Hundreds of Myanmar’s Rohingya villagers are facing a second night hiding in rice fields without shelter, after the army on Sunday forcibly removed them from a village in a crackdown following attacks on border security forces. The move marks an escalation in violence which has destabilised Myanmar’s most volatile state located in the remote northwest. Attacks in Myanmar’s Rakhine State reinforce the need for long term solutions. Most of the people in the locked-down area are Rohingya — a Muslim minority reviled by many in Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. “The areas affected are also the areas where we normally operate.”Burma gov’t & army should ensure urgently needed aid can reach Rohingya & other vulnerable groups in Rakhine state.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 25, 2016 13:30 UTC