Hope Is Too Painful: The Untold Story Of Thousands Of Refugees Trapped In Thailand

Trapped in Mae La refugee camp, eight miles from the Myanmar border in northern Thailand, nearly 40,000 people have fled the world's longest running civil war. Behind them a toxic mix of religious and ethnic difference has fuelled a conflict with such horrors that experts have repeatedly said it is genocide.

Dudu Pho peered across the dark room in his well-built bamboo hut as he continued: "We always hope. But what we hoped for this year still hasn't happened."

There is little prospect those aspirations will be realised this year. Or next year. And that has been the case for the 30 years he has been here. (Courtesy of christiantoday.com)

Indonesian FM soaks up Rohingya crisis in Cox's Bazar

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi spoke to registered and unregistered Rohingya refugees in the Bangladesh camps and listened to their tales of assualts by the Myanmarese security forces. 

Visiting different Rohingya refugee camps in Ukhia of Cox's Bazar, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Tuesday witnessed sufferings of the Rohingyas who are fleeing persecution in Myanmar's Rakhine state to seek protection in Bangladesh.

Marsudi arrived in Bangladesh Monday night on a 24-hour visit after attending a meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries with Myanmar State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon. (Courtesy of thejakartapost.com)

Al-Azhar chief urges end to persecution of Muslims in Myanmar

 In a meeting with Myanmar’s ambassador to Egypt on Monday, Sheikh el-Tayeb stressed that oppression of the Muslim minority group should end and Rohingya’s citizenship rights should be recognized.

He also expressed al-Azhar’s readiness to hold meetings with Myanmar’s religious leaders to reduce tension and conflicts.

He hoped for establishment of comprehensive and viable peace among all Myanmar citizens.

In recent weeks, at least 86 people have been killed in the latest wave of racial violence against the Rohingya Muslims, even though independent reports put the toll much higher.  (Courtesy of en.abna24.com)

Indonesian, Bangladeshi foreign ministers visit refugee camps, settlements with IOM, UNHCR in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

IOM Bangladesh Chief of Mission Sarat Dash and UNHCR Bangladesh Country Representative Shinji Kubo Tuesday have accompanied Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi and Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali on a field visit to Cox’s Bazar to see the developing crisis of civilians fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to seek protection in Bangladesh.

Foreign Minister Marsudi visited Bangladesh on a one-day familiarisation visit, during which she is also scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to discuss the evolving situation. Her visit to Bangladesh comes on the wake of an Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers meeting in Yangon organized by the Government of Myanmar in an effort to reduce regional concerns over the situation in the northern part of Rakhine State.

The high level delegates visited a registered refugee camp and a makeshift settlement in the Cox’s Bazar district of Ukhia, where they met both with refugees and Undocumented Myanmar Nationals (UMN), who have been in the country for many years. They also met with those who have arrived since the violence erupted in early October 2016. The discussions with the community allowed the visitors to better understand the ground realities that have forced some 34,000 civilians to cross the border into Bangladesh in recent weeks and months. (Courtesy of reliefweb.int)

Malaysia talks tough on Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya

Malaysia, the most outspoken of Myanmar’s neighbors over its treatment of its Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority, told a meeting of regional foreign ministers Monday of its “grave concern” over the violence allegedly carried out by Myanmar’s military.

In a formal document presented at the meeting called by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman noted “reports from many sources alleging arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings including of children, rape by soldiers, burning of Rohingya villages as well as destruction of homes and places of worship.”

“It is troubling that these alleged violations occurred in the context of security operations conducted by Government authorities,” the document said. (Courtesy of washingtonpost.com)

Malaysia calls for ASEAN to lead push for end to Rohingya crisis

Malaysia today said the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar was a regional concern and called for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to coordinate humanitarian aid and investigate alleged atrocities committed against them.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman was speaking at a meeting of the 10-nation bloc in Yangon called by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi after weeks of reports that the army has killed, raped and arbitrarily arrested Rohingya civilians.

Myanmar has denied the accusations, saying many of the reports are fabricated and it insists the strife in Rakhine State, where many Rohingya live, is an internal matter. (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)

Rohingya violence by Burmese army true, Suu Kyi has ‘failed’ – report

A NEW report has emerged confirming that Burmese security forces have raped, killed and burnt down over a thousand homes in a campaign of violence against the Rohingya people.

The report by Amnesty International released Monday says an analysis of survivor accounts and satellite images prove the allegations to be true, despite blanket denials by the Burmese authorities.

It also brands Aung San Suu Kyi a failure, saying her silence so far indicates she is either unwilling or unable to contain the violence. ( Courtesy of asiancorrespondent.com)