Two rohingyas have&nbsp;tested positive for coronavirus in the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.

According to officials, these are the first confirmed cases among refugees in Cox's Bazar, where around one million Rohingya are encamped.

The UN&nbsp;confirmed that an ethnic Rohingya refugee and another person had tested positive for COVID-19 in Cox Bazar.&nbsp;

''Both patients are in isolation and contact tracing is underway,''&nbsp;the UN's refugee agency said in a statement.

The camps in Cox’s Bazar are more densely populated than some of the world’s busiest cities and&nbsp;have been under lockdown since 14 March, in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading.

Aid groups have warned of a looming humanitarian disaster after coronavirus was detected for the first time in the sprawling camps that host about one million&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;refugees.

Humanitarian groups fear the virus could race through the camps, where families live with up to 10 people in a room, often with limited access to basics such as soap and clean water.

Households are forced to queue to access drinking water and food at communal distribution points, making social distancing impossible.

On top of overcrowding, many refugees, who fled persecution in&nbsp;Myanmar, have underlying health conditions or have not received standard immunisations, according to health experts.

The Rohingyas are one of the many ethnic minorities in the country and have faced persecution for generations.

Two rohingyas have tested positive for coronavirus in the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh. According to officials, these are the first confirmed cases among refugees in Cox's Bazar, where around one million Rohingya are encamped.

Two rohingyas have tested positive for coronavirus in the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh. According to officials, these are the first confirmed cases among refugees in Cox's Bazar, where around one million Rohingya are encamped. The UN confirmed that an ethnic Rohingya refugee and another person had tested positive for COVID-19 in Cox Bazar. ''Both patients are in isolation and contact tracing is underway,'' the UN's refugee agency said in a statement. The camps in Cox’s Bazar are more densely populated than some of the world’s busiest cities and have been under lockdown since 14 March, in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. Aid groups have warned of a looming humanitarian disaster after coronavirus was detected for the first time in the sprawling camps that host about one million Rohingya refugees. Humanitarian groups fear the virus could race through the camps, where families live with up to 10 people in a room, often with limited access to basics such as soap and clean water. Households are forced to queue to access drinking water and food at communal distribution points, making social distancing impossible. On top of overcrowding, many refugees, who fled persecution in Myanmar, have underlying health conditions or have not received standard immunisations, according to health experts. The Rohingyas are one of the many ethnic minorities in the country and have faced persecution for generations.

Two Rohingyas refugees test positive in world's largest camp

Dozens of Rohingya believed to be from one of several boats stuck at sea landed on the coast of southern Bangladesh on Saturday, an official said, as concerns grew over hundreds stranded for weeks on trawlers because of coronavirus restrictions.

“A small boat carrying 43 people came to shore today,” the government official said, declining to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-urges-bangladesh-to-rescue-two-stranded-boats-carrying-rohingya-refugees-295039">UN urges Bangladesh to rescue two stranded boats carrying Rohingya refugees</a>

Some of the arrivals were sent to Bhasan Char, a remote island off the coast where authorities previously planned to house Rohingya, the official said.

Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said the group that landed on Saturday had likely come on a small boat from one the larger vessels still at sea, believed to be carrying hundreds of people.

Hundreds of Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority from Myanmar, are stranded on at least two trawlers between Bangladesh and Malaysia, rights groups say, as Southeast Asian governments tighten borders to keep out the new coronavirus.

Another boat, carrying hundreds of Rohingya who were starving and emaciated after weeks at sea, landed in Bangladesh in mid-April. Survivors said several dozen died on board.

The United Nations has urged authorities to let the boats land, but anti-refugee sentiment is surging in Malaysia and governments say borders are sealed to keep out the coronavirus.

For years, Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh have fled by boat for Thailand and Malaysia when the seas are calm between October and April. Hundreds died in 2015 after a crackdown in Thailand led smugglers to abandon their human cargo at sea.

Dozens of Rohingya believed to be from one of several boats stuck at sea landed on the coast of southern Bangladesh on Saturday, an official said, as concerns grew over hundreds stranded for weeks on trawlers because of coronavirus restrictions.

Dozens of Rohingya believed to be from one of several boats stuck at sea landed on the coast of southern Bangladesh on Saturday, an official said, as concerns grew over hundreds stranded for weeks on trawlers because of coronavirus restrictions. “A small boat carrying 43 people came to shore today,” the government official said, declining to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media. Also read | UN urges Bangladesh to rescue two stranded boats carrying Rohingya refugees Some of the arrivals were sent to Bhasan Char, a remote island off the coast where authorities previously planned to house Rohingya, the official said. Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project monitoring group, said the group that landed on Saturday had likely come on a small boat from one the larger vessels still at sea, believed to be carrying hundreds of people. Hundreds of Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority from Myanmar, are stranded on at least two trawlers between Bangladesh and Malaysia, rights groups say, as Southeast Asian governments tighten borders to keep out the new coronavirus. Another boat, carrying hundreds of Rohingya who were starving and emaciated after weeks at sea, landed in Bangladesh in mid-April. Survivors said several dozen died on board. The United Nations has urged authorities to let the boats land, but anti-refugee sentiment is surging in Malaysia and governments say borders are sealed to keep out the coronavirus. For years, Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh have fled by boat for Thailand and Malaysia when the seas are calm between October and April. Hundreds died in 2015 after a crackdown in Thailand led smugglers to abandon their human cargo at sea.

Dozens of Rohingya from stranded boat land in southern Bangladesh

After rising calls on risks of overcrowded prisons leading to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, Myanmar decided to release more than a quarter of prisoners.&nbsp;

In April during the New Year holiday, the countries in Southeast Asia generally provide&nbsp;an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners, but this is the highest ever prisoner-release of the country. &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>

"To mark Myanmar New Year, by respecting humanitarian ground and peace in mind of the people, the president pardons altogether 24,896 prisoners from various prisons," the president's office said, in a statement.

Also read&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/coronavirus-imf-approves-nearly-14-billion-to-pakistan-to-meet-balance-of-payment-crisis-293008">Coronavirus: IMF approves nearly $1.4 billion to Pakistan to meet balance of payment crisis</a>

So far, Myanmar has reported 85 confirmed COVID-19 cases but experts fear that the real figures could be many more as the country has a low testing rate.&nbsp;

The country is under complete lockdown and the pressure was building up to release prisoners from what Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes as "horribly overcrowded and unsanitary" jails. 
&nbsp; 
The statement also said that 87 foreign inmates included in the amnesty would be deported.&nbsp;

The release would start immediately, a senior official from the prison department in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw said without sharing any other details.&nbsp;

A Rohingya activist, who requested not to be named, said he had heard nearly 1,500 Rohingya Muslim prisoners are also included in the list.&nbsp;

In Myanmar, around 100,000 are currently imprisoned whereas space is just for 62,000, according to HRW.

Last year's amnesty led to the high-profile release of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were behind bars for more than 500 over their reporting on the Rohingya crisis. 
&nbsp;

After rising calls on risks of overcrowded prisons leading to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, Myanmar decided to release more than a quarter of prisoners. In April during the New Year holiday, the countries in Southeast Asia generally provide an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners, but this is the highest ever prisoner-release of the country.

After rising calls on risks of overcrowded prisons leading to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, Myanmar decided to release more than a quarter of prisoners. In April during the New Year holiday, the countries in Southeast Asia generally provide an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners, but this is the highest ever prisoner-release of the country. Also read | Coronavirus: South Asia may see worst economic performance in 40 years, says WB report "To mark Myanmar New Year, by respecting humanitarian ground and peace in mind of the people, the president pardons altogether 24,896 prisoners from various prisons," the president's office said, in a statement. Also read | Coronavirus: IMF approves nearly $1.4 billion to Pakistan to meet balance of payment crisis So far, Myanmar has reported 85 confirmed COVID-19 cases but experts fear that the real figures could be many more as the country has a low testing rate. The country is under complete lockdown and the pressure was building up to release prisoners from what Human Rights Watch (HRW) describes as "horribly overcrowded and unsanitary" jails. The statement also said that 87 foreign inmates included in the amnesty would be deported. The release would start immediately, a senior official from the prison department in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw said without sharing any other details. A Rohingya activist, who requested not to be named, said he had heard nearly 1,500 Rohingya Muslim prisoners are also included in the list. In Myanmar, around 100,000 are currently imprisoned whereas space is just for 62,000, according to HRW. Last year's amnesty led to the high-profile release of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were behind bars for more than 500 over their reporting on the Rohingya crisis.

Amid growing calls of coronavirus spread, Myanmar decides to release 25,000 prisoners

Amid ongoing nationwide protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said that the Central government's next step would be the deportation of Rohingyas from the country.

"The Citizenship (Amendment) Act is applicable across the country including in Jammu and Kashmir. By implication, what will happen here is that the next move will be in relation to the Rohingyas," Singh said while speaking at a function here on Friday.

"Jammu had a sizeable population of Rohingyas and a list would be prepared and their biometrics would also be collected. They'll have to leave India and details being worked out. CAA doesn't give them leverage. The government is considering ways to deport them," he added.

The Union Minister further said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 had become applicable in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the day it was passed by the Parliament.

"They (Rohingyas) are not part of the six religious minorities in three neighbouring states. They are from Myanmar. So, they have to go back as they are not eligible for Indian citizenship under this act," Singh said.

The law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.&nbsp;

Amid ongoing nationwide protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said that the Central government's next step would be the deportation of Rohingyas from the country.

Amid ongoing nationwide protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said that the Central government's next step would be the deportation of Rohingyas from the country. "The Citizenship (Amendment) Act is applicable across the country including in Jammu and Kashmir. By implication, what will happen here is that the next move will be in relation to the Rohingyas," Singh said while speaking at a function here on Friday. "Jammu had a sizeable population of Rohingyas and a list would be prepared and their biometrics would also be collected. They'll have to leave India and details being worked out. CAA doesn't give them leverage. The government is considering ways to deport them," he added. The Union Minister further said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 had become applicable in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the day it was passed by the Parliament. "They (Rohingyas) are not part of the six religious minorities in three neighbouring states. They are from Myanmar. So, they have to go back as they are not eligible for Indian citizenship under this act," Singh said. The law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Government's next move is to deport Rohingyas from the country: MoS Jitendra Singh

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution condemning the human rights abuses against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-has-softened-stance-following-icj-hearing-bangladesh-foreign-minister-268492">Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar</a>.

As per reports, a total of 134 members voted in favour of the resolution while 9 voted against it.

Beyond condemning the atrocities, the Assembly also called on the government in Myanmar to urgently combat the abuses that Rohingyas were facing in the country.

The Buddhist-majority country considers the Rohingyas as outsiders even though they have lived there for generations.

The systemic discrimination against the Rohingyas reached a tipping point when the military stepped in.

In August 2017, the military in Myanmar launched a clearance campaign in the Rakhine region which led to hundreds of killings. Since then, over 700,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Myanmar has been taken to court over its brutality during the operation.

Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations has slammed the resolution passed by the UN General Assembly.

He said the resolution exposes the double standards of the United Nations when it comes to the application of human rights.

Myanmar has insisted that the crackdown was an attempt to combat an extremist threat.

Meanwhile, the country's leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-warns-genocide-case-could-reignite-rohingya-crisis-268065">Aung San Suu Kyi</a> this month rejected allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and urged UN judges to throw out the genocide case against Myanmar.

Suu Kyi warned that the genocide case risked reigniting the crisis that forced nearly three-quarters of a million Rohingya Muslims from their homes, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

In her opening statement at the top world court, she said that there was no proof of "genocidal intent" and said the army operation was in response to attacks by Rohingya militants.

&nbsp;

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution condemning the human rights abuses against the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar. As per reports, a total of 134 members voted in favour of the resolution while 9 voted against it.

The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution condemning the human rights abuses against the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar. As per reports, a total of 134 members voted in favour of the resolution while 9 voted against it. Beyond condemning the atrocities, the Assembly also called on the government in Myanmar to urgently combat the abuses that Rohingyas were facing in the country. The Buddhist-majority country considers the Rohingyas as outsiders even though they have lived there for generations. The systemic discrimination against the Rohingyas reached a tipping point when the military stepped in. In August 2017, the military in Myanmar launched a clearance campaign in the Rakhine region which led to hundreds of killings. Since then, over 700,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh. Myanmar has been taken to court over its brutality during the operation. Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations has slammed the resolution passed by the UN General Assembly. He said the resolution exposes the double standards of the United Nations when it comes to the application of human rights. Myanmar has insisted that the crackdown was an attempt to combat an extremist threat. Meanwhile, the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi this month rejected allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and urged UN judges to throw out the genocide case against Myanmar. Suu Kyi warned that the genocide case risked reigniting the crisis that forced nearly three-quarters of a million Rohingya Muslims from their homes, news agency Reuters reported. In her opening statement at the top world court, she said that there was no proof of "genocidal intent" and said the army operation was in response to attacks by Rohingya militants.

United Nations slams Myanmar for human rights abuses of Rohingya Muslims, passes resolution

The United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution condemning human rights abuses against Muslim Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar. #UNGA #Rohingya #Myanmar #WION

UNGA condemns human rights violation against Rohingyas in Myanmar

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) &nbsp;in Assam is a key project for the Narendra Modi government in India.

But a seamless implementation of the NRC will no doubt require co-operation from India's eastern neighbour Bangladesh.

And on this front, there is some good news. Bangladesh's foreign minister Abdul Momen has asked India to hand over a list of all Bangladeshi nationals who are presently living illegally in India.

The minister said that his country would be willing to take them back after such a list is provided.

These are testing times for India-Bangladesh ties.

While defending the new citizenship law in parliament, home minister Amit Shah claimed that minorities were being persecuted in Bangladesh.

Momen termed Shah's comments as untrue and a day later cancelled his visit to India.

Diplomatic channels indicate that Bangladesh is a bit uneasy over the situation in India after the passage of the new citizenship law. But the foreign minister dismissed all such reports.

He blamed it all on a busy schedule. Abdul Momen also said that India was not pushing migrants into Bangladesh. And that this was the handiwork of middlemen working at the border.

But Momen's statement of support came with a subtle warning.

He made it clear that if anyone other than a Bangladeshi national ended up at their border, they would send them back without hesitation.

On both the NRC and the new citizenship bill, Bangladesh has maintained that they are India's internal policies.

But the truth is Dhaka was concerned about the rollout of the scheme.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina also raised the issue with PM Modi during their meeting in new york in September.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is a key project for the Narendra Modi government in India. But a seamless implementation of the NRC will no doubt require co-operation from India's eastern neighbour Bangladesh.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is a key project for the Narendra Modi government in India. But a seamless implementation of the NRC will no doubt require co-operation from India's eastern neighbour Bangladesh. And on this front, there is some good news. Bangladesh's foreign minister Abdul Momen has asked India to hand over a list of all Bangladeshi nationals who are presently living illegally in India. The minister said that his country would be willing to take them back after such a list is provided. These are testing times for India-Bangladesh ties. While defending the new citizenship law in parliament, home minister Amit Shah claimed that minorities were being persecuted in Bangladesh. Momen termed Shah's comments as untrue and a day later cancelled his visit to India. Diplomatic channels indicate that Bangladesh is a bit uneasy over the situation in India after the passage of the new citizenship law. But the foreign minister dismissed all such reports. He blamed it all on a busy schedule. Abdul Momen also said that India was not pushing migrants into Bangladesh. And that this was the handiwork of middlemen working at the border. But Momen's statement of support came with a subtle warning. He made it clear that if anyone other than a Bangladeshi national ended up at their border, they would send them back without hesitation. On both the NRC and the new citizenship bill, Bangladesh has maintained that they are India's internal policies. But the truth is Dhaka was concerned about the rollout of the scheme. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina also raised the issue with PM Modi during their meeting in new york in September.

We have requested India to provide a list of illegal Bangladeshis: Foreign Minister Abdul Momen

Since August 2017 nearly 700,000 Rohingyas have fled the destruction of their homes in persecution in the Rakhain province of Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh. Known as the world's most persecuted minority the plight of Rohingyas is said to be the world's fastest growing refugee crisis. Watch report:

Plight of Rohingyas is world's fastest growing refugee crisis

The Bangladeshi military has started erecting fences around camps housing hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-suu-kyi-told-to-stop-the-genocide-in-united-nations-court-over-rohingya-crisis-267445">Rohingya refugees</a> despite complaints from community leaders and rights groups.

An AFP correspondent on Tuesday saw troops in military fatigues erecting pillars for barbed-wire fences around one large camp at Balukhali in the southeastern border district Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mahhbub Alam Talukder confirmed to AFP that construction had begun but declined to comment further.

Army chief General Aziz Ahmed said late last month that army engineers had begun erecting the pillars and that the military has "placed orders" for barbed wire.

The camps house nearly a million members of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority, around 750,000 of whom fled a military offensive in neighbouring Myanmar in August 2017.

Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was due to defend Myanmar at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Tuesday against charges of genocide.

Frustration has been growing in Bangladesh about hosting the refugees, particularly since the latest attempt to repatriate them to Myanmar failed in August.

The refugees are already forbidden to leave the camps although their sprawling nature means authorities have been unable to police all their movements.

New checkpoints on the main roads leading to the camps stop Rohingya and send them back to the settlements when they try to travel to other parts of Bangladesh.

It has imposed a blackout on high-speed internet in the Rohingya settlements, confiscated SIM cards and mobile phones used by the refugees, and&nbsp;filed cases against hundreds for illegally obtaining citizenship cards.

The move to construct barbed-wire fences has been condemned by Rohingya leaders who said they would create a "panic" among the Rohingya.

"It will restrict our movement. We have to walk a long distance to get food rations from the authorities," said Mohammad Hashim as he watched troops digging holes for pillars.&nbsp;

"The children won't be able to play any more."

'Big prison'

Earlier rights groups also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-demand-justice-at-myanmar-world-court-case-267184">condemned the move</a>, saying the fencing could transform the camps into "a big prison".

"The Bangladesh government shouldn't turn Rohingya refugee camps into open-air prisons. Barbed wire and guard towers should be reserved for criminals, not people who fled Myanmar to escape from mass atrocities," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a comment to AFP.&nbsp;

"The Bangladesh government now risks squandering the global goodwill it had earned when it allowed the Rohingya to cross into safety," he added.

UN experts have expressed serious concerns about these restrictions.

Local resident Abdul Gaffar, who lives near the Balukhali camp, also complained.

"The pillars erected for fencing were constructed on the locals' paddy field. Many locals&nbsp;living here&nbsp;will also be trapped inside fences," he told AFP.

The Bangladeshi military has started erecting fences around camps housing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees despite complaints from community leaders and rights groups.

The Bangladeshi military has started erecting fences around camps housing hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees despite complaints from community leaders and rights groups. An AFP correspondent on Tuesday saw troops in military fatigues erecting pillars for barbed-wire fences around one large camp at Balukhali in the southeastern border district Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner Mahhbub Alam Talukder confirmed to AFP that construction had begun but declined to comment further. Army chief General Aziz Ahmed said late last month that army engineers had begun erecting the pillars and that the military has "placed orders" for barbed wire. The camps house nearly a million members of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority, around 750,000 of whom fled a military offensive in neighbouring Myanmar in August 2017. Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was due to defend Myanmar at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Tuesday against charges of genocide. Frustration has been growing in Bangladesh about hosting the refugees, particularly since the latest attempt to repatriate them to Myanmar failed in August. The refugees are already forbidden to leave the camps although their sprawling nature means authorities have been unable to police all their movements. New checkpoints on the main roads leading to the camps stop Rohingya and send them back to the settlements when they try to travel to other parts of Bangladesh. It has imposed a blackout on high-speed internet in the Rohingya settlements, confiscated SIM cards and mobile phones used by the refugees, and filed cases against hundreds for illegally obtaining citizenship cards. The move to construct barbed-wire fences has been condemned by Rohingya leaders who said they would create a "panic" among the Rohingya. "It will restrict our movement. We have to walk a long distance to get food rations from the authorities," said Mohammad Hashim as he watched troops digging holes for pillars. "The children won't be able to play any more." 'Big prison' Earlier rights groups also condemned the move, saying the fencing could transform the camps into "a big prison". "The Bangladesh government shouldn't turn Rohingya refugee camps into open-air prisons. Barbed wire and guard towers should be reserved for criminals, not people who fled Myanmar to escape from mass atrocities," Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a comment to AFP. "The Bangladesh government now risks squandering the global goodwill it had earned when it allowed the Rohingya to cross into safety," he added. UN experts have expressed serious concerns about these restrictions. Local resident Abdul Gaffar, who lives near the Balukhali camp, also complained. "The pillars erected for fencing were constructed on the locals' paddy field. Many locals living here will also be trapped inside fences," he told AFP.

Bangladesh begins fencing Rohingya camps

Myanmar accused of Genocide against Rohingyas.

Suu Kyi to defend Myanmar at ICJ

The Supreme Court will take up after four weeks a petition seeking deportation of illegal immigrants, including <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshi-president-abdul-hamid-to-visit-nepal-from-november-12-15-261018">Bangladeshis</a> and<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-rejects-icc-probe-over-rohingya-as-legal-pressure-mounts-262474"> Rohingyas</a> from India.

A bench of Chief Justice <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ayodhya-verdict-muslim-law-board-to-meet-shortly-might-file-review-petition-262668">S A Bobde</a>, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Surya Kant posted the matter for hearing after advocate Ashwini Upadhyay mentioned it for early hearing. The petitioner has sought a direction to central and state governments to "identify, detain and deport the illegal migrants and infiltrators".

More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state.

The Supreme Court will take up after four weeks a petition seeking deportation of illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas from India. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Surya Kant posted the matter for hearing after advocate Ashwini Upadhyay mentioned it for early hearing.

The Supreme Court will take up after four weeks a petition seeking deportation of illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas from India. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Surya Kant posted the matter for hearing after advocate Ashwini Upadhyay mentioned it for early hearing. The petitioner has sought a direction to central and state governments to "identify, detain and deport the illegal migrants and infiltrators". More than 650,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Rakhine in August 2017 after Myanmar's army launched a massive crackdown in its northern state.

Supreme Court to hear plea seeking deportation of Rohingyas, Bangladeshis next month

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding.

Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take the pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/600000-rohingyas-in-myanmar-still-at-serious-risk-of-genocide-united-nations-249971">Some 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017</a> in the face of a military crackdown, joining 200,000 refugees already in makeshift tent settlements at Cox's Bazar.

Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mahbub Alam, said officials overseeing the relocation would be posted to Bhashan Char island in the next few days.

"Approximately 6,000-7,000 refugees have already expressed their willingness to be relocated to Bhashan Char," Alam told AFP from Cox's Bazar, adding that "the number is rising".

He did not say when the refugees would be moved, but a senior Navy officer involved in building facilities on the island said it could start by December, with some 500 refugees sent daily.

Bangladesh had been planning since last year to relocate Rohingya to the desolate flood-prone site, which is an hour by boat from the mainland.

Rights groups have warned the island, which emerged from the sea only about two decades ago, might not be able to withstand violent storms during the annual monsoon season.&nbsp;

In the past half a century, powerful cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the Meghna river estuary where the island is located.

Rohingya leaders would be taken to Bhashan Char to view the facilities and living conditions, Alam said.

Safety facilities built on the island include a three-metre-high&nbsp;embankment along its perimeter to&nbsp;keep out tidal surges during cyclones, and a warehouse to store months-worth of rations, he added.

Rohingya father-of-four Nur Hossain, 50, said he and his family agreed to relocate to Bhashan Char after they were shown video footage of the shelters.

"I have agreed to go. The camp here (at Leda) is very overcrowded. There are food and housing problems," the 50-year-old told AFP.

There was no immediate comment from the UN, although Bangladeshi officials said they expect a delegation would visit the island in the next few weeks.&nbsp;

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding.

Thousands of Rohingya living in Bangladesh refugee camps have agreed to move to an island in the Bay of Bengal, officials said Sunday, despite fears the site is prone to flooding. Dhaka has long wanted to move 100,000 refugees to the muddy silt islet, saying it would take the pressure off the overcrowded border camps where almost a million Rohingya live. Some 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in August 2017 in the face of a military crackdown, joining 200,000 refugees already in makeshift tent settlements at Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh's refugee commissioner, Mahbub Alam, said officials overseeing the relocation would be posted to Bhashan Char island in the next few days. "Approximately 6,000-7,000 refugees have already expressed their willingness to be relocated to Bhashan Char," Alam told AFP from Cox's Bazar, adding that "the number is rising". He did not say when the refugees would be moved, but a senior Navy officer involved in building facilities on the island said it could start by December, with some 500 refugees sent daily. Bangladesh had been planning since last year to relocate Rohingya to the desolate flood-prone site, which is an hour by boat from the mainland. Rights groups have warned the island, which emerged from the sea only about two decades ago, might not be able to withstand violent storms during the annual monsoon season. In the past half a century, powerful cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in the Meghna river estuary where the island is located. Rohingya leaders would be taken to Bhashan Char to view the facilities and living conditions, Alam said. Safety facilities built on the island include a three-metre-high embankment along its perimeter to keep out tidal surges during cyclones, and a warehouse to store months-worth of rations, he added. Rohingya father-of-four Nur Hossain, 50, said he and his family agreed to relocate to Bhashan Char after they were shown video footage of the shelters. "I have agreed to go. The camp here (at Leda) is very overcrowded. There are food and housing problems," the 50-year-old told AFP. There was no immediate comment from the UN, although Bangladeshi officials said they expect a delegation would visit the island in the next few weeks.

Rohingya refugees agree to move to Bangladesh island: Official

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who remain inside Myanmar face systematic persecution, a U.N. fact-finding mission said on Monday (September 16), repeating calls for top generals to face trial.

Rohingya still in Myanmar face violence and persecution, U.N. Says

Rohingya refugees living in camps in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-bans-two-aid-agencies-from-rohingya-refugee-camps-247755">Bangladesh on Wednesday</a>&nbsp;expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns.

Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had&nbsp;ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps. The operators were also asked on Sunday to block mobile services and stop selling mobile SIMs to the Rohingya.

The move came following a spike in violent crime in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, where more than one million Rohingya are sheltered.

Over 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations.

Tensions are running high in the camps after a youth wing leader from Bangladesh's ruling Awami League party was killed last week, allegedly by Rohingya refugees, and at least four Rohingya were shot dead by police.

Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns. Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps.

Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh on Wednesday expressed their unhappiness at the decision to block mobile data services due to security concerns. Bangladesh's telecom regulatory authority on Tuesday had ordered mobile phone operators to partially block high-speed data services to areas where Rohingya refugees are living in sprawling camps. The operators were also asked on Sunday to block mobile services and stop selling mobile SIMs to the Rohingya. The move came following a spike in violent crime in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, where more than one million Rohingya are sheltered. Over 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for Bangladesh after a military-led crackdown in August 2017 that the United Nations has said was perpetrated with "genocidal intent". Myanmar has denied almost all the allegations. Tensions are running high in the camps after a youth wing leader from Bangladesh's ruling Awami League party was killed last week, allegedly by Rohingya refugees, and at least four Rohingya were shot dead by police.

Rohingyas in Bangladesh unhappy over mobile internet curbs

By Abdullah Yusuf

This month marks the second anniversary of Rohingya refugees fleeing into Bangladesh following a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s security forces. A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from the Rakhine state of Buddhist Myanmar, the Rohingya have been called the “most persecuted minority in the world”.

Promised their own autonomous state in return for helping Britain during World War II (which never happened), the Rohingya have a history of being resented by the Burmese/Myanmarese people. More recently, stripped of citizenship under a 1982 law which deemed the Rohingya as Bengali, they now find themselves stateless, as Myanmar and Bangladesh refuse to acknowledge them as citizens.

In a recent visit to Cox’s Bazar, the coastal district in Bangladesh which houses Rohingya refugee camps, senior Myanmar officials tried to persuade them to return home. A repatriation deal was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2017 and 2018, but as I wrote last year, without a concrete commitment regarding their safety and the granting of citizenship, the Rohingya will continue to refuse the repatriation plea. To date, almost none have volunteered to return.

Now hosting more than 1.1m Rohingyas, Bangladesh has pledged not to force anyone to leave the country. The refugees are officially registered as “forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals”, a designation that denies their refugee status and any associated rights.

This official stance makes them more vulnerable to denial of their human rights – freedom from detention and exploitation, access to public services, education, livelihoods and freedom of movement. Though Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it has an obligation under international human rights law to ensure that all people, including refugees, retain fundamental rights.

International response

In a recent leaked report, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – of which Myanmar is a member – has been optimistic about the return of the Rohingyas, predicting an overall “smooth and orderly” repatriation.

While Malaysia and Indonesia, ASEAN’s two largest Muslim-majority member states, called for a proactive approach to address the crisis, other members offered only weak criticism of Myanmar’s handling of the situation and refrained from direct accusations of mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya population. Unsurprisingly, ASEAN was heavily criticised by human rights groups for the report, which did not even acknowledge the identity of Rohingyas, choosing to refer to them instead as “Bengalis”.

Another vital player in the Rohingya crisis has been the UN. In 2018 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a secret agreement that pushed for repatriation and the establishment of an identity card scheme, which many Rohingya opposed. An independent report analysing the involvement of the UN in Myanmar between 2010-2018, highlights its systemic failures, stating that: "Serious errors were committed, and opportunities were lost in the UN system, following a fragmented strategy rather than a common plan of action."

The report frames the political component as a downside to UN actions on the ground. Further criticism has come from human rights experts who have blasted the UN for downplaying the severity of the crisis until it was too late.

Peace vs Justice

The conditions for the Rohingya inside the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar are far from acceptable. Refugees lack proper sanitation and live in emergency conditions, but still they choose to remain rather to return under a repatriation deal without guarantees of justice for past (or potential) crimes against them.

Human Rights Watch says that the Myanmar national government and the Rakhine state government have consistently avoided responsibility for creating a safe space with basic human rights for returning refugees. Myanmar also refuses to provide access to international investigators to monitor the situation, and in terms of coverage of the Rohingya plight, press freedoms are very limited.

The Myanmar government is responsible for multiple crimes against the Rohingya, including genocide, rape and arson. Given that none of the key perpetrators have been held accountable, the Rohingya’s distrust of their plan is understandable.

The prosecution of key perpetrators is needed urgently, both for those who have lost loved ones as well as those who suffered violence and had to flee their country in fear of their lives. In the past, such trials have been paramount in attaining a sense of justice for victims while consolidating post-conflict peace.

Criminal accountability for the crimes committed is also crucial in order to establish and reinforce the rule of law in any post-conflict society. But peace should not be achieved through the expunging of past crimes – this simply perpetuates trauma and the sense of injustice felt by the victims.

When past mass-crimes remain unaddressed, the chances of recurrence remain high. Justice should not be perceived as an impediment to achieving peace; peace and justice should be seen as reinforcing one another – something the Myanmar government, the UN and ASEAN must recognise if they wish any repatriation deal to be accepted.

The overall situation of the Rohingya remains chaotic. The prospects for a repatriation deal that will cover the demands of the Rohingya remain unrealistic, at least in the short term, and their current status within Bangladesh as displaced Myanmar nationals is untenable. International organisations, such as ASEAN and the UN, are pushing for repatriation while ignoring the importance of attaining justice for the Rohingya people.

The danger of pushing for this fragile peace, which would at best only be a temporary measure, is that the motives of the conflict will not be resolved – namely the Myanmar people’s nationalistic support for their government’s refusal to acknowledge the Rohingya people.

The Rohingya will not accept any deal that does not acknowledge the crimes against them or which allows the perpetrators to escape justice. And they need to know that any future aggression against them will have lawful repercussions – a fundamental right that ASEAN and the UN must consider.

(Abdullah Yusuf is Lecturer in Politics, University of Dundee) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/citizens-of-nowhere-one-million-rohingya-still-without-rights-status-or-justice-122135">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

By Abdullah Yusuf This month marks the second anniversary of Rohingya refugees fleeing into Bangladesh following a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s security forces.

By Abdullah Yusuf This month marks the second anniversary of Rohingya refugees fleeing into Bangladesh following a brutal crackdown by Myanmar’s security forces. A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from the Rakhine state of Buddhist Myanmar, the Rohingya have been called the “most persecuted minority in the world”. Promised their own autonomous state in return for helping Britain during World War II (which never happened), the Rohingya have a history of being resented by the Burmese/Myanmarese people. More recently, stripped of citizenship under a 1982 law which deemed the Rohingya as Bengali, they now find themselves stateless, as Myanmar and Bangladesh refuse to acknowledge them as citizens. In a recent visit to Cox’s Bazar, the coastal district in Bangladesh which houses Rohingya refugee camps, senior Myanmar officials tried to persuade them to return home. A repatriation deal was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar in 2017 and 2018, but as I wrote last year, without a concrete commitment regarding their safety and the granting of citizenship, the Rohingya will continue to refuse the repatriation plea. To date, almost none have volunteered to return. Now hosting more than 1.1m Rohingyas, Bangladesh has pledged not to force anyone to leave the country. The refugees are officially registered as “forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals”, a designation that denies their refugee status and any associated rights. This official stance makes them more vulnerable to denial of their human rights – freedom from detention and exploitation, access to public services, education, livelihoods and freedom of movement. Though Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, it has an obligation under international human rights law to ensure that all people, including refugees, retain fundamental rights. International response In a recent leaked report, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – of which Myanmar is a member – has been optimistic about the return of the Rohingyas, predicting an overall “smooth and orderly” repatriation. While Malaysia and Indonesia, ASEAN’s two largest Muslim-majority member states, called for a proactive approach to address the crisis, other members offered only weak criticism of Myanmar’s handling of the situation and refrained from direct accusations of mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya population. Unsurprisingly, ASEAN was heavily criticised by human rights groups for the report, which did not even acknowledge the identity of Rohingyas, choosing to refer to them instead as “Bengalis”. Another vital player in the Rohingya crisis has been the UN. In 2018 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a secret agreement that pushed for repatriation and the establishment of an identity card scheme, which many Rohingya opposed. An independent report analysing the involvement of the UN in Myanmar between 2010-2018, highlights its systemic failures, stating that: "Serious errors were committed, and opportunities were lost in the UN system, following a fragmented strategy rather than a common plan of action." The report frames the political component as a downside to UN actions on the ground. Further criticism has come from human rights experts who have blasted the UN for downplaying the severity of the crisis until it was too late. Peace vs Justice The conditions for the Rohingya inside the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar are far from acceptable. Refugees lack proper sanitation and live in emergency conditions, but still they choose to remain rather to return under a repatriation deal without guarantees of justice for past (or potential) crimes against them. Human Rights Watch says that the Myanmar national government and the Rakhine state government have consistently avoided responsibility for creating a safe space with basic human rights for returning refugees. Myanmar also refuses to provide access to international investigators to monitor the situation, and in terms of coverage of the Rohingya plight, press freedoms are very limited. The Myanmar government is responsible for multiple crimes against the Rohingya, including genocide, rape and arson. Given that none of the key perpetrators have been held accountable, the Rohingya’s distrust of their plan is understandable. The prosecution of key perpetrators is needed urgently, both for those who have lost loved ones as well as those who suffered violence and had to flee their country in fear of their lives. In the past, such trials have been paramount in attaining a sense of justice for victims while consolidating post-conflict peace. Criminal accountability for the crimes committed is also crucial in order to establish and reinforce the rule of law in any post-conflict society. But peace should not be achieved through the expunging of past crimes – this simply perpetuates trauma and the sense of injustice felt by the victims. When past mass-crimes remain unaddressed, the chances of recurrence remain high. Justice should not be perceived as an impediment to achieving peace; peace and justice should be seen as reinforcing one another – something the Myanmar government, the UN and ASEAN must recognise if they wish any repatriation deal to be accepted. The overall situation of the Rohingya remains chaotic. The prospects for a repatriation deal that will cover the demands of the Rohingya remain unrealistic, at least in the short term, and their current status within Bangladesh as displaced Myanmar nationals is untenable. International organisations, such as ASEAN and the UN, are pushing for repatriation while ignoring the importance of attaining justice for the Rohingya people. The danger of pushing for this fragile peace, which would at best only be a temporary measure, is that the motives of the conflict will not be resolved – namely the Myanmar people’s nationalistic support for their government’s refusal to acknowledge the Rohingya people. The Rohingya will not accept any deal that does not acknowledge the crimes against them or which allows the perpetrators to escape justice. And they need to know that any future aggression against them will have lawful repercussions – a fundamental right that ASEAN and the UN must consider. (Abdullah Yusuf is Lecturer in Politics, University of Dundee) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Two years on, Rohingyas still without rights, status or justice

Bangladesh plans to repatriate 3,540 Rohingya refugees. Watch this video to know more.

WION Fineprint: Rohingyas demand guarantee of citizenship

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday accused Myanmar of being reluctant in repatriating their over a million Rohingya nationals defying its promise and alleged that some international aid agencies want to keep the refugee crisis alive.

Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingyas in makeshift refugee camps in its southeastern Cox's Bazar district as the fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017 generating the worst refugee crisis in the recent history.

In January 2018, a deal was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees. Myanmar had agreed to accept 1,500 Rohingyas each week, Bangladesh said at the time, adding that it aimed to return all of them to Myanmar within two years.

"The problem lies with Myanmar as they don't want Rohingya to return by any means though it signed an agreement with Bangladesh promising to repatriate them," she told a press conference at her Ganabhaban official residence.

The premier feared that some international aid and voluntary agencies are also unwilling to resolve the crisis. "They never want the refugees to return to their home," she said.&nbsp;

"This is what I see," she said at a media briefing on her tri-nation tour of Japan, Saudi Arabia and Finland at Ganabhaban.

Asked about a perception that three major countries - China, Japan and India - took Myanmar's side in the crisis, the premier said Bangladesh separately held talks with these countries and they all acknowledged Rohingyas as Myanmar nationals and agreed they should return there.

"(But) they (the three countries) simultaneously argued that if they all confront Myanmar over the issue, then who will be there to convince them (Naypyidaw)," she said.

Prime Minister Hasina also said that she will travel to China in July at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will be her first visit to China after forming the government for a third consecutive term.

The premier said she might also visit India if invited.

Replying to another question whether the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations were in favour of Rohingyas' repatriation as she referred to the crisis in the just held summit of the 57-nation Muslim countries forum, the premier said "certainly".

Hasina expressed her concerns about the security factors involving the Rohingyas as many of them were found to be getting engaged in criminal activities, forcing the authorities to ask armed forces and law enforcement agencies to intensify their vigil.

"We asked them to raise a security cluster around them (Rohingya camps) and enforce a constant patrol," she said.

The premier, however, wondered why the Rohingyas were unwilling to be relocated to offshore Bhashan Char where the government built comfortable structures for their accommodation.

The United Nations said senior Myanmar military officials should be prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine state, but the country insists it was defending itself against militants. PTI AR&nbsp;

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday accused Myanmar of being reluctant in repatriating their over a million Rohingya nationals defying its promise and alleged that some international aid agencies want to keep the refugee crisis alive.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday accused Myanmar of being reluctant in repatriating their over a million Rohingya nationals defying its promise and alleged that some international aid agencies want to keep the refugee crisis alive. Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingyas in makeshift refugee camps in its southeastern Cox's Bazar district as the fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017 generating the worst refugee crisis in the recent history. In January 2018, a deal was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees. Myanmar had agreed to accept 1,500 Rohingyas each week, Bangladesh said at the time, adding that it aimed to return all of them to Myanmar within two years. "The problem lies with Myanmar as they don't want Rohingya to return by any means though it signed an agreement with Bangladesh promising to repatriate them," she told a press conference at her Ganabhaban official residence. The premier feared that some international aid and voluntary agencies are also unwilling to resolve the crisis. "They never want the refugees to return to their home," she said. "This is what I see," she said at a media briefing on her tri-nation tour of Japan, Saudi Arabia and Finland at Ganabhaban. Asked about a perception that three major countries - China, Japan and India - took Myanmar's side in the crisis, the premier said Bangladesh separately held talks with these countries and they all acknowledged Rohingyas as Myanmar nationals and agreed they should return there. "(But) they (the three countries) simultaneously argued that if they all confront Myanmar over the issue, then who will be there to convince them (Naypyidaw)," she said. Prime Minister Hasina also said that she will travel to China in July at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will be her first visit to China after forming the government for a third consecutive term. The premier said she might also visit India if invited. Replying to another question whether the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations were in favour of Rohingyas' repatriation as she referred to the crisis in the just held summit of the 57-nation Muslim countries forum, the premier said "certainly". Hasina expressed her concerns about the security factors involving the Rohingyas as many of them were found to be getting engaged in criminal activities, forcing the authorities to ask armed forces and law enforcement agencies to intensify their vigil. "We asked them to raise a security cluster around them (Rohingya camps) and enforce a constant patrol," she said. The premier, however, wondered why the Rohingyas were unwilling to be relocated to offshore Bhashan Char where the government built comfortable structures for their accommodation. The United Nations said senior Myanmar military officials should be prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine state, but the country insists it was defending itself against militants. PTI AR

Bangladesh: PM Hasina accuses Myanmar of defying promise over repatriation of Rohingyas 

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented soon in Delhi if the people do not want to live under the fear of attack from illegal Rohingya immigrants, said BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Saturday.

"I got to know that the attackers were from a Bangla speaking community, like Rohingyas. The people for whom murder, fighting and crimes are a daily affair. I think NRC should be implemented in Delhi as soon as possible to throw these illegal immigrants out, that is the only way to keep our citizens safe," Tiwari told ANI.

He was talking after meeting the family of late Dhruv Raj Tyagi in Moti Nagar area, who was murdered by goons on Sunday night. The victim's son was also attacked and is undergoing treatment. All four accused in the case were arrested by the police.

Tiwari expressed grief and solidarity with the family and demanded setting up of a fast track court to ensure speedy justice to the family.

"The family is suffering from a great loss. A daughter mistreated in front of her father, the father died while the son also sustained injuries. This is unacceptable. This case should be handled by a fast track court. I also demand the death penalty for the accused. They have carried out a barbaric act which can only be done by people who have criminal intent," he said.

Tiwari also lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and accused him of playing divisive politics.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented soon in Delhi if the people do not want to live under the fear of attack from illegal Rohingya immigrants, said BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Saturday.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be implemented soon in Delhi if the people do not want to live under the fear of attack from illegal Rohingya immigrants, said BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Saturday. "I got to know that the attackers were from a Bangla speaking community, like Rohingyas. The people for whom murder, fighting and crimes are a daily affair. I think NRC should be implemented in Delhi as soon as possible to throw these illegal immigrants out, that is the only way to keep our citizens safe," Tiwari told ANI. He was talking after meeting the family of late Dhruv Raj Tyagi in Moti Nagar area, who was murdered by goons on Sunday night. The victim's son was also attacked and is undergoing treatment. All four accused in the case were arrested by the police. Tiwari expressed grief and solidarity with the family and demanded setting up of a fast track court to ensure speedy justice to the family. "The family is suffering from a great loss. A daughter mistreated in front of her father, the father died while the son also sustained injuries. This is unacceptable. This case should be handled by a fast track court. I also demand the death penalty for the accused. They have carried out a barbaric act which can only be done by people who have criminal intent," he said. Tiwari also lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and accused him of playing divisive politics.

NRC should be implemented in Delhi as soon as possible: Manoj Tiwari

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday.

Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler. They included 31 women and 15 children.

On Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, the country's coast guard stopped 17 other Rohingya and five Bangladeshi traffickers before they could board a rickety fishing boat.

Fayezul Islam Mondol, the regional coast guard commander, said they were acting on a tip-off.

About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown began in August 2017.

They joined another 300,000 Rohingya already living in overcrowded camps in the Cox's Bazar area following previous bouts of violence.

Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand.

They frequently spend their life savings to embark on dangerous boat journeys they believe will improve their lives, but many fall prey to international human trafficking gangs.

Most attempt the journey before March, when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the crossing even in rough waters.

"This is a very alarming situation," Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialising in trafficking, told AFP.&nbsp;

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday. Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler.

Bangladesh authorities prevented 84 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar from attempting a perilous boat journey to Malaysia, officials said Saturday. Police in Pekua said 67 Rohingya Muslims from Kutupalong -- the largest refugee settlement in the world -- were stopped as they waited to board a fishing trawler. They included 31 women and 15 children. On Saint Martin's, a small Bangladesh island in the Bay of Bengal, the country's coast guard stopped 17 other Rohingya and five Bangladeshi traffickers before they could board a rickety fishing boat. Fayezul Islam Mondol, the regional coast guard commander, said they were acting on a tip-off. About 740,000 Muslim minority Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since a brutal military crackdown began in August 2017. They joined another 300,000 Rohingya already living in overcrowded camps in the Cox's Bazar area following previous bouts of violence. Thousands of refugees attempt to flee the camps each year in pursuit of better opportunities in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. They frequently spend their life savings to embark on dangerous boat journeys they believe will improve their lives, but many fall prey to international human trafficking gangs. Most attempt the journey before March, when the sea is calm before the monsoon season sets in, but experts say traffickers are now convincing the refugees to attempt the crossing even in rough waters. "This is a very alarming situation," Jishu Barua, an aid worker specialising in trafficking, told AFP.

Bangladesh stops 84 Rohingyas from perilous sea journey

A U.N. official on Tuesday (May 14) has urged Myanmar to grant aid workers "predictable, sustained access" to Rakhine state, where fighting between government troops and rebels has displaced nearly 33,000 people since late last year, saying lack of aid has cost lives.

'People are dying': U.N official urges Myanmar to grant aid access to Rakhine state

The group of Rohingyas who were attacked and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-villagers-lawmaker-say-helicopter-attack-kills-five-rohingya-wounds-13-207906">killed by a military helicopter</a> on Thursday were affiliated with an armed rebel group, said Myanmar's military.

At least six Rohingyas were killed and nine were wounded.

The army-run Myawady newspaper said the villagers were "together with terrorists while the army was cracking down on the Arakan Army’s terrorist activities" on Wednesday in the township of Buthidaung.

All of them were believed to be bamboo workers. Some villagers and lawmakers said that the men were collecting bamboo near the Sai Din waterfall when they were attacked.

Ten people are being treated at the Buthidaung public hospital, Kyaw Min Tun, a hospital official, said on Friday.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The group of Rohingyas who were attacked and killed by a military helicopter on Thursday were affiliated with an armed rebel group, said Myanmar's military. At least six Rohingyas were killed and nine were wounded.

The group of Rohingyas who were attacked and killed by a military helicopter on Thursday were affiliated with an armed rebel group, said Myanmar's military. At least six Rohingyas were killed and nine were wounded. The army-run Myawady newspaper said the villagers were "together with terrorists while the army was cracking down on the Arakan Army’s terrorist activities" on Wednesday in the township of Buthidaung. All of them were believed to be bamboo workers. Some villagers and lawmakers said that the men were collecting bamboo near the Sai Din waterfall when they were attacked. Ten people are being treated at the Buthidaung public hospital, Kyaw Min Tun, a hospital official, said on Friday. (With inputs from Reuters)

Six Rohingyas killed in helicopter attack were 'with terrorists': Myanmar army

Two Myanmar nationals, reportedly Rohingyas were apprehended at the Kolkata airport by immigration authorities.

On Saturday late night, two Myanmar nationals identified as – Rafika Khatoon and Noor Kaida Khatoon were about to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur by flight AK 62 when immigration officials asked them to show their passports on suspicion.&nbsp;

On further suspicion, they were questioned and admitted to be Myanmar nationals and having procured an Indian passport through forgery.

A senior police official of the NSCBI said that the two women claimed that they were being accompanied by a third person identified as Kallol Mitra who had got them the Indian passports. ''Prima facie, it seems that Kallol was the one who got the two Myanmar national Indian passports and was also travelling with them,'' said the officer.

Immediately, the three were detained by immigration authorities and handed over to the NSCBI police station.

During the course of investigation, Rafika reportedly told the officers of the NSCBI that she originally stayed in the Tangail Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh and illegally entered India six months ago and had been staying here since then.&nbsp;

''Rafika told us that she entered India illegally through Bengal-Bangladesh border with the help of agents and later obtained a forged Indian passport. Noor told us that she was originally from the Arakan state of Myanmar and had moved to the Cox’s Bazaar Rohingya Refugee camp in Bangladesh and she too entered India six months ago and obtained an Indian passport,'' the officer said.

Officer alleged that preliminary investigation suggests that the third accused – Kallol Mitra was involved in this racket of providing forged Indian passports to Rohingyas and other Bangladeshi nationals and help them flee from the country.

Meanwhile, those two women have been remanded to judicial custody while the third accused – Kallol Mitra has been remanded to police custody for four days.

Two Myanmar nationals, reportedly Rohingyas were apprehended at the Kolkata airport by immigration authorities. On Saturday late night, two Myanmar nationals identified as – Rafika Khatoon and Noor Kaida Khatoon were about to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur by flight AK 62 when immigration officials asked them to show their passports on suspicion.

Two Myanmar nationals, reportedly Rohingyas were apprehended at the Kolkata airport by immigration authorities. On Saturday late night, two Myanmar nationals identified as – Rafika Khatoon and Noor Kaida Khatoon were about to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur by flight AK 62 when immigration officials asked them to show their passports on suspicion. On further suspicion, they were questioned and admitted to be Myanmar nationals and having procured an Indian passport through forgery. A senior police official of the NSCBI said that the two women claimed that they were being accompanied by a third person identified as Kallol Mitra who had got them the Indian passports. ''Prima facie, it seems that Kallol was the one who got the two Myanmar national Indian passports and was also travelling with them,'' said the officer. Immediately, the three were detained by immigration authorities and handed over to the NSCBI police station. During the course of investigation, Rafika reportedly told the officers of the NSCBI that she originally stayed in the Tangail Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh and illegally entered India six months ago and had been staying here since then. ''Rafika told us that she entered India illegally through Bengal-Bangladesh border with the help of agents and later obtained a forged Indian passport. Noor told us that she was originally from the Arakan state of Myanmar and had moved to the Cox’s Bazaar Rohingya Refugee camp in Bangladesh and she too entered India six months ago and obtained an Indian passport,'' the officer said. Officer alleged that preliminary investigation suggests that the third accused – Kallol Mitra was involved in this racket of providing forged Indian passports to Rohingyas and other Bangladeshi nationals and help them flee from the country. Meanwhile, those two women have been remanded to judicial custody while the third accused – Kallol Mitra has been remanded to police custody for four days.

Two Rohingyas travelling on forged Indian passports held at Kolkata airport

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said.

The 31 Rohingyas, who apparently came from Jammu and Kashmir, had been stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since January 18.

The situation had led to a blame game between the Border Security Force (BSF) and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories.

The decision to hand over the Rohingyas to the Tripura Police was taken after the BSF and the BGB failed to reach a decision during talks on the issue.

The 31 Rohingyas underwent a medical check-up and were later produced before a court in West Tripura district which sent them to 14-day judicial custody, the officials said.

Deputy Inspector General of the BSF Brijesh Kumar said, "We took the matter up with the BGB and requested them to take the Rohingyas back to Bangladesh. They denied. Several rounds of talks with the BGB had failed. So, we handed them over to police."

A battalion commander-level meeting was held at the Zero Line on Sunday, the officials said.

Officials in New Delhi said the BSF informed the Home Ministry about the final result of the talks and gave it the situation report.

After receiving the ministry's nod, the BSF signed the papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am, ending the standoff with their Bangladeshi counterparts.

The officials added that the state police will verify the details of the Rohingyas, and the BSF has been asked to render assistance for the task.

It is suspected that these people had travelled to the border area from Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said, adding that the truth can only be established after an investigation.

Pranab Sengupta, officer-in-charge of the Amtali police station, told PTI that the 31 Rohingyas, including nine women and 16 children, were sent to the Tripura Medical College for a check-up and "were found to be alright".

He said the BSF had been providing them with food, water and other essentials.

While the BGB claimed they had come from India, the BSF said they had not as there was no tell-tale sign of breach of the barbed wire fence on the Indian side.

Meanwhile, 30 Rohingyas travelling on a Guwahati-bound bus were apprehended during regular checking in Assam's Churaibari area on Monday night, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district Bhanupada Chakraborty told PTI.

Churaibari connects Tripura and Assam via National Highway-8.

"Karimganj district police told us that the Rohingyas boarded the Guwahati-bound bus from Agartala," he said.

When produced before a court, all the 30 Rohingyas were sent to jail by a Karimganj court.

The police sought the custody of some of them but Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qadir turned down the plea and asked the authorities to produce them again before him Thursday.

In 2017, 12 Rohingyas were apprehended in Tripura and 62 more were detained in different parts of the state the next year.

In October 2017, the Home Ministry had urged all states to take immediate steps to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees.

It had said that the government viewed infiltration of Rohingyas from Rakhine state of Myanmar into the Indian territory as a burden on the country's limited resources and it aggravated security challenges.&nbsp;

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said.

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said. The 31 Rohingyas, who apparently came from Jammu and Kashmir, had been stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since January 18. The situation had led to a blame game between the Border Security Force (BSF) and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories. The decision to hand over the Rohingyas to the Tripura Police was taken after the BSF and the BGB failed to reach a decision during talks on the issue. The 31 Rohingyas underwent a medical check-up and were later produced before a court in West Tripura district which sent them to 14-day judicial custody, the officials said. Deputy Inspector General of the BSF Brijesh Kumar said, "We took the matter up with the BGB and requested them to take the Rohingyas back to Bangladesh. They denied. Several rounds of talks with the BGB had failed. So, we handed them over to police." A battalion commander-level meeting was held at the Zero Line on Sunday, the officials said. Officials in New Delhi said the BSF informed the Home Ministry about the final result of the talks and gave it the situation report. After receiving the ministry's nod, the BSF signed the papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am, ending the standoff with their Bangladeshi counterparts. The officials added that the state police will verify the details of the Rohingyas, and the BSF has been asked to render assistance for the task. It is suspected that these people had travelled to the border area from Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said, adding that the truth can only be established after an investigation. Pranab Sengupta, officer-in-charge of the Amtali police station, told PTI that the 31 Rohingyas, including nine women and 16 children, were sent to the Tripura Medical College for a check-up and "were found to be alright". He said the BSF had been providing them with food, water and other essentials. While the BGB claimed they had come from India, the BSF said they had not as there was no tell-tale sign of breach of the barbed wire fence on the Indian side. Meanwhile, 30 Rohingyas travelling on a Guwahati-bound bus were apprehended during regular checking in Assam's Churaibari area on Monday night, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district Bhanupada Chakraborty told PTI. Churaibari connects Tripura and Assam via National Highway-8. "Karimganj district police told us that the Rohingyas boarded the Guwahati-bound bus from Agartala," he said. When produced before a court, all the 30 Rohingyas were sent to jail by a Karimganj court. The police sought the custody of some of them but Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qadir turned down the plea and asked the authorities to produce them again before him Thursday. In 2017, 12 Rohingyas were apprehended in Tripura and 62 more were detained in different parts of the state the next year. In October 2017, the Home Ministry had urged all states to take immediate steps to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees. It had said that the government viewed infiltration of Rohingyas from Rakhine state of Myanmar into the Indian territory as a burden on the country's limited resources and it aggravated security challenges.

31 Rohingyas stranded on Indo-Bangla border sent to 14-day judicial custody 

The Border Security Force Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for three days, to the Tripura police, ending a standoff with its counterpart, the BGB, on the issue, officials said.

They said the border guarding force signed papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am.

The decision was taken after the Border Security Force headquarters here obtained approval from the Home Ministry, they said.

The Rohingya Muslims were stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since Friday last.&nbsp;

The situation had led to a blame game between the BSF and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories.

The BSF had been providing "comfortable" temporary accommodation at Rayermura, where they were detained, about 15 km from Agartala, in West Tripura district, officials had said earlier.

The 31 detained Rohingyas include six men, nine women and 16 children. They were stuck at 'Zero Line', beyond the border fence.

The barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border is 300 feet inside the Indian territory.

The Border Security Force Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for three days, to the Tripura police, ending a standoff with its counterpart, the BGB, on the issue, officials said.

The Border Security Force Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for three days, to the Tripura police, ending a standoff with its counterpart, the BGB, on the issue, officials said. They said the border guarding force signed papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am. The decision was taken after the Border Security Force headquarters here obtained approval from the Home Ministry, they said. The Rohingya Muslims were stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since Friday last. The situation had led to a blame game between the BSF and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories. The BSF had been providing "comfortable" temporary accommodation at Rayermura, where they were detained, about 15 km from Agartala, in West Tripura district, officials had said earlier. The 31 detained Rohingyas include six men, nine women and 16 children. They were stuck at 'Zero Line', beyond the border fence. The barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border is 300 feet inside the Indian territory.

BSF hands overs 31 Rohingyas to Tripura police ending standoff with Bangladesh

The visit of Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister of Malaysia and widely perceived as heir to the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has made Indians suddenly aware of a neighbour who often remains on the margins. Ibrahim has urged India to speak its mind about Rohingyas clearly and firmly as behoves a regional power. It appears that an expansionist China has prompted our south-east Asian neighbours to ‘look west’ after many years. &nbsp;

Malaysia is a country that has had centuries-old ties with India (economic and cultural). The port of Malacca controlled the waterways that served as from the Bay of Bengal to the stretch of Indian Ocean lying beyond. The colonial historians maligned the native rulers as chiefs who commanded bands of marauding pirates erasing in a blink the civilisational contributions of Malay sultans. Islam spread through this entry point to Indonesia and southern tip of the Philippines. Their contacts with Arab, Indian and Chinese traders had exposed the Malays to diverse cosmopolitan influences and it is a totally false claim that it was the British colonisers that tamed and civilised the natives in this peninsula who were given to running amok quite unpredictably.&nbsp;

However, what can’t be denied is that the British transformed the peninsula by developing rubber plantations on a large scale and enthusiastically undertaking tin mining. They imported indentured labour from India and encouraged Chinese immigration from the mainland drastically changing the demographic profile. Much like India the native princes were brought under British Imperial paramountcy and organised in a loose federation.&nbsp;

The small fishing village Temasek, now known as Singapore, discovered by Raffles was developed as a strategic naval base and important entrepôt. &nbsp;

In recent years the discovery of oil has enriched Malaysia beyond wildest dreams of anyone in the middle of the last century. It has quickly leapfrogged many ‘developing’ brethren and has at times been brash towards those it considers laggards. But we digress, India has enjoyed a special relationship with Malaysia over the years for a variety of reasons. At one time almost 10 per cent of its population comprised people of Indian origin. This held the electoral balance as the ‘sons of the soil’ the Malays and Chinese were evenly matched in numbers. The Chinese had participated in a communist-led insurgency that raged for almost a decade after the end of the Second World War and was not trusted by either the British masters of Malay leadership during the period of cold war.&nbsp;

Malaysia’s membership of the Commonwealth, use of English language in education and adopting the English legal system created affinities with India. The ties were fortified by India emerging as the largest buyer of Malaysian Palm Oil.&nbsp;

It is not as if the bilateral relationship has been entirely free of stress. In the past quarter century, there has been a steady drift towards Islamic fundamentalism in some parts of Malaysia.&nbsp;

The states on the eastern coast and on the northern tip bordering Thailand have witnessed social unrest and political ferment. Malays have long nursed the grievance that the ‘clever’ Chinese have deprived them of economic gains. The government has had to tread carefully. Despite legislation to ensure social justice Malays have continued to lag behind. The simmering resentment has at times in distant past exploded in communal violence. The Islamisation of polity and the judicial system has alienated many among the Chinese and Indian community. This is not to suggest that Malaysia is facing a crisis. What we need to appreciate is that it, like India, is a plural society with complex challenges posed by race and ethnicity.&nbsp;

Kalimantan Utara (Northern Borneo) where the states of Sabah and Sarawak are located is home to many non-Malay tribes and its development has to constantly keep in mind the fragility of the pristine ecosystem. Here too exists a unique opportunity to cooperate and collaborate.&nbsp;

Mahathir rose to power once again at the age of 90 because his predecessor had acquired an unenviable reputation for gigantic corruption. There should be no need to remind readers that the issue of corruption dominates political discourse in India.&nbsp;

Before we conclude it is perhaps necessary to refresh our memory about the chequered career of Anwar Ibrahim. He rose and fell like a meteor in an earlier incarnation. He was a fiery youth leader advocate of special rights for Malays and not inhibited about his Islamic ideology. Once a favourite of Mahathir and identified as heir he fell from grace dramatically trapped by political intrigue.&nbsp;

This isn’t the place to unravel conspiracy theories but suffice to note that the Malaysian leader has mellowed without losing his charisma. It will be interesting to see how our government responds to his overtures. Whenever we 'look east' we harp on the shared Hindu-Buddhist legacy.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The visit of Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister of Malaysia and widely perceived as heir to the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has made Indians suddenly aware of a neighbour who often remains on the margins.

The visit of Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy prime minister of Malaysia and widely perceived as heir to the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has made Indians suddenly aware of a neighbour who often remains on the margins. Ibrahim has urged India to speak its mind about Rohingyas clearly and firmly as behoves a regional power. It appears that an expansionist China has prompted our south-east Asian neighbours to ‘look west’ after many years. Malaysia is a country that has had centuries-old ties with India (economic and cultural). The port of Malacca controlled the waterways that served as from the Bay of Bengal to the stretch of Indian Ocean lying beyond. The colonial historians maligned the native rulers as chiefs who commanded bands of marauding pirates erasing in a blink the civilisational contributions of Malay sultans. Islam spread through this entry point to Indonesia and southern tip of the Philippines. Their contacts with Arab, Indian and Chinese traders had exposed the Malays to diverse cosmopolitan influences and it is a totally false claim that it was the British colonisers that tamed and civilised the natives in this peninsula who were given to running amok quite unpredictably. However, what can’t be denied is that the British transformed the peninsula by developing rubber plantations on a large scale and enthusiastically undertaking tin mining. They imported indentured labour from India and encouraged Chinese immigration from the mainland drastically changing the demographic profile. Much like India the native princes were brought under British Imperial paramountcy and organised in a loose federation. The small fishing village Temasek, now known as Singapore, discovered by Raffles was developed as a strategic naval base and important entrepôt. In recent years the discovery of oil has enriched Malaysia beyond wildest dreams of anyone in the middle of the last century. It has quickly leapfrogged many ‘developing’ brethren and has at times been brash towards those it considers laggards. But we digress, India has enjoyed a special relationship with Malaysia over the years for a variety of reasons. At one time almost 10 per cent of its population comprised people of Indian origin. This held the electoral balance as the ‘sons of the soil’ the Malays and Chinese were evenly matched in numbers. The Chinese had participated in a communist-led insurgency that raged for almost a decade after the end of the Second World War and was not trusted by either the British masters of Malay leadership during the period of cold war. Malaysia’s membership of the Commonwealth, use of English language in education and adopting the English legal system created affinities with India. The ties were fortified by India emerging as the largest buyer of Malaysian Palm Oil. It is not as if the bilateral relationship has been entirely free of stress. In the past quarter century, there has been a steady drift towards Islamic fundamentalism in some parts of Malaysia. The states on the eastern coast and on the northern tip bordering Thailand have witnessed social unrest and political ferment. Malays have long nursed the grievance that the ‘clever’ Chinese have deprived them of economic gains. The government has had to tread carefully. Despite legislation to ensure social justice Malays have continued to lag behind. The simmering resentment has at times in distant past exploded in communal violence. The Islamisation of polity and the judicial system has alienated many among the Chinese and Indian community. This is not to suggest that Malaysia is facing a crisis. What we need to appreciate is that it, like India, is a plural society with complex challenges posed by race and ethnicity. Kalimantan Utara (Northern Borneo) where the states of Sabah and Sarawak are located is home to many non-Malay tribes and its development has to constantly keep in mind the fragility of the pristine ecosystem. Here too exists a unique opportunity to cooperate and collaborate. Mahathir rose to power once again at the age of 90 because his predecessor had acquired an unenviable reputation for gigantic corruption. There should be no need to remind readers that the issue of corruption dominates political discourse in India. Before we conclude it is perhaps necessary to refresh our memory about the chequered career of Anwar Ibrahim. He rose and fell like a meteor in an earlier incarnation. He was a fiery youth leader advocate of special rights for Malays and not inhibited about his Islamic ideology. Once a favourite of Mahathir and identified as heir he fell from grace dramatically trapped by political intrigue. This isn’t the place to unravel conspiracy theories but suffice to note that the Malaysian leader has mellowed without losing his charisma. It will be interesting to see how our government responds to his overtures. Whenever we 'look east' we harp on the shared Hindu-Buddhist legacy. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Malaysia and India face complex challenges posed by race and ethnicity

After Bangladesh’s counter-terror forces foiled attempts of the banned terrorist organisation, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), trying to recruit Rohingyas from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, the country’s elite counter-terrorism force – Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is setting up a dedicated battalion to monitor the Rohingyas.

RAB is setting up the 15th battalion – RAB 15 based out of Cox’s Bazar, where Rohingya refugee camps have been set up. This new battalion will be called ‘Parbattoya Battalion’. The headquarters of the RAB-15 will be Cox’s Bazar.

In November 2018, the home ministry of Bangladesh issued the notification of setting up of this new battalion – RAB-15. “The battalion will strengthen security at the refugee camps, keeping a close eye on the movements of Rohingyas, maintain law and order in the three hill districts – Rangamati, Bandarbans, and Khagrachhari besides Cox’s Bazar,” said Rapid Action Battalion, Director General, Rapid Action Battalion.

This decision of setting up a new battalion came in the wake of JMB’s plan of recruiting Rohingyas coming to light in December 2018, when the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit’s Special Action Group arrested three persons - Abdul Hakim, Noma, and Shafi from Dhaka. As many as 30 commando knives, one dagger, one machete, one improvised explosive device container and 1.5kg of explosives were recovered from their possession.

On further interrogation, Abdul Hakim admitted that he was the regional chief of JMB's Cox’s Bazar unit.

Noman confessed that he was JMB’s Chittagong military chief, while Shafi admitted that he was an active member of the terror group. They also admitted that the commando knives were procured from Myanmar and brought into the Cox Bazar through Rohingya carriers.

“These three JMB men were working in the Rohingya refugee camps since 2016. The men were recruiting members for their organisation in disguise of funding aid to the Rohingya camp. They had almost recruited at least 40 terrorist members from the camp. However, security forces foiled the attempt just in time with these three arrests,” added Ahmed.

Sources reveal that a lot of ethnic groups are coming under attack as a result of which they are crossing over the Naf river that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh and settling in the Rohingya camps, RAB-15 will also push back those crossing over into the Bangladesh territory.

This apart, RAB-15 will also be watchful on cross-border smuggling of drugs and human trafficking being rampant in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.

After Bangladesh’s counter-terror forces foiled attempts of the banned terrorist organisation, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), trying to recruit Rohingyas from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, the country’s elite counter-terrorism force – Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is setting up a dedicated battalion to monitor the Rohingyas.

After Bangladesh’s counter-terror forces foiled attempts of the banned terrorist organisation, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), trying to recruit Rohingyas from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, the country’s elite counter-terrorism force – Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is setting up a dedicated battalion to monitor the Rohingyas. RAB is setting up the 15th battalion – RAB 15 based out of Cox’s Bazar, where Rohingya refugee camps have been set up. This new battalion will be called ‘Parbattoya Battalion’. The headquarters of the RAB-15 will be Cox’s Bazar. In November 2018, the home ministry of Bangladesh issued the notification of setting up of this new battalion – RAB-15. “The battalion will strengthen security at the refugee camps, keeping a close eye on the movements of Rohingyas, maintain law and order in the three hill districts – Rangamati, Bandarbans, and Khagrachhari besides Cox’s Bazar,” said Rapid Action Battalion, Director General, Rapid Action Battalion. This decision of setting up a new battalion came in the wake of JMB’s plan of recruiting Rohingyas coming to light in December 2018, when the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit’s Special Action Group arrested three persons - Abdul Hakim, Noma, and Shafi from Dhaka. As many as 30 commando knives, one dagger, one machete, one improvised explosive device container and 1.5kg of explosives were recovered from their possession. On further interrogation, Abdul Hakim admitted that he was the regional chief of JMB's Cox’s Bazar unit. Noman confessed that he was JMB’s Chittagong military chief, while Shafi admitted that he was an active member of the terror group. They also admitted that the commando knives were procured from Myanmar and brought into the Cox Bazar through Rohingya carriers. “These three JMB men were working in the Rohingya refugee camps since 2016. The men were recruiting members for their organisation in disguise of funding aid to the Rohingya camp. They had almost recruited at least 40 terrorist members from the camp. However, security forces foiled the attempt just in time with these three arrests,” added Ahmed. Sources reveal that a lot of ethnic groups are coming under attack as a result of which they are crossing over the Naf river that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh and settling in the Rohingya camps, RAB-15 will also push back those crossing over into the Bangladesh territory. This apart, RAB-15 will also be watchful on cross-border smuggling of drugs and human trafficking being rampant in the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.

Bangladesh’s RAB setting up new battalion to prevent Rohingyas from joining terrorist organisation JMB

By Daniel Sullivan

The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh. The several hundred thousand who remain in Myanmar face serious restrictions, and what the chair of an independent, international fact-finding mission describes as an “ongoing genocide.”

What will the year 2019 have in store for the Rohingyas? Here are key developments to keep an eye on and some thoughts on what must be done to improve the outlook.

Rohingya returning home

Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is both the most necessary solution to the&nbsp;crisis and the most controversial. It is not a question of whether Rohingyas should be able to return to their homes; it is a question of when and under what conditions. To be clear, those conditions do not currently exist. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Rohingyas in Myanmar continue to face restrictions and abuse. And there is little sign of accountability or a path to citizenship as demanded by Rohingyas who have been forced to flee. In fact, more than 15,000 Rohingyas have continued to flee conditions in Myanmar for Bangladesh in 2018.

More than 40 humanitarian organisations working on the ground in Bangladesh have warned that returning the Rohingyas to their homes now would be dangerous and premature. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been clear that current conditions in Myanmar are not conducive “to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees.”

Still, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh have pushed for returns to move forward. A bilateral deal to start returns by November 15, 2018, fell apart only because Bangladesh was unable to find Rohingyas willing to return voluntarily. Pressure for returns will continue through 2019, but the reality is that more than likely, most Rohingya will not and should not return by the end of 2019. Whether returns can take place in line with international standards — that is safe, voluntary and dignified — will depend mostly on what the government of Myanmar does or does not do.

Reforms in Myanmar

The government of Myanmar has it within its power to create the conditions conducive to safe returns of Rohingyas to Myanmar. It also has a blueprint for how to do so. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, released a final report in August 2017 that was endorsed by the government of Myanmar. The report included recommendations for freedom of movement, recognition of basic rights and a path to citizenship for Rohingyas in Myanmar.

By taking these steps, opening access to humanitarians and independent media and human rights monitors, and working with UNHCR, it may be possible to begin thinking about returns in 2019. But the window for doing so is quickly closing as the next election in Myanmar draws near in 2020. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, already reluctant to reform and address the Rohingya crisis, will be even more so as the military’s party seeks to capitalize on anti-Rohingya sentiment. As this dynamic plays out, it will be even more important that pressure for change comes from outside — the sooner the better.

Accountability for genocide

The push for accountability for the crimes committed by Myanmar’s security forces against the Rohingya gained momentum in the last month of 2018. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the law firm that carried out a US State Department survey of the Rohingyas independently concluded that there was strong evidence that crimes against humanity and genocide were committed. The State Department has not yet made a determination, but the US House of Representatives voted 394 to 1 to declare the crimes as genocide.

In August 2018, an international fact-finding mission, authorised by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), concluded that Myanmar’s top military generals, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The UNHRC then mandated the creation of an independent mechanism to collect evidence of abuses for future prosecution. Now it is vital that this mechanism receive the funding necessary to carry out its mandate.

The International Criminal Court has also begun an investigation into the crimes committed against the Rohingya. And international human rights groups continue to push for a mechanism for carrying out prosecutions. What forms of accountability are ultimately achieved will remain to be seen, but efforts will not go away in 2019.

It is also possible that the US State Department will be pushed to finally make a determination that crimes against humanity, if not genocide, have taken place. This would prompt further targeted sanctions. The United States has already placed sanctions on a handful of Myanmar military and border guard officials and the two army battalions that led the attacks on Rohingya civilians. But these sanctions need to extend to the highest levels, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Monsoon and cyclones

One of the greatest fears faced by Rohingyas in Bangladesh through much of 2018 was the risk of a direct cyclone hit on the Rohingya camps. The worst was avoided in 2018, but flooding and high winds destroyed shelters, injured dozens and displaced thousands. With hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remaining in fragile shelters in crowded camps, that fear will be renewed with the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons. Beyond a direct hit, heavy rains will threaten landslides and flooding, not to mention the risks of the rapid spread of water-borne diseases.

The humanitarian community and government of Bangladesh made great efforts to move the most vulnerable Rohingyas to new areas in 2018. But, as highlighted by Refugees International, coordination and preparedness were limited by restrictions on the side of the government of Bangladesh and inefficiencies on the side of UN agencies. The Bangladeshi government continues to restrict the types of materials available to build more durable shelters. It also continues to push plans to move at least 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char, an island in the historic path of cyclones and prone to flooding through much of the year.

Due to government restrictions, UN agencies have also struggled with a complex, hybrid coordination structure, rather than the usual refugee response. Efforts are underway to assess the response and incorporate lessons learned for the UN response. The outcome of the recent general election in Bangladesh may create further space to address these issues. What is certain is that the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons will arrive and the extent to which space has opened and lessons been learned will be tested.

Another boat crisis?

Finally, 2019 will likely see an increase in Rohingya fleeing conditions both in Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat for other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. With increased maritime monitoring and a break up of trafficking networks, we are unlikely to see something on the scale of the May 2015 crisis, in which thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees and migrants were abandoned at sea. But the same questions of whether countries in the region will accept any abandoned boats or push them back to sea as they did in 2015 will have to be tackled. Already several boats have taken the journey.

Beyond boats, trafficking networks will prey on women in the Rohingya camps. The longer they remain in the camps in Bangladesh, the more vulnerable they will be to such networks. This underscores the regional aspect of the Rohingya crisis. How well Myanmar’s neighbours in Southeast Asia work together to tackle trafficking and pressure Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya will greatly influence how the Rohingya crisis plays out in 2019.

The Rohingya will continue to face dire conditions in 2019. But there are ways that their plight can begin to be addressed. Above all, a positive path forward will depend on the ability of international actors to pressure and encourage Myanmar to create the conditions conducive to returns for the Rohingya.

In the meantime, the government of Bangladesh and UN agencies must continue to work together to improve the conditions for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees living in the country. The year 2019 will not likely be the year that the Rohingya crisis is resolved, but with the right steps there is hope that, a year from now, we can say that the Rohingya have a better outlook for 2020.

[Daniel P. Sullivan is the Senior Advocate for Human Rights at Refugees International (RI)]

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/rohingya-crisis-refugees-genocide-myanmar-bangladesh-asia-world-news-today-21390/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Daniel Sullivan The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh.

By Daniel Sullivan The year 2018 was a dire and desperate year for the Rohingya minority from western Myanmar. Two-thirds of the population that had been living in western Rakhine State before the end of 2017 remain displaced in crowded camps in Bangladesh. The several hundred thousand who remain in Myanmar face serious restrictions, and what the chair of an independent, international fact-finding mission describes as an “ongoing genocide.” What will the year 2019 have in store for the Rohingyas? Here are key developments to keep an eye on and some thoughts on what must be done to improve the outlook. Rohingya returning home Repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is both the most necessary solution to the crisis and the most controversial. It is not a question of whether Rohingyas should be able to return to their homes; it is a question of when and under what conditions. To be clear, those conditions do not currently exist. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed. Rohingyas in Myanmar continue to face restrictions and abuse. And there is little sign of accountability or a path to citizenship as demanded by Rohingyas who have been forced to flee. In fact, more than 15,000 Rohingyas have continued to flee conditions in Myanmar for Bangladesh in 2018. More than 40 humanitarian organisations working on the ground in Bangladesh have warned that returning the Rohingyas to their homes now would be dangerous and premature. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has been clear that current conditions in Myanmar are not conducive “to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees.” Still, the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh have pushed for returns to move forward. A bilateral deal to start returns by November 15, 2018, fell apart only because Bangladesh was unable to find Rohingyas willing to return voluntarily. Pressure for returns will continue through 2019, but the reality is that more than likely, most Rohingya will not and should not return by the end of 2019. Whether returns can take place in line with international standards — that is safe, voluntary and dignified — will depend mostly on what the government of Myanmar does or does not do. Reforms in Myanmar The government of Myanmar has it within its power to create the conditions conducive to safe returns of Rohingyas to Myanmar. It also has a blueprint for how to do so. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, released a final report in August 2017 that was endorsed by the government of Myanmar. The report included recommendations for freedom of movement, recognition of basic rights and a path to citizenship for Rohingyas in Myanmar. By taking these steps, opening access to humanitarians and independent media and human rights monitors, and working with UNHCR, it may be possible to begin thinking about returns in 2019. But the window for doing so is quickly closing as the next election in Myanmar draws near in 2020. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, already reluctant to reform and address the Rohingya crisis, will be even more so as the military’s party seeks to capitalize on anti-Rohingya sentiment. As this dynamic plays out, it will be even more important that pressure for change comes from outside — the sooner the better. Accountability for genocide The push for accountability for the crimes committed by Myanmar’s security forces against the Rohingya gained momentum in the last month of 2018. The US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the law firm that carried out a US State Department survey of the Rohingyas independently concluded that there was strong evidence that crimes against humanity and genocide were committed. The State Department has not yet made a determination, but the US House of Representatives voted 394 to 1 to declare the crimes as genocide. In August 2018, an international fact-finding mission, authorised by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), concluded that Myanmar’s top military generals, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The UNHRC then mandated the creation of an independent mechanism to collect evidence of abuses for future prosecution. Now it is vital that this mechanism receive the funding necessary to carry out its mandate. The International Criminal Court has also begun an investigation into the crimes committed against the Rohingya. And international human rights groups continue to push for a mechanism for carrying out prosecutions. What forms of accountability are ultimately achieved will remain to be seen, but efforts will not go away in 2019. It is also possible that the US State Department will be pushed to finally make a determination that crimes against humanity, if not genocide, have taken place. This would prompt further targeted sanctions. The United States has already placed sanctions on a handful of Myanmar military and border guard officials and the two army battalions that led the attacks on Rohingya civilians. But these sanctions need to extend to the highest levels, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Monsoon and cyclones One of the greatest fears faced by Rohingyas in Bangladesh through much of 2018 was the risk of a direct cyclone hit on the Rohingya camps. The worst was avoided in 2018, but flooding and high winds destroyed shelters, injured dozens and displaced thousands. With hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remaining in fragile shelters in crowded camps, that fear will be renewed with the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons. Beyond a direct hit, heavy rains will threaten landslides and flooding, not to mention the risks of the rapid spread of water-borne diseases. The humanitarian community and government of Bangladesh made great efforts to move the most vulnerable Rohingyas to new areas in 2018. But, as highlighted by Refugees International, coordination and preparedness were limited by restrictions on the side of the government of Bangladesh and inefficiencies on the side of UN agencies. The Bangladeshi government continues to restrict the types of materials available to build more durable shelters. It also continues to push plans to move at least 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhashan Char, an island in the historic path of cyclones and prone to flooding through much of the year. Due to government restrictions, UN agencies have also struggled with a complex, hybrid coordination structure, rather than the usual refugee response. Efforts are underway to assess the response and incorporate lessons learned for the UN response. The outcome of the recent general election in Bangladesh may create further space to address these issues. What is certain is that the 2019 monsoon and cyclone seasons will arrive and the extent to which space has opened and lessons been learned will be tested. Another boat crisis? Finally, 2019 will likely see an increase in Rohingya fleeing conditions both in Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat for other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. With increased maritime monitoring and a break up of trafficking networks, we are unlikely to see something on the scale of the May 2015 crisis, in which thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees and migrants were abandoned at sea. But the same questions of whether countries in the region will accept any abandoned boats or push them back to sea as they did in 2015 will have to be tackled. Already several boats have taken the journey. Beyond boats, trafficking networks will prey on women in the Rohingya camps. The longer they remain in the camps in Bangladesh, the more vulnerable they will be to such networks. This underscores the regional aspect of the Rohingya crisis. How well Myanmar’s neighbours in Southeast Asia work together to tackle trafficking and pressure Myanmar to improve conditions for Rohingya will greatly influence how the Rohingya crisis plays out in 2019. The Rohingya will continue to face dire conditions in 2019. But there are ways that their plight can begin to be addressed. Above all, a positive path forward will depend on the ability of international actors to pressure and encourage Myanmar to create the conditions conducive to returns for the Rohingya. In the meantime, the government of Bangladesh and UN agencies must continue to work together to improve the conditions for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees living in the country. The year 2019 will not likely be the year that the Rohingya crisis is resolved, but with the right steps there is hope that, a year from now, we can say that the Rohingya have a better outlook for 2020. [Daniel P. Sullivan is the Senior Advocate for Human Rights at Refugees International (RI)] (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Rohingya crisis: What to watch for in 2019

India has begun its fourth tranche of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-sent-back-to-myanmar-camps-hungry-and-in-debt-182279">relief assistance to Rohingya refugees </a>sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017.&nbsp;

The total aid in the fourth tranche would include 2,25,000 blankets, 2,00,000 woollen sweaters and 500 solar street lights. The new tranche is the result of a specific request made to the minister for disaster management and relief.&nbsp;

In a release, Indian High Commission to Bangladesh said:&nbsp;"As a special gesture, India is making available a part of the consignment of blankets and sweaters for distribution to vulnerable sections of the local community in Cox’s Bazar."

The material includes the latest consignment of assistance for displaced persons for the winter, while the solar street lights are meant to ensure environment-friendly lighting solutions for the camps.

The release by High Commission added that the aid "is part of India’s continuing partnership and support for Bangladesh especially in sharing the burden imposed upon it because of the influx of a large number of displaced persons from Rakhine State in Myanmar."&nbsp;

The distribution of aid began from Monday by the refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh.

The first tranche under "Operation Insaniyat" in September last year&nbsp;comprised of 981 metric tonnes&nbsp;(MT) of relief supplies, including family packs of rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among other relief services.&nbsp;

The second tranche was delivered in May 2018 with 373 MT&nbsp;of relief material. The consignment included 104 MT of milk powder, 102 MT of dried fish, 61 MT of baby food, 50,000 raincoats, and 50,000 pairs of gumboots.&nbsp;

The third consignment was provided in September 2018, where India handed over 1.1 million litres of SKO (super kerosene oil) and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves.&nbsp;

India has been calling on Myanmar and Bangladesh to implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement.

Recently, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said:"Government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and obviously as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible."

Late last year India had signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the government of Myanmar in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons.

India has begun its fourth tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017.

India has begun its fourth tranche of relief assistance to Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh's Cox Bazar as part of "Operation Insaniyat" which began in September 2017. The total aid in the fourth tranche would include 2,25,000 blankets, 2,00,000 woollen sweaters and 500 solar street lights. The new tranche is the result of a specific request made to the minister for disaster management and relief. In a release, Indian High Commission to Bangladesh said: "As a special gesture, India is making available a part of the consignment of blankets and sweaters for distribution to vulnerable sections of the local community in Cox’s Bazar." The material includes the latest consignment of assistance for displaced persons for the winter, while the solar street lights are meant to ensure environment-friendly lighting solutions for the camps. The release by High Commission added that the aid "is part of India’s continuing partnership and support for Bangladesh especially in sharing the burden imposed upon it because of the influx of a large number of displaced persons from Rakhine State in Myanmar." The distribution of aid began from Monday by the refugee, relief and repatriation commissioner of Bangladesh. The first tranche under "Operation Insaniyat" in September last year comprised of 981 metric tonnes (MT) of relief supplies, including family packs of rice, pulses, sugar, salt, cooking oil, tea, ready-to-eat noodles, biscuits, mosquito nets among other relief services. The second tranche was delivered in May 2018 with 373 MT of relief material. The consignment included 104 MT of milk powder, 102 MT of dried fish, 61 MT of baby food, 50,000 raincoats, and 50,000 pairs of gumboots. The third consignment was provided in September 2018, where India handed over 1.1 million litres of SKO (super kerosene oil) and 20,000 kerosene multi-wick stoves. India has been calling on Myanmar and Bangladesh to implement the Rohingya repatriation agreement. Recently, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said:"Government of India has noted that governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding and obviously as the only country that neighbours both Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and in the interest of the region that this bilateral understanding is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible." Late last year India had signed the Rakhine State Development Program with Myanmar. The program is designed to assist the government of Myanmar in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for the return of displaced persons.

India sends another tranche of relief assistance to Rohingyas in Bangladesh

The United States and eight other countries on Tuesday requested a UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar to hear from a UN fact-finding mission that has accused the country's military of atrocities against Rohingyas.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-almost-doubles-aid-rohingya-bangladesh-myanmar-nikki-haley-167498">Also Read:&nbsp;Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar, says&nbsp;Nikki Haley&nbsp;</a>

The request is likely to run into opposition from China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar's military and has sought to shield Myanmar from action by the Security Council.

In a joint letter seen by AFP, the nine countries said the mission's chairperson should brief the council to allow it to "receive further information on this situation and its implications for international peace and security."

The UN fact-finding mission released an explosive report last month that called on the council to refer the Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or to create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, as was done with the former Yugoslavia.

The fact-finding mission said that Myanmar's top generals, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine State.

Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh.

- Myanmar objects - 
In a separate letter to the council, Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan said his government "strongly objects" to the request to hear the fact-finding mission.

The ambassador repeated Myanmar's complaints that the report was "one-sided", based on "narratives and not on hard evidence".

"Putting accountability above all else without regard to other positive developments is a dangerous attempt that will face utter failure," he warned in the letter obtained by AFP.

Britain, France, Peru, Sweden, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Poland and Kuwait jointed the United States in requesting the meeting to be held during the month of October.

Support from the nine countries for the request means that China would likely fail to block a meeting through a procedural vote. Nine votes are required at the 15-member council to approve an agenda item and vetoes do not apply.

Myanmar maintains that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who attacked border posts in August 2017.

But the fact-finding mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide."

The report found that the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats", and said that estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown was likely a conservative figure.

The United States and eight other countries on Tuesday requested a UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar to hear from a UN fact-finding mission that has accused the country's military of atrocities against Rohingyas.

The United States and eight other countries on Tuesday requested a UN Security Council meeting on Myanmar to hear from a UN fact-finding mission that has accused the country's military of atrocities against Rohingyas. Also Read: Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar, says Nikki Haley The request is likely to run into opposition from China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar's military and has sought to shield Myanmar from action by the Security Council. In a joint letter seen by AFP, the nine countries said the mission's chairperson should brief the council to allow it to "receive further information on this situation and its implications for international peace and security." The UN fact-finding mission released an explosive report last month that called on the council to refer the Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or to create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, as was done with the former Yugoslavia. The fact-finding mission said that Myanmar's top generals, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in Rakhine State. Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military committed atrocities in the crackdown last year that forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee over the border to Bangladesh. - Myanmar objects - In a separate letter to the council, Myanmar's Ambassador Hau Do Suan said his government "strongly objects" to the request to hear the fact-finding mission. The ambassador repeated Myanmar's complaints that the report was "one-sided", based on "narratives and not on hard evidence". "Putting accountability above all else without regard to other positive developments is a dangerous attempt that will face utter failure," he warned in the letter obtained by AFP. Britain, France, Peru, Sweden, Ivory Coast, the Netherlands, Poland and Kuwait jointed the United States in requesting the meeting to be held during the month of October. Support from the nine countries for the request means that China would likely fail to block a meeting through a procedural vote. Nine votes are required at the 15-member council to approve an agenda item and vetoes do not apply. Myanmar maintains that the violence in Rakhine was triggered by Rohingya extremists who attacked border posts in August 2017. But the fact-finding mission said there were reasonable grounds to believe that the atrocities were committed with the intention of destroying the Rohingya, warranting the charges of "genocide." The report found that the military's tactics had been "consistently and grossly disproportionate to actual security threats", and said that estimates that some 10,000 people were killed in the crackdown was likely a conservative figure.

US requests UNSC meet on Myanmar over Rohingya issue

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. The status of India being a "regional superpower" grew steadily to that of an "aspiring global power". What's more, apart from being the world's fastest-growing major economy, India is already a member of the G-20 group of the world's elite economies.

So, do you expect a country like India to deport and expel a mere seven Rohingya refugees from Myanmar back to where they came from? I should think not. Especially when other Rohingyas in India fear a threat to their lives.

Apart from seven being an insignificant number in a nation of 125 crore people that already has an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas, it is important for India to see itself as a large-hearted nation, though a no-nonsense one. I am beginning to wonder if we have a method in all this. We should, if we still have any aspiration left for the UN Security Council seat in mind.

Let us take a look around. When Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan in 1979, a huge bunch of those affected by communist forces and later by the Taliban's Islamist rule found their safe haven in India. A visit to Lajpat Nagar, in the heart of Delhi, would find many Afghan Muslims who have come to India for safety. An estimated 30,000 Afghan families live in India as refugees or their offspring. Some estimates put the overall number at 60,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in India puts it at only 13,000, probably because it only lists the official "people of concern" who are listed at more than 200,000 -- about half of them Tibetans.

Over the decades, Tibetans, Afghans, Iranians, Somalia, Sri Lankans, Myanmarese and Bangladeshis have waded into India as political refugees of various kinds and compulsions. It is time to ask what has changed and what has not -- and what can be done. India has generally followed the principle of "non-refoulement' -- refusing to send refugees back to a place where they face a threat to their lives. But India is now turning against its own past as the Rohingya create a new diplomatic conundrum.&nbsp;

Though a narrative is being built to give the Rohingya refugees a colour similar to illegal immigrants in Assam, or another that sees them as a security threat in view of some Islamist connections, the fact is that there is a Buddhist majority in Myanmar which, supported by the Army, is giving hell to the Rohingya in the Rakhine province. I saw recently a documentary series on BBC World Service television by Simon Reeves that brought some chilling aspects of this crisis into focus. Across the Rakhine border, Bangladesh now has the world's largest refugee camp, that houses one million people!&nbsp;

India is understandably walking a wedge because, apart from the socio-economic fallouts of taking on a refugee burden, there are geopolitical concerns that China may get close to Myanmar's generals if India acts tough on Yangon. India signed an agreement last year to help development in the Rakhine state and pledged $25 million in aid. It is also a partner of the UN Security Council along with other neighbours. But the theme here is of a "safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons."

The Ministry of External Affairs says the seven Rohingya currently in the news are willing to go back, but if that was truly so, why would there be such a fuss? Is New Delhi trying to impress the generals in Yangon?

What should India do? I would suggest India should engage more with the European Union that has its own refugee crisis to handle. Refugees from Africa, Syria and parts of troubled West Asia have crossed into Europe even as it struggles with the adverse fallouts of liberal multiculturalism in a right-wing backlash. Nearly 1.5 million migrants have come into Europe over the past four years or so.&nbsp;

China and US are in the middle of a trade war that is worsening historical frictions over human rights as well as a rivalry to dominate the world. Under President Donald Trump, Washington is more concerned about building walls to stop migrants -- be they from Mexico to the US or across the Sahara!&nbsp;

India and Europe have been having a wide-ranging dialogue that includes a three-year project on migration and mobility that focuses mainly on Indian migration to Europe. But there is a case to expand this into a global role in which India can engage in a wide-ranging dialogue as a thought leader and traditional humanitarian supporter of political refugees. That would be a truly strategic partnership that can help India raise its voice in the UN and hopefully become a permanent member of the Security Council.

Europe needs India as a key trading partner and also as a rising technology powerhouse rich in talent. Both have shared concerns over global security. India can be a Western ally without being seen too much in the company of an unpredictable Trump administration. (Trump recently called India the "Tariff King". Seriously!)&nbsp;

India has to balance its interests not just between Beijing and Yangon but also between various global groupings. The best course for India is to seek funds from Europe to help refugees, engage as a thought leader on migrant/refugee issues and seek creative new ways to buttress its image as a positive global power built over the decades as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement and a respected figure in the UN General Assembly. 
 
India should not squander away decades of painstakingly built diplomatic advantage.

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/i-witnessed-one-superstar-molest-another-bollywood-allows-it-to-happen-2147082.html">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

There was a time, not so long ago, when a much less economically empowered India was talked about as a candidate for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. The status of India being a "regional superpower" grew steadily to that of an "aspiring global power". What's more, apart from being the world's fastest-growing major economy, India is already a member of the G-20 group of the world's elite economies. So, do you expect a country like India to deport and expel a mere seven Rohingya refugees from Myanmar back to where they came from? I should think not. Especially when other Rohingyas in India fear a threat to their lives. Apart from seven being an insignificant number in a nation of 125 crore people that already has an estimated 40,000 Rohingyas, it is important for India to see itself as a large-hearted nation, though a no-nonsense one. I am beginning to wonder if we have a method in all this. We should, if we still have any aspiration left for the UN Security Council seat in mind. Let us take a look around. When Soviet troops marched into Afghanistan in 1979, a huge bunch of those affected by communist forces and later by the Taliban's Islamist rule found their safe haven in India. A visit to Lajpat Nagar, in the heart of Delhi, would find many Afghan Muslims who have come to India for safety. An estimated 30,000 Afghan families live in India as refugees or their offspring. Some estimates put the overall number at 60,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees in India puts it at only 13,000, probably because it only lists the official "people of concern" who are listed at more than 200,000 -- about half of them Tibetans. Over the decades, Tibetans, Afghans, Iranians, Somalia, Sri Lankans, Myanmarese and Bangladeshis have waded into India as political refugees of various kinds and compulsions. It is time to ask what has changed and what has not -- and what can be done. India has generally followed the principle of "non-refoulement' -- refusing to send refugees back to a place where they face a threat to their lives. But India is now turning against its own past as the Rohingya create a new diplomatic conundrum. Though a narrative is being built to give the Rohingya refugees a colour similar to illegal immigrants in Assam, or another that sees them as a security threat in view of some Islamist connections, the fact is that there is a Buddhist majority in Myanmar which, supported by the Army, is giving hell to the Rohingya in the Rakhine province. I saw recently a documentary series on BBC World Service television by Simon Reeves that brought some chilling aspects of this crisis into focus. Across the Rakhine border, Bangladesh now has the world's largest refugee camp, that houses one million people! India is understandably walking a wedge because, apart from the socio-economic fallouts of taking on a refugee burden, there are geopolitical concerns that China may get close to Myanmar's generals if India acts tough on Yangon. India signed an agreement last year to help development in the Rakhine state and pledged $25 million in aid. It is also a partner of the UN Security Council along with other neighbours. But the theme here is of a "safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons." The Ministry of External Affairs says the seven Rohingya currently in the news are willing to go back, but if that was truly so, why would there be such a fuss? Is New Delhi trying to impress the generals in Yangon? What should India do? I would suggest India should engage more with the European Union that has its own refugee crisis to handle. Refugees from Africa, Syria and parts of troubled West Asia have crossed into Europe even as it struggles with the adverse fallouts of liberal multiculturalism in a right-wing backlash. Nearly 1.5 million migrants have come into Europe over the past four years or so. China and US are in the middle of a trade war that is worsening historical frictions over human rights as well as a rivalry to dominate the world. Under President Donald Trump, Washington is more concerned about building walls to stop migrants -- be they from Mexico to the US or across the Sahara! India and Europe have been having a wide-ranging dialogue that includes a three-year project on migration and mobility that focuses mainly on Indian migration to Europe. But there is a case to expand this into a global role in which India can engage in a wide-ranging dialogue as a thought leader and traditional humanitarian supporter of political refugees. That would be a truly strategic partnership that can help India raise its voice in the UN and hopefully become a permanent member of the Security Council. Europe needs India as a key trading partner and also as a rising technology powerhouse rich in talent. Both have shared concerns over global security. India can be a Western ally without being seen too much in the company of an unpredictable Trump administration. (Trump recently called India the "Tariff King". Seriously!) India has to balance its interests not just between Beijing and Yangon but also between various global groupings. The best course for India is to seek funds from Europe to help refugees, engage as a thought leader on migrant/refugee issues and seek creative new ways to buttress its image as a positive global power built over the decades as a founder of the Non-Aligned Movement and a respected figure in the UN General Assembly. India should not squander away decades of painstakingly built diplomatic advantage. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India must emerge as global thought leader on refugees

As the United Nations voted to establish <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/canada-legislators-symbolic-move-vote-strip-myanmars-suu-kyi-citizenship-168059">a body to find evidence of human</a> rights abuses in Myanmar, China said the issue should not be "internationalised".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-almost-doubles-aid-rohingya-bangladesh-myanmar-nikki-haley-167498">Also Read:&nbsp;Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar, says&nbsp;Nikki Haley&nbsp;</a>

China, the Philippines and Burundi voted against the UN move to institute a body to look into crimes against Rohingyas in Myanmar.

The 47-member Council voted by 35 votes to three, with seven abstentions, in favour of a resolution brought by the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. However, Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the resolution was based on the report of a UN fact-finding mission (FFM) that his government had categorically rejected.

"The Rakhine state issue is, in essence, an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh. China does not approve of complicating, expanding or internationalising this issue," China's State Councillor Wang Yi said.

China hopes that Myanmar and Bangladesh can find a resolution via talks, and China is willing to continue to help provide a platform for this communication, Wang added.

Echoing China's stand, Myanmar Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the draft resolution was based on "serious but unverified accusations and recommendations" by the FFM that could endanger the national unity of the country.

Both the UN and the US have accused the Myanmar government of "ethnic cleansing" against Rohingyas with the US government imposing sanctions against a number of Myanmar generals.

Chinese diplomat Chen Cheng had told the Council that Beijing opposed the resolution because it was very likely to exacerbate&nbsp;tensions. "This is in no one's interest," he said.

The US State Department report on Monday had said Myanmar's military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gangrapes and other atrocities against the Rohingyas.

"The international community, including the United Nations, can also play a constructive role on this," China's Wang added.

Meanwhile, Canada's Parliament voted unanimously on Thursday to strip Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship over the Rohingya crisis.

Human rights groups have put the death toll in the thousands from the military crackdown which allegedly began in August, 25th last year.

As the United Nations voted to establish a body to find evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar, China said the issue should not be "internationalised". Also Read: Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar, says Nikki Haley China, the Philippines and Burundi voted against the UN move to institute a body to look into crimes against Rohingyas in Myanmar.

As the United Nations voted to establish a body to find evidence of human rights abuses in Myanmar, China said the issue should not be "internationalised". Also Read: Aid doubled for Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Myanmar, says Nikki Haley China, the Philippines and Burundi voted against the UN move to institute a body to look into crimes against Rohingyas in Myanmar. The 47-member Council voted by 35 votes to three, with seven abstentions, in favour of a resolution brought by the European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. However, Myanmar ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the resolution was based on the report of a UN fact-finding mission (FFM) that his government had categorically rejected. "The Rakhine state issue is, in essence, an issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh. China does not approve of complicating, expanding or internationalising this issue," China's State Councillor Wang Yi said. China hopes that Myanmar and Bangladesh can find a resolution via talks, and China is willing to continue to help provide a platform for this communication, Wang added. Echoing China's stand, Myanmar Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said the draft resolution was based on "serious but unverified accusations and recommendations" by the FFM that could endanger the national unity of the country. Both the UN and the US have accused the Myanmar government of "ethnic cleansing" against Rohingyas with the US government imposing sanctions against a number of Myanmar generals. Chinese diplomat Chen Cheng had told the Council that Beijing opposed the resolution because it was very likely to exacerbate tensions. "This is in no one's interest," he said. The US State Department report on Monday had said Myanmar's military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gangrapes and other atrocities against the Rohingyas. "The international community, including the United Nations, can also play a constructive role on this," China's Wang added. Meanwhile, Canada's Parliament voted unanimously on Thursday to strip Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship over the Rohingya crisis. Human rights groups have put the death toll in the thousands from the military crackdown which allegedly began in August, 25th last year.

Rohingya issue should not be internationalised: China at UN

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