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The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to Myanmar authorities on Tuesday to end violence against Rohingya Muslims in the country’s Rakhine state, warning of the risk of ethnic cleansing and regional destabilization.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
He also urged the Security Council to press for restraint and calm, sending the 15-member body a rare letter to express concern that the violence could spiral into a “humanitarian catastrophe with implications for peace and security that could continue to expand beyond Myanmar’s borders.”
Nearly 125,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar’s northwestern Rakhine state since the violence began on August 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive have killed at least 400 people.
Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against “terrorists” responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October.
Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force them out with a campaign of arson and killings.
"The authorities in Myanmar must take determined action to put an end to this vicious cycle of violence and to provide security and assistance to all those in need," he added.
(REUTERS)
