Myanmar security forces fired mortars and machine at thousands of Rohingya attempting to flee into Bangladesh from Rakhine state on Saturday, and hundreds of government staff and ethnic Rakhine residents were being moved out after a major upsurge in violence sparked panic in the troubled region.
Tension and fear were running high after 96 people — alleged insurgents and 12 security personnel — were killed on Friday in attacks on about 30 police posts. The attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group came the day after the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State — led by former UN chief Kofi Annan — announced its final recommendations on how to ease tensions in the troubled region.
The clashes continued into Saturday with reports of fresh gunfire in northern Rakhine state and at least one further attack. A number of Rohingya properties were set alight, with the Muslim minority residents blaming security forces, and a government statement saying Rohingya insurgents had burnt down their own community's property.
Those who managed to reach the Bangladeshi border were still far from safe as officials refused to let them pass. Although some slipped through - some by swmming across the Naf river but thousands of mainly women and children were left stranded on the so-called zero-line border zone..
"They have fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the zero line," Border Guard Bangladesh's (BGB) station chief Manzurul Hassan Khan confirmed. "They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targeting the civilians. They have not consulted with the BGB."
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Read more: Fresh violence kills 71 in Myanmar's Rakhine State
No improvement in life for Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims will lead to more violence and radicalisation, warns Kofi Annan
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Following Friday’s attacks, the de facto leader of the civilian-led government, Aung San Suu Ky, said the assaults had been timed to coincide with the Annan report — a risk the government was aware of — and condemned the Muslim insurgents as “terrorists.”
“It is clear that [these] attacks are a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine State. We must not allow our work to be derailed by the violent actions of extremists,” she said.
However the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa), which claimed the attacks, said on Twitter that they were responding to recent raids, killings and looting of Rohingya communities by security forces.
Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a human rights organisation, said people were very frightened and expecting "extreme reprisals" by the authorities against Rohingya civilians.
“Women and children especially have been fleeing into Bangladesh,” she said.
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Read more : What hope now for the Rohingya in Myanmar?
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The Arsa group emerged in October last year under the name Harakah Al Yaqeen — when it carried out a smaller number of similar attacks on border security posts. That prompted a wave of brutal reprisals against Rohingya civilians, allegedly including rape, murder and arson by security forces, which the United Nations said was possible ethnic cleansing and likely amounted to crimes against humanity.
The Myanmar government has so far refused to co-operate with a UN fact-finding mission into the allegations or give visas to UN investigators.
An estimated 1.1 million Rohingya live in Rakhine. Most are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions on their movements. Violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya in 2012 killed more than 200 people and displaced about 140,000, mainly Rohingya.
The UN estimates that 87,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh since authorities launched their clearance operations last October, but they are no more welcome there than in Myanmar. Tens of thousands of refugees live in squalid conditions in the Cox's Bazaar area of Bangladesh.
Reports emerging on Saturday claimed that some of those involved in the latest violence had received training in Bangladesh — an allegation backed up by the Burma Human Rights Network, a rights advocacy organisation, which said, "It has been relayed to BHRN that many of the refugees who fled last years fighting between Arsa and the Burmese army were recruited and trained since winter of last year.”
Staff from international organisations based in Rakhine said it was unlikely the release of the Annan report had played a significant role in provoking the violence. Sources on the ground had reported increased communal tensions since the military ramped up troop numbers in the state earlier this month. And the day before the attacks, reports emerged of mass arrests and brutality against Rohingya villagers in Rathedaung township, where hundreds of Rohingya had been blockaded by their Rakhine neighbours for the previous three weeks.
However the co-ordinated nature of the attacks suggested planning for an assault had already been under way.
Mr Annan led international condemnation of the attacks, saying he was “gravely concerned". Amnesty International and others called on both sides to show “utmost restraint” to ensure civilians were not harmed.
However, international observers have also expressed concerns about the language and nature of statements by the government regarding the incidents, which sources in Rakhine say are fuelling hate against the wider Rohingya civilian community and other Muslim populations. Images on government websites showed graphic pictures of some of those killed in the attacks and official statements referred to the attackers as “extremist Bengali terrorists”.
The term Bengali is used as a pejorative for the Rohingya, to imply they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Under Aung San Suu Kyi the government has generally avoided either name, generally using the term "Muslims from Rakhine".
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
