News Report: UN Chief Urges 'Swift Action' to Alleviate Suffering of Myanmar Muslims

Margaret Besheer

UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday for "swift action" to halt the deteriorating situation in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State, where a half million mostly Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in the past month.

"The situation has spiraled into the world’s fastest developing refugee emergency; a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," Guterres told an open meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

The council has privately discussed the situation three times in the past month, but Thursday’s session was the first time since 2009 that it has publicly discussed Myanmar.

Guterres called for an end to the military’s operations; unhindered aid access; and the safe and voluntary return of refugees to their areas of origin.

"There seems to be a deeply disturbing pattern to the violence and ensuing large movements of an ethnic group from their homes," Guterres said.

Guterres and his human rights commissioner have both expressed concerns that what is happening in Rakhine State is ethnic cleansing.

The secretary-general said the core problem is the prolonged statelessness of the Rohingya and its associated discrimination. "The Muslims of Rakhine State should be granted nationality," Guterres said.

The Rohingya are one of many ethnic minorities in the Buddhist-majority nation. They are considered to be economic migrants from Bangladesh and have been denied citizenship, even though most can show that their families have been in the country for generations.

News Story: (Philippines) Palace justifies rejection of UN recommendations

By Alexis Romero and Patricia Viray

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 5:53 p.m.) — Malacañang Monday justified the Philippine government’s rejection of more than half of the recommendations it received during its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, saying it is in line with the country’s independent foreign policy.

The Philippines has rejected 154 of 257 recommendations by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) including allowing a UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard to look into alleged extrajudicial killings, halting efforts to restore death penalty and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

During the UN General Assembly last Saturday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano cautioned against “misinformation” on the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs and decried what he called the “politicization of human rights.”

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Philippines has the prerogative to accept or reject the recommendations of the UN.

“The Philippines has committed to fully accept 103 out of the 257 recommendations that we received during the Third Philippine Universal Periodic Review in Geneva,” Abella said.

“A careful review and inclusive consultation with inputs from various stakeholders, especially from representatives from the State’s executive, legislative, and judicial departments was done, and in line with our independent foreign policy,” he added.

Read the full story at PhilStar

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• Gascon: Rejection of rights recommendations not a victory

News Report: Rohingya Insurgents Call for Humanitarian Cease-fire

Rohingya insurgents in Myanmar have called for a month long cease-fire starting Sunday in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach those affected by the conflict.

Insurgents from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) attacked dozens of police posts and an army base late last month. Fighting led to the displacement of more than 300,000 people.

In a statement Saturday, the group encouraged aid groups to "resume their humanitarian assistance to all victims of the humanitarian crisis, irrespective of ethnic or religious background, during the cease-fire period."

The cease-fire announcement came a day after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley reminded Myanmar that while Washington supported efforts to end violence in northwestern Rakhine state, humanitarian aid must reach those in need.

Haley's statement said, "We welcome the Burmese government committing humanitarian assistance to all displaced by violence. However, we will continue to urge them to make sure this aid actually reaches those in need, as quickly as possible, and that it is delivered in a manner that protects their rights and dignity."

Earlier Friday, the State Department said it was "very focused" on restoring humanitarian assistance to Rakhine state and was "very concerned about sustained allegations of abuses" in that area.

Patrick Murphy, deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia, told reporters by phone Friday that the United States was urging all parties to calm tension in the area. He said since August, "probably well over" 200,000 refugees had crossed the border into Bangladesh to escape the violence.

He said the number of internally displaced persons — those who have left their homes but not left Myanmar — was unknown. Murphy noted that members of the Rohingya ethnic group and non-Rohingya were among the displaced persons in the area.

Discussions with the Myanmar government are "ongoing," he said, through the U.S. ambassador to the country, which also is known as Burma.

News Report: How Very Nobel! Myanmar's Suu Kyi Keeps Her Peace Prize Despite Rohingya Crisis

Aung San Suu Kyi

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has firmly ruled out any possibility of revoking the Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi's Peace Prize, despite mounting international pressure and outcries of protest from fellow Peace Prize winners against Rohingya Crisis.

This week, hundreds of thousands of people signed an online petition to revoke the Peace Prize of Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi over her government's treatment of the Rohingya Muslims.

The change.org petition to take back Aung San Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize has gathered over 380,000 signatures, reflecting a seething outrage over a security sweep by Myanmar forces in Rakhine State following a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants.

"The de-facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition said.

Recently, the growing list of voices calling on Aung San Suu Kyi to do more to protect Myanmar's Muslim minority, who they believed to be persecuted, was joined by fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureates Malala Yousafzai and Desmond Tutu.

News Report: US - Aid in Myanmar Must Reach Those in Need

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is reminding Myanmar, also known as Burma, that while Washington supports the fight against violence in northwestern Rakhine state, humanitarian aid must reach those in need.

Haley released a statement Friday saying, "We welcome the Burmese government committing humanitarian assistance to all displaced by violence. However, we will continue to urge them to make sure this aid actually reaches those in need, as quickly as possible, and that it is delivered in a manner that protects their rights and dignity," she said.

Earlier Friday, the State Department said it is "very focused" on restoring humanitarian assistance to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state and is "very concerned about sustained allegations of abuses" in that area.

Patrick Murphy, deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia, told reporters by phone Friday that the United States is urging all parties to take steps to calm tensions in the area. He said that since August, "probably well over" 200,000 refugees have crossed over the border into Bangladesh to escape the violence. The U.N. puts the number at over 270,000.

News Report: Rohingya Exodus - Petition Seeks to Revoke Myanmar 'De Facto Ruler's' Nobel Prize

Aung San Suu Kyi

As the recent escalation of violence in Myanmar has resulted in thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, hundreds have been killed by the country’s military. Peace activists have launched a petition to revoke the Nobel Peace Prize from the "de facto ruler" Aung San Suu Kyi, as she "has done virtually nothing" to stop the violence.

The protracted battle between Myanmar's military and Rohingya Muslims has not only resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and security personnel, but has also unleashed a refugee crisis in the region with thousands of Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar and taking refuge in neighboring India and Bangladesh.

Peace activists have launched a campaign demanding the Nobel Peace Prize Committee revoke its 1991 prize awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi. They have launched a petition on change.org urging the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to take back the peace prize from Aung San Suu Kyi over her alleged complicity in what is seen as the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in the country.

The petition has already been signed by 366,000 supporters.

News Report: India Supports Rohingya Crisis Resolution, Myanmar’s Territorial Integrity

India’s human rights groups, as well as the UNHRC, are against the Indian government’s decision to deport Rohingya Muslims living illegally on Indian soil. The government, however, maintains that the illegal refugees have become a security threat.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed deep concern over the loss of innocent lives in the ongoing "extremist violence" in Myanmar's Rakhine state. Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the country, urged all stakeholders to find a solution that would restore peace while respecting Myanmar's territorial integrity. The two countries have vowed to boost security cooperation to combat militancy on each other's soil.

The Indian Prime Minister met Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on the second day of his visit. The visit was viewed with significance as it comes amid mounting international pressure on Suu Kyi to act on the continuing clashes between Myanmar's military and Rohingya militants in Rakhine state.

In his joint statement with Suu Kyi, Modi said India shares Myanmar's concerns over the "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state, especially the loss of lives of innocent civilians and security personnel.

News Report: UN Chief Calls on Myanmar to End Violence in Rakhine State

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern Tuesday about the potential for ethnic cleansing against the minority Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state, as ongoing violence forces thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.

"I think that we are facing a risk; I hope we don't get there," said Guterres, when asked whether the human rights situation in Rakhine constituted ethnic cleansing. The secretary-general also appealed to the civilian and military authorities in Myanmar to end the violence he said was creating a situation that could destabilize the region.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 125,000 minority Rohingya refugees have fled Rakhine state for Bangladesh in the last two weeks.

"They are scattered in local villages, refugee camps in makeshift sites in southeastern Bangladesh," Vivian Tan, UNHCR Asia regional press officer, told VOA Burmese. "Many of them are arriving in very bad condition. They say that they have walked for days. They have not eaten food since they left [their] homes. Many of them say they have been surviving on water they can find. They are in very bad physical condition."

Tan said that two official refugee camps in Bangladesh are stretched beyond their limits, with arrivals increasing every day.

"Basically, there is no physical space left to accept more [refugees]," Tan said.

News Story: Urgent life-saving assistance needed for Bangladesh as refugee influx surges - UN agencies

GENEVA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- UN agencies have appealed for millions of dollars in emergency relief aid as more than 123,000 Rohingya's from Myanmar's northern Rakhine state have entered neighboring Bangladesh in 11 days.

"IOM and partner agencies operating in the district, which borders Myanmar, have identified an immediate funding gap of 18 million U.S. dollars over the next three months to allow lifesaving services to be scaled up to cope with the new arrivals," said UN migration agency spokesperson Leonard Doyle on Tuesday at a briefing.

Adding Bangladesh crisis appeal was a statement by the UN refugee agency, saying that the UNHCR is gravely concerned about the continuing conflict in Myanmar and by reports that civilians have died trying to seek safety.

"Those who have made it to Bangladesh are in poor condition," UNHCR spokesperson Duniya Aslam Khan told the UN briefing.

"Most have walked for days from their villages hiding in jungles, crossing mountains and rivers with what they could salvage from their homes. They are hungry, weak and sick," said Khan.

The new arrivals are scattered in different locations in south-eastern Bangladesh.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Indonesia Urging Myanmar to Prevent Further Rakhine Violence

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi is in Myanmar for meetings Monday with leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as the country's military commander and national security adviser to discuss the ongoing crisis in Rakhine state.

The U.N. refugee agency says 87,000 Rohingya have fled from Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh since an eruption of violence late last month. The influx has left aid agencies struggling to keep up with demands for supplies and medical care.

Marsudi said he wanted to discuss security issues and “our proposals in details, including our intention to send more humanitarian assistance to people in Rakhine.”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Marsudi would urge the Myanmar government to prevent further violence, and that the foreign minister would travel on to Bangladesh to prepare humanitarian aid for those who have fled.

News Story: 73,000 Rohingyas flee to Bangladesh from Myanmar - UNHCR

DHAKA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations refugee agency said here Monday 73,000 Rohingya people have come to Bangladesh after violence killed hundreds of people in Myanmar's restive Rakhine state since late last month.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokeswoman Vivian Tan told Xinhua Monday from the country's southeastern Cox's Bazaar district bordering Myanmar that "Aid agencies estimate 73,000 people entered Bangladesh from Myanmar as of Sunday since Aug. 25."

Vivian Tan said they are providing shelter material and basic aid to the newly arrived Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar, some 292 km southeast of Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

Thousands of Rohingya people are still crossing border into Bangladesh, she added.

Sources said hundreds of people have still been reportedly stranded in a no man's land at the countries' border after being attacked by armed men in Myanmar.

Read the full story at Xinhua

USA: Arrest of Cambodian Opposition Leader

We note with grave concern the Cambodian government’s arrest of Kem Sokha, respected leader of the political opposition, on a number of charges that appear to be politically motivated. Kem Sokha has a long, distinguished, and internationally recognized commitment to human rights and peaceful democracy.

This government move follows a number of troubling recent steps, including the imposition of unprecedented restrictions on independent media and civil society. These measures undercut Cambodia's progress in recent decades and raise serious questions about the government's ability to organize credible national elections in 2018 which produce an outcome that enjoys democratic legitimacy.

US State Department

News Report: Cambodia Arrests Opposition Leader, Alleges Treason

David Boyle

NEW YORK — Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha was arrested early Sunday on an espionage charge, accused of conspiring with a foreign power to harm the country, according to a government statement.

Kem Sokha’s daughter, Kem Monovithya, tweeted: “Kem Sokha and all bodyguards are taken away by 100-200 police without warrant after they raided his home. We don’t know where they take him.”

The Cambodian government statement said Kem Sokha, the leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, had been charged with espionage under Article 443 of Cambodia’s criminal code.

“The Royal Government would like to inform the public that according to a video clip broadcasted by the Cambodian Broadcasting Network, based in Australia, and other evidences collected by the competent authority, it clearly proves the conspiracy between Kem Sokha and the accomplices with foreign power, which harms the Kingdom of Cambodia,” the statement read.

News Story: UN concerned about violence in western Myanmar

New York (VNA) – United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in western Myanmar due to recent violent conflicts in Rakhine state that forced 18,500 to evacuate to Bangladesh and left more than 100 dead. 

On September 1, a UN spokesperson said the Secretary General urged parties concerned to exercise restraint. 

Earlier on August 30, the UN Security Council convened a closed-door meeting to discuss violence in Rakhine state, but there is not any formal statement on the crisis.

Read the full story at VietnamPlus

News Report: Myanmar Gov’t. Should Assume Responsibility to Protect Civilians - UN

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been alarmed by Myanmar’s excessive use of force in Rakhine State and calls on the government to protect and assist those in need, Secretary-General's associate spokesperson Eri Kaneko said in a statement on Friday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — "The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the reports of excesses during the security operations conducted by Myanmar's security forces in Rakhine State," the statement said. "The Secretary-General underlines the responsibility of the government of Myanmar to provide security and assistance to all those in need."

Guterres also called on the government to allow the United Nations and its partners to "extend the humanitarian support they are ready to provide," the statement also said.

News Report: Myanmar Authorities - Nearly 400 Dead in Rakhine Violence

Kate Pound Dawson

About 400 people have died in violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state over the past week, military officials said, almost all of them Muslim insurgents.

A military Facebook page reported the numbers, saying 370 were insurgents and 29 were either police or civilians.

Members of the minority Rohingya Muslim community, however, have reported attacks on their villages that left scores dead and forced thousands to flee.

The United Nations says at least 38,000 people have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh, most of them Rohingya. Community leaders in Bangladesh have told VOA that some Hindus, also a minority in Myanmar, have crossed the border.

Sources in Bangladesh have told VOA's Bangla service that as many as 60,000 have crossed the border in the past eight days.

News Story: Gen. Raziq Calls For Nationwide Campaign Against Taliban

Kandahar Police Chief Gen. Abdul Raziq (2015)

Kandahar Police Chief Gen. Abdul Raziq has called for a nationwide campaign against the Taliban who he believes are the puppets of other countries.

Talking to TOLOnews, Raziq said that there should be a difference between those who are educated at schools or madrasas, religious schools, and the Taliban group which “kill the people and destroy public infrastructures”.

“They are terrorists,” he said, referring to the Taliban.

“These terrorists are the slaves of Pakistan; they are also the slaves to Russians and Iran, the slave of China and other countries. They are only the killers of the people of Afghanistan. We cannot give them the name of Taliban ( which means learners) on them (Taliban group),” the police chief said. “Again, I repeat that they (Taliban) are the killers of Afghans and they are terrorists; therefore, all Afghans should fight a Jihad (holy war) against the Taliban.”

Raziq said Taliban is trying to tarnish the image of Islam by attacking mosques, schools and other public places.

“Where Islam orders to kill children? But the Taliban are doing this. Who allows them to come to mosques and carry out explosions? But they conduct explosions at mosques, at schools, at cemeteries and at shrines. Even copies of the Holy Quran were burnt by them. These acts have nothing to do with Islam. These acts are conducted to tarnish the image of Islam,” he said.

According to him, the Taliban is not fighting for Islam and instead pursue their political objectives.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: Activists Concerned Over Rohingya Minority Situation in Myanmar

Activists supporting Muslim minority in Myanmar are concerned about the situation in the state of Rakhine in the light of the recent attacks on security posts and the use of military forces.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Rohingya Council (ERC), a group of activists supporting the interests of Rohingya Muslim minority living in Myanmar's state of Rakhine, expressed concern in connection to the recent attacks in the region and the armed forces' response.

"We, the undersigned Rohingya organizations and communities worldwide are deeply concerned with the recent developments following clashes in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar on August 25, 2017," the group said on Sunday.

Its statement called on the international community to protect Rohingya civilians, adding that the Myanmar military appeared to be using "disproportionate force" against them.

The statement was signed by several other organizations from various parts of the world supporting the Rohingya minority.

More than 70 people were killed in Friday coordinated attacks on security posts in Rakhine.

The state has experienced tensions between Muslim and Buddhist communities, with attacks on security posts or military targets prompting harsh response from the country's armed forces. Many Muslim families have fled to Bangladesh and Malaysia, seeking asylum.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: Rakhine Commission - Myanmar Must End Restrictions on Rohingya

Myint Myint Khaine and Khin Phyu Htway

YANGON, MYANMAR / WASHINGTON, D.C — Myanmar must ease restrictions on citizenship and movement for its minority Rohingya population, a commission led by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday.

The commission also called for Myanmar to quell its violent crackdowns on the Muslim minority Rohingya in order to bring peace to Rakhine state, where most Rohingya live.

Years of friction between the Rohingya and Myanmar's Buddhist majority exploded in October last year with a military crackdown in response to attacks on border police stations that left nine police officers dead. During the crackdown, thousands of Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh complaining of systematic killings, arson and rapes by Myanmar military forces.

The yearlong U.N. commission, tasked with healing divisions between Rakhine State's religious and ethnic groups, released its final report Thursday, a day after submitting it to the government. The report detailed actions the government needs to take to "prevent violence, maintain peace, foster reconciliation, and offer a sense of hope to the state's hard-pressed population," the commission said in a public statement.

"Tensions remain high and they risk becoming worse. Violence will not bring lasting solutions to the acute problems that afflict the Rakhine State," Annan told a press conference in the Myanmar capital, adding "the status quo cannot continue."

News Story: HRW slams Duterte remarks on shooting rights advocates

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte

By Audrey Morallo

MANILA, Philippines — New York-based Human Rights Watch on Thursday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for threatening to have human rights activists shot if they get in the way of police operations, saying these remarks could pave the way for prosecution for crimes against humanity.

The chief executive should immediately withdraw his statement or face the specter of an investigation into for possibly instigating the harming of human rights workers, the human rights watchdog said.

“President Duterte’s threats against human rights activists is like painting a target on the backs of courageous people working to protect the rights and upholding the dignity of all Filipinos,” the deputy Asia director of the rights body, Phelim Kine, said.

Kine added: “Duterte should retract his reprehensible remarks immediately before there is more blood on his hands.”

The official said that Duterte’s threats, issued a day after one of the bloodiest days in the president’s brutal and ruthless campaign against illegal narcotics, could serve as a basis for indictment for crimes against humanity.

During a speech before members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, Duterte vented anew his anger at human rights activists over their investigations into possible rights abuses surrounding his drug war, his flagship security program.

“One of these days, kayong human rights, kayong imbestigahan ko. Conspiracy. If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them,” the hot-tempered Duterte said.

("One of these days, you have human rights, I'll investigate you. Conspiracy. If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them" [Translation: Google Translate]) the hot-tempered Duterte said.

Read the full story at PhilStar