Under intense global pressure, Myanmar has agreed to repatriate “scrutinized” refugees who can prove their residence in Rakhine. “We are going to harvest some paddy fields of Bengalis who fled to Bangladesh,” he said using a pejorative term for the Rohingya commonly used in Myanmar. But media, rights groups and the UN have documented consistent accounts from Rohingya refugees of atrocities at the hands of Myanmar security officers, who are accused of killing civilians, raping women and torching homes. Myanmar refuses to recognize the Rohingya as a distinct minority, rendering the 1.1-million strong group stateless. The army has spread the view that they are foreign “Bengalis” from Bangladesh, despite many having lived in Myanmar for generations.

Source: Manila Times October 28, 2017 14:15 UTC