The Myanmar military has said it is investigating "possible wider patterns of violations" before and during a 2017 crackdown in Rakhine State that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent against Rohingya Muslims.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh that year following the launch of a sweeping security campaign that refugees said included mass killing, gang-rape and arson.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/highest-stakes-in-the-resolution-of-rohingya-issue-india-327714" hreflang="en">'Highest stakes' in the resolution of Rohingya issue: India</a>

The army has denied genocide, saying it was carrying out a legitimate operation against Rohingya militants, but says it has court-martialed some troops over incidents in certain villages though details on the perpetrators, their crimes, and sentences have not been released.

The military, in a statement carried in state media on Tuesday, acknowledged for the first time a possible broader pattern of abuses.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/casualties-in-myanmar-may-represent-war-crimes-un-human-rights-chief-327452" hreflang="en">Casualties in Myanmar may represent war crimes: UN human rights chief</a>

It said the military-run Office of the Judge Advocate General had reviewed a report by a government-backed commission that accused soldiers of committing war crimes and had expanded the scope of its investigations in response.

The office was "investigating possible wider patterns of violations in the region of northern Rakhine in 2016-2017", the military said in the statement.

"Allegations regarding villages in the Maungdaw area are included in the scope of this wider investigation," the military said, referring to a district on the border with Bangladesh that was a focus of its security operations in 2017.

It provided no more details and an army spokesman did not answer telephone calls by Reuters seeking further comment.

The announcement follows reports last week that two Myanmar soldiers have been taken to the Hague to appear as witnesses or face trial after confessing to killing dozens of villagers in the north of Rakhine State and burying them in mass graves.

The Myanmar military has said it is investigating "possible wider patterns of violations" before and during a 2017 crackdown in Rakhine State that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent against Rohingya Muslims.

The Myanmar military has said it is investigating "possible wider patterns of violations" before and during a 2017 crackdown in Rakhine State that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent against Rohingya Muslims. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh that year following the launch of a sweeping security campaign that refugees said included mass killing, gang-rape and arson. Also read: 'Highest stakes' in the resolution of Rohingya issue: India The army has denied genocide, saying it was carrying out a legitimate operation against Rohingya militants, but says it has court-martialed some troops over incidents in certain villages though details on the perpetrators, their crimes, and sentences have not been released. The military, in a statement carried in state media on Tuesday, acknowledged for the first time a possible broader pattern of abuses. Also read: Casualties in Myanmar may represent war crimes: UN human rights chief It said the military-run Office of the Judge Advocate General had reviewed a report by a government-backed commission that accused soldiers of committing war crimes and had expanded the scope of its investigations in response. The office was "investigating possible wider patterns of violations in the region of northern Rakhine in 2016-2017", the military said in the statement. "Allegations regarding villages in the Maungdaw area are included in the scope of this wider investigation," the military said, referring to a district on the border with Bangladesh that was a focus of its security operations in 2017. It provided no more details and an army spokesman did not answer telephone calls by Reuters seeking further comment. The announcement follows reports last week that two Myanmar soldiers have been taken to the Hague to appear as witnesses or face trial after confessing to killing dozens of villagers in the north of Rakhine State and burying them in mass graves.

Myanmar army probes 'wider patterns' of abuse against Rohingya

India has said that it has "highest stakes" in the resolution of Rohingya issue and called for "safe, sustainable and speedy" repatriation of the refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

Speaking at the 45th Session of the Human Rights Council First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, Pawan Badhe said,"As the only land neighbour of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, India has the highest stakes and abiding interest in early resolution of the issue."

"We remain committed towards ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine State currently in Bangladesh to Myanmar based on the understanding reached between the two countries. We will continue to support efforts in this direction," Badhe asserted.

India has reached out to both Bangladesh and Myanmar and "has been following a humanitarian approach to the Rakhine issue", according to India statement at the HRC.

When it comes to Myanmar's Rakhine State, India has given $25 million grant assistance to Myanmar over a period of 5 years to implement socio-economic projects such as housing, education, power and water supply. To Bangladesh, five tranches of relief assistance have been provided.

The Indian diplomat also said, that New Delhi "believes that there is a need to continue constructive and fruitful engagement with Myanmar and to recognize Myanmar’s efforts towards implementation of the Annan Commission recommendations.".

Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for socio-economic development of both Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim communities in Rakhine state and gave certain recommendations which include a review of Myanmar's citizenship law of 1982. The law had stripped Rohingyas of Myanmar's citizenship.

India has said that it has "highest stakes" in the resolution of Rohingya issue and called for "safe, sustainable and speedy" repatriation of the refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.

India has said that it has "highest stakes" in the resolution of Rohingya issue and called for "safe, sustainable and speedy" repatriation of the refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar. Speaking at the 45th Session of the Human Rights Council First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India in Geneva, Pawan Badhe said,"As the only land neighbour of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, India has the highest stakes and abiding interest in early resolution of the issue." "We remain committed towards ensuring safe, sustainable and speedy repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine State currently in Bangladesh to Myanmar based on the understanding reached between the two countries. We will continue to support efforts in this direction," Badhe asserted. India has reached out to both Bangladesh and Myanmar and "has been following a humanitarian approach to the Rakhine issue", according to India statement at the HRC. When it comes to Myanmar's Rakhine State, India has given $25 million grant assistance to Myanmar over a period of 5 years to implement socio-economic projects such as housing, education, power and water supply. To Bangladesh, five tranches of relief assistance have been provided. The Indian diplomat also said, that New Delhi "believes that there is a need to continue constructive and fruitful engagement with Myanmar and to recognize Myanmar’s efforts towards implementation of the Annan Commission recommendations.". Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for socio-economic development of both Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim communities in Rakhine state and gave certain recommendations which include a review of Myanmar's citizenship law of 1982. The law had stripped Rohingyas of Myanmar's citizenship.

'Highest stakes' in the resolution of Rohingya issue: India

Myanmar has mobilised over 2,500 troops near the Bangladesh border in Rakhine. This has created fear of a fresh crackdown. Is it a conspiracy against Rohingyas?

Myanmar mobilised over 2,500 troops near Bangladesh border in Rakhine

Three years ago, Myanmar’s military burned the Rohingya village of Kan Kya to the ground and bulldozed over its remains. Last year, the government erased its name from official maps, according to the United Nations.

About 3 miles (5 km) from the Naf River that marks the border between Myanmar’s Rakhine state and Bangladesh, Kan Kya was home to hundreds of people before the army chased 730,000 Rohingya out of the country in 2017 in what the United Nations described as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

The Myanmar military, now facing charges of genocide, said it was conducting “clearance operations” targeting militants.

Where Kan Kya once stood, there are now dozens of government and military buildings including a sprawling, fenced off police base, according to satellite images publicly available on Google Earth and historical images provided to Reuters by Planet Labs. The village, in a remote region in the northwest of the country closed off to foreigners, was too small to be named on Google Maps.&nbsp;

On maps produced in 2020 by the United Nations mapping unit in Myanmar, which it says are based on Myanmar government maps, the site of the destroyed village is now nameless and reclassified as part of nearby town Maungdaw.

The unit makes maps for the use of U.N. bodies, such as refugee agency UNHCR, and humanitarian groups that work with the United Nations in the field.

Kan Kya was one of almost 400 villages destroyed by the Myanmar military in 2017, according to satellite images analysed by New York-based Human Rights Watch. And it is one of at least a dozen whose names have been erased.

“Their intention is that we do not return,” said religious leader Mohammed Rofiq, a former chairman of a village close to Kan Kya who now lives in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, referring to the Myanmar government.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, which oversees Myanmar’s rebuilding activities in Rakhine state, declined to answer questions from Reuters about the erasure of village names or the government’s policy concerning the return of Rohingya refugees. The ministry referred questions to the General Administration Department (GAD), which did not respond.

A representative of the Myanmar government, led by state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, also did not respond to a request for comment.

The United Nations’ map department has produced at least three maps since the start of the year that show a number of Rohingya village names have disappeared or been reclassified by Myanmar.

The United Nations said it removed some maps of Rakhine state from its website in June and started a study to assess the impact of the government’s policies on villagers and returning refugees after the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, a UK-based Rohingya rights group, complained to the United Nations about the removal of village names.

The United Nations said the study has not reached any conclusion.

Yanghee Lee, a former U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar, said the government was purposefully making it hard for refugees to return to places with no name and no evidence that they ever lived there. “This is a way of exterminating their basic identity,” she said.

Lee said the United Nations was complicit in allowing that to happen by not challenging the Myanmar government: “There hasn’t been any leadership that will say, ‘Wait a minute, the buck stops here, we’re not going to let this continue.’”

Several U.N. officials&nbsp;interviewed by Reuters declined to directly address why the United Nations had raised no objections or tried to stop it. &nbsp;

Ola Almgren, head of the U.N. mission to Myanmar, said he had not raised the issue of erasing village names with the Myanmar government, but said he had urged the Myanmar government to create "conditions conducive" to the return of refugees.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the reclassification of some villages as wards was a “routine administrative procedure.” The U.N. mapping unit “utilizes the official government names of places so as to avoid confusion among aid workers and government officials in the field,” he said. “The standing U.N. practice worldwide is to employ officially designated place names for all publicly distributed maps and products.”

Dujarric said that changing the legal status of villages may become “an additional layer of complexity” in refugees reclaiming their former homes, without providing specifics. &nbsp;

BUILDING QUICKLY

Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies citizenship to Muslim Rohingya, whom many regard as interlopers from neighbouring Bangladesh despite their centuries-long presence in the country. Myanmar has said it is open to the return of Rohingya refugees who fled the crackdown in 2017, but said it must be done through an orderly process.

Talks on that process between Myanmar and Bangladesh - where more than 1 million Rohingya live in refugee camps - have stalled. In recent months, the few dozen refugees who have tried to return have been arrested for illegal entry by Myanmar officials who cited concerns about refugees spreading the new coronavirus.

Satellite images taken by Planet Labs, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator founded by former NASA scientists, and Google Earth show that Myanmar started building on the sites of at least a dozen destroyed villages soon after residents fled in 2017. Myanmar is constructing bases for the security forces, buildings for government departments and homes for Buddhists, according to people in the area.

The satellite images show the base built on the site of Kan Kya doubled in size in the past year and two helipads were added. A new road has been built over the site of another razed village nearby called Gone Nar, which has also been reclassified as part of the expanded Maungdaw town.

A spokesman for the military did not respond to a request for comment on the building of security bases on the sites of destroyed Rohingya villages. Local officials could not be reached for comment.

In September 2019, an order by the GAD, part of the civilian Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, reclassified 16 villages, most of them formerly Rohingya, as wards of Maungdaw, according to the U.N. mapping unit in Myanmar.

Six of the village names were retained in the names of the new wards they were reclassified as belonging to, but 10 village names disappeared from the maps, according to the United Nations.

Five of these villages were destroyed in 2017. GAD figures show Rohingya, which it classifies as “foreigners” from Bangladesh, now account for about 60% of the Maungdaw population, compared with 93% in 2017, before the crackdown.

Hundreds of other destroyed villages have not had their names changed or erased, according to U.N. maps.

WALLS AND WATCHTOWERS

The United Nations said 11 other villages had been reclassified over the last five years as wards of a new town named Myin Hlut, where one Myanmar government minister has proposed a beach and seafood tourist area.

These small villages along the coast were mostly destroyed in the 2017 crackdown, though two remained intact until authorities bulldozed them in 2018. Six new guard stations with watchtowers have been erected in the area, according to a satellite imagery analyst at Amnesty International.

As the Rohingya villages disappeared from the maps, two villages for Buddhist settlers were added to U.N. maps in 2020.

In Inn Din, a village where Myanmar soldiers killed 10 Muslim men in one incident during the 2017 crackdown, the 6,000 Rohingya people who lived there have all fled and their homes have been destroyed.

The Rakhine state government has built new dwellings for Buddhists in the area, Reuters reported in 2018. Satellite images show the site has expanded further since then, while in neighboring Kyauk Pandu, a Rakhine Buddhist settlement has doubled in size.

Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, noted that the International Court of Justice, which is investigating charges of genocide against Myanmar over the 2017 crackdown, has ordered the government to preserve any evidence related to the charges, which Myanmar has agreed to do.

He did not say whether the United Nations believed the erasure of village names contravened that order or what the United Nations was doing to stop it. &nbsp;

A Bangladesh official with knowledge of the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees told Reuters that Myanmar showed no change in its policy towards the Rohingya.

In March, the official said, Myanmar sent to Bangladesh a list of names of 840 Rohingya it had approved to return to two areas in northern Rakhine: Hla Poe Kaung and Thet Kay Pin.

But the refugees were not from that area, the official said, and the list included single members from large families including women unlikely to travel alone.

A representative of Myanmar’s Ministry of Social Welfare told Reuters there were “some gaps in communications” between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the matter of returning refugees, which the representative blamed on the postponement of a meeting due to the coronavirus.

Satellite images of the areas to which Myanmar proposed they return showed one large settlement ringed by walls and watchtowers and a smaller one nearby. Both were built on top of razed Rohingya villages. Rohingya leaders have said they will return only to original village plots where they can build their own homes, not to camps.

In a closed-door address to the U.N. General Assembly last month, a transcript of which was seen by Reuters, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar raised the issue of stalled repatriation of Rohingya refugees, saying “greater confidence-building measures” were needed to assuage refugee fears.

"It`s alarming," said Jafar Ahmed, another former resident of the area. "I don`t know if we will ever get back our land."

Three years ago, Myanmar’s military burned the Rohingya village of Kan Kya to the ground and bulldozed over its remains. Last year, the government erased its name from official maps, according to the United Nations.

Three years ago, Myanmar’s military burned the Rohingya village of Kan Kya to the ground and bulldozed over its remains. Last year, the government erased its name from official maps, according to the United Nations. About 3 miles (5 km) from the Naf River that marks the border between Myanmar’s Rakhine state and Bangladesh, Kan Kya was home to hundreds of people before the army chased 730,000 Rohingya out of the country in 2017 in what the United Nations described as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing." The Myanmar military, now facing charges of genocide, said it was conducting “clearance operations” targeting militants. Where Kan Kya once stood, there are now dozens of government and military buildings including a sprawling, fenced off police base, according to satellite images publicly available on Google Earth and historical images provided to Reuters by Planet Labs. The village, in a remote region in the northwest of the country closed off to foreigners, was too small to be named on Google Maps. On maps produced in 2020 by the United Nations mapping unit in Myanmar, which it says are based on Myanmar government maps, the site of the destroyed village is now nameless and reclassified as part of nearby town Maungdaw. The unit makes maps for the use of U.N. bodies, such as refugee agency UNHCR, and humanitarian groups that work with the United Nations in the field. Kan Kya was one of almost 400 villages destroyed by the Myanmar military in 2017, according to satellite images analysed by New York-based Human Rights Watch. And it is one of at least a dozen whose names have been erased. “Their intention is that we do not return,” said religious leader Mohammed Rofiq, a former chairman of a village close to Kan Kya who now lives in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, referring to the Myanmar government. The Ministry of Social Welfare, which oversees Myanmar’s rebuilding activities in Rakhine state, declined to answer questions from Reuters about the erasure of village names or the government’s policy concerning the return of Rohingya refugees. The ministry referred questions to the General Administration Department (GAD), which did not respond. A representative of the Myanmar government, led by state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, also did not respond to a request for comment. The United Nations’ map department has produced at least three maps since the start of the year that show a number of Rohingya village names have disappeared or been reclassified by Myanmar. The United Nations said it removed some maps of Rakhine state from its website in June and started a study to assess the impact of the government’s policies on villagers and returning refugees after the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, a UK-based Rohingya rights group, complained to the United Nations about the removal of village names. The United Nations said the study has not reached any conclusion. Yanghee Lee, a former U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar, said the government was purposefully making it hard for refugees to return to places with no name and no evidence that they ever lived there. “This is a way of exterminating their basic identity,” she said. Lee said the United Nations was complicit in allowing that to happen by not challenging the Myanmar government: “There hasn’t been any leadership that will say, ‘Wait a minute, the buck stops here, we’re not going to let this continue.’” Several U.N. officials interviewed by Reuters declined to directly address why the United Nations had raised no objections or tried to stop it. Ola Almgren, head of the U.N. mission to Myanmar, said he had not raised the issue of erasing village names with the Myanmar government, but said he had urged the Myanmar government to create "conditions conducive" to the return of refugees. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the reclassification of some villages as wards was a “routine administrative procedure.” The U.N. mapping unit “utilizes the official government names of places so as to avoid confusion among aid workers and government officials in the field,” he said. “The standing U.N. practice worldwide is to employ officially designated place names for all publicly distributed maps and products.” Dujarric said that changing the legal status of villages may become “an additional layer of complexity” in refugees reclaiming their former homes, without providing specifics. BUILDING QUICKLY Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies citizenship to Muslim Rohingya, whom many regard as interlopers from neighbouring Bangladesh despite their centuries-long presence in the country. Myanmar has said it is open to the return of Rohingya refugees who fled the crackdown in 2017, but said it must be done through an orderly process. Talks on that process between Myanmar and Bangladesh - where more than 1 million Rohingya live in refugee camps - have stalled. In recent months, the few dozen refugees who have tried to return have been arrested for illegal entry by Myanmar officials who cited concerns about refugees spreading the new coronavirus. Satellite images taken by Planet Labs, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator founded by former NASA scientists, and Google Earth show that Myanmar started building on the sites of at least a dozen destroyed villages soon after residents fled in 2017. Myanmar is constructing bases for the security forces, buildings for government departments and homes for Buddhists, according to people in the area. The satellite images show the base built on the site of Kan Kya doubled in size in the past year and two helipads were added. A new road has been built over the site of another razed village nearby called Gone Nar, which has also been reclassified as part of the expanded Maungdaw town. A spokesman for the military did not respond to a request for comment on the building of security bases on the sites of destroyed Rohingya villages. Local officials could not be reached for comment. In September 2019, an order by the GAD, part of the civilian Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, reclassified 16 villages, most of them formerly Rohingya, as wards of Maungdaw, according to the U.N. mapping unit in Myanmar. Six of the village names were retained in the names of the new wards they were reclassified as belonging to, but 10 village names disappeared from the maps, according to the United Nations. Five of these villages were destroyed in 2017. GAD figures show Rohingya, which it classifies as “foreigners” from Bangladesh, now account for about 60% of the Maungdaw population, compared with 93% in 2017, before the crackdown. Hundreds of other destroyed villages have not had their names changed or erased, according to U.N. maps. WALLS AND WATCHTOWERS The United Nations said 11 other villages had been reclassified over the last five years as wards of a new town named Myin Hlut, where one Myanmar government minister has proposed a beach and seafood tourist area. These small villages along the coast were mostly destroyed in the 2017 crackdown, though two remained intact until authorities bulldozed them in 2018. Six new guard stations with watchtowers have been erected in the area, according to a satellite imagery analyst at Amnesty International. As the Rohingya villages disappeared from the maps, two villages for Buddhist settlers were added to U.N. maps in 2020. In Inn Din, a village where Myanmar soldiers killed 10 Muslim men in one incident during the 2017 crackdown, the 6,000 Rohingya people who lived there have all fled and their homes have been destroyed. The Rakhine state government has built new dwellings for Buddhists in the area, Reuters reported in 2018. Satellite images show the site has expanded further since then, while in neighboring Kyauk Pandu, a Rakhine Buddhist settlement has doubled in size. Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, noted that the International Court of Justice, which is investigating charges of genocide against Myanmar over the 2017 crackdown, has ordered the government to preserve any evidence related to the charges, which Myanmar has agreed to do. He did not say whether the United Nations believed the erasure of village names contravened that order or what the United Nations was doing to stop it. A Bangladesh official with knowledge of the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees told Reuters that Myanmar showed no change in its policy towards the Rohingya. In March, the official said, Myanmar sent to Bangladesh a list of names of 840 Rohingya it had approved to return to two areas in northern Rakhine: Hla Poe Kaung and Thet Kay Pin. But the refugees were not from that area, the official said, and the list included single members from large families including women unlikely to travel alone. A representative of Myanmar’s Ministry of Social Welfare told Reuters there were “some gaps in communications” between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the matter of returning refugees, which the representative blamed on the postponement of a meeting due to the coronavirus. Satellite images of the areas to which Myanmar proposed they return showed one large settlement ringed by walls and watchtowers and a smaller one nearby. Both were built on top of razed Rohingya villages. Rohingya leaders have said they will return only to original village plots where they can build their own homes, not to camps. In a closed-door address to the U.N. General Assembly last month, a transcript of which was seen by Reuters, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar raised the issue of stalled repatriation of Rohingya refugees, saying “greater confidence-building measures” were needed to assuage refugee fears. "It`s alarming," said Jafar Ahmed, another former resident of the area. "I don`t know if we will ever get back our land."

Three years after exodus, Myanmar erases names of Rohingya villages. UN map makers follow suit

Myanmar's military has sought to undermine the confessions of two soldiers who said they were ordered to "exterminate" Rohingya Muslims before taking part in the massacre of scores of men, women and children.

NGO Fortify Rights and the New York Times on Tuesday released details of the filmed interviews -- seen by AFP -- of Private Myo Win Tun, 33, and Private Zaw Naing Tun, 30, in which they described "wiping out" entire villages.

The soldiers allege they were ordered by senior commanders to "shoot all that you see and hear" during the military operations in 2017 that forced some 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

Widespread atrocities have been documented by UN investigators and rights groups in violence that now sees Myanmar facing charges of genocide, but this is the most detailed account so far given by alleged perpetrators.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-suu-kyi-vows-victory-in-election-as-campaign-starts-amid-virus-surge-326082">Also read:&nbsp;Myanmar’s Suu Kyi vows victory in election as campaign starts amid virus surge</a>

Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun admitted to BBC Burmese late Wednesday the men were former soldiers, but claimed they had been "taken hostage" by the Arakan Army (AA) militant group and "threatened and coerced into confessing".

The AA is fighting the military in the country's northwest for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

Both sides frequently trade accusations of human rights abuses in a civil war raging in the same area where the military operations against the Rohingya took place three years ago.

The AA dismissed the military's claims, telling AFP Thursday the two soldiers had deserted.

"They voluntarily confessed about the war crimes committed by Myanmar's military," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha said, adding other defectors had given similar testimonies, which they have posted online in recent months.

AFP is unable to independently verify the video or statements, but Fortify Rights said it published its analysis of the confessions only after being certain they were not made under duress.

The NGO said the men appeared at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border asking for protection, and have since been taken to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating atrocities against the Rohingya.

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The ICC told AFP the men are not in its custody, while the prosecutor's office said it was unable to comment to "ensure the safety and security" of victims and witnesses.

'Exterminate all Rohingya'

Fortify Rights is calling for the men to be prosecuted at the ICC, calling this a "monumental moment" in the Rohingya's ongoing struggle for justice.

Working in different teams in separate townships, the soldiers confessed to killing up to 180 women, men and children between them, burying many of the bodies in mass graves.

Myo Win Tun also admitted to rape.

They gave the names and ranks of 17 other soldiers they say committed atrocities -- including six senior commanders who ordered them to "exterminate" all Rohingya.

Myanmar's military has always justified its 2017 operations as a means to root out Rohingya militants after attacks against around a dozen security posts and police stations.

In parallel to the ICC investigation, Myanmar also faces genocide charges at the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi led the country's defence team at preliminary hearings in December, conceding the army might have used "disproportionate" force, but denying genocide.

The Rohingya are widely seen as illegal immigrants in Myanmar, denied citizenship and stripped of rights.

The Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights congratulated the soldiers for "coming forward and beginning to repair the relationship between Rohingya and Burmese people in Rakhine state".

Ethnic Rakhine mobs were widely accused of collaborating with the military to drive the Rohingya out.

But times have now changed and the AA has an "obvious interest in making the Myanmar military look bad", said Yangon-based analyst Richard Horsey, adding there were questions about the group's motives and the credibility of the videos.

"But that doesn't mean the soldiers themselves can't be credible witnesses or sources of information."

Myanmar's military has sought to undermine the confessions of two soldiers who said they were ordered to "exterminate" Rohingya Muslims before taking part in the massacre of scores of men, women and children.

Myanmar's military has sought to undermine the confessions of two soldiers who said they were ordered to "exterminate" Rohingya Muslims before taking part in the massacre of scores of men, women and children. NGO Fortify Rights and the New York Times on Tuesday released details of the filmed interviews -- seen by AFP -- of Private Myo Win Tun, 33, and Private Zaw Naing Tun, 30, in which they described "wiping out" entire villages. The soldiers allege they were ordered by senior commanders to "shoot all that you see and hear" during the military operations in 2017 that forced some 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Widespread atrocities have been documented by UN investigators and rights groups in violence that now sees Myanmar facing charges of genocide, but this is the most detailed account so far given by alleged perpetrators. Also read: Myanmar’s Suu Kyi vows victory in election as campaign starts amid virus surge Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun admitted to BBC Burmese late Wednesday the men were former soldiers, but claimed they had been "taken hostage" by the Arakan Army (AA) militant group and "threatened and coerced into confessing". The AA is fighting the military in the country's northwest for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Both sides frequently trade accusations of human rights abuses in a civil war raging in the same area where the military operations against the Rohingya took place three years ago. The AA dismissed the military's claims, telling AFP Thursday the two soldiers had deserted. "They voluntarily confessed about the war crimes committed by Myanmar's military," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha said, adding other defectors had given similar testimonies, which they have posted online in recent months. AFP is unable to independently verify the video or statements, but Fortify Rights said it published its analysis of the confessions only after being certain they were not made under duress. The NGO said the men appeared at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border asking for protection, and have since been taken to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating atrocities against the Rohingya. × The ICC told AFP the men are not in its custody, while the prosecutor's office said it was unable to comment to "ensure the safety and security" of victims and witnesses. 'Exterminate all Rohingya' Fortify Rights is calling for the men to be prosecuted at the ICC, calling this a "monumental moment" in the Rohingya's ongoing struggle for justice. Working in different teams in separate townships, the soldiers confessed to killing up to 180 women, men and children between them, burying many of the bodies in mass graves. Myo Win Tun also admitted to rape. They gave the names and ranks of 17 other soldiers they say committed atrocities -- including six senior commanders who ordered them to "exterminate" all Rohingya. Myanmar's military has always justified its 2017 operations as a means to root out Rohingya militants after attacks against around a dozen security posts and police stations. In parallel to the ICC investigation, Myanmar also faces genocide charges at the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi led the country's defence team at preliminary hearings in December, conceding the army might have used "disproportionate" force, but denying genocide. The Rohingya are widely seen as illegal immigrants in Myanmar, denied citizenship and stripped of rights. The Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights congratulated the soldiers for "coming forward and beginning to repair the relationship between Rohingya and Burmese people in Rakhine state". Ethnic Rakhine mobs were widely accused of collaborating with the military to drive the Rohingya out. But times have now changed and the AA has an "obvious interest in making the Myanmar military look bad", said Yangon-based analyst Richard Horsey, adding there were questions about the group's motives and the credibility of the videos. "But that doesn't mean the soldiers themselves can't be credible witnesses or sources of information."

Myanmar army tries to discredit Rohingya abuse confessions

Bangladesh authorities have decided to restore internet in Cox's Bazar settlement of Rohingya Muslims. The Cox's Bazar settlement is the largest refugee settlement in the world. Bangladesh had snapped 3G and 4G internet from the Rohingya settlement about a year ago. The move had attracted international condemnation.

"Our Foreign Minister and International NGOs are saying that we have an international pressure to restore the service. Besides, we have information in our hand that the Rohingyas are using Myanmar’s SIM card that means they are going through Myanmar’s network. So who are they talking to?..." Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Bangladesh Minister of Home Affairs told WION.

He added that as Bangladesh Government wanted the Rohingyas to use the country's network, it was restoring 3G and 4G network.

"... We want to get them back in our network to keep their activities in control," he said

Kamal added that Bangladesh government does not want to "control general Rohingya people in the camps" but said that government want to keep an eye on terrorist elements that may "sometimes provoke the Rohingyas"

The Home Minister however, warned that the government can shut down the internet again if situation demands it.

"...Yes, we have some concerns about how we control this huge population of using the internet. But we will shut down it again, if needed. Actually we can do anything to ensure our people’s security,’’ he said.

Also Read: <a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/three-years-since-rohingya-exodus-from-fleeing-myanmar-to-icj-trial-323034">Three years since Rohingya exodus: From fleeing Myanmar to ICJ trial</a>

Bangladesh had received flak for continuing to suspend internet services even amid coronavirus pandemic. Human Rights groups had warned that such move may give rise to unnecessary rumours

Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen was quoted by AFP saying that the spread of "baseless rumours and misinformation" could create panic and destabilise the camps, where a few Rohingya have been killed in internal clashes in recent years.

"However, responding to the requests from our friends and also for the need of imparting education and COVID-19 response, for greater internet connectivity, we have taken a decision on lifting the restrictions on 3G and 4G mobile networks, which will be effective very soon," Momen said.

The first infection in the camps was detected in May but fears that the virus could spread quickly have so far not been realised.

Khin Maung, head of the Rohingya Youth Association, said the restoration of internet access was "very good news".

"We can now get regular updates on COVID-19. And we can mobilise people against the activities of the human traffickers," he said.

(With AFP inputs) 
&nbsp;

Bangladesh authorities have decided to restore internet in Cox's Bazar settlement of Rohingya Muslims. The Cox's Bazar settlement is the largest refugee settlement in the world.

Bangladesh authorities have decided to restore internet in Cox's Bazar settlement of Rohingya Muslims. The Cox's Bazar settlement is the largest refugee settlement in the world. Bangladesh had snapped 3G and 4G internet from the Rohingya settlement about a year ago. The move had attracted international condemnation. "Our Foreign Minister and International NGOs are saying that we have an international pressure to restore the service. Besides, we have information in our hand that the Rohingyas are using Myanmar’s SIM card that means they are going through Myanmar’s network. So who are they talking to?..." Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Bangladesh Minister of Home Affairs told WION. He added that as Bangladesh Government wanted the Rohingyas to use the country's network, it was restoring 3G and 4G network. "... We want to get them back in our network to keep their activities in control," he said Kamal added that Bangladesh government does not want to "control general Rohingya people in the camps" but said that government want to keep an eye on terrorist elements that may "sometimes provoke the Rohingyas" The Home Minister however, warned that the government can shut down the internet again if situation demands it. "...Yes, we have some concerns about how we control this huge population of using the internet. But we will shut down it again, if needed. Actually we can do anything to ensure our people’s security,’’ he said. Also Read: Three years since Rohingya exodus: From fleeing Myanmar to ICJ trial Bangladesh had received flak for continuing to suspend internet services even amid coronavirus pandemic. Human Rights groups had warned that such move may give rise to unnecessary rumours Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen was quoted by AFP saying that the spread of "baseless rumours and misinformation" could create panic and destabilise the camps, where a few Rohingya have been killed in internal clashes in recent years. "However, responding to the requests from our friends and also for the need of imparting education and COVID-19 response, for greater internet connectivity, we have taken a decision on lifting the restrictions on 3G and 4G mobile networks, which will be effective very soon," Momen said. The first infection in the camps was detected in May but fears that the virus could spread quickly have so far not been realised. Khin Maung, head of the Rohingya Youth Association, said the restoration of internet access was "very good news". "We can now get regular updates on COVID-19. And we can mobilise people against the activities of the human traffickers," he said. (With AFP inputs)

Bangladesh to restore internet in Rohingya refugee settlement

August 25, 2017 - the date Myanmar's army unleashed a wave of violence on Rohingya refugees in Rakhine state, forcing nearly a million people to flee and seek shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh.

In pics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/rohingya-exodus-and-their-horror-trail-since-august-2017-322942" hreflang="en">Rohingya exodus and their horror trail since August, 2017</a> 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Those forced to become refugees overnight do realise that despite the daily hardships they remain safe on Bangladeshi soil.

Three years after escaping genocidal violence, nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees continue to find shelter in Bangladesh.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-sheltering-close-to-1-million-rohingya-refugees-323062/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The country now hosts over 90 per cent of refugees registered in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring their protection and offering life-saving support.

It is no easy task for a country with one of the highest population densities in the world and an economy which for the first time crossed the $2000 per capita income mark only this year.&nbsp;

Yet, Bangladesh continues to shelter the Rohingyas, despite inadequate international support and its domestic challenges.

The pictures of Malaysian officials refusing to take in Rohingya refugees being stranded for days at sea earlier this year makes Bangladesh's mammoth humanitarian effort even more commendable.

Not just Malaysia, most of the members of the &nbsp;OIC, the umbrella of all the Islamic nations in the world has done little more than lip service for the Rohingyas.&nbsp;

The OIC backed its member Gambia in filing a case against Myanmar at the ICJ, however, even its rich and powerful members like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE have offered little in terms of assistance to those refugees who are in need shelter, food, healthcare aid opportunities to rebuild their lives.&nbsp;

Numbers tell the story of Bangladesh's incredible effort in tackling one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades.&nbsp;

Over One million Rohingya in Bangladesh live in five camps that cover an area equivalent to one-third of Manhattan. About half of the refugees are children, and there are more women in the camps than men.

The population density in these camps, mostly in Cox’s Bazar is a staggering 40,000 per square km, with the highest population density in some sections increasing to over 70,000 per km.&nbsp;

460,000 Rohingya refugee children are living in Cox’s Bazar district and studies indicate that nearly half of these children are unable to get inadequate nutrition.&nbsp;

Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has not given up on the Rohingya refugees. In January, Bangladesh allowed Rohingya children to formally study up to the age of 14 following the Myanmar curriculum. Those older than 14 will get skills training.

Bangladesh has even decided to restore mobile networks and internet services in Rohingya refugee camps to ensure better services amid the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

Bangladesh has spent millions of dollars to provide better living conditions to Rohingya refugees to decongest the overcrowded camps at Cox Bazar. It has made over 100,000 dwellings in Bashan Char islands off the coast of Bangladesh

The houses have been built four feet above the ground, to protect the refugees from high tidal waves.&nbsp;

Environmentalists have raised their concerns over the ecology of the region but given the conditions of camps in Cox Bazar Bangladesh's move is not without sound logic.&nbsp;

Bangladesh continues to do its bit, but clearly, the international community needs to do more, nations and world bodies need to create sustained conditions and pressure for Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas back to Rakhine state, a move even India endorses, Bangladesh needs help as it continues to help the helpless.&nbsp;

August 25, 2017 - the date Myanmar's army unleashed a wave of violence on Rohingya refugees in Rakhine state, forcing nearly a million people to flee and seek shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh.

August 25, 2017 - the date Myanmar's army unleashed a wave of violence on Rohingya refugees in Rakhine state, forcing nearly a million people to flee and seek shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh. In pics: Rohingya exodus and their horror trail since August, 2017 Those forced to become refugees overnight do realise that despite the daily hardships they remain safe on Bangladeshi soil. Three years after escaping genocidal violence, nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees continue to find shelter in Bangladesh. The country now hosts over 90 per cent of refugees registered in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring their protection and offering life-saving support. It is no easy task for a country with one of the highest population densities in the world and an economy which for the first time crossed the $2000 per capita income mark only this year. Yet, Bangladesh continues to shelter the Rohingyas, despite inadequate international support and its domestic challenges. The pictures of Malaysian officials refusing to take in Rohingya refugees being stranded for days at sea earlier this year makes Bangladesh's mammoth humanitarian effort even more commendable. Not just Malaysia, most of the members of the OIC, the umbrella of all the Islamic nations in the world has done little more than lip service for the Rohingyas. The OIC backed its member Gambia in filing a case against Myanmar at the ICJ, however, even its rich and powerful members like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE have offered little in terms of assistance to those refugees who are in need shelter, food, healthcare aid opportunities to rebuild their lives. Numbers tell the story of Bangladesh's incredible effort in tackling one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. Over One million Rohingya in Bangladesh live in five camps that cover an area equivalent to one-third of Manhattan. About half of the refugees are children, and there are more women in the camps than men. The population density in these camps, mostly in Cox’s Bazar is a staggering 40,000 per square km, with the highest population density in some sections increasing to over 70,000 per km. 460,000 Rohingya refugee children are living in Cox’s Bazar district and studies indicate that nearly half of these children are unable to get inadequate nutrition. Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has not given up on the Rohingya refugees. In January, Bangladesh allowed Rohingya children to formally study up to the age of 14 following the Myanmar curriculum. Those older than 14 will get skills training. Bangladesh has even decided to restore mobile networks and internet services in Rohingya refugee camps to ensure better services amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bangladesh has spent millions of dollars to provide better living conditions to Rohingya refugees to decongest the overcrowded camps at Cox Bazar. It has made over 100,000 dwellings in Bashan Char islands off the coast of Bangladesh The houses have been built four feet above the ground, to protect the refugees from high tidal waves. Environmentalists have raised their concerns over the ecology of the region but given the conditions of camps in Cox Bazar Bangladesh's move is not without sound logic. Bangladesh continues to do its bit, but clearly, the international community needs to do more, nations and world bodies need to create sustained conditions and pressure for Myanmar to repatriate Rohingyas back to Rakhine state, a move even India endorses, Bangladesh needs help as it continues to help the helpless.

Three years since Rohingya exodus: From fleeing Myanmar to ICJ trial

Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh held a "silent protest" on Tuesday to mark the third anniversary of clashes between Rohingya insurgents and Myanmar security forces that set off a huge movement into Bangladesh of people seeking safety. More than 1 million Rohingya live in the world's largest refugee settlement in southern Bangladesh, with little prospect of returning to Myanmar, where they are mostly denied citizenship and other rights.

Bangladesh sheltering close to 1 million Rohingya refugees

Rohingya exodus and their horror trail since August, 2017

Rohingya in Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state expressed fears Sunday of a coronavirus outbreak reaching their overcrowded camps, after a spate of infections sent the state capital into lockdown.

Nearly 130,000 Rohingya Muslims live in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions in camps around Sittwe.

The city has recorded 48 cases in the past week, making up more than 10 percent of the about 400 cases so far registered in Myanmar.

"We are extremely worried about the virus because we are living in limbo and it won't be easy to control," said Rohingya Kyaw Kyaw.&nbsp;

Authorities visited the Thae Chaung camp this week to talk about social distancing -- an impossibility as 10 families typically squeeze into a single house -- and gave out hand sanitiser and face masks.

"But if the lockdown is for a long time, we will... need help," Kyaw Kyaw told AFP, adding that everyone in the camps had locked themselves indoors.

Sittwe's streets were empty Sunday, with masked residents encountering barricaded roads as they tried to run errands.&nbsp;

Street vendors hawked plastic face shields and surgical masks.&nbsp;

An overnight curfew order has been in place since Friday, while all public transport -- including domestic flights -- into the capital was suspended.

Rakhine state has long been a flashpoint for ethnic and religious conflict.

The embattled Rohingya Muslim minority are widely regarded as foreign "Bengalis" despite having lived in Myanmar for generations. They lack citizenship rights and their freedom of movement is restricted across the country.&nbsp;

A local Rakhine parliamentarian this week blamed the Rohingya for the virus spread in a Facebook post that was later taken down.&nbsp;

Some 750,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following a military crackdown in 2017 -- operations that Myanmar is currently facing genocide charges for at the UN's top court.

Further north in the state, the military is also battling the Arakan Army, a rebel group seeking more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, and violent clashes have displaced thousands of civilians from their homes.

In Mrauk-U -- where three cases were found this week -- Rakhine residents feared a halt to food donations to the displacement camps, said camp leader Hla Maung Oo.&nbsp;

"We have nowhere to run if the virus becomes widespread because we also can't go back to our villages," he told AFP.

Rohingya in Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state expressed fears Sunday of a coronavirus outbreak reaching their overcrowded camps, after a spate of infections sent the state capital into lockdown.

Rohingya in Myanmar's conflict-wracked Rakhine state expressed fears Sunday of a coronavirus outbreak reaching their overcrowded camps, after a spate of infections sent the state capital into lockdown. Nearly 130,000 Rohingya Muslims live in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions in camps around Sittwe. The city has recorded 48 cases in the past week, making up more than 10 percent of the about 400 cases so far registered in Myanmar. "We are extremely worried about the virus because we are living in limbo and it won't be easy to control," said Rohingya Kyaw Kyaw. Authorities visited the Thae Chaung camp this week to talk about social distancing -- an impossibility as 10 families typically squeeze into a single house -- and gave out hand sanitiser and face masks. "But if the lockdown is for a long time, we will... need help," Kyaw Kyaw told AFP, adding that everyone in the camps had locked themselves indoors. Sittwe's streets were empty Sunday, with masked residents encountering barricaded roads as they tried to run errands. Street vendors hawked plastic face shields and surgical masks. An overnight curfew order has been in place since Friday, while all public transport -- including domestic flights -- into the capital was suspended. Rakhine state has long been a flashpoint for ethnic and religious conflict. The embattled Rohingya Muslim minority are widely regarded as foreign "Bengalis" despite having lived in Myanmar for generations. They lack citizenship rights and their freedom of movement is restricted across the country. A local Rakhine parliamentarian this week blamed the Rohingya for the virus spread in a Facebook post that was later taken down. Some 750,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following a military crackdown in 2017 -- operations that Myanmar is currently facing genocide charges for at the UN's top court. Further north in the state, the military is also battling the Arakan Army, a rebel group seeking more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, and violent clashes have displaced thousands of civilians from their homes. In Mrauk-U -- where three cases were found this week -- Rakhine residents feared a halt to food donations to the displacement camps, said camp leader Hla Maung Oo. "We have nowhere to run if the virus becomes widespread because we also can't go back to our villages," he told AFP.

Coronavirus outbreak in Myanmar's Sittwe sparks fears for Rohingya camps

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority.

A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country into sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, prompting genocide charges at the UN's top court.&nbsp;

Myanmar has denied the allegations and justified the military operations as a means of rooting out terrorists.

Another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, but most are not regarded as citizens and will have no vote, living in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions.

Three Rohingya-led parties had hoped to field at least a dozen candidates in November's vote, according to regional watchdog Fortify Rights.

But Abdul Rasheed, 58, a member of the Democracy and Human Rights Party, told AFP on Wednesday that his candidacy was rejected by the district election commission in Rakhine state capital Sittwe a day earlier.

The commission said this was because his parents were not Myanmar citizens when he was born, Rasheed said, even though he had proof his parents and grandparents were granted citizenship in 1957, four years before his birth.

"This is not in line with the law," he said, adding he would appeal the decision. "The Rohingya are being degraded so we cannot compete."

The Muslim minority has had citizenship and other rights eroded over decades.

Rasheed, who said his father worked as a Myanmar government civil servant for more than 30 years, also tried without success to stand in the country's landmark 2015 election.

"This rejection is discriminatory and not unrelated to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya," said Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights, a group for which Rasheed also consults.

"The government of Myanmar must end its mass disenfranchisement of Rohingya."

The Rakhine State election commission in Sittwe denied any unfair treatment of Rasheed.

"He wasn't rejected because he is a Muslim but because his application was not in line with the electoral law," chairperson Tin Hlaing told AFP.

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority.

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority. A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country into sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, prompting genocide charges at the UN's top court. Myanmar has denied the allegations and justified the military operations as a means of rooting out terrorists. Another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, but most are not regarded as citizens and will have no vote, living in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions. Three Rohingya-led parties had hoped to field at least a dozen candidates in November's vote, according to regional watchdog Fortify Rights. But Abdul Rasheed, 58, a member of the Democracy and Human Rights Party, told AFP on Wednesday that his candidacy was rejected by the district election commission in Rakhine state capital Sittwe a day earlier. The commission said this was because his parents were not Myanmar citizens when he was born, Rasheed said, even though he had proof his parents and grandparents were granted citizenship in 1957, four years before his birth. "This is not in line with the law," he said, adding he would appeal the decision. "The Rohingya are being degraded so we cannot compete." The Muslim minority has had citizenship and other rights eroded over decades. Rasheed, who said his father worked as a Myanmar government civil servant for more than 30 years, also tried without success to stand in the country's landmark 2015 election. "This rejection is discriminatory and not unrelated to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya," said Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights, a group for which Rasheed also consults. "The government of Myanmar must end its mass disenfranchisement of Rohingya." The Rakhine State election commission in Sittwe denied any unfair treatment of Rasheed. "He wasn't rejected because he is a Muslim but because his application was not in line with the electoral law," chairperson Tin Hlaing told AFP.

Myanmar bars Rohingya candidate from contesting election

More than twenty Rohingya refugees have been found alive in Malaysia after they were feared dead last week. The news was reported by a senior coastguard official on Monday.

Twenty six refugees were found hiding in the bushes on a nearby small island. The group of refugees was feared dead after reports of them missing surfaced.

Malaysia has been harsh on the undocumented foreign workers, especially the&nbsp;Rohingya refugees.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-24-rohingya-migrants-feared-drowned-off-malaysia-316077">Also read:&nbsp;At least 24 Rohingya migrants feared drowned off Malaysia</a>

The refugees could be found after one refugee swam ashore from a small boat on Langkawi on Saturday night.While the officials feared that the rest of the group had drowned, they continued the search and found them on a small island off the coast.

“They were found hiding in the bushes on the island,” Mohd Zubil Mat Som, director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said.

The group of refugees were suspected to have sneaked into the Malaysian border on a small boat. “Our investigations found that this syndicate transfers migrants from motherboats near the maritime border to local fishing boats to evade local authorities,” MMEA’s provincial director Mohd Zawawi Abdullah

More than twenty Rohingya refugees have been found alive in Malaysia after they were feared dead last week. The news was reported by a senior coastguard official on Monday.

More than twenty Rohingya refugees have been found alive in Malaysia after they were feared dead last week. The news was reported by a senior coastguard official on Monday. Twenty six refugees were found hiding in the bushes on a nearby small island. The group of refugees was feared dead after reports of them missing surfaced. Malaysia has been harsh on the undocumented foreign workers, especially the Rohingya refugees. Also read: At least 24 Rohingya migrants feared drowned off Malaysia The refugees could be found after one refugee swam ashore from a small boat on Langkawi on Saturday night.While the officials feared that the rest of the group had drowned, they continued the search and found them on a small island off the coast. “They were found hiding in the bushes on the island,” Mohd Zubil Mat Som, director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said. The group of refugees were suspected to have sneaked into the Malaysian border on a small boat. “Our investigations found that this syndicate transfers migrants from motherboats near the maritime border to local fishing boats to evade local authorities,” MMEA’s provincial director Mohd Zawawi Abdullah

Malaysia: 26 Rohingya refugees found alive on a small island

Three Myanmar military officers were found guilty by a court martial investigating atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in conflict-ridden Rakhine state, the army announced Tuesday. 
 
The rare action against military members came as Myanmar faces charges of genocide at the United Nations' top court over a brutal 2017 crackdown against the Rohingya. 
 
Some 750,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/suspected-rohingya-refugee-boat-seen-floating-off-indonesia-308314" hreflang="en">Suspected Rohingya refugee boat seen floating off Indonesia</a> 
 
Rights groups accused security forces of committing atrocities in various villages, including Gu Dar Pyin, where they alleged at least five shallow mass graves had been found.&nbsp; 
 
After initially denying the allegations, the military started court martial proceedings in September, admitting there had been "weakness in following instructions" in the village.&nbsp; 
 
The commander-in-chief's office announced Tuesday the court martial had "confirmed the guilty verdict" and sentenced three officers.&nbsp; 
 
No details were provided on the perpetrators, their crimes, or sentences.&nbsp; 
 
Estimates from survivors in Bangladesh put the death toll from the village in the hundreds.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/malaysia-could-send-rohingya-detainees-back-out-to-sea-sources-306778" hreflang="en">Malaysia could send Rohingya detainees back out to sea: Sources</a> 
 
The government has largely supported the army's justification of the 2017 operations as a means of rooting out insurgents. 
 
Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi admitted at the International Court of Justice in December, however, that disproportionate force may have been used. 
 
The military has maintained any atrocities were committed by a few maverick individuals.&nbsp; 
 
UN investigators also found evidence of extrajudicial killings in other Rakhine villages, Maung Nu and Chut Pyin.&nbsp; 
 
The army chief's office said Tuesday a court of inquiry would "continue to investigate" events at both villages. &nbsp; 
 
In 2018 the military sentenced members of the security forces to a decade in prison for the killing of 10 Rohingya in Inn Din village, but they were released after serving less than a year.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/traffickers-demand-payments-for-rohingya-stranded-at-sea-306121" hreflang="en">Traffickers demand payments for Rohingya stranded at sea</a> 
 
Two journalists who exposed that&nbsp;massacre were detained for more than 16 months before they were pardoned following global outcry.&nbsp; 
 
The state remains a flashpoint of ethnic and religious tensions, and the military has been locked in battle since January last year with insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. 
 
Intensified fighting over the weekend drew alarm from the UN on Sunday, who called for both sides to respect international humanitarian law as thousands more civilians fled their homes from artillery shelling.

Three Myanmar military officers were found guilty by a court martial investigating atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in conflict-ridden Rakhine state, the army announced Tuesday.

Three Myanmar military officers were found guilty by a court martial investigating atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in conflict-ridden Rakhine state, the army announced Tuesday. The rare action against military members came as Myanmar faces charges of genocide at the United Nations' top court over a brutal 2017 crackdown against the Rohingya. Some 750,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh with accounts of widespread murder, rape and arson. Also read: Suspected Rohingya refugee boat seen floating off Indonesia Rights groups accused security forces of committing atrocities in various villages, including Gu Dar Pyin, where they alleged at least five shallow mass graves had been found. After initially denying the allegations, the military started court martial proceedings in September, admitting there had been "weakness in following instructions" in the village. The commander-in-chief's office announced Tuesday the court martial had "confirmed the guilty verdict" and sentenced three officers. No details were provided on the perpetrators, their crimes, or sentences. Estimates from survivors in Bangladesh put the death toll from the village in the hundreds. Also read: Malaysia could send Rohingya detainees back out to sea: Sources The government has largely supported the army's justification of the 2017 operations as a means of rooting out insurgents. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi admitted at the International Court of Justice in December, however, that disproportionate force may have been used. The military has maintained any atrocities were committed by a few maverick individuals. UN investigators also found evidence of extrajudicial killings in other Rakhine villages, Maung Nu and Chut Pyin. The army chief's office said Tuesday a court of inquiry would "continue to investigate" events at both villages. In 2018 the military sentenced members of the security forces to a decade in prison for the killing of 10 Rohingya in Inn Din village, but they were released after serving less than a year. Also read: Traffickers demand payments for Rohingya stranded at sea Two journalists who exposed that massacre were detained for more than 16 months before they were pardoned following global outcry. The state remains a flashpoint of ethnic and religious tensions, and the military has been locked in battle since January last year with insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Intensified fighting over the weekend drew alarm from the UN on Sunday, who called for both sides to respect international humanitarian law as thousands more civilians fled their homes from artillery shelling.

Myanmar finds soldiers guilty in Rohingya atrocities court martial

A boat carrying 94 suspected Rohingya refugees was seen floating several miles off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday after being rescued by fishermen.

Police said the boat, found by fishermen on Sunday, was carrying around 94 foreign nationals, including 79 women and children. It is believed the foreign nationals were ethnic Rohingyas, but investigations were ongoing.

The authorities were planning to bring the boat ashore.

The arrival comes as survivors from another boat crammed with more than 300 Rohingya Muslims told Malaysian authorities that dozens onboard had died and their bodies were thrown in the sea during a four-month voyage.

The boat had landed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi on June 8, with 269 people abroad.

Mainly Muslim Malaysia is home to the second largest number of Rohingya refugees after Bangladesh. They fled their homes in Myanmar following a military crackdown in 2017.

Rohingya have made perilous voyages to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for years. More than one million live in sprawling camps in the south of Bangladesh, with as many as a dozen people sharing one shelter and scarce access to soap and water in some areas.

A boat carrying 94 suspected Rohingya refugees was seen floating several miles off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday after being rescued by fishermen.

A boat carrying 94 suspected Rohingya refugees was seen floating several miles off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday after being rescued by fishermen. Police said the boat, found by fishermen on Sunday, was carrying around 94 foreign nationals, including 79 women and children. It is believed the foreign nationals were ethnic Rohingyas, but investigations were ongoing. The authorities were planning to bring the boat ashore. The arrival comes as survivors from another boat crammed with more than 300 Rohingya Muslims told Malaysian authorities that dozens onboard had died and their bodies were thrown in the sea during a four-month voyage. The boat had landed on the Malaysian island of Langkawi on June 8, with 269 people abroad. Mainly Muslim Malaysia is home to the second largest number of Rohingya refugees after Bangladesh. They fled their homes in Myanmar following a military crackdown in 2017. Rohingya have made perilous voyages to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for years. More than one million live in sprawling camps in the south of Bangladesh, with as many as a dozen people sharing one shelter and scarce access to soap and water in some areas.

Suspected Rohingya refugee boat seen floating off Indonesia

The internet shutdown in Myanmar's conflict-ridden northwest, described by rights groups as the world's longest, entered a second year Sunday with locals and campaigners appealing for an end to the blackout as coronavirus fears grip the region.

The Myanmar military has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since January 2019 against the Arakan Army (AA), an insurgent group fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.

Also read&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/afghanistan/afghanistan-and-myanmar-drown-in-chinas-loans-afghanistan-rejects-loan-306145">Afghanistan and Myanmar drown in China's loans; Afghanistan rejects loan</a>

The government shut down mobile data in several townships across Rakhine state and neighbouring Chin state on June 21 last year, causing panic among residents desperate for information about the unrest.

Human Rights Watch had called on Friday for an immediate end to "the world's longest government-enforced internet shutdown".

"It's critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe" during a global pandemic, said HRW's Linda Lakhdhir.

The country has so far recorded 287 coronavirus cases including six deaths, but experts fear the low numbers are due to a lack of testing.

A government official said earlier this month the internet shutdown would continue until at least August 1 in eight townships.

Telecom companies said the government ordered the blackout to prevent "illegal activities".

The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of civilians and seen hundreds injured and scores killed, with both the military and the AA trading allegations of abuses.

Few in Myanmar have personal computers, with the majority relying on mobile phones to access the internet for communications and information -- making those under the blackout especially vulnerable to COVID-19.

Rights groups have also condemned the blocking of several local media websites and are urging telecom firms to push back against the government's orders.

Rakhine state is also home to the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group that faced a brutal crackdown by the military in 2017.

Some 750,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in violence that has led to charges of genocide against Myanmar at the UN's top court.

The 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine live in what Amnesty International has branded "apartheid conditions", with little freedom of movement.&nbsp;

"We want to know more information regarding COVID-19, what's happening to the displaced people in Sittwe (Rakhine's capital) and what's happening in Bangladesh," Abdullah, a Rohingya resident from Mrauk U township, told AFP by phone.

They now struggle to contact relatives, send them money or even check the weather forecast, he added.

Schoolteacher Aung Win in Buthidaung township said he was unable to access lessons from the education department before the new academic year begins in July.&nbsp;

"We just want the internet back as soon as possible," he said. 
&nbsp;

The internet shutdown in Myanmar's conflict-ridden northwest, described by rights groups as the world's longest, entered a second year Sunday with locals and campaigners appealing for an end to the blackout as coronavirus fears grip the region.

The internet shutdown in Myanmar's conflict-ridden northwest, described by rights groups as the world's longest, entered a second year Sunday with locals and campaigners appealing for an end to the blackout as coronavirus fears grip the region. The Myanmar military has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since January 2019 against the Arakan Army (AA), an insurgent group fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Also read | Afghanistan and Myanmar drown in China's loans; Afghanistan rejects loan The government shut down mobile data in several townships across Rakhine state and neighbouring Chin state on June 21 last year, causing panic among residents desperate for information about the unrest. Human Rights Watch had called on Friday for an immediate end to "the world's longest government-enforced internet shutdown". "It's critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe" during a global pandemic, said HRW's Linda Lakhdhir. The country has so far recorded 287 coronavirus cases including six deaths, but experts fear the low numbers are due to a lack of testing. A government official said earlier this month the internet shutdown would continue until at least August 1 in eight townships. Telecom companies said the government ordered the blackout to prevent "illegal activities". The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of civilians and seen hundreds injured and scores killed, with both the military and the AA trading allegations of abuses. Few in Myanmar have personal computers, with the majority relying on mobile phones to access the internet for communications and information -- making those under the blackout especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Rights groups have also condemned the blocking of several local media websites and are urging telecom firms to push back against the government's orders. Rakhine state is also home to the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group that faced a brutal crackdown by the military in 2017. Some 750,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in violence that has led to charges of genocide against Myanmar at the UN's top court. The 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Rakhine live in what Amnesty International has branded "apartheid conditions", with little freedom of movement. "We want to know more information regarding COVID-19, what's happening to the displaced people in Sittwe (Rakhine's capital) and what's happening in Bangladesh," Abdullah, a Rohingya resident from Mrauk U township, told AFP by phone. They now struggle to contact relatives, send them money or even check the weather forecast, he added. Schoolteacher Aung Win in Buthidaung township said he was unable to access lessons from the education department before the new academic year begins in July. "We just want the internet back as soon as possible," he said.

Internet blackout in Myanmar's Rakhine enters second year

Nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced globally by the end of 2019 as a result of war, violence, persecution and other emergencies, according to the United Nations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-relocated-to-controversial-bangladesh-island-after-spending-weeks-at-sea-296449">Also read: Rohingya refugees relocated to controversial Bangladesh island after spending weeks at sea</a> 
 
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in its annual report on displacement released on Thursday, noted that an additional 11 million people were newly displaced in 2019 alone, with developing countries the worst-hit.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/malaysia-could-send-rohingya-detainees-back-out-to-sea-sources-306778">Also read: Malaysia could send Rohingya detainees back out to sea</a> 
 
The number is almost double the total figure over the past decade.

While 2.4 million sought protection outside their country, 8.6 million were newly displaced within the borders of their countries.

Many displaced populations failed to find long-lasting solutions for rebuilding their lives, with only 317,200 refugees able to return to their country of origin and only 107,800 resettled in third countries, the UNHCR said in the report released ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20.

The global displacement number of 79.5 million or one in every 97 people on the planet at the end of 2019 is almost double the number of people in crisis registered a decade ago, it noted.

"This almost 80 million figure -- the highest that UNHCR has recorded since these statistics have been systematically collected, is, of course, a reason for great concern. This is approximately one per cent of the world's population, we have never reached this very significant percentage," UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees chief noted that although the issue of displacement affects all nations, data showed that it was poorer countries which hosted 85 per cent of those forced from their home.

"This continues to be a global issue, an issue for all States, but one that challenges most directly the poorer countries - not the richer countries - in spite of the rhetoric," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded countries of their fundamental obligation to protect the nearly 80 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and other crises.

In his message to mark the World Refugee Day, the UN chief also praised those nations and communities hosting refugees and internally displaced people, often amid their own economic and security challenges.

"We owe these countries our thanks, our support and our investment," he said.

While refugees and internally displaced people are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary-General commended them for stepping up on the frontlines of response.

"From camps in Bangladesh to hospitals in Europe, refugees are working as nurses, doctors, scientists, teachers and in other essential roles, protecting themselves and giving back to the communities that host them," he said.

Numerous emergencies old and new are behind the massive people flows, from Afghanistan to Central African Republic, to Myanmar, with hotspots including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso -- and the wider Sahel -- and the continuing fallout in Syria, after nearly a decade of civil war, the report said.

About 73 per cent of the 79.5 million on the move have sought shelter in a country neighbouring their own, Grandi said, dismissing the regularly politicised misconception that most migrants and refugees target richer countries far from home.

Nearly seven in 10 of those displaced came from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar, he said.

"If crises in these countries were solved, 68 per cent of global forced displacement would be on its way to being solved," Grandi said.

Asked about the impact of COVID-19 on mass population movements, he said it would "no doubt" push more people into crisis.

"I am very worried and we've said it to a lot of different governments that have asked us the question," he said.

"The livelihoods crisis...the increased poverty of these populations, in my opinion -- coupled with lack of solutions to a situation of conflict and in situations like the Sahel, with a deterioration of security -- there's no doubt it will increase population movements in the region but also beyond, towards Europe," Grandi said.

Since the global health crisis began, the agency has also reported an increase in the number of Rohingyas moving from Bangladesh and Myanmar, towards Malaysia and other States in South East Asia.

'That, in my opinion, is linked more than COVID-19 once again by the very stagnant situation of the Rohingya issue,' Grandi said.

'No solution, great poverty and lack of opportunities in the camps in Bangladesh, now maybe also couple with the lockdown that was made necessary by COVID that has added to the hardship.'

For the first time, Venezuela's 3.5 million displaced people feature in the UNHCR report, accounting in part for the significant rise, compared with the 2018-19 data.

In terms of the ages of those affected, the UN agency estimates that around 30 to 34 million of the world's 79.5 million forcibly displaced, are children.

Of the near 80 million people cited in the report, 26 million are refugees; 20.4 million come under UNHCR's mandate and 5.6 million are Palestine refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced globally by the end of 2019 as a result of war, violence, persecution and other emergencies, according to the United Nations.

Nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced globally by the end of 2019 as a result of war, violence, persecution and other emergencies, according to the United Nations. Also read: Rohingya refugees relocated to controversial Bangladesh island after spending weeks at sea The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in its annual report on displacement released on Thursday, noted that an additional 11 million people were newly displaced in 2019 alone, with developing countries the worst-hit. Also read: Malaysia could send Rohingya detainees back out to sea The number is almost double the total figure over the past decade. While 2.4 million sought protection outside their country, 8.6 million were newly displaced within the borders of their countries. Many displaced populations failed to find long-lasting solutions for rebuilding their lives, with only 317,200 refugees able to return to their country of origin and only 107,800 resettled in third countries, the UNHCR said in the report released ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20. The global displacement number of 79.5 million or one in every 97 people on the planet at the end of 2019 is almost double the number of people in crisis registered a decade ago, it noted. "This almost 80 million figure -- the highest that UNHCR has recorded since these statistics have been systematically collected, is, of course, a reason for great concern. This is approximately one per cent of the world's population, we have never reached this very significant percentage," UNHCR High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees chief noted that although the issue of displacement affects all nations, data showed that it was poorer countries which hosted 85 per cent of those forced from their home. "This continues to be a global issue, an issue for all States, but one that challenges most directly the poorer countries - not the richer countries - in spite of the rhetoric," he said. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded countries of their fundamental obligation to protect the nearly 80 million people worldwide forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution and other crises. In his message to mark the World Refugee Day, the UN chief also praised those nations and communities hosting refugees and internally displaced people, often amid their own economic and security challenges. "We owe these countries our thanks, our support and our investment," he said. While refugees and internally displaced people are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary-General commended them for stepping up on the frontlines of response. "From camps in Bangladesh to hospitals in Europe, refugees are working as nurses, doctors, scientists, teachers and in other essential roles, protecting themselves and giving back to the communities that host them," he said. Numerous emergencies old and new are behind the massive people flows, from Afghanistan to Central African Republic, to Myanmar, with hotspots including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso -- and the wider Sahel -- and the continuing fallout in Syria, after nearly a decade of civil war, the report said. About 73 per cent of the 79.5 million on the move have sought shelter in a country neighbouring their own, Grandi said, dismissing the regularly politicised misconception that most migrants and refugees target richer countries far from home. Nearly seven in 10 of those displaced came from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar, he said. "If crises in these countries were solved, 68 per cent of global forced displacement would be on its way to being solved," Grandi said. Asked about the impact of COVID-19 on mass population movements, he said it would "no doubt" push more people into crisis. "I am very worried and we've said it to a lot of different governments that have asked us the question," he said. "The livelihoods crisis...the increased poverty of these populations, in my opinion -- coupled with lack of solutions to a situation of conflict and in situations like the Sahel, with a deterioration of security -- there's no doubt it will increase population movements in the region but also beyond, towards Europe," Grandi said. Since the global health crisis began, the agency has also reported an increase in the number of Rohingyas moving from Bangladesh and Myanmar, towards Malaysia and other States in South East Asia. 'That, in my opinion, is linked more than COVID-19 once again by the very stagnant situation of the Rohingya issue,' Grandi said. 'No solution, great poverty and lack of opportunities in the camps in Bangladesh, now maybe also couple with the lockdown that was made necessary by COVID that has added to the hardship.' For the first time, Venezuela's 3.5 million displaced people feature in the UNHCR report, accounting in part for the significant rise, compared with the 2018-19 data. In terms of the ages of those affected, the UN agency estimates that around 30 to 34 million of the world's 79.5 million forcibly displaced, are children. Of the near 80 million people cited in the report, 26 million are refugees; 20.4 million come under UNHCR's mandate and 5.6 million are Palestine refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Nearly 80 million people forcibly displaced globally at the end of 2019: United Nations

Malaysia is considering a plan to send nearly 300 Rohingya Muslim refugees detained after arriving on a damaged boat back out to sea once the ship has been fixed, two security sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has been a favoured destination for ethnic Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar and more recently, refugee camps in Bangladesh, in search of better prospects.

But Malaysia has said it will no longer accept Rohingya refugees after tightening border controls to rein in the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Malaysia had earlier asked Bangladesh to take back 269 Rohingya refugees, who were detained upon their arrival on June 8, but Bangladeshi officials had rejected the request.

Authorities have now drawn up a plan to send the detainees back out to sea after the boat has been fixed, two Malaysian security sources said. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"That is the current plan but no decision has been made yet," one of the sources said.

The boat would be supplied with food and water if the plan to push them out to sea was approved, the source said.

The Malaysian government`s National Taskforce on migrant issues, which includes the maritime agency, navy, police and immigration, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Nor did Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin`s office.

The body of one Rohingya woman was found on the boat but rights groups say more had died while others were left starving after being stranded at sea for months before being rescued.

The Arakan Project, a non-profit group focusing on the Rohingya crisis, urged Malaysia not to send the refugees back out to sea.

"This would amount to refoulement and would be completely inhumane as passengers already died aboard this boat before it was rescued," Chris Lewa, the group`s director told Reuters.

Refoulement means the forced return of refugees to a place where they risk persecution in contravention of international humanitarian and human rights laws.

"Rohingya need protection and cannot be pushed off from one country to another, let alone back to sea."

In recent weeks, Malaysia has turned away at least two boats and detained hundreds of Rohingya already in the country, as well as other undocumented migrants.

The action comes amid heightened public anger towards foreigners in Malaysia, who have been accused of spreading the coronavirus and being a burden on state resources. 
At least one boat with as many as 300 Rohingya refugees on board remains at sea, according to rights groups. Some of those on board are believed to be sick. 
Its location is not known.

Malaysia is considering a plan to send nearly 300 Rohingya Muslim refugees detained after arriving on a damaged boat back out to sea once the ship has been fixed, two security sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Malaysia is considering a plan to send nearly 300 Rohingya Muslim refugees detained after arriving on a damaged boat back out to sea once the ship has been fixed, two security sources told Reuters on Thursday. Muslim-majority Malaysia has been a favoured destination for ethnic Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar and more recently, refugee camps in Bangladesh, in search of better prospects. But Malaysia has said it will no longer accept Rohingya refugees after tightening border controls to rein in the spread of the novel coronavirus. Malaysia had earlier asked Bangladesh to take back 269 Rohingya refugees, who were detained upon their arrival on June 8, but Bangladeshi officials had rejected the request. Authorities have now drawn up a plan to send the detainees back out to sea after the boat has been fixed, two Malaysian security sources said. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. "That is the current plan but no decision has been made yet," one of the sources said. The boat would be supplied with food and water if the plan to push them out to sea was approved, the source said. The Malaysian government`s National Taskforce on migrant issues, which includes the maritime agency, navy, police and immigration, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Nor did Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin`s office. The body of one Rohingya woman was found on the boat but rights groups say more had died while others were left starving after being stranded at sea for months before being rescued. The Arakan Project, a non-profit group focusing on the Rohingya crisis, urged Malaysia not to send the refugees back out to sea. "This would amount to refoulement and would be completely inhumane as passengers already died aboard this boat before it was rescued," Chris Lewa, the group`s director told Reuters. Refoulement means the forced return of refugees to a place where they risk persecution in contravention of international humanitarian and human rights laws. "Rohingya need protection and cannot be pushed off from one country to another, let alone back to sea." In recent weeks, Malaysia has turned away at least two boats and detained hundreds of Rohingya already in the country, as well as other undocumented migrants. The action comes amid heightened public anger towards foreigners in Malaysia, who have been accused of spreading the coronavirus and being a burden on state resources. At least one boat with as many as 300 Rohingya refugees on board remains at sea, according to rights groups. Some of those on board are believed to be sick. Its location is not known.

Malaysia could send Rohingya detainees back out to sea: Sources

People traffickers holding hundreds of Rohingya refugees at sea are demanding payments from their families before they will release them from boats off the shores of Southeast Asia, relatives and rights groups say.

Several hundred Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority from Myanmar fleeing persecution at home and refugee camps in Bangladesh, have been stranded for months after countries sealed their borders to block the spread of the coronavirus.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/first-rohingya-refugee-dies-from-coronavirus-in-bangladesh-official-302571" hreflang="en">First Rohingya refugee dies from coronavirus in Bangladesh: Official</a>

Three people who said their relatives were at sea told Reuters that traffickers had demanded money to release them from boats that have been off Southeast Asia since February, trying to find a place to land.

"Before, the deal was that if they were able to reach the Malaysian shore then they will take the money, but they're asking for it now," said Mohammed Ayas, who said his 16-year-old brother left a refugee camp in Bangladesh in February.&nbsp;

Since then, the family has heard nothing from him, Ayas said.

Musha, whose two sisters are also at sea after leaving camps in Bangladesh in February, said brokers acting for the traffickers asked the family to pay 12,000 ringitt ($2,800) by a mobile banking service for their transfer to Malaysia.&nbsp;

He said the family paid the sum but did not know the fate of the two teenaged girls.

For years, Rohingya have boarded boats between November and April, when the seas are calm, to get to Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. But coronavirus lockdowns have left boats stranded at sea.

Dozens of people died aboard a boat that had to return to Bangladesh in April after running out of food and water, survivors told Reuters. [nL4N2CH0VK]

Authorities in Malaysia detained 269 Rohingya who came ashore from a damaged boat last week. Human Rights Watch said about 70% of them were too weak to walk.

"OFFSHORE CAMP"

At least one vessel remains at sea, according to rights groups, with as many as 300 people on board, some of whom are believed to be sick. Its location is not known.

"This boat has been turned into an offshore traffickers' camp," said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a group focusing on the Rohingya crisis. She described the people at sea as hostages and said the latest demands were for 5,000 Malaysian ringgit ($1,170) per passenger to get to Malaysia.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/south-asia/15000-rohingya-under-coronavirus-quarantine-as-cases-hit-29-301020" hreflang="en">15,000 Rohingya under coronavirus quarantine as cases hit 29</a>

An official with the Thai marine police said the vessel was not in Thai waters but had sought provisions from fishing boats. A second Thai police official, who also asked not to be named, said three boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya were close to Koh Adang, a Thai island, but on the Malaysian side of the border.

Malaysian officials, including the country's maritime enforcement agency, did not respond to requests for comment. The agency said it turned away a boat carrying about 300 Rohingya last week, media reported.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2017 following a military crackdown the United Nations has said was carried out with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies genocide, saying it was responding to attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants.&nbsp;

Nearly a million Rohingya now live in camps in southeast Bangladesh.&nbsp;

During a crackdown on trafficking networks that led to a similar crisis in 2015, gangs cast passengers adrift with meagre food and water. Many died at sea.

People traffickers holding hundreds of Rohingya refugees at sea are demanding payments from their families before they will release them from boats off the shores of Southeast Asia, relatives and rights groups say.

People traffickers holding hundreds of Rohingya refugees at sea are demanding payments from their families before they will release them from boats off the shores of Southeast Asia, relatives and rights groups say. Several hundred Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority from Myanmar fleeing persecution at home and refugee camps in Bangladesh, have been stranded for months after countries sealed their borders to block the spread of the coronavirus. Also read: First Rohingya refugee dies from coronavirus in Bangladesh: Official Three people who said their relatives were at sea told Reuters that traffickers had demanded money to release them from boats that have been off Southeast Asia since February, trying to find a place to land. "Before, the deal was that if they were able to reach the Malaysian shore then they will take the money, but they're asking for it now," said Mohammed Ayas, who said his 16-year-old brother left a refugee camp in Bangladesh in February. Since then, the family has heard nothing from him, Ayas said. Musha, whose two sisters are also at sea after leaving camps in Bangladesh in February, said brokers acting for the traffickers asked the family to pay 12,000 ringitt ($2,800) by a mobile banking service for their transfer to Malaysia. He said the family paid the sum but did not know the fate of the two teenaged girls. For years, Rohingya have boarded boats between November and April, when the seas are calm, to get to Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. But coronavirus lockdowns have left boats stranded at sea. Dozens of people died aboard a boat that had to return to Bangladesh in April after running out of food and water, survivors told Reuters. [nL4N2CH0VK] Authorities in Malaysia detained 269 Rohingya who came ashore from a damaged boat last week. Human Rights Watch said about 70% of them were too weak to walk. "OFFSHORE CAMP" At least one vessel remains at sea, according to rights groups, with as many as 300 people on board, some of whom are believed to be sick. Its location is not known. "This boat has been turned into an offshore traffickers' camp," said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a group focusing on the Rohingya crisis. She described the people at sea as hostages and said the latest demands were for 5,000 Malaysian ringgit ($1,170) per passenger to get to Malaysia. Also read: 15,000 Rohingya under coronavirus quarantine as cases hit 29 An official with the Thai marine police said the vessel was not in Thai waters but had sought provisions from fishing boats. A second Thai police official, who also asked not to be named, said three boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya were close to Koh Adang, a Thai island, but on the Malaysian side of the border. Malaysian officials, including the country's maritime enforcement agency, did not respond to requests for comment. The agency said it turned away a boat carrying about 300 Rohingya last week, media reported. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2017 following a military crackdown the United Nations has said was carried out with "genocidal intent". Myanmar denies genocide, saying it was responding to attacks on security posts by Rohingya militants. Nearly a million Rohingya now live in camps in southeast Bangladesh. During a crackdown on trafficking networks that led to a similar crisis in 2015, gangs cast passengers adrift with meagre food and water. Many died at sea.

Traffickers demand payments for Rohingya stranded at sea

Some 15,000 Rohingya refugees are now under coronavirus quarantine in Bangladesh's vast camps, officials said Monday, as the number of confirmed infections rose to 29.

Health experts have long warned that the virus could race through the cramped settlements, housing almost a million Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar, and officials had restricted movement to the area in April.

Despite this, the first cases in the camps were detected in mid-May.

"None of the infections are critical. Most hardly show any symptoms. Still we have brought them in isolation centres and quarantined their families," Toha Bhuiyan, a senior health official in the surrounding Cox's Bazar area told AFP.

He said narrow roads to three districts of the camps -- where the majority of the infections were detected -- have been blocked off by authorities.

The 15,000 Rohingya inside these so-called blocks faced further restrictions on their movement, he said.

It comes as charity workers expressed fears over being infected in the camps as they worked without adequate protection.

Two of the areas under isolation are in Kutupalong camp, home to roughly 600,000 Rohingya.

"We are trying to scale up testing as fast as possible to make sure that we can trace out all the infected people and their contacts," Bhuiyan said.

Seven isolation centres with the capacity to treat more than 700 COVID-19 patients have been prepared, he said.

Officials hope to have just under 2,000 ready by the end of May, he added.

Some 15,000 Rohingya refugees are now under coronavirus quarantine in Bangladesh's vast camps, officials said Monday, as the number of confirmed infections rose to 29.

Some 15,000 Rohingya refugees are now under coronavirus quarantine in Bangladesh's vast camps, officials said Monday, as the number of confirmed infections rose to 29. Health experts have long warned that the virus could race through the cramped settlements, housing almost a million Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar, and officials had restricted movement to the area in April. Despite this, the first cases in the camps were detected in mid-May. "None of the infections are critical. Most hardly show any symptoms. Still we have brought them in isolation centres and quarantined their families," Toha Bhuiyan, a senior health official in the surrounding Cox's Bazar area told AFP. He said narrow roads to three districts of the camps -- where the majority of the infections were detected -- have been blocked off by authorities. The 15,000 Rohingya inside these so-called blocks faced further restrictions on their movement, he said. It comes as charity workers expressed fears over being infected in the camps as they worked without adequate protection. Two of the areas under isolation are in Kutupalong camp, home to roughly 600,000 Rohingya. "We are trying to scale up testing as fast as possible to make sure that we can trace out all the infected people and their contacts," Bhuiyan said. Seven isolation centres with the capacity to treat more than 700 COVID-19 patients have been prepared, he said. Officials hope to have just under 2,000 ready by the end of May, he added.

15,000 Rohingya under coronavirus quarantine as cases hit 29

Thailand police have arrested 15 Rohingya Muslims on the charge of illegal entry. The police have said that they could be victims of human trafficking.&nbsp;

Out of 15, twelve were arrested on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday morning. They were arrested in Thailand's Mae Sot which is close to the bridge that separates both (Myanmar and Thailand) as per police's statement.&nbsp;

All of the arrested belonged to Buthidaung, which has the largest concentrations of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine State.

Phubed Sang-aram, superintendent of the Mae Sot district police said: "They have been preliminarily charged with illegal entry, pending further interrogation to determine whether they are victims of human trafficking."

According to Phubed, three Thais have also been taken into custody for providing a home to the illegal migrants.&nbsp;

Mae Sot's district chief Chaiyapheuk Chiantranluk said that the Rohingya group made a plan to go to Malaysia via Thailand.&nbsp;

Global outrage was sparked in 2017 after over 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine state during weeks of brutal violence. &nbsp;According to reports, hundreds of villages were burned and women were gang-raped.

During the violence, the United Nations had said that the gang rapes and mass killings were carried out with "genocidal intent".&nbsp;

Thailand police have arrested 15 Rohingya Muslims on the charge of illegal entry. The police have said that they could be victims of human trafficking. Out of 15, twelve were arrested on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday morning.

Thailand police have arrested 15 Rohingya Muslims on the charge of illegal entry. The police have said that they could be victims of human trafficking. Out of 15, twelve were arrested on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday morning. They were arrested in Thailand's Mae Sot which is close to the bridge that separates both (Myanmar and Thailand) as per police's statement. All of the arrested belonged to Buthidaung, which has the largest concentrations of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine State. Phubed Sang-aram, superintendent of the Mae Sot district police said: "They have been preliminarily charged with illegal entry, pending further interrogation to determine whether they are victims of human trafficking." According to Phubed, three Thais have also been taken into custody for providing a home to the illegal migrants. Mae Sot's district chief Chaiyapheuk Chiantranluk said that the Rohingya group made a plan to go to Malaysia via Thailand. Global outrage was sparked in 2017 after over 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine state during weeks of brutal violence. According to reports, hundreds of villages were burned and women were gang-raped. During the violence, the United Nations had said that the gang rapes and mass killings were carried out with "genocidal intent".

Thailand police arrests 15 Rohingya migrants over illegal entry

Two boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees have been stranded outside of Bangladesh for the last few weeks.

International authorities are now urging Bangladesh government to allow entry of the boats via its ports which have been shut in the face of COVID-19.

Urgent care required

It is feared that most of these people would now not require food and water, but also urgent medical care.

According to The Guardian, over 500 people including children are onboard the boats, which were recently spotted in the Bay of Bengal.

Last week, Abdul Momen, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh refused to allow entry of boats into the country and announced, “Bangladesh is always asked to take care of the responsibility of other countries.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/south-asia/nearly-400-rohingya-rescued-by-bangladesh-coast-guard-from-boat-over-30-dead-293154" hreflang="en">Nearly 400 Rohingya rescued by Bangladesh coast guard from boat; over 30 dead</a>

Earlier in April, another boat was rescued by Bangladesh. According to reports, the boat was stranded in the ocean for over two months and was heading to Malaysia. 
 
The charity responsible for treating them - Médecins Sans Frontières claimed that the boat had 400 survivors, mostly youngsters aged between 12 and 20. On that boat alone, over 70 had died.

According to MSF, most of the survivors were on the verge of death when they were rescued.

This particular boat was trying to escape the horrid living conditions in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh where Rohingya have been placed in overcrowded camps.

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7ab3f879-b288-43ff-b8b1-81e3f77b0399" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-10_0.jpg" /> 
Rohingya refugees arrive on boats after crossing the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang on October 9, 2017 | AFP 
 
&nbsp;</h6>

More boats at bay?

As of now, only two boats have been spotted by authorities, but they fear that many more such boats could be drifting in the ocean.

Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently wrote to Momen, and referred to the situation as “a human tragedy of terrible proportions”.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-icj-tells-myanmar-to-end-rohingya-genocide-276215/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“I appeal to you in the strongest terms to open your ports and allow the boats to land… The reportedly more than 500 men, women and children aboard these boats have been at sea for an extended period of time, and we understand that they require urgent rescue, food, medical care and other necessary humanitarian assistance”, she added.

The boat, like many others was turned away by Malaysia due to the fears triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Momen further retorted by claiming that Bangladesh could not rescue any more people, adding that the country had “no room to shelter any foreign people or refugees”.

Over 700,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar where an ethnic cleansing began in August 2017.

Two boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees have been stranded outside of Bangladesh for the last few weeks. International authorities are now urging Bangladesh government to allow entry of the boats via its ports which have been shut in the face of COVID-19.

Two boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees have been stranded outside of Bangladesh for the last few weeks. International authorities are now urging Bangladesh government to allow entry of the boats via its ports which have been shut in the face of COVID-19. Urgent care required It is feared that most of these people would now not require food and water, but also urgent medical care. According to The Guardian, over 500 people including children are onboard the boats, which were recently spotted in the Bay of Bengal. Last week, Abdul Momen, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh refused to allow entry of boats into the country and announced, “Bangladesh is always asked to take care of the responsibility of other countries.” Also read: Nearly 400 Rohingya rescued by Bangladesh coast guard from boat; over 30 dead Earlier in April, another boat was rescued by Bangladesh. According to reports, the boat was stranded in the ocean for over two months and was heading to Malaysia. The charity responsible for treating them - Médecins Sans Frontières claimed that the boat had 400 survivors, mostly youngsters aged between 12 and 20. On that boat alone, over 70 had died. According to MSF, most of the survivors were on the verge of death when they were rescued. This particular boat was trying to escape the horrid living conditions in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh where Rohingya have been placed in overcrowded camps. Rohingya refugees arrive on boats after crossing the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh in Whaikhyang on October 9, 2017 | AFP More boats at bay? As of now, only two boats have been spotted by authorities, but they fear that many more such boats could be drifting in the ocean. Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recently wrote to Momen, and referred to the situation as “a human tragedy of terrible proportions”. “I appeal to you in the strongest terms to open your ports and allow the boats to land… The reportedly more than 500 men, women and children aboard these boats have been at sea for an extended period of time, and we understand that they require urgent rescue, food, medical care and other necessary humanitarian assistance”, she added. The boat, like many others was turned away by Malaysia due to the fears triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Momen further retorted by claiming that Bangladesh could not rescue any more people, adding that the country had “no room to shelter any foreign people or refugees”. Over 700,000 Rohingya fled from Myanmar where an ethnic cleansing began in August 2017.

UN urges Bangladesh to rescue two stranded boats carrying Rohingya refugees

At least 32 Rohingyas died with hundreds rescued in Bangladesh after a boat drifted for weeks as it was turned back from Malaysia, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday.&nbsp;

The coast guard officer Shah Zia Rahman said that about 250 women and children were among the 400 or so who were rescued late on Wednesday from the vessel off the Cox's Bazar district in southeastern Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/amid-growing-calls-of-coronavirus-spread-myanmar-decides-to-release-25000-prisoners-293128">Amid growing calls of coronavirus spread, Myanmar decides to release 25,000 prisoners</a>

"They were starving," he said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/coronavirus-south-asia-may-see-worst-economic-performance-in-40-years-says-wb-report-292127">Coronavirus: South Asia may see worst economic performance in 40 years, says WB report</a>

Rahman said that other survivors had told them that 32 people died on board with their bodies dumped in the sea and that the boat had tried to enter Malaysia and Thailand.

However, two other survivors claimed that 60 people who were on board died. &nbsp;

"There were more than 500 people onboard, jam-packed. At least 60 of us died in the boat. We held on board their funeral prayers and dropped their bodies in the sea," Survivor Anwarul Islam said.&nbsp;

"We barely had food, fresh water, and medicines."&nbsp;

Islam&nbsp;also said that the captain of their boat was also killed in a fight that broke out after he tried to rape one of the women.&nbsp;

Both Islam and another survivor Anwar Alam said that they tried to enter Thailand and Malaysia, but were denied entry and their voyage continued for two months and 18 days.&nbsp;

"We entered Malaysia (waters) three times but they didn't let us in. Many of us died in the heat and sweat. There were too many onboard, mostly women and children," Alam said.&nbsp;

Video images showed a crowd that mostly had women and children were unable to stand and being helped to shore. A very thin man was lying on the sand.

They were "extremely malnourished and dehydrated," the UN's refugee agency said.&nbsp;

Bangladesh media reports claimed that the Rohingyas were not allowed to enter Malaysia due to stricter measures put in place to contain coronavirus spread.&nbsp;

About a million Rohingya live in camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar after fleeing a military offensive in 2017. Thousands every year attempt to reach other countries on crowded and poorly-made boats.

(With AFP, Reuters inputs)

At least 32 Rohingyas died with hundreds rescued in Bangladesh after a boat drifted for weeks as it was turned back from Malaysia, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday.

At least 32 Rohingyas died with hundreds rescued in Bangladesh after a boat drifted for weeks as it was turned back from Malaysia, Bangladesh coast guard officials said on Thursday. The coast guard officer Shah Zia Rahman said that about 250 women and children were among the 400 or so who were rescued late on Wednesday from the vessel off the Cox's Bazar district in southeastern Bangladesh. Also read | Amid growing calls of coronavirus spread, Myanmar decides to release 25,000 prisoners "They were starving," he said. Also read | Coronavirus: South Asia may see worst economic performance in 40 years, says WB report Rahman said that other survivors had told them that 32 people died on board with their bodies dumped in the sea and that the boat had tried to enter Malaysia and Thailand. However, two other survivors claimed that 60 people who were on board died. "There were more than 500 people onboard, jam-packed. At least 60 of us died in the boat. We held on board their funeral prayers and dropped their bodies in the sea," Survivor Anwarul Islam said. "We barely had food, fresh water, and medicines." Islam also said that the captain of their boat was also killed in a fight that broke out after he tried to rape one of the women. Both Islam and another survivor Anwar Alam said that they tried to enter Thailand and Malaysia, but were denied entry and their voyage continued for two months and 18 days. "We entered Malaysia (waters) three times but they didn't let us in. Many of us died in the heat and sweat. There were too many onboard, mostly women and children," Alam said. Video images showed a crowd that mostly had women and children were unable to stand and being helped to shore. A very thin man was lying on the sand. They were "extremely malnourished and dehydrated," the UN's refugee agency said. Bangladesh media reports claimed that the Rohingyas were not allowed to enter Malaysia due to stricter measures put in place to contain coronavirus spread. About a million Rohingya live in camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar after fleeing a military offensive in 2017. Thousands every year attempt to reach other countries on crowded and poorly-made boats. (With AFP, Reuters inputs)

Nearly 400 Rohingya rescued by Bangladesh coast guard from boat; over 30 dead

Police in Bangladesh killed seven members of a gang of armed robbers on Monday during a raid on their hideout on a hillside overlooking a camp for Rohingya refugees in the southeast of the country, a police spokesman said.

Crime and violence are rife in the squalid, sprawling camps around the coastal city of Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya took shelter in recent years after fleeing persecution in neighbouring Myanmar.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-army-clash-with-insurgents-kills-5-rohingyas-283577">Myanmar army clash with insurgents kills 5 Rohingyas</a>

Police did not say what crime this gang had been engaged in, but some Rohingya gangs are involved in narcotics and human trafficking, and the raid was conducted by a special police unit known as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

"Firearms and a large amount of ammunition have been recovered from the spot. Our team is continuing search operations," said Sujoy Sarkar, a spokesman for the RAB.

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-likely-to-visit-bangladesh-on-march-17-foreign-secretary-masud-bin-momen-283600">PM Modi likely to visit Bangladesh on March 17: Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen</a>

The spokesman said officers came under fire as they launched the raid, but they did not suffer any casualties. Rights groups have accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings.

At least 50 Rohingya people have been killed in shootouts in Bangladesh since the latest mass influx of Rohingya refugees in August 2017, according to police.

Authorities have begun erecting barbed-wire fences around the camps in a bid to tackle crime, while a plan to relocate refugees to a flood-prone island has been put on hold.

Police in Bangladesh killed seven members of a gang of armed robbers on Monday during a raid on their hideout on a hillside overlooking a camp for Rohingya refugees in the southeast of the country, a police spokesman said.

Police in Bangladesh killed seven members of a gang of armed robbers on Monday during a raid on their hideout on a hillside overlooking a camp for Rohingya refugees in the southeast of the country, a police spokesman said. Crime and violence are rife in the squalid, sprawling camps around the coastal city of Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya took shelter in recent years after fleeing persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. Also read: Myanmar army clash with insurgents kills 5 Rohingyas Police did not say what crime this gang had been engaged in, but some Rohingya gangs are involved in narcotics and human trafficking, and the raid was conducted by a special police unit known as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). "Firearms and a large amount of ammunition have been recovered from the spot. Our team is continuing search operations," said Sujoy Sarkar, a spokesman for the RAB. Also see: PM Modi likely to visit Bangladesh on March 17: Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen The spokesman said officers came under fire as they launched the raid, but they did not suffer any casualties. Rights groups have accused Bangladesh police of extrajudicial killings. At least 50 Rohingya people have been killed in shootouts in Bangladesh since the latest mass influx of Rohingya refugees in August 2017, according to police. Authorities have begun erecting barbed-wire fences around the camps in a bid to tackle crime, while a plan to relocate refugees to a flood-prone island has been put on hold.

Bangladesh police kills seven suspected Rohingya robbers in raid

The Maldives has hired prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to fight for Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The decision to take up the case comes soon after the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid asked the UN for a seat in its Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

In a single day, Maldives expressed readiness to serve on the United Nation&nbsp;Human Rights Council and stand up for Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice.

The ruling Maldivian democratic party knows someone who can help fight the pending case at Hague - that's Amal Clooney, who successfully represented former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed in 2015.

She secured a decision to dismiss politically motivated sentencing of nasheed to 13 years in prison. Now, she will don the gown yet again in the service of Maldives.

In a fight to challenge Myanmar's 2017 military crackdown that chased nearly 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to neighbouring Bangladesh, Amal Clooney will go up against Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi - the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the unexpected defender of the military.&nbsp;

Today, Rohingya Muslims are stateless people, they are one of the most persecuted communities in the world.&nbsp;

After the crackdown in 2017-18, most of the Rohingya population was driven out of Myanmar. Making them refugees in neighbouring countries who are hesitant to take them in.

More than 100,000 Rohingyas are still in Myanmar, confined to camps for internally displaced persons. UN officials and Human Rights Watch have described Myanmar's persecution of the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing.

In a unanimous ruling last month, the International Court of Justice ordered Buddhist-majority Myanmar to take care of Rohingyas, but for Myanmar to have a change of heart may take years.

So, the case at the International Court may go on for years. The Maldives has joined the mainly Muslim African state of Gambia to prevent the destruction of evidence in the ongoing case

Most importantly, Amal Clooney will seek accountability for a feared outcome of the ethnic crackdown - genocide.

The Maldives has hired prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to fight for Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The decision to take up the case comes soon after the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid asked the UN for a seat in its Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term.

The Maldives has hired prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney to fight for Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The decision to take up the case comes soon after the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid asked the UN for a seat in its Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term. In a single day, Maldives expressed readiness to serve on the United Nation Human Rights Council and stand up for Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims at the International Court of Justice. The ruling Maldivian democratic party knows someone who can help fight the pending case at Hague - that's Amal Clooney, who successfully represented former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed in 2015. She secured a decision to dismiss politically motivated sentencing of nasheed to 13 years in prison. Now, she will don the gown yet again in the service of Maldives. In a fight to challenge Myanmar's 2017 military crackdown that chased nearly 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to neighbouring Bangladesh, Amal Clooney will go up against Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi - the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the unexpected defender of the military. Today, Rohingya Muslims are stateless people, they are one of the most persecuted communities in the world. After the crackdown in 2017-18, most of the Rohingya population was driven out of Myanmar. Making them refugees in neighbouring countries who are hesitant to take them in. More than 100,000 Rohingyas are still in Myanmar, confined to camps for internally displaced persons. UN officials and Human Rights Watch have described Myanmar's persecution of the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing. In a unanimous ruling last month, the International Court of Justice ordered Buddhist-majority Myanmar to take care of Rohingyas, but for Myanmar to have a change of heart may take years. So, the case at the International Court may go on for years. The Maldives has joined the mainly Muslim African state of Gambia to prevent the destruction of evidence in the ongoing case Most importantly, Amal Clooney will seek accountability for a feared outcome of the ethnic crackdown - genocide.

Maldives hires Amal Clooney to fight for Rohingya refugees at International Court of Justice

Myanmar's army said in a statement on Friday it would hold more court-martials over alleged abuses against Rohingya Muslims, after a government-appointed commission said soldiers committed war crimes against the minority.

The panel concluded, in a report published in January, that members of the security forces, among "multiple actors", were responsible for war crimes and serious human rights violations during a military-led crackdown against the group in 2017.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-already-protecting-rohingya-ruling-party-says-after-world-courts-order-276380"> Myanmar already protecting Rohingyas, says ruling party after ICJ order</a>

The army said in a post on its website on Friday it had studied the panel's report in great detail and was reviewing allegations.

Hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icj-to-rule-on-emergency-measures-in-rohingya-genocide-case-276055">Rohingya </a>fled to neighbouring <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icj-to-rule-on-emergency-measures-in-rohingya-genocide-case-276055">Bangladesh </a>to escape an army offensive launched in August 2017 that UN investigators described as having been executed with genocidal intent.

The country is facing genocide charges at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-already-protecting-rohingya-ruling-party-says-after-world-courts-order-276380">International Court of Justice</a> in the Hague, after Gambia, a mainly Muslim West African state, lodged a lawsuit last year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icj-to-rule-on-emergency-measures-in-rohingya-genocide-case-276055">Myanmar </a>says the army was fighting a legitimate counter-insurgency campaign against militants who attacked security posts.

The government-appointed panel blamed Rohingya militants for attacking 30 police posts and "provoking" the crackdown, which it said did not amount to genocide.

Watch: ICJ to rule on emergency measures in Rohingya genocide case

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/icj-to-rule-on-emergency-measures-in-rohingya-genocide-case-276055/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The army said it was investigating alleged abuses in two villages: Maung Nu, where residents told the panel as many as 200 Muslims were killed after taking shelter in a single house, and Chut Pyin, where dozens more are alleged to have died.

"The Court of Inquiry will investigate such incidents and the trial of Court-Martial will be followed in accordance with the law and in line with the processes of Military Justice," the army statement said.

Two military spokesmen rejected several phone calls from Reuters on Friday seeking further comment.

Residents of Maung Nu told government-appointed investigators that soldiers besieged the village after militants attacked a nearby security post and stormed a house where many villagers were sheltering, killing as many as 200.

In Chut Pyin, residents said soldiers surrounded the village, used rocket launchers to set fire to houses and shot indiscriminately, killing scores, according to the January report.

Troops told locals, who allegedly participated in the destruction, to "systematically destroy the bodies" afterwards, one Buddhist resident told the government-backed panel.

"There were so many corpses in Chut Pyin village that when they were burnt, not all could be burnt down to ashes; some were buried, and some dead bodies were pulled apart by wild animals," the resident was quoted as saying.

The army said in its statement it was still reviewing other incidents mentioned in the report by the government-appointed panel, which include an alleged massacre of Hindus by Rohingya militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which the group denies.

Myanmar has vowed to carry out its own investigations, saying international justice mechanisms violate its sovereignty.

The army began a trial in November of soldiers and officers from a regiment deployed to Gu Dar Pyin village, the site of another alleged massacre.

A statement on that trial will be released "in the near future", the military said on Friday.

Seven soldiers jailed for 10 years for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys in the village of Inn Din were granted early release last November, after serving less than a year in prison.

Myanmar's army said in a statement on Friday it would hold more court-martials over alleged abuses against Rohingya Muslims, after a government-appointed commission said soldiers committed war crimes against the minority.

Myanmar's army said in a statement on Friday it would hold more court-martials over alleged abuses against Rohingya Muslims, after a government-appointed commission said soldiers committed war crimes against the minority. The panel concluded, in a report published in January, that members of the security forces, among "multiple actors", were responsible for war crimes and serious human rights violations during a military-led crackdown against the group in 2017. Also read: Myanmar already protecting Rohingyas, says ruling party after ICJ order The army said in a post on its website on Friday it had studied the panel's report in great detail and was reviewing allegations. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape an army offensive launched in August 2017 that UN investigators described as having been executed with genocidal intent. The country is facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, after Gambia, a mainly Muslim West African state, lodged a lawsuit last year. Myanmar says the army was fighting a legitimate counter-insurgency campaign against militants who attacked security posts. The government-appointed panel blamed Rohingya militants for attacking 30 police posts and "provoking" the crackdown, which it said did not amount to genocide. Watch: ICJ to rule on emergency measures in Rohingya genocide case The army said it was investigating alleged abuses in two villages: Maung Nu, where residents told the panel as many as 200 Muslims were killed after taking shelter in a single house, and Chut Pyin, where dozens more are alleged to have died. "The Court of Inquiry will investigate such incidents and the trial of Court-Martial will be followed in accordance with the law and in line with the processes of Military Justice," the army statement said. Two military spokesmen rejected several phone calls from Reuters on Friday seeking further comment. Residents of Maung Nu told government-appointed investigators that soldiers besieged the village after militants attacked a nearby security post and stormed a house where many villagers were sheltering, killing as many as 200. In Chut Pyin, residents said soldiers surrounded the village, used rocket launchers to set fire to houses and shot indiscriminately, killing scores, according to the January report. Troops told locals, who allegedly participated in the destruction, to "systematically destroy the bodies" afterwards, one Buddhist resident told the government-backed panel. "There were so many corpses in Chut Pyin village that when they were burnt, not all could be burnt down to ashes; some were buried, and some dead bodies were pulled apart by wild animals," the resident was quoted as saying. The army said in its statement it was still reviewing other incidents mentioned in the report by the government-appointed panel, which include an alleged massacre of Hindus by Rohingya militants calling themselves the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which the group denies. Myanmar has vowed to carry out its own investigations, saying international justice mechanisms violate its sovereignty. The army began a trial in November of soldiers and officers from a regiment deployed to Gu Dar Pyin village, the site of another alleged massacre. A statement on that trial will be released "in the near future", the military said on Friday. Seven soldiers jailed for 10 years for killing 10 Rohingya men and boys in the village of Inn Din were granted early release last November, after serving less than a year in prison.

Myanmar to court-martial more troops over Rohingya crackdown, army says

At&nbsp;least&nbsp;15&nbsp;women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missing&nbsp;after&nbsp;a&nbsp;boat&nbsp;overloaded with Rohingya&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;sank&nbsp;off&nbsp;southern&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Bangladesh&nbsp;</a>as it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said.

Some 138 people mainly women and children were packed on a trawler barely 13 metres&nbsp;long, trying to cross the Bay of Bengal, a coast guard spokesman told AFP.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Rohingyas drown as refugee boat capsizes off Bangladesh</a>

"It sank because of overloading. The&nbsp;boat&nbsp;was meant to carry maximum 50 people. The&nbsp;boat&nbsp;was also loaded with some cargo," another coast guard spokesman, Hamidul Islam,&nbsp;added.&nbsp;

Nearly one million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Rohingya </a>live in squalid camps near&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Bangladesh</a>'s border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring country&nbsp;after&nbsp;a 2017 brutal military crackdown.

With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have tried to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand by attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre journey.

In the latest incident, 71 people have been rescued including 46 women. Among the dead, 11 were women and the rest children.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629">Bangladesh police 'rescue' dozens of Rohingya being trafficked to Malaysia</a>

Anwara Begum said two of her sons, aged six and seven, drowned in the tragedy.

"We were four of us in the&nbsp;boat...another child (son, aged 10) is very sick," the 40-year-old told said.

Fishermen tipped&nbsp;off&nbsp;the coast guard&nbsp;after&nbsp;they saw survivors swimming and crying for help in the sea.

The&nbsp;boat's keel hit undersea coral in shallow water&nbsp;off&nbsp;Saint Martin's Island,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629">Bangladesh</a>'s southernmost territory, before it sank, survivors said.

"We swam in the sea before boats came and rescued us," said survivor Mohammad Hossain, 20.

Coast guard commander Sohel Rana said three survivors, including a Bangladeshi, were detained over human trafficking allegations.

An estimated 25,000 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Rohingya </a>left&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-rohingya-drown-as-refugee-boat-capsizes-off-bangladesh-23209">Myanmar </a>on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank.

At least 15 women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missing after a boat overloaded with Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh as it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said.

At least 15 women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missing after a boat overloaded with Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh as it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said. Some 138 people mainly women and children were packed on a trawler barely 13 metres long, trying to cross the Bay of Bengal, a coast guard spokesman told AFP. Also read: Rohingyas drown as refugee boat capsizes off Bangladesh "It sank because of overloading. The boat was meant to carry maximum 50 people. The boat was also loaded with some cargo," another coast guard spokesman, Hamidul Islam, added. Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring country after a 2017 brutal military crackdown. With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have tried to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand by attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre journey. In the latest incident, 71 people have been rescued including 46 women. Among the dead, 11 were women and the rest children. Also read: Bangladesh police 'rescue' dozens of Rohingya being trafficked to Malaysia Anwara Begum said two of her sons, aged six and seven, drowned in the tragedy. "We were four of us in the boat...another child (son, aged 10) is very sick," the 40-year-old told said. Fishermen tipped off the coast guard after they saw survivors swimming and crying for help in the sea. The boat's keel hit undersea coral in shallow water off Saint Martin's Island, Bangladesh's southernmost territory, before it sank, survivors said. "We swam in the sea before boats came and rescued us," said survivor Mohammad Hossain, 20. Coast guard commander Sohel Rana said three survivors, including a Bangladeshi, were detained over human trafficking allegations. An estimated 25,000 Rohingya left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank.

At least 15 refugees drown after boat sinks off Bangladesh

At least 16 people were killed on Tuesday after an overcrowded boat carrying over 100 Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal. According to reports, the boat was carrying around 125 Rohingya refugees from Bangladeshi camps and was heading towards Malaysia.

At least 16 people were killed on Tuesday after an overcrowded boat carrying over 100 Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal. According to reports, the boat was carrying around 125 Rohingya refugees from Bangladeshi camps and was heading towards Malaysia. In November, Bangladesh’s coast guard rescued 122 Rohingya Muslim refugees from the Bay of Bengal when a vessel they had boarded to travel to Malaysia started sinking because of a mechanical problem. Malaysia is home to more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees, the second-largest number in the world after Bangladesh. Traffickers usually lure refugees by promising a better life overseas. Many past attempts to travel illegally by boats were thwarted by coast guards. In 2017, a crackdown by Myanmar’s military drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Buddhist-majority Myanmar has denied UN accusations that its military waged a campaign against Rohingya with "genocidal intent". (With inputs from agencies)

At least 16 dead after Rohingya boat capsizes in Bay of Bengal

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion.

If anything, the two arch-rivals compete in violating the rights of minorities like Uighurs threatened with deportation to China where they run the risk of being incarcerated in re-education camps in the troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang; Rohingyas who have been the victims of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar; and persecuted Bahais and other religious minorities in Iran.

Saudi and Iranian policies seem more in line with those of authoritarian and autocratic leaders who often seek their legitimacy in civilisationalism that emphasises the supremacy of a distinct civilization at the expense of others rather than principles of humanitarianism.

The plight of threatened Muslim majorities alongside potential different Muslim responses to US President Donald Trump’s controversial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that favours Israel is likely to sharpen a struggle for leadership of the Islamic world between a Saudi-UAE-led alliance and countries like Turkey, Iran and Malaysia.

Backed by Turkey and Iran, Malaysia last month organised an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur that failed to live up to its billing of defending the rights of endangered Muslim minorities. Nonetheless, the summit sparked ripples in various Muslim nations in the Middle East as well as Asia.

Beyond Iran and Saudi Arabia’s overall abuse of universal human rights, recent reports highlight their failure to ensure the safety and rights of persecuted minorities – a principle that was left, right and centre in this week’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the German extermination camp in Poland.

“Auschwitz did not fall from the sky,” said 93-year-old historian and Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski.. He argued that Auschwitz was the result of thousands of small steps that stripped minorities of their dignity and humanity. “The 11th commandment is thou shalt not be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against,” Turski said.

The Saudi deportation of Uighurs who are caught in a no-man’s land given the blanket refusal by Chinese diplomatic missions to extend their passports as part of its brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, casts a shadow over a visit this month to Auschwitz by Mohammed Al-Issa, the first by a senior Saudi cleric.

Al-Issa’s visit was designed to project the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has defended the crackdown, as a religiously tolerant country that has broken with the intolerant aspects of ultra-conservative Islam, not only in its discrimination against women but also in its attitudes towards other faiths and minority groups.

Al-Issa heads the Muslim World League that for decades was one of the prime Saudi vehicles for the global promotion and funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism.

The world must ensure that “these kinds of horrible crimes” will never “happen again,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz, echoing statements by multiple Auschwitz survivors who insisted that ‘never again’ was a principle applicable to all persecuted minorities, not just Jews.

Al-Issa’s statement may well have been genuine. “His face reflected feelings of shock and sadness as he looked at piles of used canisters of Zyklon-B, the gas used to suffocate victims, along with mounds of eyeglasses, shoes, prayer shawls, and human hair that the Nazis collected from incoming prisoners,” The Times of Israel reported.

“Unfortunately, humanity is still suffering from these kinds of crimes on a large scale today, different human beings against each other. I believe there is a huge responsibility on the international community to do something to deal with these kinds of horrible crimes and to make sure none of this will happen again. Our world will not be able to achieve peace unless we have a strong will together to fight evil,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz.

Fighting evil would mean that arrangements are found for Uighurs rendered without valid documents as a result of Chinese policy, if not in the kingdom itself in cooperation with other countries rather than exposing them to the risk of indefinite incarceration.

It would also mean adopting a compassionate attitude towards the approximately 250,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in the kingdom from ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar where they are denied basic rights.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Myanmar to adopt provisional measures to prevent further attempts at genocide against the roughly 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority remaining in Myanmar. Some 750,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent years to escape what the United Nations called ethnic cleansing.

Rohingya began migrating to Saudi Arabia in the 1950s and were granted residency by King Feisal in 1973, allowing them to live, work and travel within the kingdom and abroad.

Thousands of Rohingya have, however, been expelled in recent years as illegal immigrants or because they entered the kingdom on false documents, the only papers available to them, as part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.

By the same token, Iran this week ruled that national identity cards would only be issued to adherents of the three minority religions recognized by the country’s constitution, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

The ruling eliminated the category ‘other’ on the application forms for the card that is needed to access government and banking services as well as numerous other transactions.

The ruling targets Baha’is, members of a sect viewed as a heretic by mainstream Islam, and other sects, forcing them to lie to obtain the identity card.

Baha’i leaders have been imprisoned and those who openly follow the faith are routinely denied university education and employment, while members of the community have seen their businesses shut down and land confiscated by the state.

Iran’s National Organisation For Civil Registration, responding to a complaint about the omission of the ‘other’ option, advised the Baha’i complainant to in effect disavow his faith and fill out the form with incorrect information.

“Dear citizen, we wish you health. The law neither recognises your religion nor offers a solution. You may submit your application under existing options,” the authority said. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion.

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion. If anything, the two arch-rivals compete in violating the rights of minorities like Uighurs threatened with deportation to China where they run the risk of being incarcerated in re-education camps in the troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang; Rohingyas who have been the victims of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar; and persecuted Bahais and other religious minorities in Iran. Saudi and Iranian policies seem more in line with those of authoritarian and autocratic leaders who often seek their legitimacy in civilisationalism that emphasises the supremacy of a distinct civilization at the expense of others rather than principles of humanitarianism. The plight of threatened Muslim majorities alongside potential different Muslim responses to US President Donald Trump’s controversial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that favours Israel is likely to sharpen a struggle for leadership of the Islamic world between a Saudi-UAE-led alliance and countries like Turkey, Iran and Malaysia. Backed by Turkey and Iran, Malaysia last month organised an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur that failed to live up to its billing of defending the rights of endangered Muslim minorities. Nonetheless, the summit sparked ripples in various Muslim nations in the Middle East as well as Asia. Beyond Iran and Saudi Arabia’s overall abuse of universal human rights, recent reports highlight their failure to ensure the safety and rights of persecuted minorities – a principle that was left, right and centre in this week’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the German extermination camp in Poland. “Auschwitz did not fall from the sky,” said 93-year-old historian and Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski.. He argued that Auschwitz was the result of thousands of small steps that stripped minorities of their dignity and humanity. “The 11th commandment is thou shalt not be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against,” Turski said. The Saudi deportation of Uighurs who are caught in a no-man’s land given the blanket refusal by Chinese diplomatic missions to extend their passports as part of its brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, casts a shadow over a visit this month to Auschwitz by Mohammed Al-Issa, the first by a senior Saudi cleric. Al-Issa’s visit was designed to project the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has defended the crackdown, as a religiously tolerant country that has broken with the intolerant aspects of ultra-conservative Islam, not only in its discrimination against women but also in its attitudes towards other faiths and minority groups. Al-Issa heads the Muslim World League that for decades was one of the prime Saudi vehicles for the global promotion and funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism. The world must ensure that “these kinds of horrible crimes” will never “happen again,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz, echoing statements by multiple Auschwitz survivors who insisted that ‘never again’ was a principle applicable to all persecuted minorities, not just Jews. Al-Issa’s statement may well have been genuine. “His face reflected feelings of shock and sadness as he looked at piles of used canisters of Zyklon-B, the gas used to suffocate victims, along with mounds of eyeglasses, shoes, prayer shawls, and human hair that the Nazis collected from incoming prisoners,” The Times of Israel reported. “Unfortunately, humanity is still suffering from these kinds of crimes on a large scale today, different human beings against each other. I believe there is a huge responsibility on the international community to do something to deal with these kinds of horrible crimes and to make sure none of this will happen again. Our world will not be able to achieve peace unless we have a strong will together to fight evil,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz. Fighting evil would mean that arrangements are found for Uighurs rendered without valid documents as a result of Chinese policy, if not in the kingdom itself in cooperation with other countries rather than exposing them to the risk of indefinite incarceration. It would also mean adopting a compassionate attitude towards the approximately 250,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in the kingdom from ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar where they are denied basic rights. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Myanmar to adopt provisional measures to prevent further attempts at genocide against the roughly 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority remaining in Myanmar. Some 750,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent years to escape what the United Nations called ethnic cleansing. Rohingya began migrating to Saudi Arabia in the 1950s and were granted residency by King Feisal in 1973, allowing them to live, work and travel within the kingdom and abroad. Thousands of Rohingya have, however, been expelled in recent years as illegal immigrants or because they entered the kingdom on false documents, the only papers available to them, as part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase employment opportunities for Saudi nationals. By the same token, Iran this week ruled that national identity cards would only be issued to adherents of the three minority religions recognized by the country’s constitution, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. The ruling eliminated the category ‘other’ on the application forms for the card that is needed to access government and banking services as well as numerous other transactions. The ruling targets Baha’is, members of a sect viewed as a heretic by mainstream Islam, and other sects, forcing them to lie to obtain the identity card. Baha’i leaders have been imprisoned and those who openly follow the faith are routinely denied university education and employment, while members of the community have seen their businesses shut down and land confiscated by the state. Iran’s National Organisation For Civil Registration, responding to a complaint about the omission of the ‘other’ option, advised the Baha’i complainant to in effect disavow his faith and fill out the form with incorrect information. “Dear citizen, we wish you health. The law neither recognises your religion nor offers a solution. You may submit your application under existing options,” the authority said. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Saudi Arabia and Iran: No place for persecuted minorities

Rohingya children living in Bangladesh refugee camps will be allowed to receive a formal education after a change of heart by Dhaka in a move welcomed by right activists.

Nearly one million Rohingya, including more than half a million children, live in the squalid and crowded camps near the southeastern border with Myanmar, where many had fled from in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown.

The children were previously barred from studying the curriculums used in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and instead received primary education in temporary learning centres set up by the UN children's agency UNICEF.

"We don't want a lost generation of Rohingya. We want them to have education. They will follow Myanmar curricula," Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told AFP on Tuesday.

The decision came after a meeting of a national taskforce set up by the government.

Local media reported that a pilot programme involving more than 10,000 students would be launched soon, with UNICEF and Dhaka jointly designing the curriculum.

The refugee children will be schooled in Myanmar history and culture up to age 14, and will also receive skills training so they can take up jobs back in Myanmar when they return home, the foreign ministry said.

"I can't express my joy with words ... generations of Rohingya hardly had any education in their homeland in Myanmar as they were discriminated there and were robbed of their citizenship," Rohingya youth leader and human rights activist Rafique bin Habib said.

"The decision will minimise the chances for a Rohingya kid to get radicalised (in the camps)," he added.

UN representative in Bangladesh Mia Seppo told AFP the move would "make it easier for them to go back home to Myanmar when the time is right for returns".

Some Rohingya children have used fake Bangladeshi identity cards and hidden their ethnic identities to enrol in local schools.

Authorities last year expelled scores of them from schools in a drive condemned by rights groups.

Tens of thousands of other Rohingya Muslim children were also educated in madrassas set up by Islamic groups in the camps.

The decision came almost a week after UN's highest court ordered Myanmar to do everything in its power to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Rohingya children living in Bangladesh refugee camps will be allowed to receive a formal education after a change of heart by Dhaka in a move welcomed by right activists.

Rohingya children living in Bangladesh refugee camps will be allowed to receive a formal education after a change of heart by Dhaka in a move welcomed by right activists. Nearly one million Rohingya, including more than half a million children, live in the squalid and crowded camps near the southeastern border with Myanmar, where many had fled from in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown. The children were previously barred from studying the curriculums used in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and instead received primary education in temporary learning centres set up by the UN children's agency UNICEF. "We don't want a lost generation of Rohingya. We want them to have education. They will follow Myanmar curricula," Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told AFP on Tuesday. The decision came after a meeting of a national taskforce set up by the government. Local media reported that a pilot programme involving more than 10,000 students would be launched soon, with UNICEF and Dhaka jointly designing the curriculum. The refugee children will be schooled in Myanmar history and culture up to age 14, and will also receive skills training so they can take up jobs back in Myanmar when they return home, the foreign ministry said. "I can't express my joy with words ... generations of Rohingya hardly had any education in their homeland in Myanmar as they were discriminated there and were robbed of their citizenship," Rohingya youth leader and human rights activist Rafique bin Habib said. "The decision will minimise the chances for a Rohingya kid to get radicalised (in the camps)," he added. UN representative in Bangladesh Mia Seppo told AFP the move would "make it easier for them to go back home to Myanmar when the time is right for returns". Some Rohingya children have used fake Bangladeshi identity cards and hidden their ethnic identities to enrol in local schools. Authorities last year expelled scores of them from schools in a drive condemned by rights groups. Tens of thousands of other Rohingya Muslim children were also educated in madrassas set up by Islamic groups in the camps. The decision came almost a week after UN's highest court ordered Myanmar to do everything in its power to prevent the genocide of Rohingya Muslims.

Bangladesh allows education for Rohingya refugee children

Two Rohingya women were killed and seven others injured in shelling the Myanmar military and insurgents blamed on each other, days after the UN's top court ordered the country to protect the beleaguered Muslim minority.

Military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told AFP said that one woman was killed on the spot by "heavy weapons" while another died after arriving at a hospital in conflict-torn northern Rakhine state.

He blamed the deaths on incursions by the Arakan Army, rebels fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in the same area where the Rohingya crisis unfolded.

But a spokesperson for the Arakan Army said there had been no fighting with the military in that area and they are "accusing and faking it".

The conflict has seen scores of civilians killed, hundreds wounded and some 100,000 displaced in the past year.

Earlier this month four Rohingya children were killed and five others injured alongside their teacher after an explosion hit while they collected firewood.&nbsp;

Northern Rakhine was the site of a violent military campaign in 2017 that drove some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh and prompted allegations of genocide.

Hundreds of thousands still live in Rakhine in what rights groups have called apartheid-like conditions.

In a rare legal decision for the persecuted minority, the International Court of Justice ruled Thursday that Myanmar had to "take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts" described by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

These acts include "killing members of the group" and "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part."

The mainly Muslim African state of The Gambia had asked the court to impose the emergency measures -- pending a full case that could take years.

The court also ordered Myanmar to report back within four months, and then every six months after that.&nbsp;

Its ruling is binding but the court has no power of enforcement.

Judges rejected arguments made by Myanmar civilian leader and former human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi when she travelled to The Hague in December to personally defend the country against the accusations.

Myanmar has said it carried out its own investigation and disputed the claims that genocide took place. 
&nbsp;

Two Rohingya women were killed and seven others injured in shelling the Myanmar military and insurgents blamed on each other, days after the UN's top court ordered the country to protect the beleaguered Muslim minority.

Two Rohingya women were killed and seven others injured in shelling the Myanmar military and insurgents blamed on each other, days after the UN's top court ordered the country to protect the beleaguered Muslim minority. Military spokesperson Zaw Min Tun told AFP said that one woman was killed on the spot by "heavy weapons" while another died after arriving at a hospital in conflict-torn northern Rakhine state. He blamed the deaths on incursions by the Arakan Army, rebels fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in the same area where the Rohingya crisis unfolded. But a spokesperson for the Arakan Army said there had been no fighting with the military in that area and they are "accusing and faking it". The conflict has seen scores of civilians killed, hundreds wounded and some 100,000 displaced in the past year. Earlier this month four Rohingya children were killed and five others injured alongside their teacher after an explosion hit while they collected firewood. Northern Rakhine was the site of a violent military campaign in 2017 that drove some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh and prompted allegations of genocide. Hundreds of thousands still live in Rakhine in what rights groups have called apartheid-like conditions. In a rare legal decision for the persecuted minority, the International Court of Justice ruled Thursday that Myanmar had to "take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts" described by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. These acts include "killing members of the group" and "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part." The mainly Muslim African state of The Gambia had asked the court to impose the emergency measures -- pending a full case that could take years. The court also ordered Myanmar to report back within four months, and then every six months after that. Its ruling is binding but the court has no power of enforcement. Judges rejected arguments made by Myanmar civilian leader and former human rights icon Aung San Suu Kyi when she travelled to The Hague in December to personally defend the country against the accusations. Myanmar has said it carried out its own investigation and disputed the claims that genocide took place.

Two Rohingya women killed in Myanmar shelling

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-suu-kyi-arrives-at-un-court-for-genocide-hearings-267407">Myanmar</a> has put in place measures to protect Rohingya Muslims, a spokesman for the ruling party said on Friday, shrugging off an order from the International Court of Justice a day earlier to stop genocidal acts against the ethnic minority.

The Hague-based court-ordered Myanmar to protect the persecuted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-rohingya-crisis-what-to-watch-for-in-2019-187973">Rohingya</a> against further atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes, after mostly Muslim Gambia launched a lawsuit in November accusing Myanmar of genocide.

"The government is already doing most of the orders," Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-court-frames-new-charges-against-saffron-revolution-leader-1522">National League for Democracy</a>, told Reuters by phone, without elaborating.

"One more thing we need to do is submit reports," he said, referring to one of several measures approved by the court requiring Myanmar to write regular summaries of its progress.

But he said the civilian government, who rule jointly with the military in an awkward constitutional arrangement that reserves great powers for the commander-in-chief, could not control troops.

"Under the current political circumstances, we have difficulties solving some issues - such as the (order) that the government must ensure its military or armed insurgents do not commit genocide or attempt to commit genocide against Rohingya or Bengali," he said.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled western Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape a military-led crackdown that the U.N has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar says the military campaign was a legitimate counter-insurgency operation launched in response to militant attacks on security forces.

Some 600,000 Rohingya remain inside Myanmar, confined in apartheid-like conditions to camps and villages, unable to freely access healthcare and education.

They are derided as "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dont-call-them-bengalis-call-them-bangladesh-says-pakistan-skipper-sarfaraz-ahmed-to-journo-234088">Bengalis</a>", implying they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite tracing their history in Rakhine back centuries.

The court said in its judgment on Thursday it did not accept Myanmar’s assertion that it has been taking steps to facilitate the return of refugees, promote peace in Rakhine, and hold the military accountable through domestic mechanisms.

"In particular, the Court notes that Myanmar has not presented to the Court concrete measures aimed specifically at recognizing and ensuring the right of the Rohingya to exist as a protected group under the Genocide Convention," it said.

While Thursday's ruling was an emotional victory for the minority, who have for decades fought to prove their existence as an ethnic group, legal analysts said it will be difficult to force Myanmar to comply.

In a statement late Thursday, the ministry of foreign affairs said it had noted the ruling but did not mention specific steps it was taking. The next morning the front page of the state-run newspaper the Global New Light of Myanmar read: "Myanmar takes note of ICJ decision. There was no genocide in Rakhine".

While the measures are legally binding, there is no enforcement mechanism.

In separate statements on Friday, Britain and Malaysia urged Myanmar to fully implement the measures. UN&nbsp;human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell told a UN&nbsp;briefing in Geneva the office "calls on Myanmar to immediately and unconditionally implement them in full".

"We know that there are limitations but it’s very important for the Rohingya community in Bangladesh and in Myanmar to know that the world has heard them, the highest court in the land has made this decision," said human rights lawyer Antonia Mulvey.

Kobsak Chutikul, a Thai diplomat who in 2018 quit a government-appointed panel set up to probe the alleged atrocities, said he feared the government would "delay and obfuscate" once the spotlight faded.

Of dozens of people interviewed by Reuters in Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, only two were aware of the judgment, and neither of them paid much heed.

"I already knew that Myanmar would lose this case since the other side is funded by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/6-times-islamic-countries-honoured-pm-modi-with-their-highest-awards-245560">Islamic countries</a>," said a civil servant, who also asked not to be named.

Myanmar has put in place measures to protect Rohingya Muslims, a spokesman for the ruling party said on Friday, shrugging off an order from the International Court of Justice a day earlier to stop genocidal acts against the ethnic minority.

Myanmar has put in place measures to protect Rohingya Muslims, a spokesman for the ruling party said on Friday, shrugging off an order from the International Court of Justice a day earlier to stop genocidal acts against the ethnic minority. The Hague-based court-ordered Myanmar to protect the persecuted Rohingya against further atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes, after mostly Muslim Gambia launched a lawsuit in November accusing Myanmar of genocide. "The government is already doing most of the orders," Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy, told Reuters by phone, without elaborating. "One more thing we need to do is submit reports," he said, referring to one of several measures approved by the court requiring Myanmar to write regular summaries of its progress. But he said the civilian government, who rule jointly with the military in an awkward constitutional arrangement that reserves great powers for the commander-in-chief, could not control troops. "Under the current political circumstances, we have difficulties solving some issues - such as the (order) that the government must ensure its military or armed insurgents do not commit genocide or attempt to commit genocide against Rohingya or Bengali," he said. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled western Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh in 2017 to escape a military-led crackdown that the U.N has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar says the military campaign was a legitimate counter-insurgency operation launched in response to militant attacks on security forces. Some 600,000 Rohingya remain inside Myanmar, confined in apartheid-like conditions to camps and villages, unable to freely access healthcare and education. They are derided as "Bengalis", implying they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite tracing their history in Rakhine back centuries. The court said in its judgment on Thursday it did not accept Myanmar’s assertion that it has been taking steps to facilitate the return of refugees, promote peace in Rakhine, and hold the military accountable through domestic mechanisms. "In particular, the Court notes that Myanmar has not presented to the Court concrete measures aimed specifically at recognizing and ensuring the right of the Rohingya to exist as a protected group under the Genocide Convention," it said. While Thursday's ruling was an emotional victory for the minority, who have for decades fought to prove their existence as an ethnic group, legal analysts said it will be difficult to force Myanmar to comply. In a statement late Thursday, the ministry of foreign affairs said it had noted the ruling but did not mention specific steps it was taking. The next morning the front page of the state-run newspaper the Global New Light of Myanmar read: "Myanmar takes note of ICJ decision. There was no genocide in Rakhine". While the measures are legally binding, there is no enforcement mechanism. In separate statements on Friday, Britain and Malaysia urged Myanmar to fully implement the measures. UN human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell told a UN briefing in Geneva the office "calls on Myanmar to immediately and unconditionally implement them in full". "We know that there are limitations but it’s very important for the Rohingya community in Bangladesh and in Myanmar to know that the world has heard them, the highest court in the land has made this decision," said human rights lawyer Antonia Mulvey. Kobsak Chutikul, a Thai diplomat who in 2018 quit a government-appointed panel set up to probe the alleged atrocities, said he feared the government would "delay and obfuscate" once the spotlight faded. Of dozens of people interviewed by Reuters in Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, only two were aware of the judgment, and neither of them paid much heed. "I already knew that Myanmar would lose this case since the other side is funded by the Islamic countries," said a civil servant, who also asked not to be named.

Myanmar already protecting Rohingyas, says ruling party after ICJ order

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