Myanmar faces heat on Rohingya exodus

Pressure mounted on Myanmar yesterday to end violence that has sent about 370,000 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.But China, which competes for influence in its southern neighbour with the United States, said it backed Myanmar’s efforts to safeguard “development and stability”. The government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.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.Myanmar’s government regards Rohingya as illegal migrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship, even though many Rohingya families have lived there for generations.Reports from refugees and rights groups paint a picture of widespread attacks on Rohingya villages in the north of Rakhine by the security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, who have put numerous Muslim villages to the torch.The exodus to Bangladesh shows no sign of slowing with 370,000 the latest estimate, according to a UN refugee agency spokeswoman, up from an estimate of 313,000 on the weekend. Bangladesh was already home to about 400,000 Rohingyas.Many refugees are hungry and sick, without shelter or clean water in the middle of the rainy season. The United Nations said 200,000 children needed urgent support.Two emergency flights organised by the UN refugee agency arrived in Bangladesh with aid for about 25,000 refugees. More flights are planned with the aim of helping 120,000, a spokesman said. Worry is also growing about conditions inside Rakhine State, with fears a hidden humanitarian crisis may be unfolding.But Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Myanmar should set up safe zones to enable the refugees to go home.“Myanmar will have to take back all Rohingya refugees who entered Bangladesh,” Hasina said on a visit to the Cox’s Bazar border district where she distributed aid. “Myanmar has created the problem and they will have to solve it,” she said, adding: “We want peaceful relations with our neighbours, but we can’t accept any injustice. Stop this violence against innocent people.”Pakistan called on Myanmar to stop making “unfulfilled promises”. In a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, Pakistan said, “Discrimination, violence and acts of hatred are intolerable.”