UN says concerned over plight of Rohingya Muslims

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern over reports of mass killing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, calling on neighboring Bangladesh to open its borders to fleeing Rohingyas.

Guterres called for humanitarian agencies to be granted free access to the affected communities.

Thousands of Rohingya are fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state as government troops have intensified a crackdown on the country’s Muslim minority since Friday. Large numbers of refugees are now stranded near the border after Bangladesh blocked their entry.

Locals in Rakhine say the army attacked villages and set Rohingya homes on fire. A military source, however, blamed what he described as insurgents for torching the buildings. Myanmar’s army launched an offensive in Rakhine following attacks on security posts in the state.

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