Bangladesh protests as Myanmar helicopters, drone violate airspace

Bangladesh has protested repeated violation of its airspace by Myanmar drones and helicopter, the foreign ministry says amid the exodus of Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Rakhine State.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 15 Sept 2017, 02:40 PM
Updated : 15 Sept 2017, 05:21 PM

Charge d Affaires of the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka Aung Myint met the Director General (South East Asia Wing) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Friday evening at the ministry where a protest note was handed over to him.

Bangladesh strongly protested the instances of violation of airspace by Myanmar military drones and helicopter on Sept 10, 12 and 14.

Referring to the earlier instances of violation of airspace since Aug 25, Bangladesh expressed deep concern at the recurrence of such acts of provocation. It demanded that Myanmar take immediate measures to ensure that such violation of sovereignty does not occur again.

Bangladesh also mentioned that these provocative acts may lead to unwarranted consequences.

The Myanmar Army has been conducting an operation against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State since insurgent attacks on police posts and an army base on Aug 25.

In Bangladesh, aid agencies are struggling to handle around 400,000 Rohingya refugees who fled the violence in around three weeks.

UN agencies fear the number may reach 1 million by year-end if the situation in Rakhine continues.

Bangladesh already sheltered another 400,000 Rohingya refugees in decades.  

Myanmar earlier rejected Bangladesh's proposal to build 'safe zones' for Rohingyas.

The UN Security Council, in a statement on Myanmar agreed for the first time in nine years, urged the country to stop the violence.

The European Parliament has threatened Myanmar with sanctions if it does not respond to global calls for stopping persecution of Rohingyas, branded 'ethnic cleansing' by UN officials, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she would raise the Rohingya issue in the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York.

India has also thrown its support behind Bangladesh over the issue.

China, however, skirted it, saying it was Myanmar's 'internal affair'.

The US has also condemned the operation against Rohingyas. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday that Myanmar is facing a 'defining moment' and must stop the violence against the ethnic minority population.

Pressure is also mounting on Myanmar government's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to condemn the army operation.

Twelve of her fellow Nobel peace laureates, among other eminent global citizens, called on her to act immediately to stop violence against Rohingyas.