Myanmar faces mounting pressure over Rohingya refugee exodus
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh: Pressure mounted on Myanmar yesterday to end violence that has sent more than 300,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, with the United States calling for protection of civilians and Bangladesh urging safe zones to enable refugees to go home.
The government of Buddhistmajority Myanmar says its security forces are f ighting Rohingya militants behind a surge of violence that began on Aug. 25, and they are doing all they can to avoid harming civilians.
The government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting, the latest to rock Rakhine State in western Myanmar.
The top UN human rights official denounced Myanmar on Monday for conducting a ‘cruel military operation' against Rohingya, branding it ‘a textbook example of ethnic cleansing'.
The United States said the violent displacement of the Rohingya showed Myanmar's security forces were not protecting civilians. Washington has been a staunch supporter of Myanmar's transition from decades of harsh military rule that is being led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
“We call on Burmese security authorities to respect the rule of law, stop the violence, and end the displacement of civilians from all communities,” the White House said in a statement.
Myanmar government spokesmen were not immediately available for comment but the foreign ministry said shortly before the US statement was issued that Myanmar was also concerned about the suffering. Its forces were carrying out their legitimate duty to restore order in response to acts of extremism. — Reuters