muslim neighbourhood left in the city since sectarian clashes in 2012 drove tens of thousands of Rohingya into displacement camps. "We told her that nothing has changed for us," a local Muslim called Zaw Zaw told AFP. "We want our children to learn in schools peacefully and we want jobs like we had before." Earlier a senior figure from the nationalist Arakan National Party, which controls the state parliament and aggressively opposes any moves to grant the Rohingya citizenship, said they had refused to meet with Lee. "They offered to meet with us from their side but we have no plans to meet them," ANP's vice-president Khine Pyi Soe told AFP. Villages in northern Rakhine have been under military control since October as the army stages "clearance operations" to find Rohingya insurgents allegedly behind deadly raids on police border posts. The crisis has drawn a storm of international criticism for the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March. Lee has slammed the lockdown as "unacceptable" and called for an international investigation into claims troops have raped, murdered and tortured civilians from the Muslim minority. Ahead of her trip, she said violence in Rakhine had contributed to "disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year". Muslim-majority Malaysia has lashed out at Nobel laureate Suu Kyi for not stopping the violence, and next week will host foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for talks on the crisis. Bangladesh has urged Myanmar's government to take back the thousands of refugees that have entered already overcrowded camps along the border. "Bangladesh has demanded (the) quick restoration of (a) normal situation in Rakhine state so that Myanmar nationals... can quickly go back home," foreign minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said after meeting Myanmar's special envoy in Dhaka this week. Myanmar's foreign ministry said the two sides had "agreed to commence consultations for verification and repatriation" of those who had fled the lockdown. (AFP)

Myanmar: UN rights envoy reaches Rakhine to probe Rohingya abuse

A tragic&nbsp;picture circulated&nbsp;today of a 16-month-old Rohingyan&nbsp;boy named Mohammed Shohayet, who was killed as&nbsp;Burmese guards&nbsp;fired&nbsp;on refugees fleeing a genocide. The&nbsp;image&nbsp;recalls for many the heart-wrenching&nbsp;picture&nbsp;of Alan Kurdi, the dead Syrian refugee&nbsp;whose corpse&nbsp;washed up on Turkey&#39;s shore.&nbsp;

The impossibly sad picture of Kurdi reverberated around the world in the summer of 2016. It seemed to embody the epitome of the horror of war, and increased an already fierce&nbsp;public backlash against the Syrian civil&nbsp;war. &nbsp;

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Tragic photo of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rohingya?src=hash">#Rohingya</a> baby reminds&nbsp;us&nbsp;Alan Kurdi. Burmese Border Guard indiscriminately opened fire as they were fleeing from genocide. <a href="https://t.co/JTBEo89tJe">pic.twitter.com/JTBEo89tJe</a>
&mdash; Alisha Binti Hamid (@jaan_alisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaan_alisha/status/806750114203082752">December 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Shohayet&#39;s family fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State. Mohammed, along with his mother, uncle and three-year-old brother drowned on the journey, leaving only the father alive, CNN reported.

&quot;When I see the picture, I feel like I would rather die. There is no point in me living in this world,&quot; Mohammed&#39;s father, Zafor Alam, told CNN.

Whereas the picture of the Syrian boy, Kurdi,&nbsp;seemed to make people feel agonizingly helpless&nbsp;in the face of a catastrophe the world was closely watching, many&nbsp;hope&nbsp;that the picture of Shohayet will increase attention to the plight of the Rohingya Muslims.

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Dec 31, 2015, Alan Kurdi still alive with his mother and brother. Jan 2, 2016, all 3 were dead; 5,000 more died seeking safety in 2016. <a href="https://t.co/Z4Io42mBbz">pic.twitter.com/Z4Io42mBbz</a>
&mdash; Crawford Kilian (@Crof) <a href="https://twitter.com/Crof/status/815393936994775040">January 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Myanmar is carrying out <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-pursuing-ethnic-cleansing-of-rohingya-un-official-9298">&quot;ethnic cleansing</a>&quot; of Rohingya Muslims, a UN official has reportedly said, as horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder emerge from among the thousands who have fled to Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Up to 30,000 of the impoverished ethnic group have abandoned their homes in Myanmar to escape the unfolding violence, the UN says, after troops poured into the narrow strip where they live earlier this month.

Dhaka has resisted urgent international appeals to open its border to avert a humanitarian crisis, instead telling Myanmar it must do more to prevent the stateless Rohingya minority from entering.

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The Muslim minorities in Myanmar continue to flee the violence by security forces. Myanmar is accused of carrying out a systematic cleansing of the minority group also known as Rohingya. WION&#39;s Bangladesh correspondent Saad Hammadi sends this report. (WION)
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(WION)

The boy was killed as Burmese border guards fired indiscriminately on the Muslims fleeing genocide

A tragic picture circulated today of a 16-month-old Rohingyan boy named Mohammed Shohayet, who was killed as Burmese guards fired on refugees fleeing a genocide. The image recalls for many the heart-wrenching picture of Alan Kurdi, the dead Syrian refugee whose corpse washed up on Turkey's shore. The impossibly sad picture of Kurdi reverberated around the world in the summer of 2016. It seemed to embody the epitome of the horror of war, and increased an already fierce public backlash against the Syrian civil war. Tragic photo of #Rohingya baby reminds us Alan Kurdi. Burmese Border Guard indiscriminately opened fire as they were fleeing from genocide. pic.twitter.com/JTBEo89tJe — Alisha Binti Hamid (@jaan_alisha) December 8, 2016 × Shohayet's family fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Mohammed, along with his mother, uncle and three-year-old brother drowned on the journey, leaving only the father alive, CNN reported. "When I see the picture, I feel like I would rather die. There is no point in me living in this world," Mohammed's father, Zafor Alam, told CNN. Whereas the picture of the Syrian boy, Kurdi, seemed to make people feel agonizingly helpless in the face of a catastrophe the world was closely watching, many hope that the picture of Shohayet will increase attention to the plight of the Rohingya Muslims. Dec 31, 2015, Alan Kurdi still alive with his mother and brother. Jan 2, 2016, all 3 were dead; 5,000 more died seeking safety in 2016. pic.twitter.com/Z4Io42mBbz — Crawford Kilian (@Crof) January 1, 2017 × Myanmar is carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims, a UN official has reportedly said, as horrifying stories of gang rape, torture and murder emerge from among the thousands who have fled to Bangladesh. Up to 30,000 of the impoverished ethnic group have abandoned their homes in Myanmar to escape the unfolding violence, the UN says, after troops poured into the narrow strip where they live earlier this month. Dhaka has resisted urgent international appeals to open its border to avert a humanitarian crisis, instead telling Myanmar it must do more to prevent the stateless Rohingya minority from entering. The Muslim minorities in Myanmar continue to flee the violence by security forces. Myanmar is accused of carrying out a systematic cleansing of the minority group also known as Rohingya. WION's Bangladesh correspondent Saad Hammadi sends this report. (WION) × (WION)

Rohingya infant washes up dead, reminds world of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi

A commission probing violence in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state on Wednesday denied security forces have carried out a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, days after a video emerged showing police beating civilians from the Muslim minority.

Tens of thousands of Rohingya -- a group loathed by many among Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist majority -- have fled a military operation in the northwestern state, launched after deadly attacks on police posts in October.

Dozens have died in the crackdown, while escapees now in neighbouring Bangladesh have claimed they suffered rape, arson, murder and torture at the hands of police or soldiers.

Myanmar&#39;s government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has said the allegations are invented and has resisted mounting international pressure to protect the minority.&nbsp;

A state-appointed commission set up to investigate the violence released its interim report on Wednesday, dismissing claims troops and police have embarked on a campaign to force the Rohingya out of the country.

Its interim findings come days after the government detained multiple police officers over a video showing policemen beating and kicking Rohingya villagers. The footage, shot by one of the officers, has sparked outrage and undermined the government&#39;s blanket denials that soldiers and police have carried out rights abuses.

The size of the &quot;Bengali&quot; population, mosques and religious buildings in the unrest-hit area &quot;are proof that there were no cases of genocide and religious persecution&quot;, it said in a statement carried in state media. Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as one of the country&#39;s ethnic minorities, instead describing them as Bengalis -- or illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

The commission also found &quot;insufficient evidence&quot; of rape but added it was still looking into claims security forces committed arson, illegal arrests and torture of the Rohingya. It blamed the unrest on foreign-backed extremists, whom it said had attacked security forces in October to harm &quot;the sovereignty of the state... with the intention of igniting riots and conflicts&quot;.

Legal action has been taken against 485 people arrested during the army&#39;s subsequent clearance operation, it added, without giving further details. Chris Lewa, from the Arakan project, said the commission had failed to properly investigate the widespread allegations of rape and rights abuses.

&quot;The methodology is not credible, it&#39;s totally unprofessional,&quot; she said.&nbsp;&quot;There is no corroboration from the villagers they are meant to have talked to. Their job was to verify the allegations and the report has not verified them.&quot;&nbsp;

The commission has faced opposition from across the spectrum since it was announced last month -- the second body created by Suu Kyi to try to heal the simmering religious divide in Rakhine state.

Rights activists dismissed the 13-member commission as toothless, pointing out it is headed by the vice-president, a former army general. Rakhine nationalists and many of the state&#39;s MPs have denounced it as a tool for government propaganda.

Malaysia&#39;s prime minister has accused Suu Kyi of allowing genocide on her watch, while more than a dozen Nobel Laureates wrote to the UN Security Council urging action to stop the &quot;human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity&quot; in northern Rakhine.

State media ran a statement from the Home Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, saying eight officers have now been arrested over the incident depicted in the video. &quot;Police committed abuses as they tried to arrest some villagers who fled the village and some who were hiding in their homes,&quot; the statement said.

Myanmar has long discriminated against the stateless Rohingya. More than one million of them live in Rakhine, including 120,000 in displacement camps. Their movements are severely restricted as well as their access to basic services, like health and education.

(AFP)

A recent video showing policemen beating and kicking Rohingya villagers undermines the government's blanket denials

A commission probing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state on Wednesday denied security forces have carried out a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, days after a video emerged showing police beating civilians from the Muslim minority. Tens of thousands of Rohingya -- a group loathed by many among Myanmar's Buddhist majority -- have fled a military operation in the northwestern state, launched after deadly attacks on police posts in October. Dozens have died in the crackdown, while escapees now in neighbouring Bangladesh have claimed they suffered rape, arson, murder and torture at the hands of police or soldiers. Myanmar's government, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has said the allegations are invented and has resisted mounting international pressure to protect the minority. A state-appointed commission set up to investigate the violence released its interim report on Wednesday, dismissing claims troops and police have embarked on a campaign to force the Rohingya out of the country. Its interim findings come days after the government detained multiple police officers over a video showing policemen beating and kicking Rohingya villagers. The footage, shot by one of the officers, has sparked outrage and undermined the government's blanket denials that soldiers and police have carried out rights abuses. The size of the "Bengali" population, mosques and religious buildings in the unrest-hit area "are proof that there were no cases of genocide and religious persecution", it said in a statement carried in state media. Myanmar refuses to recognise the Rohingya as one of the country's ethnic minorities, instead describing them as Bengalis -- or illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations. The commission also found "insufficient evidence" of rape but added it was still looking into claims security forces committed arson, illegal arrests and torture of the Rohingya. It blamed the unrest on foreign-backed extremists, whom it said had attacked security forces in October to harm "the sovereignty of the state... with the intention of igniting riots and conflicts". Legal action has been taken against 485 people arrested during the army's subsequent clearance operation, it added, without giving further details. Chris Lewa, from the Arakan project, said the commission had failed to properly investigate the widespread allegations of rape and rights abuses. "The methodology is not credible, it's totally unprofessional," she said. "There is no corroboration from the villagers they are meant to have talked to. Their job was to verify the allegations and the report has not verified them." The commission has faced opposition from across the spectrum since it was announced last month -- the second body created by Suu Kyi to try to heal the simmering religious divide in Rakhine state. Rights activists dismissed the 13-member commission as toothless, pointing out it is headed by the vice-president, a former army general. Rakhine nationalists and many of the state's MPs have denounced it as a tool for government propaganda. Malaysia's prime minister has accused Suu Kyi of allowing genocide on her watch, while more than a dozen Nobel Laureates wrote to the UN Security Council urging action to stop the "human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity" in northern Rakhine. State media ran a statement from the Home Affairs Ministry on Wednesday, saying eight officers have now been arrested over the incident depicted in the video. "Police committed abuses as they tried to arrest some villagers who fled the village and some who were hiding in their homes," the statement said. Myanmar has long discriminated against the stateless Rohingya. More than one million of them live in Rakhine, including 120,000 in displacement camps. Their movements are severely restricted as well as their access to basic services, like health and education. (AFP)

Myanmar commission denies genocidal campaign against Rohingya Muslims

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