Rohingya Ethnic Cleansing - Updates & Discussions

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Al Jazeera English added a new video:
India wants to deport Rohingya.
India plans to deport 40,000 Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar.

 

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AJE Video
20 August at 23:15 ·
The UN has has called the Rohingya "the most persecuted minority in the world".

Full documentary: aje.io/3m7a9 via Al Jazeera World

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Is the Myanmar Army resorting to new tactics to mask a crackdown?

• Adil Sakhawat
• Published at 01:32 AM August 22, 2017
• Last updated at 02:59 PM August 22, 2017

Rohingya women who fled prosecution in Mayanmar by crossing the Naf River into Bangladesh Adil Sakhawat
'The Moghs took away everything from the houses. They snatched the ornaments from the women’s bodies. When there are no men in the houses, they even take away the livestock'
Rohingya refugees that have fled across the Naf river into Bangladesh say that the Myanmar Army is resorting to new tactics, including the use of civilian vigilantes, to mask a fresh crackdown on the Muslim minority in the country’s troubled Rakhine State.

The Dhaka Tribune gathered consistent descriptions about new forms of violence that have been unleashed in Rakhine in interviews with newly arrived Rohingyas in the Balukhali area of Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar over the last two days.

Since the fresh military crackdown which reportedly began from the second week of August, there has been a renewed influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. Several videos purportedly showing Myanmarese soliders torturing Rohingyas are circulating on social media, but their authenticity could not be independently verified.

A UN field agent, refusing to be named, told the Dhaka Tribune that during the first three weeks of August, 700 families have fled to Bangladesh.

The Myanmar Army was heavily criticised last year after the UN said its offensive against Rohingya villages amounted to crimes against humanity. Naypyidaw has rejected the charges, arguing that it is hunting militants in Rakhine.

Encircling villages with heavy firepower
Based on interviews with two familites, the Dhaka Tribune collected graphic descriptions of the latest tactics deployed by the Myanmar Army.

On August 18, soldiers surrounded Bali Baazar, a village in Rakine, “to look for extremists”.

A Rohingya man who is now in hiding near Bali Baazar told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone that: “They came in 20 trucks with heavy military hardware. We saw military helicopters overhead. In the morning, the army stormed the villages to look for ‘extremists’. After sunset, the villages were surrounded by the army.”

A new mode of terror?
When the Myanmarese Army surrounds a village, they tend to shoot 3-4 blank rounds to announce their arrival. There is a language barrier as the army is largely composed of Burmese-speaking soldiers, whereas Rohingyas speak Arakan.

“The Myanmar military raided the houses and they were shouting outside ‘En Ma La!’ (come out from the houses) and ‘Ammia La Ba!’ (why are you late? Come out fast),” said Abdur Rob, who fled to Bangladesh on Saturday.

The Myanmar Army also uses young men from the Mogh community, which are local Rakhine Buddhists, to raid the Rohingya houses.

“Because the army’s horrifying actions have been recorded and circulated on social media, they were compelled to change tactics,” Rob said.

The army’s crackdown have been defined as crimes against humanities by a UN fact-finding team after the October 2016 crackdown.

Rob’s wife Marium Bibi added: “The Mogh took everything from the houses. They snatched jewelery from the women’s bodies. When there are no men in the houses, they even take away the livestock.”

Rob also said: “The military is not setting fire to our houses this time because the last attack was well-publicised in the media. Now they are encouraging young Buddhist Moghs to destroy our possessions.”

The latest Rohingya refugees said the military’s main target is to find “Bagi”, a term used for suspected insurgents or extremists. Many men have fled their houses, afraid of being accused of being a “Bagi” and detained by the army.

Rohingyas have also been accused of murdering other Rohingyas in Kya Maung village. Newaj claimed the accusations were baseless.

He said: “The army killed them with knives to pin the blame on the locals.”

Restricted entry
When the new refugees were asked if the humanitarian agencies still have access to the village tracts, they replied that UN agencies or any international NGOs have very limited access to locations where the army is operating.

Various Bangladesh-based international NGO workers said their colleagues have received very limited acces to those villages, namely Cha Ni Para, Keyari Para and Mohali.

A media representative of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar told the Dhaka Tribune: “The UN is closely following the situation in Rakhine State, including in Maungdaw township, through contact with government authorities, partners, communities and our staff. We continue to emphasise our communication with the government that lifesaving programmes should be uninterrupted and carried out in the safest manner possible. We also keep reminding all sides of their responsibility to exercise restraint, protect civilians, and resolve differences through dialogue.”
Names of people interviewed in this article have been changed for security reasons
http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/s...ar-army-resorting-new-tactics-mask-crackdown/

 

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The Lady takes aim at the UN
Larry Jagan, August 23, 2017

Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the Myanmar community living in Singapore, on the island of Sentosa in Singapore September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
Myanmar’s restive western state of Rakhine is back in the news. And it is set to be a busy week for Rakhine matters. The military are consolidating their counter insurgency operations in Rakhine — centered in the Mayu mountains — clearing out suspected “terrorists”. At the same time, the Kofi Annan Commission on Rakhine will launch its much-anticipated report later this week. And coincidentally the UN’s International Fact Finding Mission is in Geneva preparing the scope of its projected investigation.

Recent developments have highlighted the critical importance of finding ways to resolve what is increasingly becoming a major communal issue: between the Rakhine majority Buddhists and the displaced Muslim Rohingyas or Bengalis as the local population calls them and most members of the government. In fact, many diplomats fear that the government’s reform programme and the future of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government may be in danger of failing if a solution is not found.

Local politicians and residents are campaigning vociferously against the UN’s activities in northern Rakhine area, and their humanitarian support for the displaced and stateless Rohingya population. Some even complain that they are effectively funding the alleged “terrorist” activities. On top of this there are a number of other rifts: increasingly between the Myanmar government and the UN on one hand and the civilian and military wings of the government.

This week may yet turn out to be a turning point for Rakhine and the country. The most important event will be the final report and recommendations of the Kofi Annan advisory commission on Rakhine – due to be announced later this week. This is undoubtedly the government’s shield against increased international efforts “to interfere in Myanmar”.

Aung San Suu Kyi has continuously rebuffed the UN’s demand to send an international fact finding mission to Rakhine to further investigate allegations by Rohingya villagers of systematic rape, murder and arson at the hands of soldiers during last year’s security operations in the wake of a series of attacks on police border guard posts which left 9 people dead, and follow up the reports of the UN human rights rapporteur, Yanghee Lee.

The government’s insistence on the importance and relevance of the Kofi Annan investigation, over all others hinges on three key issues. The commission team has already internationalized the issue, with three international members, including the head Kofi Annan – the former UN secretary general – who are all human rights experts, along with six local members.

At present the civilian government and the military leaders insist they are signing from the same songbook – though there is some evidence that there are major rifts between them. One of the important areas of contention is the militarization of Rakhine. The army has been pushing hard for a state of emergency to be declared, supported by the Rakhine, but strongly resisted by Ausg San Suu Kyi, although limited curfews have been imposed in some areas.

The UN international fact-finding mission would be no more inclusive or instructive than the UN reports so far this year, according to senior government officials. “It can only be a repeat of the UN’s existing reports and cannot find anything substantively new,” said Janelle Saffin, an Australian lawyer and constitutional expert, actively involved in Myanmar matters.

The team has been working for a year on their investigation and recommendations. The commission has carefully discussed the issues with all people and communities in Rakhine and their views have been listened to, according to a government insider. “There’s been a genuine consultative process,” he said, “and there’s a measure of agreement on the way forward.” Aung San Suu Kyi has seen the recommendations and has committed the government to adopting and fully implementing them all.

So far there are details of the recommendations. But the commission is going to suggest that the government appoint a national level minister to coordinate the government’s plan of action. This is would be a strong strategic move – though it would weaken or by pass the regional administration. But a national minister would have more power and show the government’s commitment. This would also mean a great measure of coordination of the military in Rakhine – though not over operational matters.

In the meantime friction between the UN and the Myanmar government is increasing. Staff of the UN Office of the Human Rights Council based in Myanmar have been denied visas – they have been sitting in Bangkok waiting permission to return for over four months, according to UN sources, who declined to be identified for fear of further repercussions.

At present the civilian government and the military leaders insist they are signing from the same songbook – though there is some evidence that there are major rifts between them. One of the important areas of contention is the militarization of Rakhine. The army has been pushing hard for a state of emergency to be declared, supported by the Rakhine, but strongly resisted by Ausg San Suu Kyi, although limited curfews have been imposed in some areas. This would probably be the responsibility of the Union Minister for Rakhine in future if the post is created.

According to the commission, their final report covers all the issues in the commission’s mandate, including conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation, institution building, and development. “The recommendations describe the steps the Myanmar Government can take to address both long-term and structural issues, as well as those requiring urgent action,” said the commission on its website.

Earlier this year the commission issued an interim report in which it made recommendations: which included humanitarian and media access, justice and rule of law, border issues and bilateral relationships with Bangladesh, socio-economic development, training of security forces, citizenship and freedom of movement, closure of the three camps holding Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and inter-communal dialogue, as some ways to ease tensions in conflict areas.

But as the human rights activists insist very few of these recommendations were implemented. There was no closure of the IDP camps – only some 58 families from one were relocated to Dala on the outskirts of Yangon – where as the Commission recommended relocation to their original villages. While thousand of citizenship cards were distributed, no one knows who received them, according to an activists closely involved with monitoring human rights abuses in Myanmar. So many remain skeptical about the government’s commitment to implement the new set of recommendations to be announced later this week.

But what is clear is that the UN and Aung San Suu Kyi are set on a collision course. According to government insiders, the State Counselor will attend the forthcoming annual session of the UN General Assembly next month to lay down the law to the UN. She feels the UN – and the international community – by their recent actions, especially calling for an international fact-finding mission has weakened her position in relation to the military commander.

In the meantime friction between the UN and the Myanmar government is increasing. Staff of the UN Office of the Human Rights Council based in Myanmar have been denied visas – they have been sitting in Bangkok waiting permission to return for over four months, according to UN sources, who declined to be identified for fear of further repercussions. The local staff of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Rakhine have been repeatedly threatened and intimidated. And diplomats based in Yangon fear that the human rights envoy will not be granted another visa – though mandate has some 2 years left.
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/08/23/lady-takes-aim-un/

 

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05:02 PM, August 24, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 05:43 PM, August 24, 2017
Annan panel calls on Myanmar to end Rohingya restrictions

Myanmar nationals, who illegally entered Bangladesh following the deadly series of violence in Rakhine state, at a Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar. Photo: Reuters

Reuters, Yangon

Myanmar must scrap restrictions on movement and citizenship for its Rohingya minority if it wants to avoid fuelling extremism and bring peace to Rakhine state, a commission led by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan said on Thursday.

Rights groups hailed the report as a milestone for the persecuted Rohingya community because the government of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi had previously vowed to abide by its findings.

The western state, one of the country's poorest, has long been a sectarian tinderbox and mainly Buddhist Myanmar has faced growing international condemnation for its treatment of the Muslim Rohingya there.

Mr Annan was appointed by Ms Suu Kyi to head a year-long commission tasked with healing long-simmering divisions between the Rohingya and local Buddhists.

On Thursday, it released a landmark report, warning that failure to implement its recommendations could lead to more extremism and violence.

"Unless current challenges are addressed promptly, further radicalisation within both communities is a real risk," the report said, describing the Rohingya as "the single biggest stateless community in the world".

"If the legitimate grievances of local populations are ignored, they will become more vulnerable to recruitment by extremists."

Among the key recommendations was ending all restrictions on movement imposed on the Rohingya and other communities in Rakhine, and shutting down refugee camps - which hold more than 120,000 people in often miserable conditions.

It also called on Myanmar to review a controversial 1982 law that effectively bars about a million Rohingya from becoming citizens, to invest heavily in the region and to allow the media unfettered access there.

The commission's task became increasingly urgent after the army launched a bloody crackdown in the north of Rakhine following deadly October attacks on police border posts by a previously unknown Rohingya militant group.

More than 87,000 Rohingya have since fled to Bangladesh bringing with them stories of murder, mass rape and burned villages in what the UN says could constitute crimes against humanity.

The Annan commission's findings will put pressure on Ms Suu Kyi's government to implement its calls for sweeping changes in Rakhine.

But she faces stiff opposition from Buddhist nationalists, who loathe the Rohingya and want them expelled.

Ms Suu Kyi also has little control over Myanmar's powerful and notoriously abusive military.

Read More: 87,000 Myanmar nationals enter Bangladesh since Oct 9 last

Many in Myanmar view the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even though many can trace their lineage back generations.

Until October's attacks, the Rohingya had largely avoided militancy or violence.

Rights groups welcomed the report, saying its recommendations tallied with what they had long argued for.

"These apartheid-like restrictions drive communities apart rather than together, eroding security and heightening the risk of mass killing," said Mr Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights.

Mr Phil Robertson, from Human Rights Watch, said Ms Suu Kyi's government faced a "key test".

"Myanmar needs to throw its full weight behind these recommendations, and especially not blink in dealing with the harder stuff," he said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/world/s...-myanmars-rohingya-crisis-annan-panel-1453519

 

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11:08 AM, August 25, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:13 AM, August 25, 2017
12 dead in Muslim insurgent attacks in northwest Myanmar

AFP file photo taken on July 14, 2017 shows border police standing guard at Tinmay village, Buthidaung township in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.

Reuters, Yangon

At least five police and seven Rohingya Muslim insurgents were killed overnight in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the government said on Friday,after militants staged coordinated attacks on 24 police posts and tried breaking into an army base.

The attacks mark a dramatic escalation in a conflict simmering in Rakhine since last October, when similar attacks that killed nine police prompted a massive military counter-offensive beset by allegations of civilian killings, rape and arson.

The military operation then resulted in some 87,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh and the United Nations accused Myanmar's security forces of likely committing crimes against humanity.
http://www.thedailystar.net/world/1...tacks-northwest-myanmar-rakhine-state-1453972

 

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Rakhine a human rights crisis: Annan report
Subir Bhaumik, August 25, 2017

Photo: Mizzima
The Kofi Annan commission on Thursday described the situation in Rakhine state as a ‘human rights crisis’and came up with several recommendations to handle it in its final report.

”While all communities have suffered from violence and abuse, protracted statelessnes and profound discrimination have made the Muslim community particularly vulnerable to human rights violations,” the final report of the Commission said.

Presented before the media at Yangon Sule Shangrila hotel on Thursday, the report said it had recommended a ‘clear timelime and strategy’ for citizenship verification process in Rakhine state.

It was presented to the President’s office on Tuesday.

”This strategy should be transparent, efficient and with a solid basis in existing legislation. The strategy should be discussed with representatives of the Rakhine and the Muslim communities and communicated through a broad outreach campaign,” the commission’s report said.

It said the government should clarify the status of those who have not been granted citizenship.

”Like all countries, Myanmar will need a status for those who reside in the country without being citizens. The rights of those who live and work in Myanmar need to be regulated,” the report said.

It said that those whose citizenship status had been verified must enjoy all benefits of citizenship.

”This will not only strengthen the government’s rule-of-law agenda but will demonstrate the tangible benefits of the verification exercise,” the Annan committee’s final report said.

The commission was formed in September 2016 at the request of the Office of the State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Foundation, as a neutral and impartial body. It was mandated to address the severe and persistent challenges facing Rakhine State, particularly its low level of socio-economic development, the threats posed by inter-communal tensions, the issues of citizenship and freedom of movement, the infringement of human rights, and the lack of communal participation and representation.

The Commission has six Myanmar and three international members and is chaired by Kofi Annan.

Later Kofi Annan admitted during the media conference that tensions existed between the Myanmar government and the international community, especially in view of the ongoing military operations.

”But it should not lead to a standoff. It is possible to resolve the issues involved,” Mr. Annan said.

The former UN secretary general emphasized that the armed forces had a critical role to play.

”It is important that the process of resolution avoids use of force, highly militarized responses are often counter-productive,” Annan said.

The final report put stress on human rights training for Myanmar security personnel and steps to monitor performance of security forces.

“We told the army chief today that the ongoing military operations should be limited in time and an overtly militaristic approach be avoided. The army chief assured us that the present operations were in the mountains (Mayu mountains) where the number of the civilian population was small,” Mr. Annan said.

Replying to questions from media Mr. Annan said he was optimistic that the recommendations of the Commission would be implemented.

”Daw Suu Kyi assured us today that inter-ministerial mechanisms would be put in place to implement the recommendations of the commission,” Kofi Annan said.

He debunked suggestions that the commission represented some form of ‘foreign interference’.

”It is a Myanmar commission, six members are from this country. Only three are foreigners and I have the great honour in heading it,” Mr. Annan said.

Asked if the commission had recommended priorities for the government, Mr. Annan said ”We did not set any priorities. We leave the government to make the judgement. But the report makes it clear that the citizenship issue, freedom of movement and preservation of human rights are key issues.”

The Annan commission report asked the Myanmar government to work closely with Bangladesh to handle the crisis on the international border, what with reports of considerable Rohingya out-migration.

SOURCE WITH PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE FROM MIZZIMA
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/08/25/rakhine-human-rights-crisis-annan-report/

 

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Fresh violence kills 89 in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

• AFP
• Published at 10:09 AM August 25, 2017
• Last updated at 10:05 PM August 25, 2017

A Myanmar border guard police officer stands guard in Taung Bazar village, Buthidaung township, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar July 13, 2017 Reuters
Friday's fighting exploded around Rathedaung township which has seen a heavy build-up of Myanmar troops in recent weeks
At least 89 people including a dozen security forces were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar’s authorities said Friday, triggering a fresh exodus of refugees towards Bangladesh.

The state is bisected by religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

The office of de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said 12 security officials had been killed alongside 77 militants — the highest declared single day toll since fighting broke out last year.

Friday’s fighting exploded around Rathedaung township which has seen a heavy build-up of Myanmar troops in recent weeks, with reports filtering out of killings by shadowy groups, army-blockaded villages and abuses.

Some 20 police posts came under attack in the early hours of Friday by an estimated 150 insurgents, some carrying guns and using homemade explosives, Myanmar’s military said.

“The military and police members are fighting back together against extremist Bengali terrorists,” Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a statement on Facebook, using the state’s description for Rohingya militants.

One resident in Maungdaw, the main town in northern Rakhine, said gunfire could be heard throughout the night.

“We are still hearing gunshots now, we dare not to go out from our house,” the resident said by phone, asking not to be named.

Footage obtained by AFP showed smoke rising from Zedipyin village in Rathedaung township where fighting was ongoing Friday.

Rohingya militancy
Despite years of persecution, the Rohingya largely eschewed violence.

But a previously unknown militant group emerged as a force last October under the banner of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which claims to be leading an insurgency based in the remote May Yu mountain range bordering Bangladesh.

A Twitter account (@ARSA_Official) which purports to represent the group confirmed its fighters were engaging Myanmar’s military in the area and accused the soldiers of carrying out atrocities in recent weeks.

Myanmar says the group is headed by Rohingya jihadists who were trained abroad but it is unclear how large the network is.

Suu Kyi’s office posted pictures of weapons that had been taken from militants, mainly home-made bombs and rudimentary knives and clubs.

Friday’s violence pushed new waves of Rohingya to flee towards Bangladesh.

But border guards there said they would not be allowed to cross.

“More than a thousand of Rohingya women along with children and cattle have gathered near the land border between Myanmar and Bangladesh since this morning,” Manjurul Hasan Khan, commander of Ukhiya town’s border guards, told AFP.

The flare-up came just hours after former UN chief Kofi Annan released a milestone report detailing conditions inside Rakhine and offering ways to heal the festering sectarian tensions there.

Commissioned by Myanmar’s own government, it urged the scrapping of restrictions of movement and citizenship imposed on the roughly one million-strong Rohingya community in Rakhine.

In a statement Annan said he was “gravely concerned” by the latest outbreak of fighting.

“The alleged scale and gravity of these attacks mark a worrying escalation of violence,” he said.

New crackdown fears
The UN’s top official in Myanmar, Renata Lok-Dessallien, called on all sides to “refrain from violence, protect civilians (and) restore law and order”.

The wedge of Rakhine closest to Bangladesh has been in lockdown since October 2016.

Deadly attacks by the militants on border police sparked a military response that left scores dead and forced some 87,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.

The UN believes the military crackdown may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

But the army and Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government vehemently deny allegations of widespread abuses, including rapes and murders.

They have so far refused to grant visas to UN investigators tasked with probing the allegations.

Amnesty International said there were now fears over how Myanmar’s notoriously abusive security forces might respond.

“This cannot lead to (a) repeat of last year’s vicious military reprisals responding to a similar attack, when security forces tortured, killed and raped Rohingya people and burned down whole villages,” said Amnesty’s regional campaigns director Josef Benedict.

Myanmar security forces have conducted sporadic operations to flush out suspected militants this year, often resulting in casualties among Rohingya villagers.

They have spoken of their fear at being trapped in between security forces and the militants, who are accused of conducting a shadowy assassination campaign against those perceived as collaborators with the state.

Access to the area is severely restricted and verifying information is difficult.

Activists and supporters on both sides of the sectarian divide have a history of posting false images and footage online.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/2017/08/25/12-dead-muslim-insurgent-attacks-northwest-myanmar/

146 Rohingyas pushed back by BGB

• AKM Faisal Rahman
• Published at 02:21 PM August 25, 2017

BGB patrolling the border along the Naf river at TeknafFile Photo
The border guards have intercepted and sent back the refugees through different points of the border river in the early hours on Friday
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have pushed back 146 Rohingyas as they tried to enter Bangladesh through the Naf River in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf upazila.

The border guards intercepted and sent back the refugees through different points of the border river in the early hours on Friday, said Major Saiful Islam Jamaddar, deputy commander of Teknaf BGB battalion-2.

The 146 Rohingya Muslims included women and children, he added.

The BGB official also noted that they had tried to illegally enter Bangladesh following news that the Myanmar army exchanged fire with some insurgents in Rakhine State Thursday night.

On August 12, authorities in Myanmar said hundreds of troops had moved into Rakhine State as it ramps up counterinsurgency efforts there, according to AFP.

Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh told AFP that at least 3,500 Rohingya refugees had crossed into Bangladesh since then.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/08/25/146-rohingyas-pushed-back-by-bgb/

 

[Banglar Bir]

IOM launches $3.7m fundraising campaign for cyclone-hit Rohingyas

• Tribune Desk
• Published at 12:24 AM August 24, 2017
• Last updated at 03:59 PM August 24, 2017

Kutupalang Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, November 21, 2016REUTERS
Over 75,000 UMNs have fled to Bangladesh ever since violence erupted in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in October last year
International Organization for Migration, or IOM, has launched a $3.7m fundraising campaign to help Rohingya migrants affected by Cyclone Mora in Bangladesh.

The cyclone, which brought 117 km/h winds and heavy rain in late May , tore into makeshift settlements inhabited by over 130,000 Rohingyas, also known in Bangladesh as Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMNs).

The cyclone destroyed 25% of shelters and left the rest partially damaged. Power connections to the settlements were cut off, food and fuel supplies hindered, and health and sanitation facilities badly damaged.

The IOM campaign, which aims to help some 80,000 people in the settlements and host communities between now and the end of the year, will target health, water, sanitation, shelter and protection, according to the IOM.

IOM’s emergency response staff working in the settlements said restoration of water and sanitation facilities is their top priority. The storm knocked out 243 latrines, as well as tube wells on which poor residents are solely dependent for clean water.

Shelter and non-food relief items, including plastic sheeting, mosquito nets and blankets, are urgently needed for the estimated 17,000 families that lost their homes.

Over 75,000 UMNs have fled to Bangladesh ever since violence erupted in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in October last year.

Rocked and displaced by brutalities perpetrated by their government, the Rohingyas have taken shelter in the settlements in Cox’s Bazar, where the IOM provides site management and coordinates the work of other aid agencies.

The UN migration agency, which has been working with the UMNs and host communities in the areas since 2014, also provides water, sanitation assistance, shelter, healthcare and protection from gender-based violence.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/banglad...m-fundraising-campaign-cyclone-hit-rohingyas/

 

[TopCat]

 

[Banglar Bir]

The Rohingya dialect seems more like a mix of a local, Sylhoti+ Chatgaia

Govt to implement Rakhine commission’s recommendations
SAM Staff, August 26, 2017

The Myanmar government said it would implement the recommendations from the Rakhine State Advisory Commission’s final report “within the shortest time frame possible.”

The commission, led by former UN chief Kofi Annan, released its final report on Thursday at the end of it year-long mandate to advise the Myanmar government on long-term solutions for the ethnically and religious divided region.

Within hours of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s meeting with the commission, the State Counselor’s Office released a statement that read: “As an immediate step, the government will form a new Ministerial-led committee responsible for the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.”

Representatives from respective government ministries will be included in the new committee, which will oversee the delivery and regular reporting on the progress of the implementation.

The committee will be assisted by an Advisory Board on Rakhine, it stated, adding that the board will include regional and international experts.

“We hope to set out a full roadmap for implementation in the coming weeks,” it added.

The government stated that “meaningful and long-term solutions are welcome” for Rakhine State, adding that the difficulties cannot be resolved overnight.

Meanwhile, Myanmar Army Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing claimed that the commission’s report included some factual inaccuracies and questioned its impartiality, during the meeting with the commission on Thursday.

The commission criticized several aspects of Myanmar’s 1982 Citizenship Law as failing to meet international standards, pointing out that it contradicts the principles of non-discrimination under international law and treaties signed by Myanmar, as well as recently-approved domestic laws, including the military-drafted 2008 Constitution.

It urged the acceleration of the national verification process in line with the 1982 Citizenship Law in Rakhine State and the creation of a transparent strategy and timeline for granting citizenship to those eligible.

SOURCE THE IRRAWADDY
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/08/26/govt-implement-rakhine-commissions-recommendations/

 

[Banglar Bir]

Democracy or Development: Myanmar’s big debate
Subir Bhaumik, August 26, 2017

The debate about whether Myanmar needs development more than democracy seems to have gained some traction in recent months, partly due to the lacklustre performance of the Aung San Suu Kyio government and somewhat due to a recent survey of Myanmar public opinion carried out by the International Republican Institute (IRI) of USA.

The survey questioned 3,000 people above 18 across the states and regions between March 9 and April 1, 2017. Their views about their socio-economic status, political and security scenario in Myanmar, the democratic transition and rights, and perceptions of government, legislature, political parties and the media were sought.

The strange findings of IRI only confuses anyone watching Myanmar. Sample this — only 24 percent of respondents said democratic reform was more important than economic development while another 11 percent described democratic reform as moderately important. But only forty percent of respondents thought the economy was more important than democracy. So, by default 60 percent of the people surveyed did not think economy was more important.

But all newspaper and website headlines suggested that the survey had found more people in Myanmar emphasizing on development rather than democracy. IRI reinforced that feeling but the Myanmar people know better. Reading closely through the survey, one would get the feeling that people in Myanmar want both because they know one cannot be achieved without the other.

A country long afflicted by civil war like Myanmar needs peace and stability that follows from democracy, not otherwise, to develop. Free market economy leads to growth only if there is democracy with distributive justice.

IRI Asia Senior Advisor Johanna Kao said the survey intended to highlight what the government and political parties should do in the months ahead based on public opinion. So, going by IRI prescription, Aung San Suu Kyi’s government should put conflicts like the one in Rakhine on the backburner and only seek development. Because according to the survey, economy is the biggest concern of the people, followed by peace and resolving conflicts. Thirty-one percent of the respondents answered that the economy should be a higher priority of the government than resolving conflict.

“Most of the voters will focus on their socio-economic life. They will think about other things only when they enjoy their socio-economic status. They will like and accept a government only when it solves their livelihood problems,” said Rob Varsalone of Global Strategic Partners who supervised the survey.

The majority of the respondents were optimistic about Myanmar’s economy with 53 percent answering that it was doing well, while 22 percent said it was doing badly. So where is the issue! If majority of Myanmar people feel the economy is doing well, how can media headlines tend to suggest otherwise. A 53 percent approval rating on the economic performance is not something that can encourage complacency, but also is not something that could be used to undermine the government.

This is why the reporting of Myanmar in the global media has attracted much criticism. Veteran journalist and now vice chairman of the Myanmar Press Council Aung Hla Tun lashed out at them during a recent conference on Myanmar’s Democracy Transition. “They sensationalise and often get it all wrong,” Tun said. Going by the reporting of the IRI survey, one would feel the former Reuters Correspondent has a point.

“It is important to assess those figures based on demographics rather than believing the figures as they are,” said U Tin Maung Oo of the Former Political Prisoner Society. He pointed out the survey did not touch upon issues concerning the military. That is a growing problem with most Western experts — they are not factoring the military when assessing the performance of the Daw Suu Kyi government. How can there be full democracy when the military still controls three crucial ministries, has the last word on conflict in disturbed regions and account for one-fourth of the seats in the parliament. Unless the structure of democracy is fully established, how can one say whether the democracy has worked or failed.

Democracy is a whole package, not the sum total of what its manifestations look like. Yes, one has more free speech in Myanmar now than say five years ago, but the structure of democracy is awfully flawed and will remain so until Suu Kyi can contest for Presidency or the military presence in parliament and government wholly neutralised.

The way Suu Kyi has to walk a tight rope between her aspirational lawmakers and the military has often led to popular frustration. That explains the relative lower ratings the government got in the current IRI survey than the one in 2014.

For instance, 88 percent of respondents said the country was headed in the right direction in 2014, versus 75 percent in the new poll.
Some 73 percent appraised the economic situation as “somewhat good” in 2014, versus 53 percent today.
Asked if the current government was doing a “good job,” 58 percent said it was, but that number dipped from 69 percent three years ago.
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/08/26/democracy-development-myanmars-big-debate/

 

[Banglar Bir]

Horrors in Rakhine haunt persecuted Rohingyas

• Anwar Hussain, Chittagong
• Published at 12:56 PM August 26, 2017
• Last updated at 01:27 AM August 27, 2017

Injured Rohingya man Muktar at hospital bedDhaka Tribune
At least 89 people including a dozen security forces were killed as Rohingya insurgents besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State
The atrocities by Myanmar’s army during the recent crackdown are still haunting the country’s Rohingya Muslims, triggering a fresh exodus of refugees to Bangladesh.

Among the latest arrivals, one identified as Musa by his companion died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) from a gunshot wound sustained during the crackdown. The 22-year-old was from Maungdaw in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

Another injured Rohingya man, who called himself Mukhtar, on Saturday told the Dhaka Tribune that he, Musa and another trespassed into Bangladesh after a group of army men with heavy weapons swooped on their village all on a sudden on Thursday night.

“They shot dead a villager. We were injured in the gunfire,” he said.

The third Rohingya was admitted to a hospital at Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

“The army men were firing indiscriminately at us. We were running helter-skelter to save our lives. Only two of us managed to escape the atrocities, and two died on the spot. Initially, we took shelter in a nearby hill after fleeing our village with severe injuries. To avoid being caught by the army men, we later left the hill and crawled into another village,” the shell-shocked survivor narrated the horrors of the night, lying on a CMCH bed.

“The villagers provided us with food, water and shelter. Later, we crossed into Bangladesh with the help of agents from the two sides. Scores of Rohingya people, mostly women and children, are still agonisingly waiting to take shelter in Bangladesh,” he said.

At least 89 people including a dozen security forces were killed as Rohingya insurgents besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State, according to The Hindu.

Also Read- Fresh violence kills 89 in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

The state is bisected by religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Fearing further persecution, Mukhtar said he did not want to return home.

Standing beside the bullet-hit youth, Jahara Begum, who identified Mukhtar as her son-in-law, said that on information she received and whisked him off to the hospital.

“I live in a registered Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. I am worried as many of our relatives are still passing their days in utter insecurity,” added Jahara.

Contacted, CMCH Director Brig Gen Md Jalal Uddin said the two Rohingya youths were admitted to the hospital with gunshot injuries early Saturday.

“Both of them received bullet injuries two days back in Myanmar. Of the two, one by the name of Musa succumbed to his injuries at the hospital,” said Jalal.

Asked about Mukhtar’s condition, he said: “Mukhtar sustained injuries in the chest. He is showing symptoms of poor consciousness level. We will take decision about surgery after conducting some tests.

“We are hopeful of giving him proper treatment if his health condition does not deteriorate.”

The body of Musa has been kept at the hospital morgue.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/08/26/rohingya-man-shot-myanmar-dies-chittagong/

12:00 AM, August 27, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:00 AM, August 27, 2017
Crisis deepens
Myanmar fires on fleeing Rohingyas; refugees keep thronging border; US calls for protecting human rights as Rakhine violence toll now 92

Rohingya refugees gathered by BGB at Ghundhum of Naikkhangchhari in Bandarban last night. Over 2,000 people crossed the border into Bangladesh to flee fresh escalation of violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State. Photo: Star

Star Report
Amid continued bloodshed in Rakhine State of Myanmar and influx of Rohingyas towards Bangladesh, Myanmar troops fired twice on fleeing people near the Bandarban border yesterday.

The first shooting took place at the no man's land of the Naf River near Toombro border under Naikhyangchhari upazila around 1:15pm, said Lt Col Manjurul Ahsan Khan, director of BGB Battalion 34.

The official said the Rohingyas had been staying on boats at the no man's land since Friday night as they were trying to cross the river to enter Bangladesh.

They could not get into the country's territory as BGB members enforced a zero tolerance policy on trespassing, he said, adding that it could not be confirmed if there was any casualty.

The second shooting occurred near Ghumdhum border of the upazila around 4:30pm, the official told The Daily Star.

An AFP reporter saw in Ghumdum civilians running for their lives as the troops opened fire. It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries.

The news agency quoted a senior BGB official saying that the troops fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the zero line. "They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targeting the civilians. They have not consulted the BGB."

As violence left at least 92 dead since early Friday and clashes continued between suspected Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces, terrified civilians tried to flee remote villages in northern Rakhine for Bangladesh yesterday afternoon.

In the evening, over “two thousand Rohingyas” entered Bangladesh through different points of Naikhyangchhari, according to a local public representative.

Mukter Miah, a Rohingya from Myanmar, gets treated in Chittagong Medical College Hospital yesterday. He is accompanied by his relative who came to Bangladesh 15-20 years ago. Photo: Prabir Das

“Around 2,000 to 2,500 Rohingyas got into Bangladesh from Myanmar this evening [yesterday],” Md Zahangir Alam, chairman of Ghumdum Union Parishad, told our Cox's Bazar correspondent.

BGB members have cordoned them off and are keeping close watch so that they cannot proceed further into the country. Locals extended a helping hand to the refugees with food, water and other life-saving materials, he said.

Meanwhile, one of the three Rohingyas, who suffered bullet injuries while fleeing alleged police action in their village in Rakhine State, died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital yesterday. The two other Rohingyas were undergoing treatment at the CMCH.

Rakhine State has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Residents of outlying villages fled to the main town of Maungdaw yesterday, only to be greeted with more violence there. Three village officials were killed overnight near Maungdaw, according to the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Meanwhile, the United States urged Myanmar authorities to avoid a response that would inflame the tensions.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in Washington that as security forces act to prevent further violence and bring the perpetrators to justice, they should respect the rule of law and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

She said the attacks underscored the importance of the government implementing recommendations of a commission chaired by former UN chief Kofi Annan, which published its final report on Thursday recommending that the government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya.

At least 89 people were killed as militants besieged border posts in Rakhine on Friday. The office of de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said 12 security officials had been killed alongside 77 militants -- the highest declared single-day toll since fighting broke out last year.

More than a thousand Rohingyas, including women and children, reportedly crossed the Naf River on Friday morning and got into Bangladesh through several points along the Teknaf and Ukhia borders. BGB said it sent back 146 Rohingyas hours after they entered the country.

Attacks on police posts last October sparked a wave of deadly “clearance operations” by Myanmar's army and forced some 87,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Rights groups fear a similar crackdown may take place following Friday's attacks.

NO ROHINGYA TO BE ALLOWED
Md Ali Hossain, deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar, yesterday said the local administration has been directed to try its best to restrict the entry of fresh Rohingyas as not a single person will be allowed further in the name of “humanity”, reports UNB.

He, however, said the government is keeping humanitarian aspect of the situation in mind with due sincerity. "That doesn't mean we'll have to bear the burden for year after year by allowing the entry of people from another country."

The comments were made at an emergency meeting held at the Circuit House on Friday night attended by government officials, representatives of law enforcement agencies, politicians and others.

The meeting has decided to take stern action against those who will help Rohingyas enter Bangladesh.

Bangladesh shares with Myanmar a 272km border that falls in Bandarban and Cox's Bazar. Of this, a 52km stretch is in the Naf River.

The country has been hosting up to 5,00,000 Rohingyas for three decades. More than 32,000 of them are registered and live in two camps in Cox's Bazar. Others live in different areas of Cox's Bazar and Chittagong.

After Myanmar armed forces launched a counterinsurgency operation following attacks on security personnel in Rakhine State in October last year, more than 75,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh.

THE DEATH AT CMCH
The Rohingya who died was identified as Mohammad Musa, 23, son of Mohammad Ismail, from Mehendi village under Jeddina Police Station of Maungdaw, said police.

Of the injured, Mohammad Mukter Miah, 27, hailing from the same village, was undergoing treatment at the surgery ward of the CMCH, said Jahirul Islam, in-charge of CMCH Police Camp.

Another injured, 10-year-old Md Idris, was admitted to Neurosurgery ward.

Police said Musa and Mukter were injured in police firing as they went to “attack police camps” in Myanmar, but the injured claimed that they were “innocent” and that sustained bullet injuries while trying to flee police attack in their village.

"Some people brought Musa and Mukter to the CMCH around 3:00am [yesterday],” said Jahirul, adding that Musa suffered bullet injuries in the abdomen, Mukter in left shoulder and Idris in the head.

Idris was brought by a woman around 5:00am, he said.

Mahadi Hasan Manju, a medical officer of surgery ward, said Musa died around 9:45am.
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/crisis-deepens-1454569

Myanmar forces 'fire on fleeing Rohingya'
AFP . Cox’s Bazar | Update: 23:04, Aug 26, 2017

Myanmar security forces fired mortars and machine guns at terrified Rohingya villagers fleeing northern Rakhine state for Bangladesh on Saturday, according to an AFP reporter and a border official at the scene, as clashes which have killed scores continued for a second day.

The fighting, concentrated around remote border villages, is between suspected Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces, but is increasingly sweeping in civilians—from the Muslim minority as well as local Buddhists and Hindus.

Rakhine state has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Violence has left at least 92 dead since Friday, according to an official toll, and forced thousands of Rohingya to flee towards Bangladesh.

But authorities there have refused to let most of them in, with thousands of people, mainly women and children, stranded along the “zero line” border zone.

On Saturday an AFP reporter at Bangladesh’s Ghumdhum border post counted over a dozen mortar shells and countless machine gun rounds fired by Myanmar security forces in nearby hills onto a large group of Rohingya desperately trying to cross.

It was not immediately clear if any were hit, but civilians scattered to evade the barrage.

“They have fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the zero line,” Border Guard Bangladesh’s (BGB) station chief Manzurul Hassan Khan confirmed.

“They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targeting the civilians. They have not consulted with the BGB,” he added.

Unwanted by Myanmar, the Rohingya are unwelcome in Bangladesh, which already hosts tens of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority who live in squalid conditions in the Cox’s Bazar area.

In desperate scenes, many of the Rohingya displaced on Friday have been left without shelter in no-man’s land between the two countries, or forced to return to villages enveloped by clashes between militants and security forces.

Hundreds did make it across the porous border early Saturday when border patrols were relaxed due to heavy rains, an AFP reporter witnessed, with some swimming across the Naf river which separates the two countries.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned Myanmar’s charge d’affaires and expressed “serious concern” at the possibility of a large-scale influx of Rohingyas following the latest violence.

‘No security’
The current flare-up came after a Myanmar government-commissioned report led by former UN chief Kofi Annan into the roots of the Rakhine troubles.

It urged Myanmar’s government to swiftly find a pathway to citizenship for the roughly one million-strong Rohingya minority and ease suffocating restrictions on work and travel.

Violence erupted early on Friday as scores of men purportedly from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), ambushed Myanmar police posts.

Using knives, some guns and homemade explosives they killed at least a dozen security forces.

The fightback has seen at least 77 Rohingya militants killed, according to the office of Myanmar’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi—the highest declared single day toll since ARSA emerged as a force last year.

The group says it is fighting to protect the Rohingya from abuses by Myanmar security forces and the majority-Buddhist Rakhine community who they accuse of trying to push them out.

Attacks on police posts last October sparked a wave of deadly “clearance operations” by Myanmar’s army and forced some 87,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

The UN believes that military crackdown may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

The army denies the allegations, which included civilian killings and mass rape.

On Saturday residents of outlying villages fled to the town of Maungdaw, only to be greeted with more violence there.

Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists armed themselves with knives and sticks as tension soared in a town that has repeatedly been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012.

With panic spreading, scores of Hindu villagers also fled to Maungdaw after rumours that they too were a target for the militants.

“There is no security in the villages,” Buthon, a Hindu man in Maungdaw told AFP.

The government has declared ARSA a terrorist organisation.
http://en.prothom-alo.com/international/news/157635/Myanmar-forces-fire-on-fleeing-Rohingya

12:00 AM, August 27, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 03:02 AM, August 27, 2017
'Stop fresh exodus of Rohingyas'
Dhaka hands protest note to Myanmar envoy

Rohingyas from Rakhine State in Myanmar gather near the border yesterday in Ukhia where border guards stopped them from entering. At least 89 people, including 12 security forces, were killed as insurgents besieged border posts in Rakhine, triggering a fresh exodus of refugees towards Bangladesh. Photo: AFP

Diplomatic Correspondent

Dhaka yesterday handed over a protest note to the Myanmar envoy and called upon the neighbouring country to stop any fresh flow of Rohingyas towards Bangladesh, said foreign ministry sources.

The move came at a time when Bangladesh has seen a sudden influx of the Myanmar nationals in the wake of violence in Rakhine state and a statement from the Myanmar army has said "extremist Bengali insurgents attacked a police station in Maungdaw region”.

Yesterday, the foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy and expressed “serious concern” over the recent happenings, including the fresh entry of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh.

Thousands of unarmed civilians, including women, children and elderly people from Rakhine, have assembled close to the border and were making attempts to enter Bangladesh, according to a foreign ministry press release issued yesterday.

Aung Myint Minister Counsellor of Myanmar met Secretary (Asia & Pacific) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mahbub Uz Zaman yesterday afternoon at the ministry to discuss the evolving situation in the Rakhine State.

Zaman recalled the influx of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh due to similar military operations in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on October 9 last year that resulted in about 85,000 civilians crossing over to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has expressed “serious concern” at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation as the country already hosts about four lakh Myanmar nationals, said the foreign ministry statement.

The secretary also emphasised on addressing the underlying root of the prolonged problem through a comprehensive and inclusive approach.

Bangladesh has taken note of renewed clashes after attacks on the Myanmar Border Guard police posts in the Rakhine State on Friday, said the statement.

Bangladesh condemned the attacks on Myanmar forces and expressed concern at the loss of innocent lives in those clashes that occurred following recent deployment of forces in Ratheedaung-Buthidaung areas.

Bangladesh also stressed on the need for respecting the state responsibility to protect its civilian population and urged Myanmar to ensure appropriate protection and shelter for the unarmed civilians, especially women, children and elderly people.

Following her policy of “zero tolerance” towards violent extremism and terrorism of any form and manifestation, Bangladesh assured Myanmar of continued cooperation in dealing with these challenges, the statement said.

Bangladesh also pointed out that the terrorist attack and clashes occurred at a time when the Rakhine Advisory Commission, popularly known as Kofi Annan Commission, made recommendations towards durable solution for the Rakhine State.

At least 89 people were killed as militants besieged border posts in the Rakhine State on Friday.
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/stop-fresh-influx-rohingyas-1454575

US urges non-violent response from Myanmar after clashes with Rohingya militants leave 89 dead
SAM Staff, August 27, 2017

The United States has urged Myanmar authorities to avoid a response that would inflame tensions after an attack by Rohingya militants left 12 security personnel and 77 Rohingya Muslims dead.

The office of the country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said on Friday that military and border police responded to the attacks by launching “clearance operations”.

Police fought off groups of as many as 100 Rohingya attackers who were armed with guns, machetes and home-made grenades. The captured weapons were shown in photos posted online by the government.

A witness in Maungdaw township in Rakhine state said soldiers entered her village at about 10am, burned homes and property and shot dead at least 10 people.

The witness, who asked to be identified only as Emmar, said villagers fled in many directions but mostly to a nearby mountain range. She said gunshots and explosions could be heard and smoke could still be seen late Friday evening.

A militant group named the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) took responsibility for the Thursday night attacks on more than 25 locations, saying they were defending Rohingya communities that had been brutalised by government forces. It issued its statement via a Twitter account deemed legitimate by advocates of Rohingya rights.

Suu Kyi called the attacks “a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine state”.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in Washington that as security forces act to prevent further violence and bring the perpetrators to justice, they should respect the rule of law and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

She said the attacks underscored the importance of the government implementing recommendations of a commission that is chaired by former UN chief Kofi Annan. The commission published its final report on the day of the attacks, recommending the government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya.

Annan condemned the new attacks, saying “no cause can justify such brutality and senseless killing”, and urged the government to exercise restraint and “ensure that innocent civilians are not harmed”.

Suu Kyi’s office said on Facebook page that the attacks were intended to coincide with the release of Annan’s report.

The latest clashes were deadlier than a string of attack last October by the militants on three border posts that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counter-insurgency operations by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya communities in Rakhine state. Human rights groups accused the army of massive human rights abuses including murder, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.

The army’s abuses fueled further resentment toward the government among the Muslim Rohingya, most of whom are considered by Myanmar’s Buddhist majority to be illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and its rights. ARSA took advantage of the resentment by stepping up recruitment of members.

The Rohingya have long faced severe discrimination and were the target of violence in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove about 140,000 people from their homes to camps for the internally displaced, where most remain.

According to the UN, more than 80,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since last October’s clashes.

SOURCE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/0...ces-clashes-rohingya-militants-leave-89-dead/

Thousands of Rohingyas stranded at Bangladesh border after Myanmar attacks
SAM Staff, August 26, 2017

Bangladesh has strengthened security along the border with Myanmar as thousands of Rohingyas are fleeing the country after deaths of at least 71 in attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in Rakhine state.

The Rohingya Muslims, who left homes fearing more persecution by Myanmar after the attacks, gathered along the Naf river after crossing it through Palongkhali of Ukhia on Friday.

Border Guard Bangladesh or BGB troops stood guard at some distance to stop the Rohingyas from entering Cox’s Bazar.

The border guards stopped and sent back, with water and food, 146 Rohingyas to Myanmar on Thursday night.

BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion Commander Lt Col Ariful Islam said the border guards ramped up security last week after Myanmar intensified army operations.

“We’ve raised the alarm after last night’s incidents in Rakhaine,” he added.

Around 87,000 Rohingyas joined hundreds of thousands of refugees in Bangladesh after the Myanmar Army crackdown on militants following an attack on a police post in October last year.

The attacks on Friday have now raised fear of another wave of Rohingya influx.

Locals at Ukhia said they heard gunshots from the other side of the border late on Thursday and that the pressure of Rohingyas from Myanmar rose early in the morning.

The Rohingyas took position along several kilometers of the river by afternoon.

Fish farms, swamps, and farmlands separated them from the Bangladeshis, who include locals, BGB troops and village police.

Cox’s Bazar 34 Battalion Commander Lt Col Manjurul Ahsan Khan told that the border guards will try to send them back.

“Now we have strengthened patrol and monitoring so that no one can enter,” he added.

SOURCE BDNEWS24.COM
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/0...s-stranded-bangladesh-border-myanmar-attacks/

 

[Banglar Bir]

12:34 PM, August 27, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:44 PM, August 27, 2017
Rohingya influx into Bangladesh continues

A BGB personnel stands guard the Rohingya refugges in Ghumdhum in Naikhyangchhari upazila of Bandarban. Photo: Anisur Rahman
Star Online Report

Following yesterday’s mass exodus that saw nearly 2,000 Rohingya refugees entering Bangladesh territory from Myanmar, hundreds of Rohingyas were today seen at the no man's land at Ghumdhum in Naikhyangchhari upazila of Bandarban.

The number of Rohingyas heading towards Bangladesh saw a fresh increase as the bloodshed in the Rakhine State of Myanmar continues.

At least 89 people were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar on Friday.

Read More: Crisis deepens
“We heard sounds of heavy gunfire near Toombro border under Naikhyangchhari upazila,” our Cox’s Bazar staff correspondent reports today quoting Zahangir Aziz, chairman of Ghumdhum union.

Quoting witnesses, the chairman told the correspondent that hundreds of Rohingya refugees were waiting near Toombro border trying to enter Bangladesh territory.

Read Also: 'Stop fresh exodus of Rohingyas'

In the evening, over “two thousand Rohingyas” entered Bangladesh through different points of Naikhyangchhari, according to a local public representative.

“Around 2,000 to 2,500 Rohingyas got into Bangladesh from Myanmar this evening [yesterday],” Md Zahangir Alam, chairman of Ghumdum Union Parishad, said yesterday.

BGB members have cordoned them off and are keeping close watch so that they cannot proceed further into the country. Locals extended a helping hand to the refugees with food, water and other life-saving materials, he said.
http://www.thedailystar.net/country...m_medium=newsurl&utm_term=all&utm_content=all

Retweeted Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish):

Bangladeshi border guards say Myanmar troops fired mortars and machine guns at Rohingya civilians https://t.co/SdfNhCOY7Bhttps://t.co/AGmtUw1WBx

 

[Banglar Bir]

https://www.facebook.com/

My [our] condolences are also with those Burmese security force families who lost their loved ones on August 25.

However, it is not noble to remain silent when the entire #Rohingya community is bullied, harassed and persecuted by the very Burma's Military institution, which has divided the country and the people into pieces.

It is also not the characteristics of a good leader to side with the perpetrators who raped, burned, destroyed, displaced, arrested, tortured and killed countless of Rohingya civilians.

By Haikal Mansor

Over a thousand Rohingya crossed the border into Bangladesh after Myanmar Army launched atrocious campaign against the civilians.
Video: AFP

https://www.facebook.com/

SITUATIONS OF ROHINGYA ALARMING
The situations of Rohingya are alarming as Myanmar army launched military campaigns after clashes with Rohingya insurgents on August 25, as "crimes against humanity" are coming out from Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung with over hundreds killed, houses burnt down and mass displacement.

https://www.facebook.com/

#Rohingya villagers take refuge in a forest after #Myanmar Army burnt down their Chein KarLi, #KoeTanKauk village tract in #Rathedaung.

https://www.facebook.com/

APHR Statement on Developments in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
__________________________________________________
By ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

On behalf of the membership of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, who hail from legislatures across Southeast Asia, I am alarmed by the latest developments in northern Rakhine State in Myanmar, which has seen a dramatic escalation of violence and a heightened risk of atrocities.

These events come on the heels of yesterday’s release of the final report by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which outlines a series of strong, common sense recommendations that the government can take to deescalate tensions, resolve grievances, and promote sustainable peace and prosperity in Rakhine State.
READ MORE
http://www.thestateless.com/…/aphr-statement-on-development…

#Rohingya #MyanmarArmy #HumanRights #Myanmar #HumanRights #ASEAN #ASEANMP #Maungdaw #Buthidaung

APHR Statement on Developments in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
By ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights On behalf of the membership of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, who hail from legislatures across…
THESTATELESS.COM

Crimes Against Humanity

https://www.facebook.com/

Thousands of #Rohingya Muslims are fleeing for their lives from the ongoing Genocide committed by Myanmar Buddhist Govenmernt.
#Myanmar #RohingyaGenocide
#SaveRhingya