Some 700,000 Muslim Rohingya have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to Bangladesh since late August, when Myanmar security forces began sweeps through Rakhine after attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group. There are credible accounts of widespread human rights abuses, including rape, the torching of homes and killings, carried out against the Rohingya, leading to accusations that Myanmar is guilty of “ethnic cleansing,” or even genocide. Myanmar’s government has built two reception camps and a transition camp for Rohingya refugees in northern Rakhine, but Gilmour, like most human rights advocates, says it is unsafe now to repatriate the Rohingya. “The conversation now must focus on stopping the violence in Rakhine state, ensuring accountability for the perpetrators, and the need for Myanmar to create conditions for return,” said Gilmour. We’ve asked Myanmar for humanitarian access in order to help people like them and others affected by the recent violence.”

Source: National Post March 06, 2018 10:29 UTC