By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom.

But it is her international reputation that is most in tatters.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, imprisoned for 15 years over a 21-year period in her struggle for human rights and democracy, has suffered a swift and dramatic fall from grace as a global icon. She is now widely seen as an enabler of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In just the last few days, Canada stripped Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship and the Malaysian prime minister stated publicly that she has lost his support.

Failures of Suu Kyi’s government

Suu Kyi has been the subject of much criticism since taking power 2.5 years ago, but the most recent and vociferous condemnation has centred on two events: the jailing of two Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya civilians by the military, and her government’s failure to respond to international investigations into allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In September, the two Reuters journalists were convicted of possessing official secrets, despite testimony by a policeman that they had been entrapped.

The journalists had reported on a 2017 massacre of Rohingya Muslims by security forces, which resulted in the eventual conviction of seven soldiers for murder

It is notable that it was Suu Kyi’s civilian government that prosecuted the journalists, not the military. Suu Kyi could have ordered the charges dropped, as she did for student protesters during her early days in office. Instead, before the trial was over, she commented that the reporters were guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act, and once even allegedly referred to them as “traitors”.

The second great disappointment has been the government’s response to the UN Human Rights Council’s report into the violence that drove almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh last year.

The report, released in full in September, found conclusive evidence that security forces had indeed engaged in mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya, with genocidal intent. It went on to accuse Suu Kyi and her government of contributing to the atrocities through “acts and omissions”.

The HRC recommended the UN Security Council refer the Myanmar commander-in-chief and five generals to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UN Human Rights Council also set up a body to prepare evidence for trials.

Rather than pledge to cooperate with the investigation, however, Suu Kyi has consistently defended the military action against the Rohingya and repeatedly pointed to a lack of understanding of the complexities of the situation.

Her only concession to the increasing international condemnation of her government has been this muted statement - "There are, of course, ways in which, with hindsight, we might think that the situation could have been handled better."

Limitations on Suu Kyi’s power

The military remains a very powerful force in Myanmar. It has the power to appoint its own personnel to a quarter of the seats in parliament and oversees the three powerful ministries of Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs.

The government has no power to hold the military accountable for actions against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi is therefore in a very weak position.

She has nonetheless gone out of her way to not just defend the military, but praise it. In Singapore last month, she made headlines when she declared that the three generals in her cabinet were “rather sweet”.

Suu Kyi has stressed that her government’s aim of removing the military from politics would eventually be achieved through negotiation, keeping in mind the need for national reconciliation. However, her dream of constitutional reform depends entirely on military approval.

This would appear to inhibit any ability for her to censure the military. She also has no means to compel the military to cooperate with international investigators.

A path to redemption

Suu Kyi still has considerable moral authority within Myanmar, and the military is still widely unpopular. Thus, despite the severe limitations on her power, she does have other options to lead effectively on issues like human rights, the Rohingya and press freedom.

Suu Kyi and her government should start by recommitting themselves to a belief in universal human rights. She should also express empathy with the victims of the atrocities in Rakhine state, which may begin to shift popular opinion against the actions of the military and engender more public sympathy for the Rohingya.

Further, Suu Kyi needs to pledge full cooperation with the ICC investigation into the serious allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and call for a genuinely independent domestic inquiry to pave the way towards true reconciliation.

Suu Kyi may not be able to compel military cooperation with the ICC investigation, or even unfettered access to the country for investigators. But drawing on her moral authority could go a long way to help. She could pave the way for visas and travel approval, for instance, both of which were denied to investigators by her government.

Finally, the government must develop robust, urgent repatriation plans for the Rohingya – in cooperation with Bangladesh and the UN – that guarantee their security, human rights, a pathway to full citizenship and an end to segregation in Rakhine. They need a plan for inclusive development policies in the state, and to restore both media freedoms and humanitarian access to the region.

The opportunity for such moral leadership is quickly evaporating.

Suu Kyi and her government were elected by a landslide in 2015, winning about 80 per cent of seats up for election. Polling released last week showed that only about half those surveyed believe the rights of people have improved in the 2.5 years that she has been in power and less than half the population feel there has been any political or economic improvement.

There have also been increasing complaints about the performance of the government.

With her support eroding both home and abroad, Suu Kyi appears to have a limited window to adequately address the Rohingya crisis and regain her moral authority. Otherwise, Myanmar risks slipping back into isolation and again becoming a pariah state. 
 
(Anthony Ware is Senior Lecturer in International &amp; Community Development, Deakin University; &nbsp;Costas Laoutides is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Deakin University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/aung-san-suu-kyis-extraordinary-fall-from-grace-104250">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom.

By Costas Laoutides and Anthony Ware Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s civilian leader and de facto president, is under fire from all sides. Domestically, she is facing growing criticism for stalled economic and political reforms, glacial progress on policy and service improvements, and the suppression of freedom of expression and press freedom. But it is her international reputation that is most in tatters. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, imprisoned for 15 years over a 21-year period in her struggle for human rights and democracy, has suffered a swift and dramatic fall from grace as a global icon. She is now widely seen as an enabler of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In just the last few days, Canada stripped Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship and the Malaysian prime minister stated publicly that she has lost his support. Failures of Suu Kyi’s government Suu Kyi has been the subject of much criticism since taking power 2.5 years ago, but the most recent and vociferous condemnation has centred on two events: the jailing of two Reuters journalists who exposed a massacre of Rohingya civilians by the military, and her government’s failure to respond to international investigations into allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In September, the two Reuters journalists were convicted of possessing official secrets, despite testimony by a policeman that they had been entrapped. The journalists had reported on a 2017 massacre of Rohingya Muslims by security forces, which resulted in the eventual conviction of seven soldiers for murder It is notable that it was Suu Kyi’s civilian government that prosecuted the journalists, not the military. Suu Kyi could have ordered the charges dropped, as she did for student protesters during her early days in office. Instead, before the trial was over, she commented that the reporters were guilty of violating the Official Secrets Act, and once even allegedly referred to them as “traitors”. The second great disappointment has been the government’s response to the UN Human Rights Council’s report into the violence that drove almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh last year. The report, released in full in September, found conclusive evidence that security forces had indeed engaged in mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya, with genocidal intent. It went on to accuse Suu Kyi and her government of contributing to the atrocities through “acts and omissions”. The HRC recommended the UN Security Council refer the Myanmar commander-in-chief and five generals to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UN Human Rights Council also set up a body to prepare evidence for trials. Rather than pledge to cooperate with the investigation, however, Suu Kyi has consistently defended the military action against the Rohingya and repeatedly pointed to a lack of understanding of the complexities of the situation. Her only concession to the increasing international condemnation of her government has been this muted statement - "There are, of course, ways in which, with hindsight, we might think that the situation could have been handled better." Limitations on Suu Kyi’s power The military remains a very powerful force in Myanmar. It has the power to appoint its own personnel to a quarter of the seats in parliament and oversees the three powerful ministries of Home Affairs, Defence and Border Affairs. The government has no power to hold the military accountable for actions against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi is therefore in a very weak position. She has nonetheless gone out of her way to not just defend the military, but praise it. In Singapore last month, she made headlines when she declared that the three generals in her cabinet were “rather sweet”. Suu Kyi has stressed that her government’s aim of removing the military from politics would eventually be achieved through negotiation, keeping in mind the need for national reconciliation. However, her dream of constitutional reform depends entirely on military approval. This would appear to inhibit any ability for her to censure the military. She also has no means to compel the military to cooperate with international investigators. A path to redemption Suu Kyi still has considerable moral authority within Myanmar, and the military is still widely unpopular. Thus, despite the severe limitations on her power, she does have other options to lead effectively on issues like human rights, the Rohingya and press freedom. Suu Kyi and her government should start by recommitting themselves to a belief in universal human rights. She should also express empathy with the victims of the atrocities in Rakhine state, which may begin to shift popular opinion against the actions of the military and engender more public sympathy for the Rohingya. Further, Suu Kyi needs to pledge full cooperation with the ICC investigation into the serious allegations of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and call for a genuinely independent domestic inquiry to pave the way towards true reconciliation. Suu Kyi may not be able to compel military cooperation with the ICC investigation, or even unfettered access to the country for investigators. But drawing on her moral authority could go a long way to help. She could pave the way for visas and travel approval, for instance, both of which were denied to investigators by her government. Finally, the government must develop robust, urgent repatriation plans for the Rohingya – in cooperation with Bangladesh and the UN – that guarantee their security, human rights, a pathway to full citizenship and an end to segregation in Rakhine. They need a plan for inclusive development policies in the state, and to restore both media freedoms and humanitarian access to the region. The opportunity for such moral leadership is quickly evaporating. Suu Kyi and her government were elected by a landslide in 2015, winning about 80 per cent of seats up for election. Polling released last week showed that only about half those surveyed believe the rights of people have improved in the 2.5 years that she has been in power and less than half the population feel there has been any political or economic improvement. There have also been increasing complaints about the performance of the government. With her support eroding both home and abroad, Suu Kyi appears to have a limited window to adequately address the Rohingya crisis and regain her moral authority. Otherwise, Myanmar risks slipping back into isolation and again becoming a pariah state. (Anthony Ware is Senior Lecturer in International & Community Development, Deakin University; Costas Laoutides is Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Deakin University) (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)

Aung San Suu Kyi’s extraordinary fall from grace

Anti-war protesters in Myanmar on Wednesday urged government leader Aung San Suu Kyi to take action against police who this month broke up a peace rally and arrested them and raised new concern about freedom of speech.

Riot police in the main city of Yangon used batons on May 12 to break up a rally called to show support for victims of fighting in northern Myanmar, arresting 17 organisers for disturbing the public and holding a protest without permission.

The scuffles between baton-wielding police and protesters have sparked an outcry among activists and lawmakers over what they see as risks to free expression under the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi.

In a letter sent to top government officials including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, eight of the rally organisers said action should be taken against the police, which comes under the control of Myanmar's powerful military.

"Police came, arrested us and beat us for no reason, and that's why we are demanding action to be taken against police who violently handled the peaceful protest," the eight organisers said in their letter.

"The lawless action by the authorities should be investigated for our loss of citizens' rights," they said.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. Police spokesman Myo Thu Soe said he was not aware of the letter and declined to comment.

A movement of mostly young anti-war activists has in recent months spread to various parts of the country, exposing frustration with Suu Kyi's struggle to fulfil a promise to end decades of war by autonomy-seeking ethnic minority guerrillas.

The military, which ruled the country for decades, oversees internal security even though a civilian-led government has been in power since 2016 after Suu Kyi's party swept an election.

More than 6,000 people have fled their homes in recent weeks since the army launched a new offensive against the Kachin Independence Army insurgent group in Myanmar's north.

Fighting has also intensified in other ethnic minority areas.

A freedom of speech monitoring group, Athan, has said more than 42 activists across the country have been charged in May for participating in rallies protesting against the conflict.

The 17 organisers of the May 12 rally, who were detained but later released, face a month in prison and fines.

The scuffles between baton-wielding police and protesters have sparked an outcry among activists and lawmakers

Anti-war protesters in Myanmar on Wednesday urged government leader Aung San Suu Kyi to take action against police who this month broke up a peace rally and arrested them and raised new concern about freedom of speech. Riot police in the main city of Yangon used batons on May 12 to break up a rally called to show support for victims of fighting in northern Myanmar, arresting 17 organisers for disturbing the public and holding a protest without permission. The scuffles between baton-wielding police and protesters have sparked an outcry among activists and lawmakers over what they see as risks to free expression under the government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi. In a letter sent to top government officials including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, eight of the rally organisers said action should be taken against the police, which comes under the control of Myanmar's powerful military. "Police came, arrested us and beat us for no reason, and that's why we are demanding action to be taken against police who violently handled the peaceful protest," the eight organisers said in their letter. "The lawless action by the authorities should be investigated for our loss of citizens' rights," they said. Government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. Police spokesman Myo Thu Soe said he was not aware of the letter and declined to comment. A movement of mostly young anti-war activists has in recent months spread to various parts of the country, exposing frustration with Suu Kyi's struggle to fulfil a promise to end decades of war by autonomy-seeking ethnic minority guerrillas. The military, which ruled the country for decades, oversees internal security even though a civilian-led government has been in power since 2016 after Suu Kyi's party swept an election. More than 6,000 people have fled their homes in recent weeks since the army launched a new offensive against the Kachin Independence Army insurgent group in Myanmar's north. Fighting has also intensified in other ethnic minority areas. A freedom of speech monitoring group, Athan, has said more than 42 activists across the country have been charged in May for participating in rallies protesting against the conflict. The 17 organisers of the May 12 rally, who were detained but later released, face a month in prison and fines.

Myanmar anti-war protesters call on Suu Kyi to act against 'violent' police

China&nbspon Sunday&nbspcondemned fighting on its border between Myanmar forces and ethnic rebels that has left 19 dead, mostly civilians, in some of the worst violence to rattle the restive frontier in recent years.

The fighting erupted&nbspon Saturday&nbspwhen ethnic-minority insurgent groups, who are locked in a long-running battle with the Myanmar state, attacked security posts around Muse, a border town and trade hub in northeastern Shan state.

A local resident told reporters she heard gunfire through the night until early&nbspSunday&nbspmorning, with fear gripping a town that lives at the mercy of both government militias and ethnic armies fighting for more autonomy.

"We heard shooting the whole night until this morning around&nbsp6:00 am.&nbspWe do not know what was going on and who was fighting," said Muse resident Aye Aye.

Saturday's&nbspcarnage, which also left at least 27 injured, was one of the bloodiest days in recent years in a long-running rebellion that is separate from the Rohingya crisis to the west.&nbsp

Fighting in the remote region in early 2017 sent more 20,000 Myanmar refugees scrambling across the border into China's Yunnan province, raising tensions.&nbsp

On Sunday&nbspthe Chinese embassy in Yangon condemned the clashes and said it had urged "relevant parties" to reach an immediate ceasefire.

The violence "made people from the Myanmar side flee across the Chinese border, and stray bullets have entered into Chinese territory", the statement added.

Observers believe Beijing holds significant sway over the ethnic rebels near its border and is a key player in a faltering peace process steered by Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi placed the peace bid -- an effort to extinguish around two dozen complicated and long-running ethnic conflicts across the country -- at the top of her agenda after she was elected to office in landmark 2015 elections.

But the effort has been severely hampered by a surge in fighting between Myanmar security forces and an alliance of rebel groups in northeastern Shan and Kachin states.

Saturday's&nbspattacks were blamed on the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which claimed responsibility for operation and apologised for the civilian deaths.

Suu Kyi, the first civilian leader of the former junta-run country in decades, lacks control over security policy and the still-powerful military, which has retained key government posts in a delicate power-sharing arrangement

A local resident told reporters she heard gunfire through the night until early Sunday morning, with fear gripping a town that lives at the mercy of both government militias and ethnic armies fighting for more autonomy

China&nbspon Sunday&nbspcondemned fighting on its border between Myanmar forces and ethnic rebels that has left 19 dead, mostly civilians, in some of the worst violence to rattle the restive frontier in recent years. The fighting erupted&nbspon Saturday&nbspwhen ethnic-minority insurgent groups, who are locked in a long-running battle with the Myanmar state, attacked security posts around Muse, a border town and trade hub in northeastern Shan state. A local resident told reporters she heard gunfire through the night until early&nbspSunday&nbspmorning, with fear gripping a town that lives at the mercy of both government militias and ethnic armies fighting for more autonomy. "We heard shooting the whole night until this morning around&nbsp6:00 am.&nbspWe do not know what was going on and who was fighting," said Muse resident Aye Aye. Saturday's&nbspcarnage, which also left at least 27 injured, was one of the bloodiest days in recent years in a long-running rebellion that is separate from the Rohingya crisis to the west. Fighting in the remote region in early 2017 sent more 20,000 Myanmar refugees scrambling across the border into China's Yunnan province, raising tensions. On Sunday&nbspthe Chinese embassy in Yangon condemned the clashes and said it had urged "relevant parties" to reach an immediate ceasefire. The violence "made people from the Myanmar side flee across the Chinese border, and stray bullets have entered into Chinese territory", the statement added. Observers believe Beijing holds significant sway over the ethnic rebels near its border and is a key player in a faltering peace process steered by Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi placed the peace bid -- an effort to extinguish around two dozen complicated and long-running ethnic conflicts across the country -- at the top of her agenda after she was elected to office in landmark 2015 elections. But the effort has been severely hampered by a surge in fighting between Myanmar security forces and an alliance of rebel groups in northeastern Shan and Kachin states. Saturday's&nbspattacks were blamed on the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which claimed responsibility for operation and apologised for the civilian deaths. Suu Kyi, the first civilian leader of the former junta-run country in decades, lacks control over security policy and the still-powerful military, which has retained key government posts in a delicate power-sharing arrangement

Beijing urges ceasefire after deadly Myanmar border clashes

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Swaraj arrived in Myanmar yesterday on a two-day visit where she aims to discuss key bilateral and regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Shortly after reaching Myanmar yesterday, Sushma Swaraj called on Myanmar President U Win Myint.&nbsp;

"Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

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Neighbourhood First! EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors. <a href="https://t.co/p2u9ho2lla">pic.twitter.com/p2u9ho2lla</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/994850338585890816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces.

(With inputs from PTI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj today met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Swaraj arrived in Myanmar yesterday on a two-day visit where she aims to discuss key bilateral and regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis. Shortly after reaching Myanmar yesterday, Sushma Swaraj called on Myanmar President U Win Myint. "Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors. pic.twitter.com/p2u9ho2lla — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) May 11, 2018 × According to reports, Swaraj also met General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces. (With inputs from PTI)

Sushma Swaraj meets Myanmar State Counsellor Suu Kyi, discusses Rohingya crisis, bilateral ties

Myanmar's government leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with United Nations Security Council envoys on Monday over the plight of nearly 700,000 mainly Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh amid a military crackdown, pledging to investigate any credible accusations of abuse, said diplomats who attended the meeting.

During the nearly hour-long meeting, Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also noted Myanmar's difficulties transitioning to rule of law after decades of military dictatorship, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Myanmar civilian government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment.

Myanmar National Security Advisor Thaung Tun said Suu Kyi has always insisted on the rule of law.

"She has always said nobody is above the law and we intend to implement that. She told the Security Council members 'please bring to our notice any infringement of these laws and we will do whatever is necessary to take the action'," he told Reuters on Monday after the meeting.

Earlier this month, Suu Kyi - marking two years since her party swept to power in a historic vote - said in a televised speech that Myanmar was "struggling to develop politics, society and economy."

Suu Kyi's civilian government has no control over the military. The council envoys also met behind closed doors for two hours with military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in the country's capital Naypyitaw.

Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine State in August last year sparked a military operation that Myanmar said was a legitimate response. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale.

The Security Council envoys are due to travel to Rakhine on Tuesday.

'Whatever is necessary'

Britain, the United States and others have denounced the military crackdown as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked it to rule on whether it has jurisdiction over the deportations of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, a possible crime against humanity. Suu Kyi's government expressed "serious concern" over the move.

The US government is conducting an intensive examination of alleged atrocities against the Rohingya that could be used to prosecute Myanmar's military for crimes against humanity, US officials told Reuters.

Earlier on Monday the council envoys met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the country's capital Dhaka, who asked them to press Myanmar to take back "their citizens."

"That's what we want," Hasina told reporters. "They want to go back to their own country. So the Security Council can play a very pivotal role."

UN supervised return?

Hasina added that the refugees should return "under UN supervision where security and safety should be ensured". When asked if UN supervision meant the deployment of peacekeepers, Hasina said: "Not exactly, well, that the UN will decide".

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow.&nbsp

"We are ready and willing but it will take two to tango," Thaung Tun told Reuters. "I hope that (the Security Council) will see we are really serious on trying to find a solution for this."

Suu Kyi's office also said in a statement released on Monday after the meeting that cooperation was needed from Bangladesh on the repatriation of refugees.

The envoys visited camps on Sunday, where distraught refugees pleaded for help ahead of the coming monsoon season.

Kuwait's UN Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi, one of the envoys, told Hasina the Security Council wanted to "send a clear strong message ... that we're determined to end this humanitarian crisis".

The Security Council asked Myanmar in November to ensure no "further excessive use of military force" and to allow "freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all".

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to basic services such as healthcare. Many in Myanmar regard Rohingya as illegal immigrants from mostly Muslim Bangladesh.

Myanmar's government leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with United Nations Security Council envoys on Monday over the plight of nearly 700,000 mainly Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh amid a military crackdown, pledging to investigate any credible accusations of abuse, said diplomats who attended the meeting

Myanmar's government leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with United Nations Security Council envoys on Monday over the plight of nearly 700,000 mainly Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh amid a military crackdown, pledging to investigate any credible accusations of abuse, said diplomats who attended the meeting. During the nearly hour-long meeting, Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also noted Myanmar's difficulties transitioning to rule of law after decades of military dictatorship, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. Myanmar civilian government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment. Myanmar National Security Advisor Thaung Tun said Suu Kyi has always insisted on the rule of law. "She has always said nobody is above the law and we intend to implement that. She told the Security Council members 'please bring to our notice any infringement of these laws and we will do whatever is necessary to take the action'," he told Reuters on Monday after the meeting. Earlier this month, Suu Kyi - marking two years since her party swept to power in a historic vote - said in a televised speech that Myanmar was "struggling to develop politics, society and economy." Suu Kyi's civilian government has no control over the military. The council envoys also met behind closed doors for two hours with military Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing in the country's capital Naypyitaw. Rohingya insurgent attacks on security posts in Rakhine State in August last year sparked a military operation that Myanmar said was a legitimate response. Fleeing refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. The Security Council envoys are due to travel to Rakhine on Tuesday. 'Whatever is necessary' Britain, the United States and others have denounced the military crackdown as ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked it to rule on whether it has jurisdiction over the deportations of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, a possible crime against humanity. Suu Kyi's government expressed "serious concern" over the move. The US government is conducting an intensive examination of alleged atrocities against the Rohingya that could be used to prosecute Myanmar's military for crimes against humanity, US officials told Reuters. Earlier on Monday the council envoys met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the country's capital Dhaka, who asked them to press Myanmar to take back "their citizens." "That's what we want," Hasina told reporters. "They want to go back to their own country. So the Security Council can play a very pivotal role." UN supervised return? Hasina added that the refugees should return "under UN supervision where security and safety should be ensured". When asked if UN supervision meant the deployment of peacekeepers, Hasina said: "Not exactly, well, that the UN will decide". Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete the voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years but differences between the two sides remain and implementation of the plan has been slow. "We are ready and willing but it will take two to tango," Thaung Tun told Reuters. "I hope that (the Security Council) will see we are really serious on trying to find a solution for this." Suu Kyi's office also said in a statement released on Monday after the meeting that cooperation was needed from Bangladesh on the repatriation of refugees. The envoys visited camps on Sunday, where distraught refugees pleaded for help ahead of the coming monsoon season. Kuwait's UN Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi, one of the envoys, told Hasina the Security Council wanted to "send a clear strong message ... that we're determined to end this humanitarian crisis". The Security Council asked Myanmar in November to ensure no "further excessive use of military force" and to allow "freedom of movement, equal access to basic services, and equal access to full citizenship for all". Buddhist-majority Myanmar has for years denied Rohingya citizenship, freedom of movement and access to basic services such as healthcare. Many in Myanmar regard Rohingya as illegal immigrants from mostly Muslim Bangladesh.

UN envoys meet with Myanmar leader over refugee crisis

Myanmar's new president promised to amend the country's army-written constitution in an inaugural speech Friday, challenging a charter that bans Aung San Suu Kyi from top office and gives the military major powers.

Win Myint, a 66-year-old former political prisoner and staunch ally of Suu Kyi, was elected president on Wednesday after his predecessor suddenly resigned.

Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate who championed Myanmar's emergence from junta rule by sweeping 2015 elections, is constitutionally barred from the presidency because she was married to a foreigner.

To circumvent that snag, her party created a new position for her called state counsellor - allowing Suu Kyi to rule "above" the president.

That makes it vital for her to have a reliable proxy in office, especially as she manages the delicate power-sharing arrangement with the military, which ruled the country for almost half a century and remains enormously influential.

In his first address to parliament, the famously straight-talking Win Myint said he would focus on the rule of law, national reconciliation and "amending the constitution to build a democratic federal union".

The three issues are touchstones of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

But talk of amendments to Myanmar's 2008 constitution is likely to raise hackles among Myanmar's still-powerful generals.

The army has ceded some power to the civilian administration but retains 25 per cent of parliamentary seats and total control of security affairs under the charter.

Win Myint also said he would work to "protect human rights", a thorny subject in a country accused of ethnic cleansing by the UN against its Rohingya Muslim population.

A violent military crackdown has forced some 700,000 Rohingya - a long-persecuted stateless minority - over the border into Bangladesh since August.

The army insists the campaign was a legitimate response to Rohingya militant attacks against border-guard police posts.

Win Myint is part of Suu Kyi's inner circle - the pair campaigned together during the 1988 democracy protests against the then-junta, a movement that was violently suppressed.

For his role Win Myint, alongside many others, was taken, political prisoner.

Suu Kyi is still widely regarded as a pro-democracy heroine in Myanmar even though her reputation lies in tatters globally for failing to speak up on behalf of the country's Rohingya Muslims.

Win Myint, a 66-year-old former political prisoner, was elected president on Wednesday after his predecessor suddenly resigned

Myanmar's new president promised to amend the country's army-written constitution in an inaugural speech Friday, challenging a charter that bans Aung San Suu Kyi from top office and gives the military major powers. Win Myint, a 66-year-old former political prisoner and staunch ally of Suu Kyi, was elected president on Wednesday after his predecessor suddenly resigned. Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate who championed Myanmar's emergence from junta rule by sweeping 2015 elections, is constitutionally barred from the presidency because she was married to a foreigner. To circumvent that snag, her party created a new position for her called state counsellor - allowing Suu Kyi to rule "above" the president. That makes it vital for her to have a reliable proxy in office, especially as she manages the delicate power-sharing arrangement with the military, which ruled the country for almost half a century and remains enormously influential. In his first address to parliament, the famously straight-talking Win Myint said he would focus on the rule of law, national reconciliation and "amending the constitution to build a democratic federal union". The three issues are touchstones of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party. But talk of amendments to Myanmar's 2008 constitution is likely to raise hackles among Myanmar's still-powerful generals. The army has ceded some power to the civilian administration but retains 25 per cent of parliamentary seats and total control of security affairs under the charter. Win Myint also said he would work to "protect human rights", a thorny subject in a country accused of ethnic cleansing by the UN against its Rohingya Muslim population. A violent military crackdown has forced some 700,000 Rohingya - a long-persecuted stateless minority - over the border into Bangladesh since August. The army insists the campaign was a legitimate response to Rohingya militant attacks against border-guard police posts. Win Myint is part of Suu Kyi's inner circle - the pair campaigned together during the 1988 democracy protests against the then-junta, a movement that was violently suppressed. For his role Win Myint, alongside many others, was taken, political prisoner. Suu Kyi is still widely regarded as a pro-democracy heroine in Myanmar even though her reputation lies in tatters globally for failing to speak up on behalf of the country's Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar president pledges to amend army-scripted constitution

Myanmar&#39;s civilian president Htin Kyaw resigned due to ill health on Wednesday and is expected to be replaced by a close ally of de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a move unlikely to affect power in a country where the army remains influential.

Htin Kyaw&#39;s office said he was retiring &quot;in order to take rest from the current duties and responsibilities&quot;. Win Myint, a Suu Kyi loyalist who has served as the speaker of the lower house, was likely to replace him, said NLD spokesman Aung Shin.&nbsp;

Win Myint has had a tight grip on the parliament and his critics accuse him of stifling democratic debate, including from within the caucus of Suu Kyi&#39;s ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party. He resigned from that post on Wednesday.

&quot;He is loyal and has been a member of the NLD since the party was founded,&quot; said Aung Shin, who lauded Win Myint&#39;s performance as the lower house speaker and said he has &quot;worked very well with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the whole period&quot;.

Suu Kyi is known for keeping her cards close to her chest and operating only with a very narrow group of trusted acolytes. Local media, citing confidential sources, have also reported Win Myint has been tipped to become the next president.

Analysts said the move was forced by the 71-year-old Htin Kyaw&#39;s deteriorating health, and was unrelated to the crisis sparked by the brutal military crackdown that has pushed out hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Speculation over Htin Kyaw`s ill health mounted in recent months over his rapid and visible loss of weight.

&quot;The discussion about the replacement has been around for a while so this was well expected,&quot; said Liu Yun, political analyst from China-based Han Yue Consultancy. &quot;It should have a fairly limited impact on the political equation in Myanmar.&quot;&nbsp;

He said the role of the president &quot;isn&#39;t that influential as Suu Kyi makes the final call, so the impact will be limited.&quot;

Interregnum

According to the country&#39;s constitution, the more senior of two vice presidents will stand in as president until a new leader is elected by parliament within seven working days.

&quot;There&#39;s no doubt as to what the outcome of this will be,&quot; said Richard Horsey, a former United Nations official and Yangon-based analyst.

&quot;The NLD has a strong bloc and a supermajority so whoever is selected as the lower-house candidate will become the next president,&quot; Horsey said.

In the meantime, Myint Swe, who was the military&#39;s appointment for vice-president, will stand in as the acting president.

The president is the head of state and government in Myanmar, and under the constitution has far-reaching powers. However, Htin Kyaw&#39;s role was more ceremonial because Suu Kyi has been Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader since April 2016.

A constitution drafted by the former junta bars Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi from the top office and so she hand-picked Htin Kyaw, a close ally of hers, to become president following a historic landslide victory in 2015.

The charter also reserves for the army one quarter of the seats in parliament and several major cabinet posts, including defense, interior and border affairs, giving it an effective veto over constitutional change and control of security affairs.

One of the key questions facing Myanmar now, according to Horsey, is, &quot;what will the acting president Myint Swe do during the interregnum because he has the power to do many things.&quot;

Horsey said that while Myint Swe will be the top executive for no more than a week, &quot;it may worry some in the NLD that you have the military vice-president in charge of the country.&quot;

Yangon-based diplomats say the relationship between Suu Kyi and the military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, is marked by mistrust and lack of frequent, open communication, highlighting a risk even in the smallest changes to the leadership structure.

Myint Swe is a retired general who headed the feared military intelligence agency under former junta leader Than Shwe. When Than Shwe ordered a crackdown on anti-junta protests led by Buddhist monks in 2007, known as the Saffron Revolution, Myint Swe was the head of special operations in Yangon.

According to the country`s constitution, the more senior of two vice presidents will stand in as president until a new leader is elected

Myanmar's civilian president Htin Kyaw resigned due to ill health on Wednesday and is expected to be replaced by a close ally of de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a move unlikely to affect power in a country where the army remains influential. Htin Kyaw's office said he was retiring "in order to take rest from the current duties and responsibilities". Win Myint, a Suu Kyi loyalist who has served as the speaker of the lower house, was likely to replace him, said NLD spokesman Aung Shin. Win Myint has had a tight grip on the parliament and his critics accuse him of stifling democratic debate, including from within the caucus of Suu Kyi's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party. He resigned from that post on Wednesday. "He is loyal and has been a member of the NLD since the party was founded," said Aung Shin, who lauded Win Myint's performance as the lower house speaker and said he has "worked very well with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the whole period". Suu Kyi is known for keeping her cards close to her chest and operating only with a very narrow group of trusted acolytes. Local media, citing confidential sources, have also reported Win Myint has been tipped to become the next president. Analysts said the move was forced by the 71-year-old Htin Kyaw's deteriorating health, and was unrelated to the crisis sparked by the brutal military crackdown that has pushed out hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to neighbouring Bangladesh. Speculation over Htin Kyaw`s ill health mounted in recent months over his rapid and visible loss of weight. "The discussion about the replacement has been around for a while so this was well expected," said Liu Yun, political analyst from China-based Han Yue Consultancy. "It should have a fairly limited impact on the political equation in Myanmar." He said the role of the president "isn't that influential as Suu Kyi makes the final call, so the impact will be limited." Interregnum According to the country's constitution, the more senior of two vice presidents will stand in as president until a new leader is elected by parliament within seven working days. "There's no doubt as to what the outcome of this will be," said Richard Horsey, a former United Nations official and Yangon-based analyst. "The NLD has a strong bloc and a supermajority so whoever is selected as the lower-house candidate will become the next president," Horsey said. In the meantime, Myint Swe, who was the military's appointment for vice-president, will stand in as the acting president. The president is the head of state and government in Myanmar, and under the constitution has far-reaching powers. However, Htin Kyaw's role was more ceremonial because Suu Kyi has been Myanmar's de facto leader since April 2016. A constitution drafted by the former junta bars Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi from the top office and so she hand-picked Htin Kyaw, a close ally of hers, to become president following a historic landslide victory in 2015. The charter also reserves for the army one quarter of the seats in parliament and several major cabinet posts, including defense, interior and border affairs, giving it an effective veto over constitutional change and control of security affairs. One of the key questions facing Myanmar now, according to Horsey, is, "what will the acting president Myint Swe do during the interregnum because he has the power to do many things." Horsey said that while Myint Swe will be the top executive for no more than a week, "it may worry some in the NLD that you have the military vice-president in charge of the country." Yangon-based diplomats say the relationship between Suu Kyi and the military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, is marked by mistrust and lack of frequent, open communication, highlighting a risk even in the smallest changes to the leadership structure. Myint Swe is a retired general who headed the feared military intelligence agency under former junta leader Than Shwe. When Than Shwe ordered a crackdown on anti-junta protests led by Buddhist monks in 2007, known as the Saffron Revolution, Myint Swe was the head of special operations in Yangon.

Suu Kyi loyalist Win Myint may become Myanmar president

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke at length about her country&#39;s troubled western state of Rakhine at a Sydney conference on Sunday and appealed to Southeast Asian neighbours for help, Australia&#39;s prime minister said.

&quot;We discussed the situation in Rakhine state at considerable length today,&quot; Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters at the end of a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, much of it held behind closed doors.

&quot;Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the matter comprehensively at some considerable length herself... She seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point of view,&quot; he said, using a Burmese honorific.

Suu Kyi&#39;s spokesman, Zaw Htay, was not immediately available for comment on Turnbull&#39;s comments.

Turnbull did not tell reporters whether Suu Kyi gave details of what support she was seeking or whether she spoke specifically about violence against the Rohingya, however ASEAN&#39;s Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance has been providing some aid since October.

UN&nbsp;officials say nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh after militant attacks on August 25 last year sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine that the United Nations and United States have said constitutes ethnic cleansing.

The UN&nbsp;independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, said in Geneva this month she saw growing evidence to suspect genocide had been committed.

Myanmar denies the charges and has asked for &quot;clear evidence&quot; of abuses by security forces.

Since coming to power in 2016, Suu Kyi - who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle for democracy - has failed to condemn the violence against the Rohingya.

Australia&#39;s attorney general on Saturday rejected a private bid by activist lawyers to have Suu Kyi face charges for crimes against humanity, saying she has diplomatic immunity.

In response to questions posed by Reuters about the lawyers&#39;&nbsp;move, Suu Kyi spokesman Zaw Htay said earlier in the day such &quot;pressure&quot; was unhelpful in solving the conflict in Rakhine, which he called &quot;the Bengali problem&quot; - using a term to describe the Rohingya that suggests they are interlopers from Bangladesh.&nbsp;

Militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) had instigated the violence with attacks on government forces in October 2016 and August 2017, said Zaw Htay, director general at the State Counsellor&#39;s Office in Myanmar&#39;s capital, Naypyitaw.

&quot;All of this happened because of ARSA. The government did nothing,&quot; he said in response to a question about the legal move.

&quot;Those who are putting pressure like this need to be careful that doesn&#39;t become encouraging terrorists.&quot;

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was a &quot;complex inter-communal situation&quot; which ASEAN leaders would continue to discuss &quot;frankly&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s an issue which is also in the public attention and it`s one of those where intense public attention sometimes makes it more difficult to solve,&quot; he added.

Suu Kyi&#39;s attendance at the ASEAN summit, hosted by Australia despite it not being a member of the 10-nation bloc, drew street protests in Sydney on Saturday.

Suu Kyi's attendance at the ASEAN summit drew street protests in Sydney on Saturday.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke at length about her country's troubled western state of Rakhine at a Sydney conference on Sunday and appealed to Southeast Asian neighbours for help, Australia's prime minister said. "We discussed the situation in Rakhine state at considerable length today," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters at the end of a summit of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, much of it held behind closed doors. "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the matter comprehensively at some considerable length herself... She seeks support from ASEAN and other nations to provide help from a humanitarian and capacity-building point of view," he said, using a Burmese honorific. Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, was not immediately available for comment on Turnbull's comments. Turnbull did not tell reporters whether Suu Kyi gave details of what support she was seeking or whether she spoke specifically about violence against the Rohingya, however ASEAN's Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance has been providing some aid since October. UN officials say nearly 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh after militant attacks on August 25 last year sparked a crackdown, led by security forces, in Rakhine that the United Nations and United States have said constitutes ethnic cleansing. The UN independent investigator on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, said in Geneva this month she saw growing evidence to suspect genocide had been committed. Myanmar denies the charges and has asked for "clear evidence" of abuses by security forces. Since coming to power in 2016, Suu Kyi - who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle for democracy - has failed to condemn the violence against the Rohingya. Australia's attorney general on Saturday rejected a private bid by activist lawyers to have Suu Kyi face charges for crimes against humanity, saying she has diplomatic immunity. In response to questions posed by Reuters about the lawyers' move, Suu Kyi spokesman Zaw Htay said earlier in the day such "pressure" was unhelpful in solving the conflict in Rakhine, which he called "the Bengali problem" - using a term to describe the Rohingya that suggests they are interlopers from Bangladesh. Militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) had instigated the violence with attacks on government forces in October 2016 and August 2017, said Zaw Htay, director general at the State Counsellor's Office in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw. "All of this happened because of ARSA. The government did nothing," he said in response to a question about the legal move. "Those who are putting pressure like this need to be careful that doesn't become encouraging terrorists." Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was a "complex inter-communal situation" which ASEAN leaders would continue to discuss "frankly". "It's an issue which is also in the public attention and it`s one of those where intense public attention sometimes makes it more difficult to solve," he added. Suu Kyi's attendance at the ASEAN summit, hosted by Australia despite it not being a member of the 10-nation bloc, drew street protests in Sydney on Saturday.

Suu Kyi spoke at length about Myanmar troubles - Turnbull

Bangladesh has counted more than a million Rohingya refugees living in camps near the border with Myanmar, higher than previous estimates, the head of its registration project said today as preparations for their return got under way.

The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year after the latest mass influx of Rohingya from Myanmar, where the Muslim minority have faced decades of persecution.

The registration is aimed partly at aiding repatriation of the refugees -- a controversial issue as most say they do not want to return.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/seven-rakhine-killed-as-myanmar-police-fire-on-rioters-29846" target="_blank">Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters</a>

Bangladesh says it wants to start sending them home next week and has reached an initial agreement with Myanmar to complete the process within two years.

&quot;So far we&#39;ve registered 1,004,742 Rohingya. They are given biometric registration cards,&quot; said Saidur Rahman, a brigadier general with the Bangladesh army who heads the Rohingya registration project.

Several thousand more have yet to be registered, he said.

The figures are higher than those provided by the UN, which estimates there are 962,000 Rohingya living in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border.

That includes the 655,000 the UN estimates have entered the country since August 25, when the Myanmar military launched a violent crackdown in Rakhine state following attacks by Rohingya militants.

Doctors Without Borders has said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in the first month of the crackdown.

Refugees in Bangladesh have alleged mass rape and widespread arson at the hands of soldiers and the Buddhist majority in Rakhine.

Some of the refugees have been living in Bangladesh for many years, but the repatriation agreement only covers those who have arrived since October 2016. 
The two sides said on Tuesday they have agreed to complete the repatriation within a two-year period, the first concrete timeline given for the refugees&#39; return.

Rights groups have expressed concerns about the pace of the process, particularly as Rohingya are still fleeing Rakhine.

&quot;With memories of rape, killing and torture still fresh in the minds of Rohingya refugees, plans for their return to Myanmar are alarmingly premature,&quot; James Gomez, Amnesty International&#39;s regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said yesterday.

&quot;The obfuscation and denials of the Myanmar authorities give no reason to hope that the rights of returning Rohingya would be protected, or that the reasons for their original flight no longer exist.&quot;

The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year

Bangladesh has counted more than a million Rohingya refugees living in camps near the border with Myanmar, higher than previous estimates, the head of its registration project said today as preparations for their return got under way. The Bangladesh army began biometric registering of the refugees last year after the latest mass influx of Rohingya from Myanmar, where the Muslim minority have faced decades of persecution. The registration is aimed partly at aiding repatriation of the refugees -- a controversial issue as most say they do not want to return. Also read: Seven ethnic Rakhine killed as Myanmar Police fire on rioters Bangladesh says it wants to start sending them home next week and has reached an initial agreement with Myanmar to complete the process within two years. "So far we've registered 1,004,742 Rohingya. They are given biometric registration cards," said Saidur Rahman, a brigadier general with the Bangladesh army who heads the Rohingya registration project. Several thousand more have yet to be registered, he said. The figures are higher than those provided by the UN, which estimates there are 962,000 Rohingya living in southeast Bangladesh, near the Myanmar border. That includes the 655,000 the UN estimates have entered the country since August 25, when the Myanmar military launched a violent crackdown in Rakhine state following attacks by Rohingya militants. Doctors Without Borders has said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in the first month of the crackdown. Refugees in Bangladesh have alleged mass rape and widespread arson at the hands of soldiers and the Buddhist majority in Rakhine. Some of the refugees have been living in Bangladesh for many years, but the repatriation agreement only covers those who have arrived since October 2016. The two sides said on Tuesday they have agreed to complete the repatriation within a two-year period, the first concrete timeline given for the refugees' return. Rights groups have expressed concerns about the pace of the process, particularly as Rohingya are still fleeing Rakhine. "With memories of rape, killing and torture still fresh in the minds of Rohingya refugees, plans for their return to Myanmar are alarmingly premature," James Gomez, Amnesty International's regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said yesterday. "The obfuscation and denials of the Myanmar authorities give no reason to hope that the rights of returning Rohingya would be protected, or that the reasons for their original flight no longer exist."

Bangladesh says it is hosting over 1 million Rohingya

Pope Francis will hold talks with Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a key moment of a tour aimed at alleviating religious and ethnic hatreds that have driven huge numbers of Muslim Rohingya from the country.&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya.

After the talks in the capital Naypyidaw, the pontiff will address Suu Kyi and diplomats there -- his first opportunity to speak publicly about the conflict that looms over his trip.

The 80-year-old pontiff late Monday received a &quot;courtesy visit&quot; from the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- whose troops, according to the UN and US, have waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya from Rakhine state.&nbsp;

General Min Aung Hlaing has firmly denied allegations of widespread brutality by his forces, despite the flight to Bangladesh since late August of 620,000 Rohingya who have recounted widespread cases of rape, murder and arson.

His office said he told the pope there was &quot;no discrimination&quot; in Myanmar, and praised his military for maintaining &quot;the peace and stability of the country&quot;.

The pope has repeatedly spoken out from afar about the crisis, standing up for what he has called his Rohingya &quot;brothers and sisters&quot;.

A similar approach in Myanmar is fraught with danger -- using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; is unacceptable in a mainly Buddhist country where the Muslim minority are denied citizenship and branded illegal &quot;Bengali&quot; immigrants.

The country is listening closely to see if Francis will use the word &quot;Rohingya&quot; on Myanmar soil, and risk provoking the outrage of Buddhist nationalists.

Early Tuesday, day two of his four-day visit, the pontiff met leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Baptist and Jewish faiths in Yangon.

The conversation centred around themes of unity in diversity, with the pope sharing a prayer and giving a &quot;very, very beautiful speech&quot;, according to Sammy Samuels, a representative from the small Jewish community.&nbsp;

Francis flies up to Naypyidaw Tuesday afternoon to meet Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Lady, as she is fondly known in Myanmar, finally came to power after elections in 2015 but has fallen from grace internationally for not doing more to stand up to the army in defence of the Rohingya -- whose name she will not publicly utter.

Rights groups have clamoured for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her peace prize. Oxford, the English city she once called home, on Monday removed her Freedom of the City award for her &quot;inaction&quot; in the face of oppression of the Rohingya.

Catholics congregate

So far, the pontiff has received a warm welcome to the majority Buddhist nation.

Myanmar&#39;s Catholic community numbers just over one percent of the country&#39;s 51 million people.

But some 200,000 Catholics are pouring into the commercial capital Yangon from all corners of the country ahead of a huge, open-air mass on Wednesday.

Zaw Sai, 52, from Kachin state, found space for himself and his family to camp out in a churchyard.&nbsp;

&quot;We feel very pleased because we are from different ethnicities but are one in our religion,&quot; he told AFP. &nbsp;

Just days before the papal visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to start repatriating Rohingya refugees within two months.

But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of returning without guarantees of basic rights.

Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday. 
&nbsp;

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya

Pope Francis will hold talks with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday, a key moment of a tour aimed at alleviating religious and ethnic hatreds that have driven huge numbers of Muslim Rohingya from the country. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been ostracised by a global rights community that once adored her but is now outraged at her tepid reaction to the plight of the Rohingya. After the talks in the capital Naypyidaw, the pontiff will address Suu Kyi and diplomats there -- his first opportunity to speak publicly about the conflict that looms over his trip. The 80-year-old pontiff late Monday received a "courtesy visit" from the powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- whose troops, according to the UN and US, have waged a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya from Rakhine state. General Min Aung Hlaing has firmly denied allegations of widespread brutality by his forces, despite the flight to Bangladesh since late August of 620,000 Rohingya who have recounted widespread cases of rape, murder and arson. His office said he told the pope there was "no discrimination" in Myanmar, and praised his military for maintaining "the peace and stability of the country". The pope has repeatedly spoken out from afar about the crisis, standing up for what he has called his Rohingya "brothers and sisters". A similar approach in Myanmar is fraught with danger -- using the term "Rohingya" is unacceptable in a mainly Buddhist country where the Muslim minority are denied citizenship and branded illegal "Bengali" immigrants. The country is listening closely to see if Francis will use the word "Rohingya" on Myanmar soil, and risk provoking the outrage of Buddhist nationalists. Early Tuesday, day two of his four-day visit, the pontiff met leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Baptist and Jewish faiths in Yangon. The conversation centred around themes of unity in diversity, with the pope sharing a prayer and giving a "very, very beautiful speech", according to Sammy Samuels, a representative from the small Jewish community. Francis flies up to Naypyidaw Tuesday afternoon to meet Aung San Suu Kyi. The Lady, as she is fondly known in Myanmar, finally came to power after elections in 2015 but has fallen from grace internationally for not doing more to stand up to the army in defence of the Rohingya -- whose name she will not publicly utter. Rights groups have clamoured for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her peace prize. Oxford, the English city she once called home, on Monday removed her Freedom of the City award for her "inaction" in the face of oppression of the Rohingya. Catholics congregate So far, the pontiff has received a warm welcome to the majority Buddhist nation. Myanmar's Catholic community numbers just over one percent of the country's 51 million people. But some 200,000 Catholics are pouring into the commercial capital Yangon from all corners of the country ahead of a huge, open-air mass on Wednesday. Zaw Sai, 52, from Kachin state, found space for himself and his family to camp out in a churchyard. "We feel very pleased because we are from different ethnicities but are one in our religion," he told AFP. Just days before the papal visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a deal to start repatriating Rohingya refugees within two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of returning without guarantees of basic rights. Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday.

Pope to meet Myanmar leader Suu Kyi today

&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won&rsquo;t happen,&rdquo; Suu Kyi told reporters in response to a question about human rights violations at the end of a meeting of senior officials at an Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, in Myanmar&rsquo;s capital Naypyitaw.

Her less than two-year old civilian government has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis, though it has no control over the generals it has to share power with under Myanmar&rsquo;s transition to power after decades of military rule.

Turning to the question of repatriation of Rohingya, Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar.

&ldquo;We hope that this would result in an MOU signed quickly, which would enable us to start the safe and voluntarily return of all of those who have gone across the border,&rdquo; Suu Kyi said.

The Nobel laureate did not use the term &ldquo;Rohingya&rdquo;. Myanmar rejects the use of the term for the Muslim minority, which is not on an official list of the country&rsquo;s ethnic groups.

The Rohingya are largely stateless and many people in Myanmar view them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya, who had fled to Bangladesh to escape previous bouts of ethnic violence.

That agreement did not address the citizenship status of Rohingya, and Bangladesh has been pressing for a repatriation process that provided Rohingya with more safeguards this time.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s on the basis of residency...this was agreed by the two governments a long time ago with success, so this will be the formula we will continue to follow,&rdquo; she said.

Earlier talks between the two countries reached a broad agreement to work out a repatriation deal, but a senior Myanmar official later accused Bangladesh of dragging its feet in order to secure funding from aid agencies for hosting the refugees.

It was hard to tell exactly how close Myanmar and Bangladesh were to an agreement, Suu Kyi said.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar&rsquo;s state counsellor and foreign affairs minister, said the country was doing everything it could to &ldquo;make sure security is maintained&rdquo; in Rakhine, but warned that &ldquo;it takes time&rdquo; to resolve the issues there.

It was unclear, however, whether a safe return was possible, or advisable, for the thousands of Rohingya women and children still stranded on the beaches trying to flee hunger and instability in Rakhine.

Myanmar intends to resettle most refugees who return in new &ldquo;model villages&rdquo;, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps.

Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar

“We can’t say whether it has happened or not. As a responsibility of the government, we have to make sure that it won’t happen,” Suu Kyi told reporters in response to a question about human rights violations at the end of a meeting of senior officials at an Asia-Europe Meeting, or ASEM, in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw. Her less than two-year old civilian government has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis, though it has no control over the generals it has to share power with under Myanmar’s transition to power after decades of military rule. Turning to the question of repatriation of Rohingya, Suu Kyi said discussions would be held with the Bangladesh foreign minister on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials from both countries began discussions last month on how to process applications by Rohingya wanting to return to Myanmar. “We hope that this would result in an MOU signed quickly, which would enable us to start the safe and voluntarily return of all of those who have gone across the border,” Suu Kyi said. The Nobel laureate did not use the term “Rohingya”. Myanmar rejects the use of the term for the Muslim minority, which is not on an official list of the country’s ethnic groups. The Rohingya are largely stateless and many people in Myanmar view them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Suu Kyi said Myanmar would follow the framework of an agreement reached in the 1990s to cover the earlier repatriation of Rohingya, who had fled to Bangladesh to escape previous bouts of ethnic violence. That agreement did not address the citizenship status of Rohingya, and Bangladesh has been pressing for a repatriation process that provided Rohingya with more safeguards this time. “It’s on the basis of residency...this was agreed by the two governments a long time ago with success, so this will be the formula we will continue to follow,” she said. Earlier talks between the two countries reached a broad agreement to work out a repatriation deal, but a senior Myanmar official later accused Bangladesh of dragging its feet in order to secure funding from aid agencies for hosting the refugees. It was hard to tell exactly how close Myanmar and Bangladesh were to an agreement, Suu Kyi said. Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s state counsellor and foreign affairs minister, said the country was doing everything it could to “make sure security is maintained” in Rakhine, but warned that “it takes time” to resolve the issues there. It was unclear, however, whether a safe return was possible, or advisable, for the thousands of Rohingya women and children still stranded on the beaches trying to flee hunger and instability in Rakhine. Myanmar intends to resettle most refugees who return in new “model villages”, rather than on the land they previously occupied, an approach the United Nations has criticized in the past as effectively creating permanent camps.

Myanmar hopes for talks with Bangladesh this week: Suu Kyi

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced rising global pressure Tuesday to solve the crisis for her nation&#39;s displaced Rohingya Muslim minority, meeting the UN chief and America&#39;s top diplomat in the Philippines.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Nobel laureate that hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims who had fled to Bangladesh should be allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar.

&quot;The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential,&quot; a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi.

Guterres&#39; comments came hours before Suu Kyi sat down with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila.

Washington has been cautious in its statements on the situation in Rakhine and has avoided outright criticism of Suu Kyi.

Supporters say she must navigate a path between outrage abroad and popular feeling in a majority Buddhist country where most people believe the Rohingya are interlopers.

At a photo opportunity at the top of her meeting with Tillerson, Suu Kyi ignored a journalist who asked if the Rohingya were citizens of Myanmar.

At a later appearance after the meeting, Tillerson-who is headed to Myanmar on Wednesday-was asked by reporters if he &quot;had a message for Burmese leaders&quot;.

He apparently ignored the question, replying only: &quot;Thank you&quot;, according to a pool report of the encounter.

A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar&#39;s powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return.

The official did not comment on whether Tillerson would raise the threat of military sanctions, which US lawmakers have pushed for.&nbsp;

Canada&#39;s Justin Trudeau said he had spoken to Myanmar&#39;s de facto leader.

&quot;I had an extended conversation with... Aung San Suu Kyi, about the plight of the Muslim refugees in Rakhine state,&quot; he told a press conference.

&quot;This is of tremendous concern to Canada and many, many other countries around the world.&nbsp;

&quot;We are always looking at... how we can help, how we can move forward in a way that reduces violence, that emphasises the rule of law and that ensures protection for all citizens,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;&#39;Ethnic cleansing&#39;

More than 600,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since late August, and now live in the squalor of the world&#39;s biggest refugee camp.

The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus.

The UN says the Myanmar military is engaged in a &quot;coordinated and systematic&quot; attempt to purge the region of Rohingya in what amounts to a &quot;textbook example of ethnic cleansing&quot;.

The stream of desperate refugees who escape across the riverine border bring with them stories of rape, murder and the torching of villages by soldiers and Buddhist mobs.

The Burmese government insists military action in Rakhine is a proportionate response to violence by militants.

Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses.

However, it heavily restricts access to the region by independent journalists and aid groups, and verification of events on the ground is virtually impossible.

Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

Musician and campaigner Bob Geldof on Monday slammed Suu Kyi as a &quot;murderer&quot; and a &quot;handmaiden to genocide&quot;, becoming the latest in a growing line of global figures to disavow the one-time darling of the human rights community.

Supporters say she does not have the power to stop the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections.

In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya.

He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a &quot;worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy,&quot; according to the UN statement.

He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalisation .

A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar's powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced rising global pressure Tuesday to solve the crisis for her nation's displaced Rohingya Muslim minority, meeting the UN chief and America's top diplomat in the Philippines. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Nobel laureate that hundreds of thousands of displaced Muslims who had fled to Bangladesh should be allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar. "The Secretary-General highlighted that strengthened efforts to ensure humanitarian access, safe, dignified, voluntary and sustained returns, as well as true reconciliation between communities, would be essential," a UN statement said, summarising comments to Suu Kyi. Guterres' comments came hours before Suu Kyi sat down with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila. Washington has been cautious in its statements on the situation in Rakhine and has avoided outright criticism of Suu Kyi. Supporters say she must navigate a path between outrage abroad and popular feeling in a majority Buddhist country where most people believe the Rohingya are interlopers. At a photo opportunity at the top of her meeting with Tillerson, Suu Kyi ignored a journalist who asked if the Rohingya were citizens of Myanmar. At a later appearance after the meeting, Tillerson-who is headed to Myanmar on Wednesday-was asked by reporters if he "had a message for Burmese leaders". He apparently ignored the question, replying only: "Thank you", according to a pool report of the encounter. A senior US State Department official later said the top diplomat would press Myanmar's powerful army chief on Wednesday to halt the violence in Rakhine and make it safe for Rohingya to return. The official did not comment on whether Tillerson would raise the threat of military sanctions, which US lawmakers have pushed for. Canada's Justin Trudeau said he had spoken to Myanmar's de facto leader. "I had an extended conversation with... Aung San Suu Kyi, about the plight of the Muslim refugees in Rakhine state," he told a press conference. "This is of tremendous concern to Canada and many, many other countries around the world. "We are always looking at... how we can help, how we can move forward in a way that reduces violence, that emphasises the rule of law and that ensures protection for all citizens," he said. 'Ethnic cleansing' More than 600,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since late August, and now live in the squalor of the world's biggest refugee camp. The crisis erupted after Rohingya rebels attacked police posts in Myanmar's Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown that saw hundreds of villages reduced to ashes and sparked a massive exodus. The UN says the Myanmar military is engaged in a "coordinated and systematic" attempt to purge the region of Rohingya in what amounts to a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The stream of desperate refugees who escape across the riverine border bring with them stories of rape, murder and the torching of villages by soldiers and Buddhist mobs. The Burmese government insists military action in Rakhine is a proportionate response to violence by militants. Following its first official investigation into the crisis, the army published a report this week in which it cleared itself of any abuses. However, it heavily restricts access to the region by independent journalists and aid groups, and verification of events on the ground is virtually impossible. Suu Kyi, a former democracy activist, has been lambasted by rights groups for failing to speak up for the Rohingya or condemn festering anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Musician and campaigner Bob Geldof on Monday slammed Suu Kyi as a "murderer" and a "handmaiden to genocide", becoming the latest in a growing line of global figures to disavow the one-time darling of the human rights community. Supporters say she does not have the power to stop the powerful military, which ruled the country for decades until her party came to power following 2015 elections. In a summit on Monday night with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, Guterres also voiced concern about the Rohingya. He said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya was a "worrying escalation in a protracted tragedy," according to the UN statement. He described the situation as a potential source of instability in the region, as well as radicalisation .

Myanmar's Suu Kyi meets Tillerson in Manila

In the face of widespread &quot;atrocities&quot; against ethnic Rohingya people in Myanmar, the United States has been cautiously stepping up pressure on that country&#39;s army, while taking care to avoid endangering the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

As the US takes a more active role in the region-several American delegations have passed through in recent weeks-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi, the nation&#39;s leader, as well as army chief General Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar is the country formerly known as Burma.

Tillerson is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed &quot;responsible&quot; for the crisis facing the Rohingya, an embattled Muslim minority that has seen more than 600,000 of its members flee to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months.

In the name of putting down a supposed Rohingya rebellion, the army has since late August waged a sweeping military campaign in the western state of Rakhine, burning villages and sending thousands into what has become the largest exodus in today&#39;s world.

The United Nations has denounced the campaign, including allegations of killings and mass rape, as &quot;ethnic cleansing.&quot;

Recently returned from Myanmar and the overflowing refugee camps in Bangladesh, Simon Henshaw, the State Department official responsible for refugee and migration issues, said the scene in the camps was &quot;shocking.&quot;

&quot;The scale of the refugee crisis is immense,&quot; he said, adding: &quot;The conditions are tough. People are suffering.&quot;

&quot;Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them,&quot; Henshaw said.

&quot;The world can&#39;t just stand by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in that area,&quot; Tillerson said last month.

But it is unclear what steps the United States might take. Up to now, the State Department has merely strengthened a few punitive measures aimed at Myanmar&#39;s army.

The initial condemnations were &quot;important,&quot; Sarah Margon of the organisation Human Rights Watch told AFP, &quot;but they stopped and there has been very little concrete action since then.&quot;

She called for targeted economic sanctions meant to bring an end to &quot;some of the most brutal and horrific atrocities that have been seen in years.&quot;

In the absence of more determined action from the White House or State Department, several members of the US Congress are calling for sanctions to limit military cooperation with Myanmar and ban its army members from US soil. A draft bill would also ban the importation of rubies or jade from the country.

&quot;The bill is an important, although belated, first step in pushing the Myanmar military to end the violence in Rakhine state,&quot; said Joshua Kurlantzick of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.

Now, he said, other parts of the government &quot;should take action as well.&quot;

The State Department has not ruled out supporting further sanctions.

But the United States has been careful not to place blame on Aung San Suu Kyi, drawing a line between the military and the civilian government led by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi. He is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed 'responsible' for the crisis facing the Rohingya

In the face of widespread "atrocities" against ethnic Rohingya people in Myanmar, the United States has been cautiously stepping up pressure on that country's army, while taking care to avoid endangering the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi. As the US takes a more active role in the region-several American delegations have passed through in recent weeks-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to travel to Myanmar on Wednesday to meet Suu Kyi, the nation's leader, as well as army chief General Min Aung Hlaing. Myanmar is the country formerly known as Burma. Tillerson is expected to adopt a firm tone with military leaders there, whom he has deemed "responsible" for the crisis facing the Rohingya, an embattled Muslim minority that has seen more than 600,000 of its members flee to neighboring Bangladesh in two and a half months. In the name of putting down a supposed Rohingya rebellion, the army has since late August waged a sweeping military campaign in the western state of Rakhine, burning villages and sending thousands into what has become the largest exodus in today's world. The United Nations has denounced the campaign, including allegations of killings and mass rape, as "ethnic cleansing." Recently returned from Myanmar and the overflowing refugee camps in Bangladesh, Simon Henshaw, the State Department official responsible for refugee and migration issues, said the scene in the camps was "shocking." "The scale of the refugee crisis is immense," he said, adding: "The conditions are tough. People are suffering." "Many refugees told us, through tears, accounts of seeing their villages burned, their relatives killed in front of them," Henshaw said. "The world can't just stand by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in that area," Tillerson said last month. But it is unclear what steps the United States might take. Up to now, the State Department has merely strengthened a few punitive measures aimed at Myanmar's army. The initial condemnations were "important," Sarah Margon of the organisation Human Rights Watch told AFP, "but they stopped and there has been very little concrete action since then." She called for targeted economic sanctions meant to bring an end to "some of the most brutal and horrific atrocities that have been seen in years." In the absence of more determined action from the White House or State Department, several members of the US Congress are calling for sanctions to limit military cooperation with Myanmar and ban its army members from US soil. A draft bill would also ban the importation of rubies or jade from the country. "The bill is an important, although belated, first step in pushing the Myanmar military to end the violence in Rakhine state," said Joshua Kurlantzick of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations. Now, he said, other parts of the government "should take action as well." The State Department has not ruled out supporting further sanctions. But the United States has been careful not to place blame on Aung San Suu Kyi, drawing a line between the military and the civilian government led by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Tillerson to deliver warning in Myanmar over Rohingya crisis

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar&rsquo;s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh&rsquo;s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district.

Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago.

&ldquo;We fled because the military is still burning our houses,&rdquo; Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar&rsquo;s Rakhine State, told Reuters.

Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans.

&ldquo;Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn&rsquo;t have. So we made our own boat and came,&rdquo; Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river.

Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar&rsquo;s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as &ldquo;ethnic cleansing&rdquo;.

The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines.

Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar&rsquo;s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam&rsquo;s central seaside resort of Danang.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do.

After Friday&rsquo;s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital.

Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea&rsquo;s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference.

<h3>OUTCRY</h3>

&ldquo;World leaders shouldn&rsquo;t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,&rdquo; Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name.

Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials.

U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions.

The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution.

China has publicly supported the Myanmar government&rsquo;s efforts to &ldquo;maintain stability&rdquo; in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits&rsquo; final communiques.

&ldquo;On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,&rdquo; an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

&nbsp;

<figure tabindex="-1">&nbsp;</figure>

A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave.

Blessed by calmer seas, several hundred more Rohingya Muslims on Thursday joined a multitude of refugees in Bangladesh, as calls grew for upcoming regional summits to exert more pressure on Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi to stem the crisis. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. A Myanmar military operation has driven out more than 600,000 Rohingya since late August and the latest refugees to find sanctuary in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh say many thousands more are still trying to leave. Ariful Islam, of Bangladesh’s Border Guard, said about 200 people arrived on Thursday morning on the stretch of coast he commands at Teknaf, on the southern tip of Cox’s Bazar district. Abdus Sabir was among a group that came ashore at Shamlapur after a six-hour boat journey, the final leg of an escape begun weeks ago. “We fled because the military is still burning our houses,” Abdus, who had abandoned his home in the Rathedaung region of Myanmar’s Rakhine State, told Reuters. Nearby, Husain Shorif, from the Buthidaung region, said he had rowed for four hours to help bring across 56 people on a raft cobbled together from bamboo and plastic jerrycans. “Some boatmen were asking for huge money we didn’t have. So we made our own boat and came,” Shorif said, adding that thousands more Rohingya were still stranded at Pa Nyaung Pin Gyi at the mouth of the Naf river. Reuters were unable to verify that claim as Myanmar’s military has restricted access to northern parts of Rakhine, where it launched a clearance operation it says was aimed at Rohingya militants behind attacks on 30 security posts on Aug. 25, but which UN officials described as “ethnic cleansing”. The storm of opprobrium over the humanitarian crisis will expose Myanmar to more diplomatic pressure, at least from leaders of Muslim-majority countries and the United States, during three summits hosted by Vietnam and the Philippines. Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar’s less than two-year-old civilian administration, left on Thursday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Vietnam’s central seaside resort of Danang. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for standing up to the generals who had ruled the country for nearly half a century, Suu Kyi now effectively shares power with them, under a constitution drawn up in 2008 when junta was still in control, and has little control over what they do. After Friday’s APEC summit, Suu Kyi will attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in Manila on Sunday, followed by an East Asia Summit in Angeles, just north of the Philippine capital. Setting up a regional trade block, and concerns over North Korea’s ambitions to become a nuclear-armed state are summit priorities, but New York-based Human Rights Watch beseeched them to ensure stronger action by Myanmar to end the crisis. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Suu Kyi on Nov. 15 for talks on the Rohingya crisis, and they are expected to hold a joint news conference. OUTCRY “World leaders shouldn’t return home from these summits without agreeing to targeted sanctions to pressure Burma to end its abuses and allow in independent observers and aid groups,” Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that referred to Myanmar by its old name. Adams said the leaders should discuss how to investigate alleged rights abuses and atrocities in Rakhine, and refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The rights group also urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo, economic sanctions and travel bans targeting Myanmar military officials. U.S. senators seek to adopt measures for the United States to impose such sanctions. The Security Council this week opted for a strongly worded statement scolding Myanmar, as diplomats said China and Russia would have vetoed any resolution. China has publicly supported the Myanmar government’s efforts to “maintain stability” in Rakhine. The stance taken by China and other Southeast Asian governments fighting insurgencies by Muslim militants should spare Myanmar from any harsh spotlight in the summits’ final communiques. “On the Rohingya, the leaders will agree that there is no quick fix to the long-standing inter-communal problem with deep historical roots that needs to be carefully managed,” an ASEAN diplomat told Reuters, adding that the group aimed to deliver $500,000 of relief supplies to Myanmar.

Rohingya row to Bangladesh as Myanmar's Suu Kyi runs summit gauntlet

The US State Department is considering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-wants-myanmar-to-set-conditions-for-return-of-rohingya-22739"> a range steps including &quot;targeted sanctions&quot;&nbsp;against the Myanmar </a>government over its handling of the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent weeks.

&quot;We express our gravest concern <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingya-crisis-china-official-says-foreign-interference-doesnt-work-22687">with recent events in Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state and the violent</a>, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured,&quot; US &nbsp;State Department said in a statement.

&quot;It is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable,&quot; the statement added.

The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

The US State Department is considering a range steps including "targeted sanctions" against the Myanmar government over its handling of the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent weeks. "We express our gravest concern with recent events in Myanmar's Rakhine state and the violent, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured," US State Department said in a statement. "It is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable," the statement added. The US may target Myanmar with sanctions under its Global Magnitsky law, the State Department said.

Considering sanctions on Myanmar over treatment of Rohingyas: US

Secretary of state &nbsp;Rex Tillerson said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-takes-first-step-towards-calming-communal-hatred-21228">Myanmar&#39;s military was responsible for the Rohingya crisis</a>, stopping short of saying whether the US would take action against the leadership in the country.

&quot;The world can&#39;t just stand idly<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bangladesh-for-greater-indian-role-to-contain-rohingya-influx-22532"> by and be witness to the atrocities that are being </a>reported in the area,&quot; he said while speaking at Washington&#39;s Center for Strategic and International Studies.

On Tuesday, the UN said between 10,000 to 15,000 new Rohingya refugees arrived at the Bangladesh border informing that at least 582,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar so far with several thousands still stranded at the border.

Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day.

&quot;We really hold the military leadership accountable for what&#39;s happening,&quot; the US secretary of state said.

The United States had had earlier accused Myanmar of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi&#39;s government.

&quot;Someone, if these reports are true, is going to be held to account for that,&quot; Tillerson said.&nbsp;

&quot;And it&rsquo;s up to the military leadership of Myanmar to decide, &#39;What direction do they want to play in the future of Myanmar?&quot; he asserted.

Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said Myanmar's military was responsible for the Rohingya crisis, stopping short of saying whether the US would take action against the leadership in the country. "The world can't just stand idly by and be witness to the atrocities that are being reported in the area," he said while speaking at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. On Tuesday, the UN said between 10,000 to 15,000 new Rohingya refugees arrived at the Bangladesh border informing that at least 582,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar so far with several thousands still stranded at the border. Last week the United Nations had said over 11,000 Rohingyas had crossed into Bangladesh in one day after the rate of influx had slowed to 2,000 per day. "We really hold the military leadership accountable for what's happening," the US secretary of state said. The United States had had earlier accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed Aung Sang Suu Kyi's government. "Someone, if these reports are true, is going to be held to account for that," Tillerson said. "And it’s up to the military leadership of Myanmar to decide, 'What direction do they want to play in the future of Myanmar?" he asserted.

Myanmar military responsible for Rohingya crisis: US

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

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

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

Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Oxford award amid Rohingya crisis

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

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

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

Bangladesh to press for Muslim refugees' return to Myanmar

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

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

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

US says Rohingya 'ethnic cleansing' shames Suu Kyi govt

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

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

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

Myanmar says poised to take back 'verified' Rohingya refugees

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

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

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

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

Bangladesh&nbsp;Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country&nbsp;fromMyanmar, but she&nbsp;expects&nbsp;no&nbsp;help&nbsp;from&nbsp;him as he has made clear how he feels about&nbsp;refugees.

As&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

&quot;He just asked how is&nbsp;Bangladesh? I said &#39;it&#39;s doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;from&nbsp;Myanmar&#39;,&quot; Hasina told Reuters in an interview. &quot;But he didn&#39;t make any comment about&nbsp;refugees.&quot;

A&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country&#39;s Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;to neighboring&nbsp;Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government&nbsp;says&nbsp;about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.

Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said&nbsp;Trump&#39;s stance on&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;was clear, so it was not worth asking him for&nbsp;help&nbsp;with the Rohingya Muslim&nbsp;refugees.

&quot;Already America declared that they will not allow any&nbsp;refugees,&quot; she said. &quot;What I can expectfrom&nbsp;them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?&quot;

&quot;Bangladesh&nbsp;is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it.&quot;

A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;was deeply interested in the subject and that &quot;he would definitely engage if it were brought up.&quot;

Shortly after taking office in January,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian&nbsp;refugees&nbsp;indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people&nbsp;from&nbsp;six predominantly Muslim countries.

&quot;The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!&quot;&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said on Twitter on Friday.

Trump&nbsp;says&nbsp;the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban.

About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants&nbsp;from&nbsp;Bangladesh.

Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;to allow the Rohingya to return.

&quot;(Myanmar&nbsp;leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;is their country. They should take them back,&quot; she said. &quot;These people are suffering.&quot;

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar&nbsp;national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was &quot;a process we have to discuss.&quot;

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes.

&quot;People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still&nbsp;fleeing&nbsp;across the border to&nbsp;Bangladesh,&quot; Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday.

A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;this week.

As?Trump?left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country fromMyanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees. As Trump left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes. "He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees." A Myanmar military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country's Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing. The Myanmar government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting. Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said Trump's stance on refugees was clear, so it was not worth asking him for help with the Rohingya Muslim refugees. "Already America declared that they will not allow any refugees," she said. "What I can expectfrom them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?" "Bangladesh is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it." A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said Trump was deeply interested in the subject and that "he would definitely engage if it were brought up." Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian refugees indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people from six predominantly Muslim countries. "The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Trump said on Twitter on Friday. Trump says the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban. About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on Myanmar to allow the Rohingya to return. "(Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that Myanmar is their country. They should take them back," she said. "These people are suffering." Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence.Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that Myanmar would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was "a process we have to discuss." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the Myanmar government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes. "People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday. A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in Myanmar this week.

Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

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

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

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

Global split over Rohingya crisis as China backs Myanmar crackdown

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

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

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

Indonesian minister to meet Suu Kyi amid protests over Rohingyas

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

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

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

Suu Kyi denies ethnic cleansing of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims

A special envoy of Myanmar&#39;s leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months.

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar&#39;s deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi&#39;s nine-month-old administration.

The stream of new refugees&nbsp;and reports that Myanmar&#39;s navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen&nbsp;have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side&#39;s problem.

The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar&#39;s reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis.

Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State.

Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi&#39;s government has denied almost all abuse allegations.

During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the &quot;complicated&quot; issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

&quot;For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don&#39;t think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting,&quot; she said.

&nbsp;

International pressure:

Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit &quot;so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums,&quot; such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.

Southeast Asia&#39;s Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis.

&quot;Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship,&quot; the Bangladeshi official said.

Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9.

Myanmar&#39;s Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN&nbsp;figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised.

She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens.

&quot;We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly,&quot; she said.

(Reuters)

Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to Dhaka

A special envoy of Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi will begin top-level talks in Bangladesh on Wednesday, as the United Nations said the Rohingya crisis prompted 65,000 people to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh in the past three months. Kyaw Tin, Myanmar's deputy minister of foreign affairs, will make a three-day visit to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, in a rare diplomatic foray to tackle the biggest challenge facing Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi's nine-month-old administration. The stream of new refugees and reports that Myanmar's navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen have further tested historically strained ties between the neighbours, who each see the stateless Rohingya Muslims as the other side's problem. The visit marks a shift away from Myanmar's reluctant approach to cooperation with its western neighbour, which analysts see as key to solving the growing crisis. Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border posts on October 9, killing nine police. In response, Myanmar sent the army into the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine State. Residents and refugees have described summary executions, arbitrary arrests and rape in the operation. Suu Kyi's government has denied almost all abuse allegations. During the visit, the neighbours will discuss bilateral relations, but the Myanmar side was unlikely to bring up the "complicated" issue of border security, said Aye Aye Soe, deputy director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "For the border situation, an operation is still in progress to create stability, so I don't think there will be a lot of results from this first-time meeting," she said. International pressure: Kyaw Tin will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, said a senior official at the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said Myanmar had initiated the visit "so that Bangladesh does not raise pressure on Myanmar on the Rohingya issue in international forums," such as an upcoming meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation. Southeast Asia's Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia and Malaysia, have publicly pressured Myanmar over the crisis. "Bangladesh has been persuading and pressing in international forums behind the scenes so as not to hamper the relationship," the Bangladeshi official said. Talks between the neighbours are complicated by the fact that as many as 500,000 Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during decades of persecution in Myanmar are not recognised as citizens there either. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that by Jan. 5 about 65,000 more people had arrived in Bangladesh since October 9. Myanmar's Aye Aye Soe questioned the UN figure, saying anyone claiming to be a refugee from Myanmar would have to be scrutinised. She referred to a longstanding government policy that repatriation talks can only cover 2,415 people in Bangladesh whom Myanmar recognises as citizens. "We need to make sure how many people arrived and where they are from, but no one can confirm exactly," she said. (Reuters)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi sends envoy to Bangladesh as Rohingya crisis deepens

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi today said that the government in Myanmar is responding to the delicate &#39;conflict&#39; in the troubled northern state of Rakhine under rule of law, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Referring to the conflict that has faced its worst violence since 2012 during her Japan visit, she said: &quot;The problem in Rakhine state is extremely delicate and care is needed in responding,&quot; Suu Kyi was quoted as saying.

&nbsp;

&quot;The Myanmar government is responding to the issue of Rakhine state based on the principles of the rule of law.&quot;

&nbsp;

During the Japan visit, that included a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she also met foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who said violence could not be permitted in dealing with the crisis, a foreign ministry statement said, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government&#39;s handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians.

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a Reuters report said that Myanmar police will begin arming and training non-Muslim residents in the troubled north of Rakhine state.&nbsp;

According to officials, militants from the Rohingya Muslim group pose a growing security threat, police and civilian officials said.

&nbsp;

Human rights monitors and a leader of the mostly stateless Rohingya told Reuters the move risked sharpening intercommunal tensions in the region.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 in which nine police officers were killed, soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area along Myanmar&#39;s frontier with Bangladesh.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Rakhine State police chief Colonel Sein Lwin told Reuters his force had started recruiting new &quot;regional police&quot; from among the ethnic Rakhine and other non-Muslim ethnic minorities living in Maungdaw.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region of Rakhine

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi today said that the government in Myanmar is responding to the delicate 'conflict' in the troubled northern state of Rakhine under rule of law, Reuters reported. Referring to the conflict that has faced its worst violence since 2012 during her Japan visit, she said: "The problem in Rakhine state is extremely delicate and care is needed in responding," Suu Kyi was quoted as saying. "The Myanmar government is responding to the issue of Rakhine state based on the principles of the rule of law." During the Japan visit, that included a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she also met foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who said violence could not be permitted in dealing with the crisis, a foreign ministry statement said, Reuters reported. Suu Kyi has faced mounting criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians. Meanwhile, a Reuters report said that Myanmar police will begin arming and training non-Muslim residents in the troubled north of Rakhine state. According to officials, militants from the Rohingya Muslim group pose a growing security threat, police and civilian officials said. Human rights monitors and a leader of the mostly stateless Rohingya told Reuters the move risked sharpening intercommunal tensions in the region. Responding to coordinated attacks on three border posts on October 9 in which nine police officers were killed, soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area along Myanmar's frontier with Bangladesh. Rakhine State police chief Colonel Sein Lwin told Reuters his force had started recruiting new "regional police" from among the ethnic Rakhine and other non-Muslim ethnic minorities living in Maungdaw. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Myanmar arms non-Muslims in Rakhine, Suu Kyi says state responding 'under rule of law'

Myanmar&#39;s state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi today met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and held talks with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj during which the visiting leader discussed how India could support Myanmar&#39;s agenda of national reconciliation.

Suu Kyi, who arrived in Delhi on a state visit yesterday from Goa where she attended BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet on Sunday, also sought assistance in areas of agriculture, capacity building, job creation, infrastructure and health care during her meeting with Swaraj, who offered all possible help from India.

Swaraj conveyed condolences on behalf of people of India over the loss of lives of many Myanmar police and army personnel in the recent terrorist attacks in the&nbsp;Rakhine state of Myanmar as also over the ferry tragedy on Chindwin river.

&quot;The two leaders discussed the manner in which India could support Myanmar&#39;s agenda of national reconciliation, socio-economic development and strengthening democracy.

&quot;The State Counsellor outlined her priorities in the areas of agriculture, training, capacity building, job creation, infrastructure and health care and sought India&#39;s assistance in these areas. Swaraj offered all possible assistance from India in keeping with the priorities outlined by the state counsellor,&quot; official sources said.

During her call on,&nbsp;the President congratulated the state counsellor on her party&#39;s victory in the general elections held in Myanmar last year and complimented her on the role that she has played in Myanmar&#39;s path to democracy.

Recalling his discussions during the visit of Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw to India in August, Mukherjee conveyed India&#39;s whole-hearted support for the Myanmar government in its efforts to live up to the expectations of the people of Myanmar.

Mukherjee also referred to India&#39;s rich experience in building a federal nation state, taking into account the ethnic and linguistic diversity of its people and offered any assistance desired by the government of Myanmar in this regard.

The President also hosted a private lunch for the state counsellor at the&nbsp;Rashtrapati Bhawan.&nbsp;Earlier, Suu Kyi placed a wreath at Rajghat and was given a ceremonial welcome.

(PTI)

India assured all help to Myanmar in strengthening democratic institutions on state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's visit

Myanmar's state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi today met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and held talks with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj during which the visiting leader discussed how India could support Myanmar's agenda of national reconciliation. Suu Kyi, who arrived in Delhi on a state visit yesterday from Goa where she attended BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach meet on Sunday, also sought assistance in areas of agriculture, capacity building, job creation, infrastructure and health care during her meeting with Swaraj, who offered all possible help from India. Swaraj conveyed condolences on behalf of people of India over the loss of lives of many Myanmar police and army personnel in the recent terrorist attacks in the Rakhine state of Myanmar as also over the ferry tragedy on Chindwin river. "The two leaders discussed the manner in which India could support Myanmar's agenda of national reconciliation, socio-economic development and strengthening democracy. "The State Counsellor outlined her priorities in the areas of agriculture, training, capacity building, job creation, infrastructure and health care and sought India's assistance in these areas. Swaraj offered all possible assistance from India in keeping with the priorities outlined by the state counsellor," official sources said. During her call on, the President congratulated the state counsellor on her party's victory in the general elections held in Myanmar last year and complimented her on the role that she has played in Myanmar's path to democracy. Recalling his discussions during the visit of Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw to India in August, Mukherjee conveyed India's whole-hearted support for the Myanmar government in its efforts to live up to the expectations of the people of Myanmar. Mukherjee also referred to India's rich experience in building a federal nation state, taking into account the ethnic and linguistic diversity of its people and offered any assistance desired by the government of Myanmar in this regard. The President also hosted a private lunch for the state counsellor at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Earlier, Suu Kyi placed a wreath at Rajghat and was given a ceremonial welcome. (PTI)

India promises help to Myanmar in setting up democratic institutions

Thorny issue of human rights remained on the agenda as Nobel laureate and de-facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi met British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
During Suu Kyi&#39;s first visit outside of Asia since her party&#39;s election victory last year, the two leaders discussed the challenges faced by Myanmar as it transitions from military rule to democracy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They agreed that to create a society that truly works for all. It would be important to see Burma (Myanmar) make further progress in the creation of jobs, in improving access to quality healthcare, and on reforming the education system,&quot; said May&#39;s Downing Street office. 
 
May&rsquo;s office added that London stands &quot;ready to provide further assistance as Burma continues to develop,&quot; including through &pound;118 million (138 million euros, $156 million) in support this year. 
 
May also &quot;raised concerns about human rights abuses in the Burmese military,&quot; with Suu Kyi, according to a Downing Street summary of the meeting.&nbsp; 
 
Despite winning a landslide in last November&#39;s elections Suu Kyi, who has endured years of house arrest by military rulers during her campaign to unseat them, could not become president because her sons have British citizenship, which is against the constitution. 
 
Instead, she has taken the role of foreign minister and created a new position for herself as state counsellor. She has also appointed a longtime friend and ally, Htin Kyaw, to be a proxy president.&nbsp; 
 
Suu Kyi also met foreign secretary Boris Johnson on Monday, for talks including on Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine region, which is riven by ethnic divisions and is home to the stateless Muslim Rohingya. 
 
Sectarian bloodshed in the western state in 2012 forced more than 100,000 Rohingya into displacement camps.&nbsp; 
 
The Rohingya, a minority in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions on their movements and access to health care and other basic services.&nbsp; 
 
Johnson welcomed the establishment of the Rakhine Commission to deal with the issue. 
 
&quot;We remain committed to supporting Burma&#39;s extraordinary reforms and we welcome a democratic, stable and prosperous Burma that can contribute to stability and security in southeast Asia and beyond,&quot; said Johnson. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Theresa May's office said London stands 'ready to provide further assistance as Burma (Myanmar) continues to develop'

Thorny issue of human rights remained on the agenda as Nobel laureate and de-facto Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi met British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday. During Suu Kyi's first visit outside of Asia since her party's election victory last year, the two leaders discussed the challenges faced by Myanmar as it transitions from military rule to democracy. "They agreed that to create a society that truly works for all. It would be important to see Burma (Myanmar) make further progress in the creation of jobs, in improving access to quality healthcare, and on reforming the education system," said May's Downing Street office. May’s office added that London stands "ready to provide further assistance as Burma continues to develop," including through £118 million (138 million euros, $156 million) in support this year. May also "raised concerns about human rights abuses in the Burmese military," with Suu Kyi, according to a Downing Street summary of the meeting. Despite winning a landslide in last November's elections Suu Kyi, who has endured years of house arrest by military rulers during her campaign to unseat them, could not become president because her sons have British citizenship, which is against the constitution. Instead, she has taken the role of foreign minister and created a new position for herself as state counsellor. She has also appointed a longtime friend and ally, Htin Kyaw, to be a proxy president. Suu Kyi also met foreign secretary Boris Johnson on Monday, for talks including on Myanmar's Rakhine region, which is riven by ethnic divisions and is home to the stateless Muslim Rohingya. Sectarian bloodshed in the western state in 2012 forced more than 100,000 Rohingya into displacement camps. The Rohingya, a minority in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions on their movements and access to health care and other basic services. Johnson welcomed the establishment of the Rakhine Commission to deal with the issue. "We remain committed to supporting Burma's extraordinary reforms and we welcome a democratic, stable and prosperous Burma that can contribute to stability and security in southeast Asia and beyond," said Johnson. (WION with inputs from AFP)

UK pledges support for Myanmar as Suu Kyi talks human rights with British PM

Myanmar leader Aung San&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;told China&#39;s premier on Thursday that her new government is willing to look for a resolution that suits both countries to a suspended Chinese-funded hydropower project in northern Myanmar, a senior Chinese diplomat said. 
 
Finding a solution to the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project is important for&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;who needs China&#39;s cooperation in talks with Myanmar&#39;s ethnic minority armed groups operating along northern borders with China. 
 
Former Myanmar president Thein Sein angered China in 2011 when he suspended work on the hydropower dam, in the Ayeyarwady river basin, after it drew widespread environmental protests. 
 
About 90 per cent of the dam&#39;s power would have gone to China. At the time,&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;also called for the project&#39;s suspension. 
 
Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters after a meeting in Beijing between Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Li had said China hopes Myanmar can come up with an appropriate resolution. 
 
&quot;Aung San&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;said that the Myanmar government has already set up an investigation committee to look for an appropriate resolution to the Myitsone dam issue,&quot; Liu said. 
 
&quot;She also said that she is willing to look for a resolution that suits both sides&#39; interests via both sides&#39; energy administrations&#39; cooperation. 
 
China has been pushing for work to restart on the dam, which under the original plans would have sent 90 per cent of its power to China. 
 
A Myanmar government commission reviewing the project - as well as other proposed hydropower dams, including several on the Thanlwin river - is expected to report by November&nbsp;11.

Suu&nbsp;Kyi&nbsp;did not mention the dam in remarks to Li made in front of journalists, but said she hoped her visit would &quot;further consolidate and develop&quot; relations.

The two countries also signed a deal to build a strategic bridge near their border.

A Myanmar foreign ministry official said China had also agreed to build two hospitals in Myanmar&#39;s two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay.

The bridge will be built in Kunlong, 32 km (20 miles) from the border in northeastern Myanmar and near the Kokang region where an ethnic Chinese rebel group fought Myanmar&#39;s military last year.

Liu said Premier Li reaffirmed China&#39;s support for efforts to bring peace to northern Myanmar.

Suu&nbsp;Kyi, who is barred from the presidency by a junta-drafted constitution but holds several government posts including that of foreign minister, will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping today.

The visit is&nbsp;Suu&nbsp;Kyi&#39;s first major diplomatic foray as de facto leader, after a new government took power in April following her National League for Democracy&#39;s sweeping election victory in November. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

China has been pushing for work to restart on the dam, which under the original plans would have sent 90 per cent of its power to China

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi told China's premier on Thursday that her new government is willing to look for a resolution that suits both countries to a suspended Chinese-funded hydropower project in northern Myanmar, a senior Chinese diplomat said. Finding a solution to the $3.6 billion Myitsone dam project is important for Suu Kyi who needs China's cooperation in talks with Myanmar's ethnic minority armed groups operating along northern borders with China. Former Myanmar president Thein Sein angered China in 2011 when he suspended work on the hydropower dam, in the Ayeyarwady river basin, after it drew widespread environmental protests. About 90 per cent of the dam's power would have gone to China. At the time, Suu Kyi also called for the project's suspension. Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters after a meeting in Beijing between Suu Kyi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that Li had said China hopes Myanmar can come up with an appropriate resolution. "Aung San Suu Kyi said that the Myanmar government has already set up an investigation committee to look for an appropriate resolution to the Myitsone dam issue," Liu said. "She also said that she is willing to look for a resolution that suits both sides' interests via both sides' energy administrations' cooperation. China has been pushing for work to restart on the dam, which under the original plans would have sent 90 per cent of its power to China. A Myanmar government commission reviewing the project - as well as other proposed hydropower dams, including several on the Thanlwin river - is expected to report by November 11. Suu Kyi did not mention the dam in remarks to Li made in front of journalists, but said she hoped her visit would "further consolidate and develop" relations. The two countries also signed a deal to build a strategic bridge near their border. A Myanmar foreign ministry official said China had also agreed to build two hospitals in Myanmar's two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay. The bridge will be built in Kunlong, 32 km (20 miles) from the border in northeastern Myanmar and near the Kokang region where an ethnic Chinese rebel group fought Myanmar's military last year. Liu said Premier Li reaffirmed China's support for efforts to bring peace to northern Myanmar. Suu Kyi, who is barred from the presidency by a junta-drafted constitution but holds several government posts including that of foreign minister, will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping today. The visit is Suu Kyi's first major diplomatic foray as de facto leader, after a new government took power in April following her National League for Democracy's sweeping election victory in November. (Reuters)

Willing to look for solution to $3.6 billion stalled dam project: Myanmar's Suu?Kyi?

Myanmar&#39;s de facto premier Aung San Suu Kyi held landmark talks with senior rebel leaders today, as she strives to seal a ceasefire with a patchwork of ethnic minority militia that have battled the national army for decades. 
 
Suu Kyi has made peace a flagship policy of her newly installed civilian-led government which replaced decades of brutal junta rule earlier this year.&nbsp; 
 
It is a tall order in a country where the military, which is loathed and deeply distrusted by many ethnic rebel groups, still retains significant control. 
 
A number of key rebel factions have yet to sign the national ceasefire agreement, something Suu Kyi&#39;s government hopes today&#39;s talks might change. 
 
Zaw Htay, deputy director general of the President&#39;s office, told reporters the veteran democracy campaigner and her close associates were meeting with five leaders from the United Nationalities Federal Council.&nbsp; 
 
The body represents both rebel groups that have signed up to the ceasefire agreement and those who have so far refused.&nbsp;&quot;It will be like meeting family,&quot; he told reporters ahead of the meeting.&nbsp; 
 
Among those present was General N&#39;Ban La, from the Kachin Independence Organisation, the political wing of one of Myanmar&#39;s most powerful rebel factions, which has yet to sign a ceasefire.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a confidence building meeting, there can be many questions and answers from both sides,&quot; Hla Maung Shwe, a government adviser on the peace process said. 
 
Media were ushered out after filming the initial greetings ahead of the meeting in the commercial capital Yangon. 
 
Myanmar has been scarred by ethnic conflicts ever since its independence in 1948, with minority groups battling for greater autonomy against a central government that they believed has long ignored and abused them.&nbsp; 
 
Suu Kyi has vowed to overturn that painful legacy with plans to hold a major peace conference later this summer. 
 
However, conflicts continue to rage in several areas between ethnic minority armed groups and the army, which operates beyond the reaches of civilian government, particularly in northern Kachin and eastern Shan states. 
 
Some 240,000 people are displaced due to unrest and communal conflict across the country. 
 
More than a dozen rebel factions also plan to hold their own talks later this month in Kachin, with Sunday&#39;s meeting seen as a crucial stepping stone towards persuading the hold-out groups to embrace the peace process. 
 
Both Myanmar&#39;s military and rebel groups have a long history of rights violations linked to decades of conflict, including the use of child labour and drug trafficking. 
 
Suu Kyi&#39;s National League for Democracy government has spoken out in favour greater federalism for Myanmar&#39;s ethnic minorities.&nbsp; 
But her hands are partially tied.&nbsp; 
 
Under Myanmar&#39;s junta-era constitution, the crucial interior, home and border ministries are still controlled by the army, giving the generals huge sway over whether the peace process is a success. 
 
(AFP)

Few key rebel factions have yet to sign Suu Kyi's 'peace policy', a fact the government hopes today's talks might change

Myanmar's de facto premier Aung San Suu Kyi held landmark talks with senior rebel leaders today, as she strives to seal a ceasefire with a patchwork of ethnic minority militia that have battled the national army for decades. Suu Kyi has made peace a flagship policy of her newly installed civilian-led government which replaced decades of brutal junta rule earlier this year. It is a tall order in a country where the military, which is loathed and deeply distrusted by many ethnic rebel groups, still retains significant control. A number of key rebel factions have yet to sign the national ceasefire agreement, something Suu Kyi's government hopes today's talks might change. Zaw Htay, deputy director general of the President's office, told reporters the veteran democracy campaigner and her close associates were meeting with five leaders from the United Nationalities Federal Council. The body represents both rebel groups that have signed up to the ceasefire agreement and those who have so far refused. "It will be like meeting family," he told reporters ahead of the meeting. Among those present was General N'Ban La, from the Kachin Independence Organisation, the political wing of one of Myanmar's most powerful rebel factions, which has yet to sign a ceasefire. "It's a confidence building meeting, there can be many questions and answers from both sides," Hla Maung Shwe, a government adviser on the peace process said. Media were ushered out after filming the initial greetings ahead of the meeting in the commercial capital Yangon. Myanmar has been scarred by ethnic conflicts ever since its independence in 1948, with minority groups battling for greater autonomy against a central government that they believed has long ignored and abused them. Suu Kyi has vowed to overturn that painful legacy with plans to hold a major peace conference later this summer. However, conflicts continue to rage in several areas between ethnic minority armed groups and the army, which operates beyond the reaches of civilian government, particularly in northern Kachin and eastern Shan states. Some 240,000 people are displaced due to unrest and communal conflict across the country. More than a dozen rebel factions also plan to hold their own talks later this month in Kachin, with Sunday's meeting seen as a crucial stepping stone towards persuading the hold-out groups to embrace the peace process. Both Myanmar's military and rebel groups have a long history of rights violations linked to decades of conflict, including the use of child labour and drug trafficking. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy government has spoken out in favour greater federalism for Myanmar's ethnic minorities. But her hands are partially tied. Under Myanmar's junta-era constitution, the crucial interior, home and border ministries are still controlled by the army, giving the generals huge sway over whether the peace process is a success. (AFP)

Myanmar's Suu Kyi holds landmark talks with rebels, strives to seal ceasefire with minority militia

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