Myanmar security forces set ablaze Muslims’ homes

* Security forces, Buddhists set several mosques on fire

YANGON: Myanmar security forces and Buddhist extremists are torching Rohingya Muslims’ houses in the Rakhin state.
In addition to setting ablaze the Muslims’ houses, the country’s security forces and government-backed Buddhists have also set several mosques on fire. The Rohingyas have been forcefully accommodated in government camps where they face dire conditions and lack of medical supplies. The report comes amid heavy military presence in the Rakhine’s capital, Sittwe, and imposition of a curfew in the volatile region.
Over the past weeks, protests in support of the Rohingya have been held in countries such as Pakistan, Malaysia, and Iran. Reports say some 650 Rohingyas have been killed in the Rakhine state in the west of the country in recent months. This is while 1,200 others are missing and 80,000 more have been displaced.
The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognise Rohingyas, who it claims are not natives and classifies as illegal migrants, although the Rohingya are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.
The UN Human Rights authorities point the finger of blame at Myanmar security forces, who are believed to have been targeting the Muslims rather than bringing the violence to an end.
The United Nations says decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education, and public services from them. The UN has also described the Muslim community as the Palestine of Asia and one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. agencies

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