Alwaght- Bangladesh has protested Myanmarese regime's increased military presence near its border as Rohingya Muslims continue to flee ethnic cleansing inside Myanmar.
On Thursday, Bangladesh summoned Myanmar’s ambassador over the increased security presence near its border, where thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been sheltering just inside Myanmar, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said.
The United Nations refugee agency has expressed concern that thousands of people staying on the strip of land, dubbed “no man’s land” because it is beyond Myanmar’s border fence but on Myanmar’s side of a creek that marks the international border, would be forcibly returned without enough care for their safety.
Myanmar deployed some 200 troops to the border on Thursday where thousands of Rohingya refugees have taken shelter, claiming it is an "anti-terrorism operation".
Nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar for Bangladesh form Aug. 25 last year following a military crackdown backed by extremists Buddhists that the United Nations has said amounted to ethnic cleansing, with reports of arson attacks, murder and rape. According to reports, over 6,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed since the start of the current crisis.
It is the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, according to the United Nations, with the majority of the displaced seeking refuge in neighboring Bangladesh.
The Rohingya, one of the most persecuted communities in the world, are not recognized as citizens of Myanmar and face widespread discrimination from the authorities. Prior to the current exodus, tens of thousands of Rohingya have already been living as refugees in several neighboring countries.
