The Hague, Netherlands

Judges at the United Nations' highest court on Friday dismissed preliminary objections by Myanmar to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority. The decision establishing the International Court of Justice's jurisdiction sets the stage for hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that human rights groups and a UN probe say breach the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar, which formerly was known as Burma, amounts to genocide. Also read: When Paddy Hopkirk got fan mail from the Beatles after winning Monte Carlo,Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, welcomed the decision, saying 600,000 Rohingya are still facing genocide, while one million people in Bangladesh camps, they are waiting for a hope for justice. The African nation of Gambia filed the case in 2019 amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom fled to neighbouring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in 2017. It argued that both Gambia and Myanmar were parties to the 1948 convention and that all signatories had a duty to ensure it was enforced. Also read: Salman Khan applies for gun licence after death threat: Report,Reading a summary of the decision, the court's president, US Judge Joan E. Donoghue, said, Any state party to the Genocide Convention may invoke the responsibility of another state party including through the institution of proceedings before the court. A small group of pro-Rohingya protesters gathered outside the court's headquarters, the Peace Palace, ahead of the decision with a banner reading: Speed up delivering justice to Rohingya. The genocide survivors can't wait for generations. One protester stamped on a large photograph of Myanmar's military government leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. Also read: Twitter reports quarterly loss in revenue, blames Elon Musk,The court rejected arguments raised at hearings in February by lawyers representing Myanmar that the case should be tossed out because the world court only rules in disputes between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The judges also dismissed Myanmar's claim that Gambia could not file the case as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed. Myanmar's representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, the military government's minister for international cooperation, said his nation will try our utmost to defend our country and to protect our national interest. Also read: Tour de France 2022: Climate activists disrupt stage 19,Gambia's attorney general and justice minister, Dawda Jallow, said, We are very pleased that justice has been done. The Netherlands and Canada have backed Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity. However, the court ruled Friday that it would not be appropriate to send the two countries copies of documents and legal arguments filed in the case. Also read: Gun violence in Rochester: What's new in state gun laws, how would it impact public safety,Myanmar's military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of Rohingya homes. In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years. Also read: Rochester, New York police shooting: Mayor reacts to 'tragic gun violence',The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh.

{\"time\":1658510915433,\"strCount\":5644,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Judges at the United Nations' highest court on Friday dismissed preliminary objections by <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/myanmar/\\\">Myanmar</a> to a case alleging the Southeast Asian nation is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The decision establishing the International Court of Justice's jurisdiction sets the stage for hearings airing evidence of atrocities against the Rohingya that human rights groups and a <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/un/\\\">UN</a> probe say breach the 1948 Genocide Convention. In March, <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/us/\\\">US</a> Secretary of <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/state/\\\">State</a> Antony Blinken said that the violent repression of the Rohingya population in Myanmar, which formerly was known as Burma, amounts to genocide.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/when-paddy-hopkirk-got-fan-mail-from-the-beatles-after-winning-monte-carlo-707511/\\\">When Paddy Hopkirk got fan mail from the Beatles after winning Monte Carlo</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK, welcomed the decision, saying 600,000 Rohingya \\\"are still facing genocide,\\\" while \\\"one million people in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/bangladesh/\\\">Bangladesh</a> camps, they are waiting for a hope for justice.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The African nation of Gambia filed the case in 2019 amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya, hundreds of thousands of whom fled to neighbouring Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown by Myanmar forces in 2017. It argued that both Gambia and Myanmar were parties to the 1948 convention and that all signatories had a duty to ensure it was enforced.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/salman-khan-applies-for-gun-licence-after-death-threat-report-707538/\\\">Salman Khan applies for gun licence after death threat: Report</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Reading a summary of the decision, the court's president, US Judge Joan E. Donoghue, said, \\\"Any state party to the Genocide Convention may invoke the responsibility of another state party including through the institution of proceedings before the court.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A small group of pro-Rohingya protesters gathered outside the court's headquarters, the Peace Palace, ahead of the decision with a banner reading: \\\"Speed up delivering justice to Rohingya. The genocide survivors can't wait for generations.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"One protester stamped on a large photograph of Myanmar's military government leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/twitter-reports-quarterly-loss-in-revenue-blames-elon-musk-707504/\\\">Twitter reports quarterly loss in revenue, blames Elon Musk</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The court rejected arguments raised at hearings in February by lawyers representing Myanmar that the case should be tossed out because the world court only rules in disputes between states and the Rohingya complaint was brought by Gambia on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The judges also dismissed Myanmar's claim that Gambia could not file the case as it was not directly linked to the events in Myanmar and that a legal dispute did not exist between the two countries before the case was filed.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, the military government's minister for international cooperation, said his nation \\\"will try our utmost to defend our country and to protect our national interest.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/tour-de-france-2022-climate-activists-disrupt-stage-19-707466/\\\">Tour de France 2022: Climate activists disrupt stage 19</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Gambia's attorney general and justice minister, Dawda Jallow, said, \\\"We are very pleased that justice has been done.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/netherlands/\\\">Netherlands</a> and <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/canada/\\\">Canada</a> have backed Gambia, saying in 2020 that the country \\\"took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar and upholding this pledge. Canada and the Netherlands consider it our obligation to support these efforts which are of concern to all of humanity.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, the court ruled Friday that it \\\"would not be appropriate\\\" to send the two countries copies of documents and legal arguments filed in the case.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/gun-violence-in-rochester-whats-new-in-state-gun-laws-how-would-it-impact-public-safety-707447/\\\">Gun violence in Rochester: What's new in state gun laws, how would it impact public safety</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's military launched what it called a clearance campaign in Rakhine state in 2017 in the aftermath of an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and torching thousands of Rohingya homes.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In 2019, lawyers representing Gambia at the ICJ outlined their allegations of genocide by showing judges maps, satellite images and graphic photos of the military campaign. That led the court to order Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The interim ruling was intended to protect the minority while the case is decided in The Hague, a process likely to take years.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/rochester-new-york-police-shooting-mayor-reacts-to-tragic-gun-violence-707424/\\\">Rochester, New York police shooting: Mayor reacts to 'tragic gun violence'</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states. It is not linked to the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, which holds individuals accountable for atrocities. Prosecutors at the ICC are investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya who were forced to flee to Bangladesh.\"}}]}

Ajay Joseph

<ul>
 <li>Gambia filed the case in 2019 amid international outrage at the treatment of the Rohingya</li>
 <li>Gambia and Myanmar were parties to the 1948 convention</li>
 <li>The International Court of Justice rules on disputes between states</li>
</ul>

Opoyi Central

Court in United Nations to hear Rohingya case, rejects Myanmar claims

UnitedNations

Myanmar

Bangladesh

Netherlands

Canada

AntonyBlinken

World

RohingyaRefugees

UnitedStates

Aman Butani

Washington D.C., DC, USA

During the Eid al-Fitr reception at the White House, United States President Joe Biden remembered all the Uyghurs and Rohingyas who are not being able to celebrate Eid with their families. He also spoke about those who are facing famine, violence, conflict, and disease. The US President said that Muslims are being targeted across the world and added that they still face real challenges and threats in the society that they live in. Also Read: US tells China to give UN human rights chief full access to Xinjiang,Alongside the President and First Lady, multiple people from Washington DC's Muslim community were present near the stage. These included Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab, Imam of Masjid Muhammad and Dr. Talib Shareef, according to reports from PTI. And honour the signs of hope and progress toward the world we want to see, including the ceasefire, which allowed the people in Yemen to honour Ramadan and celebrate Eid in peace for the first time in six years, Biden said at the White House event. But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that an awful lot of work remains to be done abroad and here at home. Muslims make our nation stronger every single day, even as they still face real challenges and threats in our society, including targeted violence and Islamophobia that exists, he added. Also Read: Games and a bloody summer: When 150 Tibetan monks set themselves ablaze,Biden also revealed that he had appointed the first-ever Muslim as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. We are the only nation in all the history of the world that's been organised not based on a religion, race, ethnicity, geography, but on an idea. Think about that. An idea, Biden said, according to reports from PTI.

{\"time\":1651572019968,\"strCount\":2508,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"During the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/eid-ul-fitr-2022-all-you-need-to-know-564607/\\\">Eid al-Fitr</a> reception at the White House, United States President Joe Biden remembered all the&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/fake-twitter-accounts-spread-chinese-propaganda-regarding-uyghurs-report-122764/\\\">Uyghurs and Rohingyas</a> who are not being able to celebrate Eid with their families. He also spoke about those \\\"who are facing<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/china-scales-back-uyghur-crackdown-but-fear-still-hovers-152615/\\\"> famine, violence, conflict</a>, and disease.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/us-tells-china-to-give-un-human-rights-chief-full-access-to-xinjiang-201289/\\\">The US President</a> said that Muslims are being targeted across the world and added that&nbsp;they still face real challenges and threats in the society that they live in.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/us-tells-china-to-give-un-human-rights-chief-full-access-to-xinjiang-201289/\\\">US tells China to give UN human rights chief full access to Xinjiang</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Alongside the President and First Lady, multiple people from Washington DC's Muslim community were present near the stage. These included Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab,&nbsp;Imam of Masjid Muhammad and Dr. Talib Shareef, according to reports from PTI.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"And honour the signs of hope and progress toward the world we want to see, including the ceasefire, which allowed the people in Yemen to honour <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/in-pics-middle-east-south-asia-mark-start-of-the-holy-month-of-ramadan-396843/\\\">Ramadan</a> and celebrate Eid in peace for the first time in six years\\\", Biden said at the White House event.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"But at the same time, we have to acknowledge that an awful lot of work remains to be done abroad and here at home. Muslims make our nation stronger every single day, even as they still face real challenges and threats in our society, including targeted violence and Islamophobia that exists\\\", he added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/beijing-2022-rights-bodies-recall-how-tibet-burned-amid-2008-games-655847/\\\">Games and a bloody summer: When 150 Tibetan monks set themselves ablaze</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Biden also revealed that he had appointed the first-ever Muslim as the&nbsp;Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We are the only nation in all the history of the world that's been organised not based on a religion, race, ethnicity, geography, but on an idea. Think about that. An idea\\\", Biden said, according to reports from PTI.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Muslims are being targeted around the world, Joe Biden said</li>
 <li>Representatives from Washington DC's Muslim community were invited</li>
 <li>Biden appointed US's first Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom</li>
</ul>

Uyghurs, Rohingyas get special mention in Joe Biden's Eid greetings

JillBiden

WashingtonDC

WhiteHouse

JoeBiden

Uyghurs

Yash Bajaj

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Monday, declared the years-long repression of the Rohingya Muslim population in Myanmar as genocide. ,Blinken announced United States' ruling at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington nearly 14 months after he took office and pledged to conduct a new review of the violence. The designation does not in and of itself portend drastic new measures against Myanmar’s military-led government, which has already been hit with multiple layers of U.S. sanctions since the campaign against the Rohingya ethnic minority began in the country's western Rakhine state in 2017. Also read: Russian bond trading restarts for the first time since Ukraine invasion,But it could lead to additional international pressure on the government, which is already facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Human rights groups and lawmakers have been pressing both the Trump and Biden administrations to make the designation. “I applaud the Biden administration for finally recognizing the atrocities committed against the Rohingya as genocide, he said in a statement released immediately after the State Department announced that Blinken would deliver remarks on Myanmar at the Holocaust Museum on Monday and tour an exhibit entitled “Burma’s Path to Genocide, Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon had said on the eve of the announcement. ,Also Read: Oil prices rise due to pressure of Russia-Ukraine conflict,“While this determination is long overdue, it is nevertheless a powerful and critically important step in holding this brutal regime to account, Merkley said. “Such processes must always be carried out objectively, consistently, and in a way that transcends geopolitical considerations.”,More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refugee camps in Bangladesh since August 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.

{\"time\":1647886522929,\"strCount\":2849,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"US&nbsp;Secretary of State <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/antonyblinken/\\\">Antony Blinken</a>, on Monday, declared the&nbsp;years-long repression of the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/rohingyarefugees/\\\">Rohingya Muslim</a> population in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/us-rules-myanmars-military-carried-out-genocide-against-rohingya-report-214331/\\\">Myanmar </a>as genocide.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Blinken announced United States' ruling at the US&nbsp;Holocaust Memorial Museum in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/washington/\\\">Washington</a> nearly&nbsp;14 months after he took office and pledged to conduct a new review of the violence.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The designation does not in and of itself portend drastic new measures against Myanmar’s military-led government, which has already been hit with multiple layers of U.S. sanctions since the campaign against the Rohingya ethnic minority began in the country's western Rakhine state in 2017.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/russian-bond-trading-restarts-for-the-first-time-since-ukraine-invasion-453883/\\\">Russian bond trading restarts for the first time since Ukraine invasion</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But it could lead to additional international pressure on the government, which is already facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Human rights groups and lawmakers have been pressing both the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/trump/\\\">Trump</a> and <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/biden/\\\">Biden</a> administrations to make the designation.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"“I applaud the Biden administration for finally recognizing the atrocities committed against the Rohingya as genocide,\\\" he said in a statement released immediately after the State Department announced that Blinken would deliver remarks on <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/myanmar/\\\">Myanmar</a> at the Holocaust Museum on Monday and tour an exhibit entitled “Burma’s Path to Genocide,\\\"&nbsp; Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/oregon/\\\">Oregon</a> had said on the eve of the announcement.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/oil-prices-rise-due-to-pressure-of-russia-ukraine-conflict-500334/\\\">Oil prices rise due to pressure of Russia-Ukraine conflict</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"“While this determination is long overdue, it is nevertheless a powerful and critically important step in holding this brutal regime to account,\\\" Merkley said. “Such processes must always be carried out objectively, consistently, and in a way that transcends geopolitical considerations.”\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refugee camps in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/bangladesh/\\\">Bangladesh</a> since August 2017, when the Myanmar military launched a clearance operation in response to attacks by a rebel group. Myanmar security forces have been accused of mass rapes, killings and the burning of thousands of homes.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Blinken announced United States' ruling at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington</li>
 <li>Blinken had pledged after he took office to conduct a new review of the violence</li>
 <li>More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refugee camps</li>
</ul>

US declares oppression of Rohingyas in Myanmar as genocide

Genocide

Muslim

Shiladitya Ray

Washington, D.C., USA

The Joe Biden administration will condemn violence against the minority Rohingya community by the Myanmar military as genocide and crimes against humanity, Reuters reported on Sunday citing US officials familiar with the matter. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make the official announcement condemning the actions of the Myanmar military on Monday at the US Holocaust Memorial, which currently houses an exhibit on the atrocities against the Rohingya community. The announcement will come nearly 14 months after Blinken took office and vowed to conduct an investigation into the ongoing atrocities in Myanmar. Also read | 'Chapter from WWII': Kyiv says Moscow forcibly taking citizens to Russia,While the US, along with an outside law firm, was gathering evidence on the atrocities in Myanmar, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had stopped short of officially condemning the Myanmar military. However, Blinken, after taking office, ordered his own legal and factual analysis that concluded that the Myanmar military was indeed guilty of genocide. US officials familiar with the matter told Reuters that Washington believes that an official condemnation will put severe international pressure on the Myanmar military, which seized power in the country in 2021. It's going to make it harder for them to commit further abuses, a senior State Department official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity. It's really signaling to the world and especially to victims and survivors within the Rohingya community and more broadly that the United States recognizes the gravity of what's happening, a second official further said. Also read | Russian officials lament death of senior naval officer killed near Mariupol, Ukraine,Myanmar's military has since 2017 carried out a systematic campaign against the minority Rohingya community in the country, who do not have citizenship rights. Since 2017, at least 730,000 people from the community have been displaced, and have fled to neighbouring countries where they have recounted the mass rapes, arson, and indiscriminate killing carried out by Myanmar's armed forces. The military, however, deny carrying out a purge against the Rohingyas, and maintain that it was a campaign against domestic terrorists.

{\"time\":1647824443721,\"strCount\":2808,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/joebiden/\\\">Joe Biden</a> administration will condemn violence against the minority Rohingya community by the Myanmar military as <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/genocide/\\\">genocide</a> and crimes against humanity, Reuters reported on Sunday citing US officials familiar with the matter.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"US Secretary of State <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/antonyblinken/\\\">Antony Blinken</a> will make the official announcement condemning the actions of the Myanmar military on Monday at the US <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/holocaust/\\\">Holocaust</a> Memorial, which currently houses an exhibit on the atrocities against the Rohingya community.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The announcement will come nearly 14 months after Blinken took office and vowed to conduct an investigation into the ongoing atrocities in Myanmar.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/chapter-from-wwii-kyiv-says-moscow-forcibly-taking-citizens-to-russia-234183/\\\">'Chapter from WWII': Kyiv says Moscow forcibly taking citizens to Russia</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"While the US, along with an outside law firm, was gathering evidence on the atrocities in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/myanmar/\\\">Myanmar</a>, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had stopped short of officially condemning the Myanmar military.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, Blinken, after taking office, ordered his own \\\"legal and factual analysis\\\" that concluded that the Myanmar military was indeed guilty of genocide.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"US officials familiar with the matter told Reuters that Washington believes that an official condemnation will put severe international pressure on the Myanmar military, which seized power in the country in 2021.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"It's going to make it harder for them to commit further abuses,\\\" a senior State Department official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"It's really signaling to the world and especially to victims and survivors within the Rohingya community and more broadly that the United States recognizes the gravity of what's happening,\\\" a second official further said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/russian-officials-lament-death-of-senior-naval-officer-killed-near-mariupol-ukraine-268405/\\\">Russian officials lament death of senior naval officer killed near Mariupol, Ukraine</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's military has since 2017 carried out a systematic campaign against the minority Rohingya community in the country, who do not have citizenship rights.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Since 2017, at least 730,000 people from the community have been displaced, and have fled to neighbouring countries where they have recounted the mass <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/rape/\\\">rapes</a>, arson, and indiscriminate killing carried out by Myanmar's armed forces.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The military, however, deny carrying out a purge against the Rohingyas, and maintain that it was a campaign against domestic terrorists.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The US has determined that the Myanmar military has committed genocide against the Rohingyas</li>
 <li>Since 2017, the Myanmar military has carried out mass rapes, arson, and genocide</li>
 <li>The military, however, say it was conducting a campaign against domestic terrorism</li>
</ul>

US determines Myanmar's army carried out genocide against Rohingyas: Report

Rape

International

Asia

Sucharita Ganguly

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

A fire spread through a Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh on Sunday, destroying hundreds of homes, though there were no immediate reports of casualties, as per officials and witnesses. The fire broke out at Camp 16 in Cox's Bazar, a border town where more than a million Rohingya refugees live, the majority of whom left Myanmar during a military crackdown in 2017. Also read: Explained: What's behind unrest rocking oil-rich Kazakhstan,Emergency workers have got the fire under control, according to Mohammed Shamsud Douza, a Bangladesh government officer in care of refugees. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, he added. Everything is gone. Many are without homes, Abu Taher, a Rohingya refugee, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. Last Sunday, a fire ripped into a COVID-19 treatment centre for refugees at another refugee camp in the district, although no one was injured. Also read: Recalling January 6: A national day of infamy, half remembered,Last March, a horrific fire raged through Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee settlement, killing at least 15 people and destroying over 10,000 shanties. A government official acknowledged earlier this week on Tuesday that Bangladesh authorities have razed more than 3,000 Rohingya-owned stores since last month, while suffering refugee families expressed their displeasure with the demolitions. Approximately 850,000 members of the stateless Muslim minority live in Bangladesh's overcrowded displacement camps, the majority of whom fled Myanmar following a 2017 military crackdown that prompted an international genocide probe. Also read: Russia-led alliance sending peacekeepers to Kazakhstan to help quell protests,More than 3,000 illegal shops had been dismantled, according to the country's deputy refugee commissioner Shamsud Douza. The number of Rohingya is increasing. And they need shelters. We are already building sheds on the premises, he went on to say that humanitarian organisations were making sure the evacuees had access to basic requirements. However, Khin Maung, a Rohingya community leader and human rights campaigner, told AFP that the camps' demolitions had already harmed tens of thousands of refugees. Also read: Sudan protest group rejects UN offer for talks with military,Rohingya families are large and the amount of food ration given to them is decreasing. Many families used to rely on the income from the shops, he stated.

{\"time\":1641751645492,\"strCount\":3153,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A fire spread through a Rohingya <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/world-refugee-day-5-ways-to-help-millions-who-are-displaced-369046/\\\">refugee</a> camp in southeastern <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/1st-test-bangladesh-create-history-win-first-test-match-in-new-zealand-214590/\\\">Bangladesh</a> on Sunday, destroying hundreds of homes, though there were no immediate reports of casualties, as per officials and witnesses.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The fire broke out at Camp 16 in Cox's Bazar, a border town where more than a million Rohingya refugees live, the majority of whom left Myanmar during a <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/lifestyle/sudan-protest-group-rejects-un-offer-for-talks-with-military-622714/\\\">military</a> crackdown in 2017.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/explained-whats-behind-unrest-rocking-oil-rich-kazakhstan-560141/\\\">Explained: What's behind unrest rocking oil-rich Kazakhstan</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Emergency workers have got the fire under control, according to Mohammed Shamsud Douza, a Bangladesh government officer in care of refugees. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, he added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Everything is gone. Many are without homes,\\\" Abu Taher, a Rohingya refugee, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Last Sunday, a fire ripped into a COVID-19 treatment centre for refugees at another refugee camp in the district, although no one was injured.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/recalling-january-6-a-national-day-of-infamy-half-remembered-589620/\\\">Recalling January 6: A national day of infamy, half remembered</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Last March, a horrific fire raged through Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee settlement, killing at least 15 people and destroying over 10,000 shanties.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A government official acknowledged earlier this week on Tuesday that Bangladesh authorities have razed more than 3,000 Rohingya-owned stores since last month, while suffering refugee families expressed their displeasure with the demolitions.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Approximately 850,000 members of the stateless Muslim minority live in Bangladesh's overcrowded displacement camps, the majority of whom fled Myanmar following a 2017 military crackdown that prompted an international genocide probe.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/business/russia-led-alliance-sending-peacekeepers-to-kazakhstan-to-help-quell-protests-378931/\\\">Russia-led alliance sending peacekeepers to Kazakhstan to help quell protests</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"More than 3,000 illegal shops\\\" had been dismantled, according to the country's deputy refugee commissioner Shamsud Douza.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The number of Rohingya is increasing. And they need shelters. We are already building sheds on the premises,\\\" he went on to say that humanitarian organisations were making sure the evacuees had access to basic requirements.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, Khin Maung, a Rohingya community leader and human rights campaigner, told AFP that the camps' demolitions had already harmed tens of thousands of refugees.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/lifestyle/sudan-protest-group-rejects-un-offer-for-talks-with-military-622714/\\\">Sudan protest group rejects UN offer for talks with military</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Rohingya families are large and the amount of food ration given to them is decreasing. Many families used to rely on the income from the shops,\\\" he stated.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>A fire spread through a Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh</li>
 <li>There were no immediate reports of casualties, as per officials and witnesses</li>
 <li>The fire broke out at Camp 16 in Cox's Bazar, a border town</li>
</ul>

Fire rages through a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh

Fire

Refugee

Military

New Delhi, Delhi, India

World <a href="https://opoyi.com/topic/refugee">Refugee </a>Day is observed on June 20 every year to draw attention to the plight of refugees and mobilize political will and resources to urgently help these people rebuild their lives.&nbsp; It was first observed in 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.,Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/how-an-islamophobic-attack-changed-life-of-9-year-old-pakistani-canadian-boy-1">How an Islamophobic attack changed life of 9-year-old Pakistani-Canadian boy</a>,<a href="https://opoyi.com/topic/unitednations">United Nations</a> states some eye-opening facts.&nbsp;Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.&nbsp;Millions have been displaced from their homes worldwide in the last few years. These people face&nbsp;economic, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious persecution.&nbsp;UNICEF in 2018 said that at least 30 million children were displaced by conflict worldwide since the Second World War. The UNHCR says that&nbsp;82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2020 due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) data suggests that 48 million people were internally displaced.,Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/third-pandemic-wave-hits-as-brazil-surpasses-half-million-covid-deaths">Third pandemic wave hits as Brazil surpasses half million COVID deaths</a>,From the pictures of a three-year-old Kurdish child lying dead on the beach to the state of <a href="https://opoyi.com/topic/rohingyarefugees">Rohingya refugees</a>, the world has been reminded time and again of the way basic human rights are violated every minute.,UNHCR stated that two-thirds of all refugees came from five countries as of 2020. These countries were Syria (6.7 million), Venezuela (4.0 million), Afghanistan (2.6 million), South Sudan (2.2 million), Myanmar (1.1 million).,However, the much these figures can get intimidating, one can always pitch in and help improve the lives of these refugees. Here are five ways you can help refugees:,Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/us-marks-slaverys-end-on-new-juneteenth-national-holiday">US marks slavery's end on new Juneteenth national holiday</a>,Host&nbsp;refugees and asylum seekers: Offer your home, a spare room, to a refugee seeking asylum. A&nbsp;Refugees Welcome initiative in Germany advocated offering a spare room and now it is working in 20 countries, Ted.com reveals.&nbsp;,Volunteer: Know how to play football? Can teach English? Put your skills into work for refugees, especially children, who don't have access to basic education or lifestyle.&nbsp;&nbsp;,Employ:&nbsp;In 2017, Starbucks pledged to hire 10,000 refugees globally. Refugees are not mere guests on vacation. They need to earn and have a shot at a decent lifestyle. Offer opportunities to such refugees.,Advocate: Ask your college to offer scholarships to refugee students. Try transforming some policies. Advocacy is important to make people realize that a refugee is also a human being and has the same basic rights as anyone in any country should have.&nbsp;,Protection: Offer help to refugees. Help may be in the form of food, shelter, sanitation, water and medical supplies.

{\"time\":1624160121986,\"strCount\":3352,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"World <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/refugee/\\\">Refugee </a>Day is observed on June 20 every year to draw attention to the plight of refugees and mobilize political will and resources to urgently help these people rebuild their lives.&nbsp; It was first observed in 2001, on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/how-an-islamophobic-attack-changed-life-of-9-year-old-pakistani-canadian-boy-205269/\\\">How an Islamophobic attack changed life of 9-year-old Pakistani-Canadian boy</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/unitednations/\\\">United Nations</a> states some eye-opening facts.&nbsp;Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.&nbsp;Millions have been displaced from their homes worldwide in the last few years. These people face&nbsp;economic, armed conflicts, ethnic and religious persecution.&nbsp;UNICEF in 2018 said that at least 30 million children were displaced by conflict worldwide since the Second World War. The UNHCR says that&nbsp;82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2020 due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) data suggests that 48 million people were internally displaced.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/health/third-pandemic-wave-hits-as-brazil-surpasses-half-million-covid-deaths-223572/\\\">Third pandemic wave hits as Brazil surpasses half million COVID deaths</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"From the pictures of a three-year-old Kurdish child lying dead on the beach to the state of <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/rohingyarefugees/\\\">Rohingya refugees</a>, the world has been reminded time and again of the way basic human rights are violated every minute.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"UNHCR stated that two-thirds of all refugees came from five countries as of 2020. These countries were Syria (6.7 million), Venezuela (4.0 million), Afghanistan (2.6 million), South Sudan (2.2 million), Myanmar (1.1 million).\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, the much these figures can get intimidating, one can always pitch in and help improve the lives of these refugees. Here are five ways you can help refugees:\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/us-marks-slaverys-end-on-new-juneteenth-national-holiday-132560/\\\">US marks slavery's end on new Juneteenth national holiday</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Host&nbsp;refugees and asylum seekers: Offer your home, a spare room, to a refugee seeking asylum. A&nbsp;Refugees Welcome initiative in Germany advocated offering a spare room and now it is working in 20 countries, Ted.com reveals.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Volunteer: Know how to play football? Can teach English? Put your skills into work for refugees, especially children, who don't have access to basic education or lifestyle.&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Employ:&nbsp;In 2017, Starbucks pledged to hire 10,000 refugees globally. Refugees are not mere guests on vacation. They need to earn and have a shot at a decent lifestyle. Offer opportunities to such refugees.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Advocate: Ask your college to offer scholarships to refugee students. Try transforming some policies. Advocacy is important to make people realize that a refugee is also a human being and has the same basic rights as anyone in any country should have.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Protection: Offer help to refugees. Help may be in the form of food, shelter, sanitation, water and medical supplies.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>June 20 is observed as World Refugee Day every year since 2001</li>
 <li>UN states that 20 people leave everything behind in every minute</li>
 <li>The UNHCR says that&nbsp;82.4 million people were forcibly displaced in 2020</li>
</ul>

World Refugee Day: 5 ways to help millions who are displaced

HumanRights

Asylum

Syria

Sayantan Guha

For years, Rohingya Muslims have been reportedly subjected to deadly crackdowns by Myanmar’s army as a result of which hundreds of thousands had to flee across the border into neighbouring countries. ,Many have risked everything to escape by sea or on foot, so did Dilara - one of the countless refugees resulting from the violence. She set off from the Bangladeshi coast in the hope of a new life in Malaysia. ,However, Dilara, along with hundreds of others who had cramped onto the boat, were turned away at the border and had to be rescued after spending days floating at sea. They never returned to the mainland and the families they had left behind and were instead left on an island created out of silt in the middle of the Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;,An unmarried young woman, who fears leaving her room after dark, Dilara told BBC that she doesn’t know how long she will be there. She said she has no way out and that she will grow old and die there alone. ,Dilara was among the first of the planned 100,000 Rohingya refugees to arrive on Bhusan Char, a piece of land measuring 40 square kilometres that had only been used as a brief stop off-point for fishermen.,Also read |<a href="https://opoyi.com/bangladesh-india-or-myanmar-fate-of-refugees-drifting-in-andaman-sea-undecided">&nbsp;Bangladesh, India or Myanmar: Fate of refugees, drifting in Andaman Sea, undecided</a>,Bhusan Char has been used as a part of the solution to the overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, which is home to the millions of Rohingya refugees who arrived in past years.&nbsp;,According to the authorities, Rohingyas have made the refugee camps their homes, however, it eventually turned into a hotbed of crime. ,But the refugees on the small island of Himlayan silt says a different story, reported BBC.&nbsp;,For them, the place has no work opportunity, few facilities, and little hope of a better future. And those who try to flee, are caught and beaten, sometimes the refugees turn on each other in frustration.&nbsp;,The refugees claim that the land is just 2 metres above sea level and they that during a heavy storm they could be easily washed away.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues">US warns of more action on Myanmar military leaders if violence continues</a>,Last year, BBC has granted a tour of the island and despite that, it is hard to say what is happening there.&nbsp; No journalists, aid agencies, or human rights groups have been given free access to Bhasan Char.&nbsp;,However, according to BBC, talking to a few of the residents, the fear was evident as one woman said that when arrived at the desolate place she wondered "how we would survive here.",One of the biggest problems is they can’t afford anything more than very basic food. In Bhasan Char, families are provided with staples like rice, lentils, and cooking oil. But the refugees need to buy other items on their own like vegetables, fish, and meat.&nbsp; ,There is no market, but shops owned by the Bangladeshi on the Island. It is impossible to travel to the mainland, reportedly, no ferry service exists and the navy only transports the refugees one way.&nbsp;,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/missing-rohingya-women-trafficked-from-indonesia-refugee-camp">Missing Rohingya women trafficked from Indonesia refugee camp</a>,Back in February, the island’s first protest was sparked because of the food. A video seen by the BBC shows Rohingya women and men running with sticks and shouting.,Shah Rezwan Hayat, the head of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), denied recognising it as a protest. However, the refugees say desperation is growing day by day and some of them are risking their lives to leave Bhasan Char.,Human Rights Watch has said even the children were punished for moving out of their designated areas. ,A report from last month stated: "On 12 April, a Bangladesh sailor allegedly beat four children with a PVC pipe for leaving their quarters to play with refugee children in another area." ,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/hundreds-of-rohingya-refugees-missing-from-indonesia-trafficking-suspected">Hundreds of Rohingya refugees missing from Indonesia, trafficking suspected</a>,Meanwhile, the government has promised new schemes to provide income to the 18,400 refugees now living in the camp, however, most of them are tired of waiting.,All the refugees who spoke to the BBC said they want to go back to the mainland if they get a chance.

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They never returned to the mainland and the families they had left behind and were instead left on an island created out of silt in the middle of the Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"An unmarried young woman, who fears leaving her room after dark, Dilara told BBC that she doesn’t know how long she will be there. She said she has no way out and that she will grow old and die there alone. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Dilara was among the first of the planned 100,000 Rohingya refugees to arrive on Bhusan Char, a piece of land measuring 40 square kilometres that had only been used as a brief stop off-point for fishermen.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read |<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bangladesh-india-or-myanmar-fate-of-refugees-drifting-in-andaman-sea-undecided-444377/\\\">&nbsp;Bangladesh, India or Myanmar: Fate of refugees, drifting in Andaman Sea, undecided</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bhusan Char has been used as a part of the solution to the overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, which is home to the millions of Rohingya refugees who arrived in past years.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"According to the authorities, Rohingyas have made the refugee camps their homes, however, it eventually turned into a hotbed of crime. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But the refugees on the small island of Himlayan silt says a different story, reported BBC.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"For them, the place has no work opportunity, few facilities, and little hope of a better future. And those who try to flee, are caught and beaten, sometimes the refugees turn on each other in frustration.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The refugees claim that the land is just 2 metres above sea level and they that during a heavy storm they could be easily washed away.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues-155351/\\\">US warns of more action on Myanmar military leaders if violence continues</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Last year, BBC has granted a tour of the island and despite that, it is hard to say what is happening there.&nbsp; No journalists, aid agencies, or human rights groups have been given free access to Bhasan Char.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"However, according to BBC, talking to a few of the residents, the fear was evident as one woman said that when arrived at the desolate place she wondered \\\"how we would survive here.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"One of the biggest problems is they can’t afford anything more than very basic food. In Bhasan Char, families are provided with staples like rice, lentils, and cooking oil. But the refugees need to buy other items on their own like vegetables, fish, and meat.&nbsp; \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"There is no market, but shops owned by the Bangladeshi on the Island. It is impossible to travel to the mainland, reportedly, no ferry service exists and the navy only transports the refugees one way.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/wires/afp/missing-rohingya-women-trafficked-from-indonesia-refugee-camp-656085/\\\">Missing Rohingya women trafficked from Indonesia refugee camp</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Back in February, the island’s first protest was sparked because of the food. A video seen by the BBC shows Rohingya women and men running with sticks and shouting.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Shah Rezwan Hayat, the head of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC), denied recognising it as a protest. However, the refugees say desperation is growing day by day and some of them are risking their lives to leave Bhasan Char.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Human Rights Watch has said even the children were punished for moving out of their designated areas. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A report from last month stated: \\\"On 12 April, a Bangladesh sailor allegedly beat four children with a PVC pipe for leaving their quarters to play with refugee children in another area.\\\" \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/hundreds-of-rohingya-refugees-missing-from-indonesia-trafficking-suspected-573851/\\\">Hundreds of Rohingya refugees missing from Indonesia, trafficking suspected</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Meanwhile, the government has promised new schemes to provide income to the 18,400 refugees now living in the camp, however, most of them are tired of waiting.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"All the refugees who spoke to the BBC said they want to go back to the mainland if they get a chance.\"}}]}

Swati

<ul>
 <li>Rohingya Muslims have been reportedly subjected to deadly crackdowns by Myanmar’s army</li>
 <li>Many have risked everything to escape by sea or on foot</li>
 <li>The first planned 100,000 refugees arrived on Bhusan Char</li>
</ul>

From persecution to isolation: Rohingyas trapped on Bay of Bengal island

Bangladeh

Ratul Maitra

Jammu

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Rohingya refugees
detained in Jammu shall not be deported back to Myanmar without following due
process, PTI reported. The apex court panel – headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde
– proceeded with the ruling while hearing a plea which, aside from requesting
the SC to restrain Centre from deporting said refugees, sought immediate
release for them.,Significantly, the Centre had earlier said that India could
not become a ‘capital’ for illegal immigrants.,Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/myanmar-farmers-face-consequences-of-military-coup">'Every night, we hear sounds of jet fighters…': Myanmar coup, and after</a>,Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who had appeared for the
petitioner during the ruling, argued that children in the Rohingya community
were subjected to abuse, including maiming, sexual exploitation and even killing
in Myanmar by the military. He noted that the latter had failed to follow international
humanitarian law.,In recent years, large numbers of Rohingya refugees have made
the shift from the Rakhine state, located in western Myanmar, to neighbouring
Bangladesh and India, largely due to a heavy crackdown by the military.,Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/2-australian-citizens-released-from-myanmar-after-consular-assistance-provided">2 Australian citizens released from Myanmar after 'consular assistance' provided</a>,A group of shanties located on the peripheries of Jammu City,
housing several Rohingya refugees, were destroyed in a fire on Monday.,A similar incident of blaze had killed three refugees in a
Rohingya camp in Bangladesh last Friday.

{\"time\":1617886555436,\"strCount\":1646,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that Rohingya refugees\\ndetained in Jammu shall not be deported back to Myanmar without following due\\nprocess, PTI reported. The apex court panel – headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde\\n– proceeded with the ruling while hearing a plea which, aside from requesting\\nthe SC to restrain Centre from deporting said refugees, sought immediate\\nrelease for them.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Significantly, the Centre had earlier said that India could\\nnot become a ‘capital’ for illegal immigrants.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/myanmar-farmers-face-consequences-of-military-coup-477474/\\\">'Every night, we hear sounds of jet fighters…': Myanmar coup, and after</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who had appeared for the\\npetitioner during the ruling, argued that children in the Rohingya community\\nwere subjected to abuse, including maiming, sexual exploitation and even killing\\nin Myanmar by the military. He noted that the latter had failed to follow international\\nhumanitarian law.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In recent years, large numbers of Rohingya refugees have made\\nthe shift from the Rakhine state, located in western Myanmar, to neighbouring\\nBangladesh and India, largely due to a heavy crackdown by the military.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/2-australian-citizens-released-from-myanmar-after-consular-assistance-provided-650161/\\\">2 Australian citizens released from Myanmar after 'consular assistance' provided</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A group of shanties located on the peripheries of Jammu City,\\nhousing several Rohingya refugees, were destroyed in a fire on Monday.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A similar incident of blaze had killed three refugees in a\\nRohingya camp in Bangladesh last Friday.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The apex court made the ruling while responding to a plea</li>
 <li>The plea sought to restrain the Centre from deporting &nbsp;the refugees</li>
 <li>In recent years, large number of Rohingya refugees have made their way from Myanmar to Bangladesh and India</li>
</ul>

Rohingyas held in Jammu not to be deported without due process, rules SC

SupremeCourt

jammu

India

A huge blaze that ripped through a sprawling <a href="https://opoyi.com/bangladesh-india-or-myanmar-fate-of-refugees-drifting-in-andaman-sea-undecided">Rohingya refugee</a> camp in Bangladesh has forced at least 50,000 people to flee and left seven people feared dead, officials and aid workers said, in the biggest fire to hit the shanty settlement to date.,Nearly one million of the persecuted Muslim minority from <a href="https://opoyi.com/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues">Myanmar</a> -- many of whom fled a <a href="https://opoyi.com/rohingya-in-bangladesh-camps-rejoice-at-suu-kyi-detention">military crackdown</a> in their homeland in 2017 -- live in cramped and squalid conditions at the camps in the southeastern Cox's Bazar district.,It is the third fire to hit the camps in four days.,Officials said the latest blaze appeared to have started on Monday in one of the 34 camps -- which span about 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of land -- before spreading to three other camps, with refugees fleeing the shanties with whatever belongings they could carry.,Thick columns of smoke could be seen billowing from blazing shanties in video shared on social media, as hundreds of firefighters and aid workers battled the flames and pulled refugees to safety.,Firefighters brought the blaze under control around midnight, with the <a href="https://opoyi.com/hundreds-of-rohingya-refugees-missing-from-indonesia-trafficking-suspected">Refugees </a>International saying at least 50,000 people fled their shanties as the blaze reduced thousands of shelters made of tarp and bamboo to ashes.,"We have learnt seven people have died including two children, a woman and four adult men," Shahdat Hossain, the local fire service chief, told AFP.,The government's refugee office and police, however, had yet to confirm any deaths.,"It was the biggest fire since the influx of Rohingya in August 2017. Some 1,500-2,000 shanties were completely gutted," the government's deputy chief refugee commissioner Shamsud Douza, told AFP.,Douza said food had been delivered to the displaced refugees and aid workers were trying provide all necessary humanitarian support.,Gazi Salahuddin, a police inspector, said the "fire displaced about 50,000 people who took refuge in the homes of their relatives in other camps".,Salahuddin said the fire was initially confined to a narrow strip, but it grew and raced to other camps after gas cylinders used for cooking exploded.,Mohammad Yasin, a Rohingya helping with the firefighting, told AFP the blaze raged for more than 10 hours and was the worst he had seen since 2017.,"People ran for their lives as it spread fast. Many were injured and I saw at least four bodies," said Aminul Haq, another refugee.,A volunteer for the Save the Children organisation, Tayeba Begum, said "children were running, crying for their families".,The Refugees International quoted one Rohingya as saying that the fire had revived traumatic memories of the persecution the Rohingya experienced in Myanmar in 2017.,"Many children are missing, and some were unable to flee because of barbed-wire set up in the camps," it said in a statement.,"This tragedy is an awful reminder of the vulnerable position of Rohingya refugees who are caught between increasingly precarious conditions in Bangladesh and the reality of a homeland now ruled by the military responsible for the genocide that forced them to flee," it added.,It was the third blaze to hit the camps in four days, fire brigade official Sikder, who only goes by one name, told AFP.,Two separate fires at the camps on Friday destroyed scores of shanties, officials said then.,Sikder said the cause of the fires was not yet known.,Two big blazes had also hit the camps in January, leaving thousands homeless and gutting four UNICEF schools.,Amnesty International's South Asia campaigner, Saad Hammadi, tweeted that the "frequency of fire in the camps is too coincidental, especially when outcomes of previous investigations into the incidents are not known and they keep repeating".,The government has meanwhile been pushing for the refugees to be relocated to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, saying the camps were too crowded.,So far, 13,000 Rohingya have been moved to the flood-prone island, which critics say is also in the path of deadly cyclones.,str-sam-sa/jah

{\"time\":1616474713846,\"strCount\":4372,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A huge blaze that ripped through a sprawling <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bangladesh-india-or-myanmar-fate-of-refugees-drifting-in-andaman-sea-undecided-444377/\\\">Rohingya refugee</a> camp in Bangladesh has forced at least 50,000 people to flee and left seven people feared dead, officials and aid workers said, in the biggest fire to hit the shanty settlement to date.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Nearly one million of the persecuted Muslim minority from <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues-155351/\\\">Myanmar</a> -- many of whom fled a <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/wires/afp/rohingya-in-bangladesh-camps-rejoice-at-suu-kyi-detention-527565/\\\">military crackdown</a> in their homeland in 2017 -- live in cramped and squalid conditions at the camps in the southeastern Cox's Bazar district.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"It is the third fire to hit the camps in four days.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Officials said the latest blaze appeared to have started on Monday in one of the 34 camps -- which span about 8,000 acres (3,237 hectares) of land -- before spreading to three other camps, with refugees fleeing the shanties with whatever belongings they could carry.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Thick columns of smoke could be seen billowing from blazing shanties in video shared on social media, as hundreds of firefighters and aid workers battled the flames and pulled refugees to safety.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Firefighters brought the blaze under control around midnight, with the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/hundreds-of-rohingya-refugees-missing-from-indonesia-trafficking-suspected-573851/\\\">Refugees </a>International saying at least 50,000 people fled their shanties as the blaze reduced thousands of shelters made of tarp and bamboo to ashes.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We have learnt seven people have died including two children, a woman and four adult men,\\\" Shahdat Hossain, the local fire service chief, told AFP.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The government's refugee office and police, however, had yet to confirm any deaths.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"It was the biggest fire since the influx of Rohingya in August 2017. Some 1,500-2,000 shanties were completely gutted,\\\" the government's deputy chief refugee commissioner Shamsud Douza, told AFP.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Douza said food had been delivered to the displaced refugees and aid workers were trying provide all necessary humanitarian support.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Gazi Salahuddin, a police inspector, said the \\\"fire displaced about 50,000 people who took refuge in the homes of their relatives in other camps\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Salahuddin said the fire was initially confined to a narrow strip, but it grew and raced to other camps after gas cylinders used for cooking exploded.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Mohammad Yasin, a Rohingya helping with the firefighting, told AFP the blaze raged for more than 10 hours and was the worst he had seen since 2017.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"People ran for their lives as it spread fast. Many were injured and I saw at least four bodies,\\\" said Aminul Haq, another refugee.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A volunteer for the Save the Children organisation, Tayeba Begum, said \\\"children were running, crying for their families\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Refugees International quoted one Rohingya as saying that the fire had revived traumatic memories of the persecution the Rohingya experienced in Myanmar in 2017.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Many children are missing, and some were unable to flee because of barbed-wire set up in the camps,\\\" it said in a statement.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"This tragedy is an awful reminder of the vulnerable position of Rohingya refugees who are caught between increasingly precarious conditions in Bangladesh and the reality of a homeland now ruled by the military responsible for the genocide that forced them to flee,\\\" it added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"It was the third blaze to hit the camps in four days, fire brigade official Sikder, who only goes by one name, told AFP.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Two separate fires at the camps on Friday destroyed scores of shanties, officials said then.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Sikder said the cause of the fires was not yet known.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Two big blazes had also hit the camps in January, leaving thousands homeless and gutting four UNICEF schools.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Amnesty International's South Asia campaigner, Saad Hammadi, tweeted that the \\\"frequency of fire in the camps is too coincidental, especially when outcomes of previous investigations into the incidents are not known and they keep repeating\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The government has meanwhile been pushing for the refugees to be relocated to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, saying the camps were too crowded.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"So far, 13,000 Rohingya have been moved to the flood-prone island, which critics say is also in the path of deadly cyclones.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"str-sam-sa/jah\"}}]}

Akash Majumder

<ul>
 <li>A big fire in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh has forced at least 50,000 people to flee</li>
 <li>Officials said the latest blaze appeared to have started on Monday in one of the 34 camps</li>
 <li>Hundreds of firefighters and aid workers battled the flames and pulled refugees to safety</li>
</ul>

Tens of thousands flee huge blaze at Rohingya camp in Bangladesh

Rushalee Goswami

Delhi, India

Bangladesh officials have said that they are not obliged to take any responsibility for the Rohingya refugees, who were found by India's coast guard while they had been drifting in the Andaman Sea for two weeks. ,The refugees had left Cox Bazar in Bangladesh on a boat that stopped working after four days on the sea. When the Indian coast guard found them, there were 81 survivors and 8 dead together in the dysfunctional boat. Even the survivors were very sick with hunger and dehydration.,Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/aung-san-suu-kyi-and-other-top-myanmar-top-leaders-detained-by-the-military-reports">Aung San Suu Kyi and other top Myanmar leaders detained by the military: Reports</a>,Bangladesh foreign minister A K Abdul Momem said that Bangladesh is not obliged to take any responsibility for the refugees. They were found 147 km away from India, 324 km away from Myanmar and 1,700 km from Bangladesh so the latter expects India or Myanmar to take the refugees.,India has said that it is in a discussion with Bangladesh talking about the possibilities of safe and secure repatriation. ,Although India did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention, which protects the rights of refugees and spells out the state's responsibilities of its refugees, it hosts more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh, on the other hand, hosts 1 million refugees from Myanmar.,Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues">US warns of more action on Myanmar military leaders if violence continues</a>,Most of the refugees had UNHCR issued id-cards generated from their office in Bangladesh but the organisation has not made any comments yet. In most cases, traffickers lure the refugees to leave the refugee camps by promising them jobs in different parts of Asia.

{\"time\":1614437111017,\"strCount\":1854,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bangladesh officials have said that they are not obliged to take any responsibility for the Rohingya refugees, who were found by India's coast guard while they had been drifting in the Andaman Sea for two weeks. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The refugees had left Cox Bazar in Bangladesh on a boat that stopped working after four days on the sea. When the Indian coast guard found them, there were 81 survivors and 8 dead together in the dysfunctional boat. Even the survivors were very sick with hunger and dehydration.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/aung-san-suu-kyi-and-other-top-myanmar-top-leaders-detained-by-the-military-reports\\\">Aung San Suu Kyi and other top Myanmar leaders detained by the military: Reports</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bangladesh foreign minister A K Abdul Momem said that Bangladesh is not obliged to take any responsibility for the refugees. They were found 147 km away from India, 324 km away from Myanmar and 1,700 km from Bangladesh so the latter expects India or Myanmar to take the refugees.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"India has said that it is in a discussion with Bangladesh talking about the possibilities of safe and secure repatriation. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Although India did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention, which protects the rights of refugees and spells out the state's responsibilities of its refugees, it hosts more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees. Bangladesh, on the other hand, hosts 1 million refugees from Myanmar.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/us-warns-of-more-action-on-myanmar-military-leaders-if-violence-continues\\\">US warns of more action on Myanmar military leaders if violence continues</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Most of the refugees had UNHCR issued id-cards generated from their office in Bangladesh but the organisation has not made any comments yet. In most cases, traffickers lure the refugees to leave the refugee camps by promising them jobs in different parts of Asia.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The refugees had sailed off from Cox Bazar, the refugee camps in Bangladesh&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Bangladesh expects India or Myanmar to take them back as the boat was nearer to them</li>
 <li>Some of the refugees were carrying UNHCR ids generated from their office in Bangladesh</li>
</ul>

Bangladesh, India or Myanmar: Fate of refugees, drifting in Andaman Sea, undecided

IndianCoastGuard

The United States on Thursday announced sanctions on the leaders of Myanmar's junta and several gem companies and warned it would act further if the military uses violence against democratic protesters.,A day after President Joe Biden previewed the sanctions, the Treasury Department said it was blocking any US assets and transactions with 10 current or former military officials who led the February 1 coup.,The targets include General Min Aung Hlaing, the new junta chief, who already was under US sanctions over the brutal campaign against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/protests-intensify-in-myanmar-after-us-sanctions-against-junta-leaders">Protests intensify in Myanmar after US sanctions against junta leaders</a>,But the sanctions also hit new individuals, including the military leaders named to a new cabinet such as Defense Minister General Mya Tun Oo.,"We are also prepared to take additional action should Burma's military not change course," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, AFP reported.,"If there is more violence against peaceful protesters, the Burmese military will find that today's sanctions are just the first," she said.,The junta has voiced increasingly ominous warnings to anti-coup protesters and deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, with isolated reports of live rounds being fired.,Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed calls on the military regime to relinquish power, restore civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, release all people detained over the coup and lift communications restrictions.,"Today's action sends a clear message of support to the people of Burma in their pursuit of democracy and human rights," Blinken said.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/myanmar-junta-leader-seeks-thai-pm-help-to-restore-democracy-after-coup">Myanmar junta leader seeks Thai PM help to restore democracy after coup</a>,The Treasury Department also announced sanctions on three companies dealing in the country's key gem export: Myanmar Ruby Enterprise, Myanmar Imperial Jade Co. and Cancri Co.,It said it was designating the three companies because the military controls them.,Biden in his remarks Wednesday also said the United States was cutting off the Myanmar generals' access to $1 billion in funds in the United States.

{\"time\":1613079021961,\"strCount\":2364,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The United States on Thursday announced sanctions on the leaders of Myanmar's junta and several gem companies and warned it would act further if the military uses violence against democratic protesters.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A day after President Joe Biden previewed the sanctions, the Treasury Department said it was blocking any US assets and transactions with 10 current or former military officials who led the February 1 coup.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The targets include General Min Aung Hlaing, the new junta chief, who already was under US sanctions over the brutal campaign against the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/usa/protests-intensify-in-myanmar-after-us-sanctions-against-junta-leaders-306997/\\\">Protests intensify in Myanmar after US sanctions against junta leaders</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But the sanctions also hit new individuals, including the military leaders named to a new cabinet such as Defense Minister General Mya Tun Oo.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We are also prepared to take additional action should Burma's military not change course,\\\" Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said, AFP reported.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"If there is more violence against peaceful protesters, the Burmese military will find that today's sanctions are just the first,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The junta has voiced increasingly ominous warnings to anti-coup protesters and deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, with isolated reports of live rounds being fired.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed calls on the military regime to relinquish power, restore civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, release all people detained over the coup and lift communications restrictions.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Today's action sends a clear message of support to the people of Burma in their pursuit of democracy and human rights,\\\" Blinken said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/myanmar-junta-leader-seeks-thai-pm-help-to-restore-democracy-after-coup-323337/\\\">Myanmar junta leader seeks Thai PM help to restore democracy after coup</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Treasury Department also announced sanctions on three companies dealing in the country's key gem export: Myanmar Ruby Enterprise, Myanmar Imperial Jade Co. and Cancri Co.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"It said it was designating the three companies because the military controls them.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Biden in his remarks Wednesday also said the United States was cutting off the Myanmar generals' access to $1 billion in funds in the United States.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The United States on Thursday announced sanctions on the leaders of Myanmar's junta</li>
 <li>Treasury Department said it was blocking US assets with 10 current or former military officials</li>
 <li>Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed calls on the military regime to relinquish power</li>
</ul>

US warns of more action on Myanmar military leaders if violence continues

MyanmarEmergency

Coupdetat

AungSanSuuKyi

MinAungHlaing

JanetYellen

Lhokseumawe, Lhokseumawe City, Aceh, Indonesia

Hundreds of
Rohingya have been found missing from a refugee camp in Indonesia, prompting
beliefs that they have been trafficked to neighbouring Malaysia, AFP reported
quoting officials and sources on Thursday. ,Around 400
refugees arrived at the makeshift camp in Lhokseumawe in northern Indonesia between
June and September last year, with just 112 of them remaining now.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/thailand-arrests-19-rohingya-thai-woman-for-illegal-entry">Thailand arrests 19 Rohingya, Thai woman for illegal entry</a>,The
refugees are believed to have enlisted traffickers to help them cross the Malacca
strait into Malaysia, with neither local authorities nor United Nations (UN)
officials able to account for their whereabouts. ,“We don't
know yet where they went,” Ridwan Jalil, the head of Rohingya taskforce in
Lhokseumawe, said. “But they'll escape if they can find any hole to leave
because that is their goal.”,Nearly
750,000 refugees from Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority were forced to flee
the country following a military crackdown in 2017, which according to UN
investigators amounted to genocide. They crossed the border and ended up in the sprawling
<a href="https://opoyi.com/bangladesh-moves-biggest-group-of-rohingya-to-isolated-island">refugee camps in Bangladesh</a>’s southeast district of Cox Bazar.,A large
number of them have since paid traffickers to get them out of Bangladesh, going
through months of illness, torture and near-starvation during sea journeys to
Indonesia and Malaysia, the latter of which is the primary destination for the
refugees. &nbsp;,Over 100,000 of them live on the margins of
society there, registered as refugees but not allowed to work with the men forced
into illegal construction and other low-paid jobs. ,Some
Rohingya men in Malaysia pay smugglers to bring over their families, or new
brides from arranged marriages. The refugees in Indonesia were repeatedly asked
to stay in the camp, the UN's refugee agency said.,"But
(they) left despite our constant efforts to remind them about the danger and
risks they could face by leaving -- including if they used the services of
smugglers," said UNHCR spokeswoman Mitra Suryono.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/what-choice-do-we-have-rohingya-women-face-odyssey-of-misery">'What choice do we have?': Rohingya women face odyssey of misery</a>,"But
we have to remember that many of (them) have relatives in other countries such
as Malaysia. That may be one of the reasons why they continued their
journey," she added.,Rights
groups blamed the Indonesian government, which drastically reduced security at
the settlement when the Rohingya were placed under the supervision of UNHCR
last month.,"The
main reason for the exodus is security at the camp," said Iskandar
Dewantara, co-founder of the Geutanyoe Foundation, an Indonesia-based refugee
advocacy group. “It's fine if (the government) hands over the refugees to
UNHCR, but it should continue supporting the agency in terms of providing
security," he added.,While
Indonesia is not a signatory to an international convention on refugees, the
move was a breach of its obligations to protect them, said Usman Hamid,
director of Amnesty International's Indonesia office.,"As
long as they're in Indonesian territory, then it is Indonesia's obligation to
give them protection," Hamid added.

{\"time\":1611830578046,\"strCount\":3387,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Hundreds of\\nRohingya have been found missing from a refugee camp in Indonesia, prompting\\nbeliefs that they have been trafficked to neighbouring Malaysia, AFP reported\\nquoting officials and sources on Thursday. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Around 400\\nrefugees arrived at the makeshift camp in Lhokseumawe in northern Indonesia between\\nJune and September last year, with just 112 of them remaining now.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/wires/afp/thailand-arrests-19-rohingya-thai-woman-for-illegal-entry-365720/\\\">Thailand arrests 19 Rohingya, Thai woman for illegal entry</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The\\nrefugees are believed to have enlisted traffickers to help them cross the Malacca\\nstrait into Malaysia, with neither local authorities nor United Nations (UN)\\nofficials able to account for their whereabouts. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"“We don't\\nknow yet where they went,” Ridwan Jalil, the head of Rohingya taskforce in\\nLhokseumawe, said. “But they'll escape if they can find any hole to leave\\nbecause that is their goal.”\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Nearly\\n750,000 refugees from Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority were forced to flee\\nthe country following a military crackdown in 2017, which according to UN\\ninvestigators amounted to genocide. They crossed the border and ended up in the sprawling\\n<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/bangladesh-moves-biggest-group-of-rohingya-to-isolated-island-144155/\\\">refugee camps in Bangladesh</a>’s southeast district of Cox Bazar.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A large\\nnumber of them have since paid traffickers to get them out of Bangladesh, going\\nthrough months of illness, torture and near-starvation during sea journeys to\\nIndonesia and Malaysia, the latter of which is the primary destination for the\\nrefugees. &nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Over 100,000 of them live on the margins of\\nsociety there, registered as refugees but not allowed to work with the men forced\\ninto illegal construction and other low-paid jobs. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Some\\nRohingya men in Malaysia pay smugglers to bring over their families, or new\\nbrides from arranged marriages. The refugees in Indonesia were repeatedly asked\\nto stay in the camp, the UN's refugee agency said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"But\\n(they) left despite our constant efforts to remind them about the danger and\\nrisks they could face by leaving -- including if they used the services of\\nsmugglers,\\\" said UNHCR spokeswoman Mitra Suryono.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/what-choice-do-we-have-rohingya-women-face-odyssey-of-misery-543321/\\\">'What choice do we have?': Rohingya women face odyssey of misery</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"But\\nwe have to remember that many of (them) have relatives in other countries such\\nas Malaysia. That may be one of the reasons why they continued their\\njourney,\\\" she added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Rights\\ngroups blamed the Indonesian government, which drastically reduced security at\\nthe settlement when the Rohingya were placed under the supervision of UNHCR\\nlast month.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The\\nmain reason for the exodus is security at the camp,\\\" said Iskandar\\nDewantara, co-founder of the Geutanyoe Foundation, an Indonesia-based refugee\\nadvocacy group. “It's fine if (the government) hands over the refugees to\\nUNHCR, but it should continue supporting the agency in terms of providing\\nsecurity,\\\" he added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"While\\nIndonesia is not a signatory to an international convention on refugees, the\\nmove was a breach of its obligations to protect them, said Usman Hamid,\\ndirector of Amnesty International's Indonesia office.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"As\\nlong as they're in Indonesian territory, then it is Indonesia's obligation to\\ngive them protection,\\\" Hamid added.\"}}]}

Shubham Banerjee

<ul>
 <li>Only 112 refugees remain at the camp Lhokseumawe, out of nearly 400 that arrived between June and September</li>
 <li>The refugees are believed to have enlisted traffickers to help them cross the Malacca strait into Malaysia</li>
 <li>Rights groups blamed the Indonesian government, which drastically reduced security at the settlement</li>
</ul>

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees missing from Indonesia, trafficking suspected

Indonesia

Malaysia

Chittagong, Bangladesh

Four Bangladesh navy ships on Tuesday took the second and biggest group of Rohingya Muslims yet from crowded refugee camps to an uncertain future on a bleak island three hours from the mainland.,The government insisted that the 1,800 refugees, who have been in camps since fleeing a Myanmar military clampdown, want to start new lives on Bhashan Char, where 1,600 others arrived earlier this month.,But rights activists expressed new doubts about the transfers. They said some Rohingya had their shanty homes in the camps on the Myanmar border padlocked so they had no choice.,The Bangladesh government eventually wants to rehouse 100,000 of the camps' approximately one million Rohingya on the island, which takes the full force of cyclones that roar across the Bay of Bengal each year.,The Rohingya carried bags of belongings, toys and chickens and took selfies with each other as they sat on wooden benches during the three hour trip from Chittagong to Bhashan Char.,Housing blocks have been set up for the new arrivals on the island that foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen has called a "beautiful resort".,More than 700,000 Rohingya joined 300,000 already in camps in Bangladesh in 2017 after a deadly purge on their villages in Myanmar that the United Nations has said could be genocide.,With Bangladesh now struggling to find a long-term solution to the Rohingya exodus, government refugee officials said there were better living facilities and better security for the Rohingya in Bhashan Char.,"They are very eager to go to Bhashan Char because they have heard from their relatives, those who have gone to Bhashan Char, that it is an excellent place," Momen told AFP.,Some Rohingya in the latest group said they were going willingly.,"The camp is a difficult and overcrowded place to live and move around," Shafi Alam told AFP on the navy ship.,Grandmother Morium Khatun, 55, said she was making the change to escape drug-related crime in the camps that has seen dozens killed in recent years.,"I am looking for peace of mind. The refugee camp is not a place for that," she said.,But an international rights worker who interviewed some Rohingya said they had no choice about the move.,"The homes of some of the refugees were padlocked by volunteers working for the Bangladesh camp authorities to force them to agree to the relocation," the worker told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.,"They are told that if they don't go, their homes will remain padlocked.","Allegations from within the community about cash incentives being offered to Rohingya families to relocate to Bhashan Char as well as use of intimidation tactics are making the relocation process questionable," said Amnesty International's South Asia campaigner Saad Hammadi.,A Rohingya journalist who took photos of refugees boarding buses for the relocation was detained on Monday, a local rights activist said. Police told AFP they were not aware of an arrest.,After the first transfer on December 4, several Rohingya told AFP that they were beaten and intimidated to agree to move.,The UN said it has not been involved in the process.

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Kavya Mishra

<ul>
 <li>Rights activists expressed new doubts about the transfers</li>
 <li>The Bangladesh government eventually wants to rehouse 100,000 of the camps on the island</li>
 <li>More than 700,000 Rohingya joined 300,000 already in camps in Bangladesh in 2017</li>
</ul>

Bangladesh moves biggest group of Rohingya to isolated island

Weeks after a funeral for the wife and daughter he thought had died at sea trying to reach him, Nemah Shah was stunned when he saw online images of them emerging from a refugee boat in Indonesia.,What followed was an incredible reunion story retold to AFP during an in-depth investigation into human trafficking of the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority group driven out of Myanmar.,As he was still grieving the loss of his family, Shah said he was astonished to see his wife and daughter among a boatload of 100 Rohingya refugees who landed near the Indonesian town of Lhokseumawe in June.,"When I recognised my wife and daughter," Shah said, referring to the online images, "it was the happiest day of my life.",Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/what-choice-do-we-have-rohingya-women-face-odyssey-of-misery">'What choice do we have?': Rohingya women face odyssey of misery</a>,Video and photos taken of the landing by international media, including AFP, showed Shah's wife and daughter among those getting out of a rickety boat pulled to shore by concerned locals.,Shah was in Malaysia, where at least 100,000 Rohingyas live as refugees, working as a labourer in the construction industry earning the equivalent of $500 a month.,The arrival of the boat was huge news in the Rohingya community there and Shah, 24, watched the footage online.,Through the Rohingya network, Shah was eventually able to connect with his wife, Majuma, by mobile phone.,The call lasted just a few minutes. It was enough for Shah to promptly quit his job and start making plans to get to Indonesia.,Months later, and against all odds, Shah was reunited with Majuma and their six-year-old daughter Fatima, living together in their new home -- a makeshift cubicle in former school buildings in Lhokseumawe that Indonesian authorities have turned into a camp for the refugees.,Rohingya have for decades endured persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are not recognised as citizens, and smuggling routes out by land and sea have long existed.,Shah said he fled Myanmar six years ago, ending up in relatively affluent and Muslim-majority Malaysia.,He left behind Majuma and his then infant daughter.,They too soon escaped Myanmar, but only across the border into neighbouring Bangladesh where they joined a million Rohingya living in dire conditions in refugee camps.,After years of saving tiny amounts that Shah was able to send back to Bangladesh, Majuma was able to pay people smugglers for a spot on a boat to Malaysia.,But while traffickers promise their passengers will make the roughly 4,000-kilometre (2,500-mile) journey to Malaysia in a week, the reality can be months at sea, without even making it there -- or worse.,More than 200 are believed to have died at sea this year, according to the UN's refugee agency, with starvation, illness, dehydration and beatings by the smugglers among the reasons.,Majuma and Fatima left in February. But after Shah did not hear from them for months, he gave up hope and held a funeral ceremony.,"I told myself I would never get married again and always remember them," he said.,Inside the Lhokseumawe refugee camp, hundreds of Rohingya anxiously wait for news about their future.,Like the others, the newly reunited family is reliant on handouts and unable to travel -- a far cry from the hoped-for life in Malaysia.,"Sometimes it upsets me because I had freedom in Malaysia. I could work," Shah said.,But reuniting with his wife and daughter trumped all else.,"By the grace of God, I found them here at the camp and we're now reunited."

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Anjaly Raj

<ul>
 <li>After a funeral for the wife and daughter he thought had died at sea, Nemah Shah was stunned to see images of them in Indonesia</li>
 <li>Shah said he was astonished to see his wife and daughter among a boatload of 100 Rohingya refugees</li>
 <li>"It was happiest day of my life," he said</li>
</ul>

Rohingya man reunites with 'dead' family

Humantrafficking

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Stay in a squalid refugee camp -- hopeless, starving, and made to feel a burden -- or leave, risking death, rape, human trafficking and months at sea to reach a husband you've never met.,This is the bleak choice many Rohingya women, already scarred from fleeing violent persecution in Myanmar, are now facing.,As conditions deteriorate in increasingly overcrowded Bangladeshi refugee camps, desperate parents are marrying off their daughters to Rohingya men thousands of kilometres (miles) away in Malaysia.,Wed by phone or video apps, the girls have little say in such unions and rely on occasional calls to build a relationship with their new partners as they begin treacherous journeys to reach them.,"My parents kept asking me to find a way to reach Malaysia -- living with them, I was just an extra mouth to feed," explained Jannat Ara, talking about her marriage to Nur Alam, a Rohingya man who lives in Kuala Lumpur.,She has seven other siblings, and the family had to share and survive on twice-monthly 25-kilogram (55-pound) rations of rice.,Ara has never met the man she married via phonecall from the refugee camp but, after mounting pressure from relatives to seek him out, decided to leave.,She is one of the thousands of Rohingya, who are stateless and cannot travel abroad legally, forced to put their faith in husbands they don't know and the people smugglers paid to transport them.,Also read: <a href="https://opoyi.com/smugglers-beat-rohingya-on-trafficking-boat-watch">Smugglers beat Rohingya refugees on trafficking boat watch</a>,Her clandestine route took her via rickshaw to port, and from a small boat to a packed, dilapidated trawler.,But Malaysia denied it entry and "after floating at sea for two months and seeing many people die, we returned to the place where we started," the 20-year-old told AFP from the Bangladeshi camps.,Arranged marriages are part of Rohingya custom, but in the Bangladeshi refugee camps, families have little income and struggle to afford the traditional dowries required.,Virtual weddings and international betrothals can seem an ideal solution.,At just 18, Somuda Begum was regarded as getting "too old" for marriage by relatives, and while proposals came from some families within the camp, they all demanded "a lot of money".,"My parents couldn't fix my marriage as my old father barely had any money to pay for a wedding. So he thought it would be better to send me to Malaysia instead," she said.,Begum, one of 11 children, was shown a photo of her prospective husband before the pair wed via video call -- her in-laws and an imam were present in her family's shack for the "ceremony", her fiance on screen with his friends.,But the journey into the unknown held some appeal.,"I often got frustrated hearing my mother and neighbours saying I was too old. I had no reason to say no. And deep inside I felt a bit happy that finally I would go and start my own family, away from this chaos," she said.,Begum's ageing father, Mohammad Ledu, entrusted her to a middleman who pledged that for 30,000 taka ($350) he would take her to Malaysia.,Instead, he took the money as soon she reached the boat and left her.,She never reached her husband -- turned away from its destination, the vessel drifted at sea for two months before the Bangladeshi coast guard rescued them.,"We all thought she would have a better life. But all these efforts were in vain. Now they won't even return the money we paid," Ledu said.,Also read: <a href="https://opoyi.com/bangladesh-relocates-1600-rohingyas-to-isolated-island-for-better-abode">Bangladesh relocates 1600 Rohingyas to isolated island for better abode</a>,Charities warn that families in camps can be easily tricked, mistaking human traffickers and pimps for matchmakers offering brighter futures.,The increase in attempts at sailings is driven by desperation at life in the camps, where refugee numbers have swelled to almost one million since a 2017 military crackdown in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, said Chris Lewa, director of NGO the Arakan Project.,"Conditions in Bangladesh are getting worse, there are more restrictions on movement, more overcrowding," said Lewa, whose group tracks Rohingya boat journeys.,Just over 100,000 Rohingya are currently registered with the United Nations in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but as they are denied citizenship, they remain in limbo.,The Rohingya men who have settled have few chances to assimilate -- as refugees they cannot legally work and so most take low-paid construction labour.,And while they may share a religion with about 60 percent of the population, they frequently face discrimination and harassment.,Most are unable to find local wives due to the stigma attached to marrying a refugee with few prospects or social standing.,"It's very hard to find a wife in Malaysia. Malays don't want to marry (us)," explained Mahumudul Hasson Rashid, who fled Bangladesh five years ago.,This shortfall of brides is driving the demand for women and girls from the Bangladesh camps.,Lonely men turn to relatives and matchmakers in the camps to organise unions, paying middlemen between $2,000 and $3,000 to smuggle in women by land and boat.,"We do worry about this, but there is no other way. There is no other option since we don't have passports," Rashid said.,Janu, whose husband is in Malaysia, insisted she knew of the dangers before embarking on the journey to join him.,"I know it is dangerous but I took the decision," the 18-year-old said, adding that while her marriage was arranged by her parents, she went voluntarily to start a new life.,But her journey turned out to be the stuff of nightmares.,Told the trip would take a week, she endured a 200-day ordeal as her crowded fishing trawler was blocked from landing in Malaysia and smugglers refused to release those on board until their relatives agreed to make extra payments.,"The captain told my husband that if he did not give money, he will torture and kill me and throw me into the sea," she said.,As a growing number of passengers perished and, with no hope of reaching their intended destination, the smugglers eventually cut their losses and dumped their human cargo in northern Indonesia.,Janu and about 300 others who survived the voyage now find themselves in another refugee camp in Lhokseumawe city but are hopeful that, once travel curbs are eased, they will be able to quietly cross to neighbouring Malaysia.,She says her fiancee sends money when he can, but conceded that "he has no plan to come here for me".,Glorene Das, executive director of Tenaganita, an NGO that works with migrants and refugees in Malaysia, said that girls and women remain vulnerable even if they reach their destination.,The community is "very closed" and, while little formal data exists, she added that domestic abuse is "most definitely" a concern because the women have few rights and little access to outside help.,"We found cases of forced marriages and child marriages -- it was the parents' decision," Das said.,Once the marriage is formalised, Rohingya husbands are also expected to financially support their in-laws.,Amerah, 18, has not seen her fiance -- who is a construction worker in Malaysia -- since she was six.,"Since the marriage was arranged by my parents, I agreed. We cannot go beyond the opinion of our parents. I have not met my husband since the last time we saw each other when we were kids," she explained.,Their courtship was via WhatsApp and social media before she attempted to travel to join him.,The teenager expected seven days of sailing -- instead she and her fellow passengers were adrift for seven months, battling sickness and malnutrition. Many did not survive.,Eventually, the traffickers abandoned them in northern Indonesia.,Listless and alone, having swapped one refugee camp for another, Amerah has little hope for the future.,"I don't know when I will get married. I do almost nothing here," she said.,"I will follow whatever I am told to do."

{\"time\":1608102423753,\"strCount\":7994,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Stay in a squalid refugee camp -- hopeless, starving, and made to feel a burden -- or leave, risking death, rape, human trafficking and months at sea to reach a husband you've never met.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"This is the bleak choice many Rohingya women, already scarred from fleeing violent persecution in Myanmar, are now facing.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As conditions deteriorate in increasingly overcrowded Bangladeshi refugee camps, desperate parents are marrying off their daughters to Rohingya men thousands of kilometres (miles) away in Malaysia.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Wed by phone or video apps, the girls have little say in such unions and rely on occasional calls to build a relationship with their new partners as they begin treacherous journeys to reach them.\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"data\":{\"aspectRatio\":\"150.14662757\",\"file\":{\"url\":\"/opoyi_EXDBBjNOg.jpg\"},\"caption\":\"This photo taken on October 22, 2020 shows Rohingya refugee Amerah, 18, at a temporary shelter in Lhokseumawe in Aceh province.&nbsp;\",\"source\":\"AFP\",\"name\":\"\",\"tags\":\"\",\"mediaId\":\"FKPB3paDjj08\",\"height\":1024,\"width\":682,\"startCrop\":false,\"completeCrop\":false,\"replace\":false,\"insertAfter\":false}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"My parents kept asking me to find a way to reach Malaysia -- living with them, I was just an extra mouth to feed,\\\" explained Jannat Ara, talking about her marriage to Nur Alam, a Rohingya man who lives in Kuala Lumpur.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She has seven other siblings, and the family had to share and survive on twice-monthly 25-kilogram (55-pound) rations of rice.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Ara has never met the man she married via phonecall from the refugee camp but, after mounting pressure from relatives to seek him out, decided to leave.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She is one of the thousands of Rohingya, who are stateless and cannot travel abroad legally, forced to put their faith in husbands they don't know and the people smugglers paid to transport them.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read: <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/world/smugglers-beat-rohingya-on-trafficking-boat-watch-657091/\\\">Smugglers beat Rohingya refugees on trafficking boat watch</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Her clandestine route took her via rickshaw to port, and from a small boat to a packed, dilapidated trawler.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But Malaysia denied it entry and \\\"after floating at sea for two months and seeing many people die, we returned to the place where we started,\\\" the 20-year-old told AFP from the Bangladeshi camps.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Arranged marriages are part of Rohingya custom, but in the Bangladeshi refugee camps, families have little income and struggle to afford the traditional dowries required.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Virtual weddings and international betrothals can seem an ideal solution.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"At just 18, Somuda Begum was regarded as getting \\\"too old\\\" for marriage by relatives, and while proposals came from some families within the camp, they all demanded \\\"a lot of money\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"My parents couldn't fix my marriage as my old father barely had any money to pay for a wedding. So he thought it would be better to send me to Malaysia instead,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"data\":{\"aspectRatio\":\"66.60156250\",\"file\":{\"url\":\"/opoyi_Xvskx4Ez9.jpg\"},\"caption\":\"In this photograph taken on October 8, 2020, Rohingya refugee Arofa Khatun (C), who tried to migrate with her two children to Malaysia to her husband, poses for a picture at a makeshift shelter in Ukhia.&nbsp;\",\"source\":\"AFP\",\"name\":\"\",\"tags\":\"\",\"mediaId\":\"TcjOIpoYuH3Z\",\"height\":682,\"width\":1024,\"startCrop\":false,\"completeCrop\":false,\"replace\":false,\"insertAfter\":false}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Begum, one of 11 children, was shown a photo of her prospective husband before the pair wed via video call -- her in-laws and an imam were present in her family's shack for the \\\"ceremony\\\", her fiance on screen with his friends.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But the journey into the unknown held some appeal.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"I often got frustrated hearing my mother and neighbours saying I was too old. I had no reason to say no. And deep inside I felt a bit happy that finally I would go and start my own family, away from this chaos,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Begum's ageing father, Mohammad Ledu, entrusted her to a middleman who pledged that for 30,000 taka ($350) he would take her to Malaysia.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Instead, he took the money as soon she reached the boat and left her.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She never reached her husband -- turned away from its destination, the vessel drifted at sea for two months before the Bangladeshi coast guard rescued them.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We all thought she would have a better life. But all these efforts were in vain. Now they won't even return the money we paid,\\\" Ledu said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read: <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/wires/presstrustofindia/bangladesh-relocates-1600-rohingyas-to-isolated-island-for-better-abode-437819/\\\">Bangladesh relocates 1600 Rohingyas to isolated island for better abode</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Charities warn that families in camps can be easily tricked, mistaking human traffickers and pimps for matchmakers offering brighter futures.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The increase in attempts at sailings is driven by desperation at life in the camps, where refugee numbers have swelled to almost one million since a 2017 military crackdown in mostly Buddhist Myanmar, said Chris Lewa, director of NGO the Arakan Project.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Conditions in Bangladesh are getting worse, there are more restrictions on movement, more overcrowding,\\\" said Lewa, whose group tracks Rohingya boat journeys.\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"data\":{\"aspectRatio\":\"66.60156250\",\"file\":{\"url\":\"/opoyi_ImR6vFeIG.jpg\"},\"caption\":\"Rohingya refugees board a Bangladesh Navy ship to be transported to the island of Bhashan Char in Chittagong on December 4, 2020. Bangladesh began transferring hundreds of Rohingya refugees on Thursday.\",\"source\":\"AFP\",\"name\":\"\",\"tags\":\"\",\"mediaId\":\"kEREc9YygpjI\",\"height\":682,\"width\":1024,\"startCrop\":false,\"completeCrop\":false,\"replace\":false,\"insertAfter\":false}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Just over 100,000 Rohingya are currently registered with the United Nations in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but as they are denied citizenship, they remain in limbo.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Rohingya men who have settled have few chances to assimilate -- as refugees they cannot legally work and so most take low-paid construction labour.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"And while they may share a religion with about 60 percent of the population, they frequently face discrimination and harassment.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Most are unable to find local wives due to the stigma attached to marrying a refugee with few prospects or social standing.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"It's very hard to find a wife in Malaysia. Malays don't want to marry (us),\\\" explained Mahumudul Hasson Rashid, who fled Bangladesh five years ago.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"This shortfall of brides is driving the demand for women and girls from the Bangladesh camps.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Lonely men turn to relatives and matchmakers in the camps to organise unions, paying middlemen between $2,000 and $3,000 to smuggle in women by land and boat.\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"data\":{\"aspectRatio\":\"66.50390625\",\"file\":{\"url\":\"/opoyi_273GNyAmD2.jpg\"},\"caption\":\"This picture taken on November 16, 2020 shows Rohingya refugee \\\"Abdu Hamid\\\" (using a pseudonym) holding his mobile phone on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, during a video call with his wife who is living at a refugee camp in Ukhia.\",\"source\":\"AFP\",\"name\":\"\",\"tags\":\"\",\"mediaId\":\"TpNE7U3RUt9C\",\"height\":681,\"width\":1024,\"startCrop\":false,\"completeCrop\":false,\"replace\":false,\"insertAfter\":false}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We do worry about this, but there is no other way. There is no other option since we don't have passports,\\\" Rashid said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Janu, whose husband is in Malaysia, insisted she knew of the dangers before embarking on the journey to join him.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"I know it is dangerous but I took the decision,\\\" the 18-year-old said, adding that while her marriage was arranged by her parents, she went voluntarily to start a new life.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But her journey turned out to be the stuff of nightmares.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Told the trip would take a week, she endured a 200-day ordeal as her crowded fishing trawler was blocked from landing in Malaysia and smugglers refused to release those on board until their relatives agreed to make extra payments.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The captain told my husband that if he did not give money, he will torture and kill me and throw me into the sea,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As a growing number of passengers perished and, with no hope of reaching their intended destination, the smugglers eventually cut their losses and dumped their human cargo in northern Indonesia.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Janu and about 300 others who survived the voyage now find themselves in another refugee camp in Lhokseumawe city but are hopeful that, once travel curbs are eased, they will be able to quietly cross to neighbouring Malaysia.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She says her fiancee sends money when he can, but conceded that \\\"he has no plan to come here for me\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"image\",\"data\":{\"aspectRatio\":\"66.64062500\",\"file\":{\"url\":\"/opoyi_7NNBLHher.jpg\"},\"caption\":\"This photo taken on June 25, 2020 shows six-year-old Nosmin Fatima (R) with other Rohingya migrants as they arrive in Lhokseumawe in North Aceh.&nbsp;\",\"source\":\"AFP\",\"name\":\"\",\"tags\":\"\",\"mediaId\":\"kaMWHaxgtrUa\",\"height\":853,\"width\":1280,\"startCrop\":false,\"completeCrop\":false,\"replace\":false,\"insertAfter\":false}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Glorene Das, executive director of Tenaganita, an NGO that works with migrants and refugees in Malaysia, said that girls and women remain vulnerable even if they reach their destination.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The community is \\\"very closed\\\" and, while little formal data exists, she added that domestic abuse is \\\"most definitely\\\" a concern because the women have few rights and little access to outside help.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We found cases of forced marriages and child marriages -- it was the parents' decision,\\\" Das said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Once the marriage is formalised, Rohingya husbands are also expected to financially support their in-laws.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Amerah, 18, has not seen her fiance -- who is a construction worker in Malaysia -- since she was six.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Since the marriage was arranged by my parents, I agreed. We cannot go beyond the opinion of our parents. I have not met my husband since the last time we saw each other when we were kids,\\\" she explained.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Their courtship was via WhatsApp and social media before she attempted to travel to join him.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The teenager expected seven days of sailing -- instead she and her fellow passengers were adrift for seven months, battling sickness and malnutrition. Many did not survive.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Eventually, the traffickers abandoned them in northern Indonesia.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Listless and alone, having swapped one refugee camp for another, Amerah has little hope for the future.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"I don't know when I will get married. I do almost nothing here,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"I will follow whatever I am told to do.\\\"\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Refugee camps in Bangladesh are becoming increasinly overcrowded</li>
 <li>"My parents kept asking me to find a way to reach Malaysia," said Jannat Ara</li>
 <li>Human traffickers and pimps masqeurade as matchmakers offering hope</li>
</ul>

'What choice do we have?': Rohingya women face odyssey of misery

women

Smugglers mercilessly beat rake-thin refugees crowded onto a fishing boat, in a video obtained by AFP that shows rarely seen images from the frontlines of the Rohingya trafficking network.,Filmed on a mobile phone by a smuggler who later fled the vessel, the video shows dozens of asylum seekers, including children, sitting in the hull and on the deck as smugglers stand among them.,An argument starts and one of the traffickers, holding a thick rope in one hand, pushes a Rohingya man back and kicks him.,He then uses what appears to be a whip with his other hand to repeatedly lash a group of shirtless men who scramble to avoid the beating.,"They started beating us because we complained about the food," Mohammad Osman, a 16-year-old passenger, said in an interview at a Bangladesh refugee camp conducted as part of a months-long AFP investigation into the people-smuggling network.,"They randomly beat us just because we were asking for more rice and water.",Osman's neighbour, Enamul Hasan, 19, who was also on the ship, said he grabbed the phone after one of the traffickers left it behind when fleeing onto another vessel during what amounted to a mutiny.,The footage was shot several days before the group's Malaysia-bound boat returned to Bangladesh in mid-April, he said. It had departed in February.,Earlier beatings, which were not captured on video, saw some Rohingya die at the hands of the smugglers, Hasan told AFP at the refugee camp.,"They beat us mercilessly -- hitting our heads, tearing at our ears, breaking hands.",Hasan and Osman said 46 people on their vessel died from beatings, starvation and illness, giving breakdowns of men, women and children who perished.,AFP could not independently verify all of the specifics of their accounts, but a third surviving passenger separately retold similar events.,AFP also confirmed that Hasan and Osman were in the video footage. They could be seen huddling among the group of men who were being hit.,Hasan described how the crew, ethnic Burmese from Myanmar, eventually fled after some of the passengers began to resist.,The refugees had initially kept pleading to be taken to land as they tried to survive on starvation rations of rice and water, he added.,"But the smugglers told us to shut up and that there was no land for us. They said they'd kill us if we kept talking," Hasan said.,"We realised if this continues, we all would die. We needed to do something. We felt like we were in hell.,"So we attacked the crew since we had nothing to lose. It was a life-or-death situation... we threatened to kill the smugglers if they didn't drop us on land.",The crew responded to the mutiny by threatening to set the boat on fire, according to Hasan.,"They kept saying they'd burn us alive so we became silent again," Hasan said.,A small boat showed up a few days later and all but two of the traffickers fled, he added.,"Those two traffickers told us not to rebel, that they would drop us where they could," Hasan said.,"A couple of days later they left us back near Bangladesh and fled."

{\"time\":1608017175179,\"strCount\":3056,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Smugglers mercilessly beat rake-thin refugees crowded onto a fishing boat, in a video obtained by AFP that shows rarely seen images from the frontlines of the Rohingya trafficking network.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Filmed on a mobile phone by a smuggler who later fled the vessel, the video shows dozens of asylum seekers, including children, sitting in the hull and on the deck as smugglers stand among them.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"An argument starts and one of the traffickers, holding a thick rope in one hand, pushes a Rohingya man back and kicks him.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"He then uses what appears to be a whip with his other hand to repeatedly lash a group of shirtless men who scramble to avoid the beating.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"They started beating us because we complained about the food,\\\" Mohammad Osman, a 16-year-old passenger, said in an interview at a Bangladesh refugee camp conducted as part of a months-long AFP investigation into the people-smuggling network.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"They randomly beat us just because we were asking for more rice and water.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Osman's neighbour, Enamul Hasan, 19, who was also on the ship, said he grabbed the phone after one of the traffickers left it behind when fleeing onto another vessel during what amounted to a mutiny.\"}},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"data\":{\"service\":\"twitter\",\"source\":\"https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1338717986773876738\",\"embed\":\"AFP/status/1338717986773876738\",\"width\":520,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"\",\"aspectRatio\":173.33333333333334}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The footage was shot several days before the group's Malaysia-bound boat returned to Bangladesh in mid-April, he said. It had departed in February.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Earlier beatings, which were not captured on video, saw some Rohingya die at the hands of the smugglers, Hasan told AFP at the refugee camp.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"They beat us mercilessly -- hitting our heads, tearing at our ears, breaking hands.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Hasan and Osman said 46 people on their vessel died from beatings, starvation and illness, giving breakdowns of men, women and children who perished.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"AFP could not independently verify all of the specifics of their accounts, but a third surviving passenger separately retold similar events.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"AFP also confirmed that Hasan and Osman were in the video footage. They could be seen huddling among the group of men who were being hit.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Hasan described how the crew, ethnic Burmese from Myanmar, eventually fled after some of the passengers began to resist.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The refugees had initially kept pleading to be taken to land as they tried to survive on starvation rations of rice and water, he added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"But the smugglers told us to shut up and that there was no land for us. They said they'd kill us if we kept talking,\\\" Hasan said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We realised if this continues, we all would die. We needed to do something. We felt like we were in hell.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"So we attacked the crew since we had nothing to lose. It was a life-or-death situation... we threatened to kill the smugglers if they didn't drop us on land.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The crew responded to the mutiny by threatening to set the boat on fire, according to Hasan.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"They kept saying they'd burn us alive so we became silent again,\\\" Hasan said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A small boat showed up a few days later and all but two of the traffickers fled, he added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Those two traffickers told us not to rebel, that they would drop us where they could,\\\" Hasan said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"A couple of days later they left us back near Bangladesh and fled.\\\"\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The video captures images from the frontlines of the Rohingya trafficking network</li>
 <li>"They randomly beat us just because we were asking for more rice and water," a passenger said</li>
 <li>46 people on their vessel reportedly died from beatings, starvation and illness</li>
</ul>

Smugglers beat up Rohingya refugees over quality of food on trafficking boat | Watch

Geneva, Switzerland

Myanmar's apparent continued targeting of civilians in the country's Rakhine and Chin states could constitute additional war crimes and crimes against humanity, the UN rights chief said Monday.,Michelle Bachelet demanded action to remedy the serious rights violations suffered by Myanmar's Rohingya minority in particular.,Military operations in 2017 forced some 750,000 Rohingya to flee from conflict-torn Rakhine state to Bangladesh in violence that now sees Myanmar facing genocide charges at the UN's top court.,Speaking at the opening of the 45th Human Rights Council in Geneva, Bachelet decried that the abuses against the Rohingya and other minorities in the country were ongoing.,"People from the Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet and Rohingya communities are increasingly affected by the armed conflict in Rakhine and Chin States," Bachelet said.,She pointed to "disappearances and extra-judicial killings of civilians; massive civilian displacement; arbitrary arrests, torture and deaths in custody; and the destruction of civilian property.","Civilian casualties have also been increasing. In some cases, they appear to have been targeted or attacked indiscriminately, which may constitute further war crimes or even crimes against humanity," she said.,The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights lamented that no concrete measures had been taken by the government towards accountability for the "terrible human rights crisis" inflicted upon the Rohingya by the military operations in Rakhine which started three years ago.,Bachelet said government administrators were now reclassifying areas where Rohingya villages were previously located, removing the names of villages from official maps and potentially altering how the land may be used.,"This should end immediately, and the prior situation should be restored," she said.,Satellite images and eye-witness accounts indicate that areas in northern Rakhine have been burnt in recent months -- something contested by the government, Bachelet added.,"This only underscores the need for independent, on-the-ground investigation," she said.,Myanmar's military has always justified its 2017 operations as a means to root out Rohingya militants after attacks against around a dozen security posts and police stations.,The Rohingya are widely seen as illegal immigrants in Myanmar, denied citizenship and rights.,Bachelet highlighted that most Rohingya will not be able to vote in the forthcoming November elections, branding the situation as "disappointing".,"The vast majority of Rohingya will be prevented from participating in the elections, since they have effectively been stripped of their previously recognised rights to vote and stand for office," she said.,"Action must now be taken to properly remedy the serious violations the Rohingya have suffered, and include them into the life of their country.,"I also encourage the government to remove the barriers that impede democratic freedoms and undermine the equal enjoyment of human rights by all in Myanmar."

{\"time\":1600090342410,\"strCount\":3018,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's apparent continued targeting of civilians in the country's Rakhine and Chin states could constitute additional war crimes and crimes against humanity, the UN rights chief said Monday.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Michelle Bachelet demanded action to remedy the serious rights violations suffered by Myanmar's Rohingya minority in particular.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Military operations in 2017 forced some 750,000 Rohingya to flee from conflict-torn Rakhine state to Bangladesh in violence that now sees Myanmar facing genocide charges at the UN's top court.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Speaking at the opening of the 45th Human Rights Council in Geneva, Bachelet decried that the abuses against the Rohingya and other minorities in the country were ongoing.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"People from the Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet and Rohingya communities are increasingly affected by the armed conflict in Rakhine and Chin States,\\\" Bachelet said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She pointed to \\\"disappearances and extra-judicial killings of civilians; massive civilian displacement; arbitrary arrests, torture and deaths in custody; and the destruction of civilian property.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Civilian casualties have also been increasing. In some cases, they appear to have been targeted or attacked indiscriminately, which may constitute further war crimes or even crimes against humanity,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights lamented that no concrete measures had been taken by the government towards accountability for the \\\"terrible human rights crisis\\\" inflicted upon the Rohingya by the military operations in Rakhine which started three years ago.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bachelet said government administrators were now reclassifying areas where Rohingya villages were previously located, removing the names of villages from official maps and potentially altering how the land may be used.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"This should end immediately, and the prior situation should be restored,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Satellite images and eye-witness accounts indicate that areas in northern Rakhine have been burnt in recent months -- something contested by the government, Bachelet added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"This only underscores the need for independent, on-the-ground investigation,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's military has always justified its 2017 operations as a means to root out Rohingya militants after attacks against around a dozen security posts and police stations.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Rohingya are widely seen as illegal immigrants in Myanmar, denied citizenship and rights.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bachelet highlighted that most Rohingya will not be able to vote in the forthcoming November elections, branding the situation as \\\"disappointing\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The vast majority of Rohingya will be prevented from participating in the elections, since they have effectively been stripped of their previously recognised rights to vote and stand for office,\\\" she said.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"Action must now be taken to properly remedy the serious violations the Rohingya have suffered, and include them into the life of their country.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"I also encourage the government to remove the barriers that impede democratic freedoms and undermine the equal enjoyment of human rights by all in Myanmar.\\\"\"}}]}

Joy Tirkey

<ul>
 <li>Military operations in 2017 forced some 750,000 Rohingya to flee from conflict-torn Rakhine state</li>
 <li>Bachelet decried that the abuses against the Rohingya in the country were ongoing</li>
 <li>This should end immediately, UN rights chief said</li>
</ul>

UN warns of 'further war crimes' in Myanmar's Rahkine

Eight Security Council members called Friday for the Muslim Rohingya minority, victims in 2017 of what the UN calls a "genocide," to participate in Myanmar's upcoming elections.,The statement, published after a closed-door video conference, is signed by Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Tunisia, Britain and the United States.,"We recognise the efforts made by Myanmar's government in the country's democratisation," the signatories emphasise.,"The elections on November 8 are an important milestone in Myanmar's transition, which the international community has supported with funding and technical expertise," they added.,The signatories underlines underlined their commitment to ensuring individuals from all communities, including Rohingya, were able to participate "safely, fully, and equally in credible and inclusive elections.",They expressed concern about continuing clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin States, calling for an "immediate cessation of hostilities.",Since 2017, some 740,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's military abuses and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, where they are crammed into huge camps.,The crisis has led Burma to be accused of "genocide" before the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial body.,The statement from the eight countries urges Myanmar "to accelerate its efforts to address the long-term causes of the crisis in Rakhine and create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, sustainable, and dignified return of refugees.",And it stresses the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the violence.

{\"time\":1599859977084,\"strCount\":1614,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Eight Security Council members called Friday for the Muslim Rohingya minority, victims in 2017 of what the UN calls a \\\"genocide,\\\" to participate in Myanmar's upcoming elections.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The statement, published after a closed-door video conference, is signed by Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Tunisia, Britain and the United States.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"We recognise the efforts made by Myanmar's government in the country's democratisation,\\\" the signatories emphasise.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The elections on November 8 are an important milestone in Myanmar's transition, which the international community has supported with funding and technical expertise,\\\" they added.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The signatories underlines underlined their commitment to ensuring individuals from all communities, including Rohingya, were able to participate \\\"safely, fully, and equally in credible and inclusive elections.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"They expressed concern about continuing clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin States, calling for an \\\"immediate cessation of hostilities.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Since 2017, some 740,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's military abuses and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, where they are crammed into huge camps.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The crisis has led Burma to be accused of \\\"genocide\\\" before the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial body.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The statement from the eight countries urges Myanmar \\\"to accelerate its efforts to address the long-term causes of the crisis in Rakhine and create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, sustainable, and dignified return of refugees.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"And it stresses the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the violence.\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>The statement is signed by Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Tunisia, Britain and the United States</li>
 <li>They expressed concern about continuing clashes in Myanmar's Rakhine and Chin States</li>
 <li>Since 2017, over 740,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's military abuses and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh</li>
</ul>

UN calls for Rohingya to take part in Myanmar election

The European Parliament on Thursday removed Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the "Sakharov Prize community" because of her "acceptance" of state crimes against the Rohingya community.,The EU assembly awarded the former democracy campaigner its top human rights prize in 1990, a year before she received the Nobel Peace Prize, but she will no longer take part in events for laureates.,A source close to the parliament said the prize had been awarded for Suu Kyi's work before 1990 so could not be withdrawn, but that this exclusion was the strongest sanction available to MEPs.,A statement from the speaker and the group leaders in parliament said the decision was "a response to her failure to act and her acceptance of the ongoing crimes against the Rohingya community in Myanmar".,Majority-Buddhist Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority has long been discriminated against and around 740,000 people fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 to escape a military offensive.,Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who fought to end military rule and is now the country's most powerful civilian official as "state counsellor", was once honoured around the world as a champion of freedom.,But she has been accused of turning a blind eye to, or even condoning, abuses against the Rohingya.,Myanmar's election campaign began this week, with Suu Kyi's party hoping to build on its 2015 victory and secure its role as a counterweight to the still powerful military establishment.,But the refugees have been disenfranchised and most of the 600,000 Rohingya still in Myanmar have been stripped of citizenship and rights, despite pressure from Suu Kyi's former international admirers.,Suu Kyi's loss of her Sakharov Prize privileges is largely symbolic.,She is already a pariah in world capitals, especially after she travelled to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rebut allegations against her country of rape, arson and mass killings.,At the court last year, Suu Kyi defended the military that once kept her locked up, arguing that her country was capable of investigating any allegations of abuse and warned that the case could reignite the crisis.,"The Sakharov Prize Community connects MEPs, laureates, and civil society to increase cooperation on human rights action in Brussels and internationally," the parliament said, confirming the 75-year-old had been "formally suspended" all laureate activities.,"It serves as a channel of communication that enables the laureates and Parliament to address jointly human rights violations and issues."

{\"time\":1599789197457,\"strCount\":2558,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The European Parliament on Thursday removed Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from the \\\"Sakharov Prize community\\\" because of her \\\"acceptance\\\" of state crimes against the Rohingya community.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The EU assembly awarded the former democracy campaigner its top human rights prize in 1990, a year before she received the Nobel Peace Prize, but she will no longer take part in events for laureates.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A source close to the parliament said the prize had been awarded for Suu Kyi's work before 1990 so could not be withdrawn, but that this exclusion was the strongest sanction available to MEPs.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A statement from the speaker and the group leaders in parliament said the decision was \\\"a response to her failure to act and her acceptance of the ongoing crimes against the Rohingya community in Myanmar\\\".\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Majority-Buddhist Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority has long been discriminated against and around 740,000 people fled to Bangladesh in August 2017 to escape a military offensive.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who fought to end military rule and is now the country's most powerful civilian official as \\\"state counsellor\\\", was once honoured around the world as a champion of freedom.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But she has been accused of turning a blind eye to, or even condoning, abuses against the Rohingya.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Myanmar's election campaign began this week, with Suu Kyi's party hoping to build on its 2015 victory and secure its role as a counterweight to the still powerful military establishment.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But the refugees have been disenfranchised and most of the 600,000 Rohingya still in Myanmar have been stripped of citizenship and rights, despite pressure from Suu Kyi's former international admirers.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Suu Kyi's loss of her Sakharov Prize privileges is largely symbolic.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"She is already a pariah in world capitals, especially after she travelled to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rebut allegations against her country of rape, arson and mass killings.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"At the court last year, Suu Kyi defended the military that once kept her locked up, arguing that her country was capable of investigating any allegations of abuse and warned that the case could reignite the crisis.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The Sakharov Prize Community connects MEPs, laureates, and civil society to increase cooperation on human rights action in Brussels and internationally,\\\" the parliament said, confirming the 75-year-old had been \\\"formally suspended\\\" all laureate activities.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"It serves as a channel of communication that enables the laureates and Parliament to address jointly human rights violations and issues.\\\"\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the "Sakharov Prize community" in 1990</li>
 <li>She had received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991</li>
 <li>She has been accused of turning a blind eye to abuses against the Rohingya</li>
</ul>

EU parliament cuts Aung San Suu Kyi from top human rights prize honorees

EuropeanUnion

NobelPeacePrice

Sumatra Selatan, Indonesia

After spending seven months in sea, over 300 Rohingya migrants landed on a beach in Lhokseumawe city on Sumatra's northern coast in Indonesia, United Nations officials said. This is one of the biggest landings by the persecuted Myanmar minority in years, AFP reported. The group included --102 men, 181 women, and 14 children. ,"From their testimonies, they said that they were seven months adrift," said UN refugee agency coordinator Oktina. "We have seen their condition is very weak at the moment," she added. The officials also said that the migrants were kept as hostages while traffickers extorted money from their families.,"We don't really know the full story yet," Oktina said.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/myanmar-bars-rohingya-candidate-from-election">Myanmar bars Rohingya candidate from election</a>,The locals provided the refugees with food and clothing. "We're concerned about their condition. They need help in the name of humanity... They're human beings like us,” said Lhokseumawe resident Aisyah.,Earlier in June, close to 100 Rohingyans, mostly women and children, arrived in the same area following what they described as a perilous four-month journey that saw them beaten by traffickers and forced to drink their own urine to stay alive. Both groups started their journey from Bangladesh.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/canada-netherlands-to-formally-join-gambia-icj-case-against-myanmar">Canada, Netherlands to formally join Gambia ICJ case against Myanmar</a>,In what UN has described as the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis, around a million Muslim Rohingya live in cramped and squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh -- next to their native Myanmar -- where human traffickers run lucrative operations promising to find them sanctuary abroad.

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<ul>
 <li>This is one of the biggest landings by the persecuted Myanmar minority in years</li>
 <li>The group included 102 men, 181 women, and 14 children</li>
 <li>The UN has described it as the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis</li>
</ul>

Nearly 300 Rohingya migrants reach Indonesia 'after 7 months at sea'

Canada and the Netherlands announced Wednesday their intentions to formally join Gambia's genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.,Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok said in a joint statement the two nations were acting on obligations under the Genocide Convention "to prevent the crime of genocide and hold those responsible to account.",They urged other states to also support Gambia's legal fight, which was launched on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference.,"In bringing this application to the ICJ, Gambia took a laudable step towards ending impunity for those committing atrocities in Myanmar," Champagne and Blok said.,Calling the case "of concern to all of humanity," Champagne and Blok said Canada and the Netherlands "will assist with the complex legal issues that are expected to arise and will pay special attention to crimes related to sexual and gender-based violence, including rape.",The small African, mainly Muslim state of Gambia has taken majority-Buddhist Myanmar to the UN's top court in The Hague accusing it of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention.,Around 740,000 Rohingya fled across the border into sprawling refugee camps in Bangladesh after Myanmar launched a huge military crackdown in Rakhine state in August 2017.,Myanmar's civilian leader, Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, at the start of ICJ hearings in December 2019 rejected the genocide claims, warning the UN judges that allowing Gambia's case to go ahead risked reigniting the crisis and could "undermine reconciliation.",That three-day hearing sought emergency measures to prevent further violence against the Rohingya, pending the fuller case that could take years.

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Shubhangi Shah

<ul>
 <li>Around 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following military crackdown in 2017</li>
 <li>Gambia has taken Myanmar to the ICJ, accusing it of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention</li>
 <li>Canada and the Netherlands have joined Gambia's genocide case&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Canada, Netherlands to formally join Gambia ICJ case against Myanmar

Washington, DC, USA

Facebook rejected the demand of Gambia to release the documents that could aid an ICJ case, regarding the communication between Myanmar’s military and police at a US court on Tuesday. West African country Gambia had filed a case in the International Court of Justice last year accusing Myanmar authorities of perpetrating genocide against Rohingyan Muslims.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/facebook-ignored-hate-speech-posts-in-india-to-safeguard-business-prospects-report">Facebook ignored hate speech posts in India to safeguard 'business prospects': Report</a>,Gambia had also filed a case in a federal court in Washington seeking the documents. However, the social media giant urged the court to reject the demand as it breaches a US privacy law that prevents electronic communications services from disclosing users’ communications, Time Magazine reported.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/facebook-boots-qanon-groups-for-ties-to-violence">Facebook boots QAnon groups for ties to violence</a>,A Facebook spokesperson said that the request to release the documents was made in June and called it “extraordinarily broad” adding that it would constitute “special and unbounded access” to accounts.,The case that is filed at the United Nation’s International Court of Justice in the Hague accuses Myanmar government of committing a ‘systematic genocide’ on the Rohingyan Muslims. It also has accused the country of violating the 1984 UN Convention on genocide.,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/misleading-health-content-draws-38-billion-views-on-facebook-report">Misleading health content draws 3.8 billion views on Facebook: Report</a>,In 2018, an independent report, commissioned by Facebook, said the platform had created an "enabling environment" for the proliferation of human rights abuse in Myanmar. Subsequently, the network said it had made progress in sorting the issues in Myanmar but that there was "more to do.”,Facebook had also removed 425 pages, 17 groups, 135 accounts and 15 Instagram accounts in Myanmar for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behavior. It had also accepted that this seemingly independent news, entertainment, beauty and lifestyle accounts belonged to the Myanmar military.&nbsp;,ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/fir-registered-against-facebook-executive-amid-hate-speech-policy-row">FIR registered against Facebook executive amid hate speech policy row</a>,In late 2016, Myanmar's armed forces and police started a major crackdown on the Rohingya people in Rakhine State in the country's northwestern region.

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<ul>
 <li>Gambia had filed a case in the International Court of Justice last year</li>
 <li>It accused Myanmar of perpetrating genocide against Rohingyan Muslims</li>
 <li>The country demanded documents to aid this case</li>
</ul>

Facebook rejects Gambia's plea to release data for genocide case in ICJ

Naypyitaw, Myanmar (Burma)

A Rohingya Muslim has been barred from standing in Myanmar's upcoming election, in a decision decried by rights groups as discriminatory and a symptom of the "ongoing genocide" against the persecuted minority.,A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country into sprawling refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, prompting genocide charges at the UN's top court.,Myanmar has denied the allegations and justified the military operations as a means of rooting out terrorists.,Another 600,000 Rohingya remain in Myanmar, but most are not regarded as citizens and will have no vote, living in what Amnesty International describes as "apartheid" conditions.,Three Rohingya-led parties had hoped to field at least a dozen candidates in November's vote, according to regional watchdog Fortify Rights.,But Abdul Rasheed, 58, a member of the Democracy and Human Rights Party, told AFP on Wednesday that his candidacy was rejected by the district election commission in Rakhine state capital Sittwe a day earlier.,he commission said this was because his parents were not Myanmar citizens when he was born, Rasheed said -- even though he had proof his parents and grandparents were granted citizenship in 1957, four years before his birth.,"This is not in line with the law," he said, adding he would appeal the decision.,"The Rohingya are being degraded so we cannot compete.",Sittwe's election commission was not immediately available to comment.,The Muslim minority has had citizenship and other rights eroded over decades.,Rasheed, who said his father worked as a Myanmar government civil servant for more than 30 years, also tried without success to stand in the country's landmark 2015 election.,"This rejection is discriminatory and not unrelated to the ongoing genocide of Rohingya," said Matthew Smith from Fortify Rights, a group for which Rasheed also consults.,"The government of Myanmar must end its mass disenfranchisement of Rohingya."

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<ul>
 <li>The decision was decried by rights groups as discriminatory</li>
 <li>Rohingya Muslims face ethnic minority and persecution in country&nbsp;</li>
 <li>A 2017 military operation drove 750,000 Rohingya out of the country</li>
</ul>

#RohingyaRefugees