UN warns of catastrophe as Rohingya exodus nears 150,000

People displaced from communal violence boarding a boat at the Buthidaung jetty as they flee south to the city of Sittwe, Rakhine State. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned on September 1 of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in western Myanmar and urged security forces to show restraint after hundreds were reported dead in communal violence and thousands continued to flee. (AFP)

YANGON/SHAMLAPUR: Nearly 150,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in less than two weeks, officials said on Wednesday after the United Nations chief warned there is a risk of ethnic cleansing in the former Burma that could destabilize the wider region.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi blamed “terrorists” for “a huge iceberg of misinformation” on the violence in Rakhine state but she made no mention of the exodus of Rohingya since violence broke out there on Aug. 25.
She has come under increasing pressure from countries with Muslim populations, including Indonesia, where thousands joined a rally in Jakarta on Wednesday, to demand that diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority Myanmar be cut.
In a rare letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern that the violence in Rakhine could spiral into a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
According to the latest estimates issued by UN workers operating in Cox’s Bazar, arrivals in just 12 days stood at 146,000. This brought to 233,000 the total number of Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh since last October.
“People have come with virtually nothing so there has to be food,” a UN source working there said.
Suu Kyi lauds Modi remarks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India shared Myanmar’s concern about “extremist violence” in its Rakhine state, where a security force operation against Muslim rebels has sent about 125,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.
Modi spoke after talks with Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a visit aimed at expanding commercial ties as part of an “Act East” policy, and pushing back against Chinese influence.
Suu Kyi told a joint news conference at the presidential palace in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Myanmar was grateful for India’s stance on the attack on her country and they could work together to face the challenge.
“We would like to thank India particularly for its stand that it has taken with regard to terrorist threat that came to our country a couple of weeks ago,” she said in brief remarks.
“We believe that together we can work to make sure that terrorism is not allowed to take root on our soil.” Modi said India and Myanmar had similar security interests in the region.
“We share your concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine state and specially the violence against security forces and how innocent lives have been affected,” he said.
“We hope that all the stakeholders together can find a way out in which the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar is respected and at the same time we can have peace, justice dignity and democratic values for all.”
Modi’s government has taken a strong stance on an influx into India of some 40,000 Rohingya from Myanmar over the years, vowing last month to deport them all.
That decision has drawn criticism from rights groups and prompted a petition in the Supreme Court to stop the government from doing so.
International concern, in particular from Muslim countries, is growing about the latest exodus of Rohingya.
India is trying to boost economic ties with resource-rich Myanmar, with which it shares a 1,600-km border, to counter Chinese influence and step up links with a country it considers its gateway to Southeast Asia.