Myanmar is facing growing condemnation from the Muslim world over its

failure to halt the violence directed toward the minority Rohingya ethnic
group, amid protests across the globe.
So far, an estimated 123,600 Rohingya have fled to neighboring
Bangladesh to escape escalating violence in their native Rakhine State,
according to a United Nations official in Bangladesh.
Leaders of countries with majority Muslim populations including Malaysia,
Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan have led efforts to increase pressure
on the Myanmar government.
Malaysia's foreign minister summoned Myanmar's ambassador to express
its concern, according to state-run Bernama news, and Indonesian Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi held talks Monday with Aung San Suu Kyi, the de
facto leader of Myanmar. Marsudi was due to meet with her counterpart in
the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Tuesday.
"(Indonesia) speaks not only on behalf of global Muslim concerns but also
ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It feels a real sense
of urgency," Herve Lemahieu, research fellow at Sydney's Lowy Institute,
told CNN.
In contrast, Western leaders have have so far appeared reluctant to
speak out strongly on the issue. According to Lemahieu, the Western
world's attention is still fixed elsewhere in Asia, on the nuclear standoff in
North Korea.
"On the other hand, people, particularly in the West, are torn between
their affection with the cause of Aung San Suu Kyi and then the very
gory reality," he said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released a
statement Tuesday saying he is "deeply concerned about the security,
humanitarian and human rights situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state."
Guterres said "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."
Also Tuesday, UNICEF released a statement saying that, of the
Rohingya who have crossed into Bangladesh, "as many as 80% of them
are women and children."
"In Bangladesh, UNICEF is scaling up its response to provide refugee
children with protection, nutrition, health, water and sanitation support,"
the organization said.

The government of Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, blames

"terrorists" for starting the violence. Rohingya militants killed 12 security
officers in border post attacks almost two weeks ago, according to state
media, intensifying the latest crackdown.
The Rohingya, who are denied citizenship by Myanmar, are considered
some of the most persecuted people in the world. The predominantly
Buddhist country says they are Bangladeshi and Bangladesh says
they're Burmese.
It is the second time in less than a year that a military crackdown has led
to a mass exodus.
Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, said while
efforts were being made by the UN and through diplomatic channels,
more nations needed to speak out.
"(Countries) could say more and they should say more. The government
of Burma takes a look at these things and they count what people are
saying publicly versus what they're saying privately," he said.

Protests across world for Rohingya

In solidarity with the Muslim minority, tens of thousands of people
marched through the Chechen Republic's capital city of Grozny.
According to a government statement, the protest in Chechnya, which is
part of the Russian Federation, was attended by more than a million
people.
Protests in Chechnya are heavily regulated and typically orchestrated by
authorities, said former Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty, who added
that the protests could be an effort by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov
to position himself as a global Muslim leader.
On his official Instagram account, Kadyrov labeled attacks on Rohingya
as "genocide."
There were reports of smaller protests outside Myanmar embassies in
countries around the world, including Indonesia, Pakistan, Germany and
Australia.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday
expressed "deep anguish" at the continuing violence, which he termed
"deplorable."
Even the Afghan Taliban issued a statement against the bloodshed,
using its channel on the Telegram app. "We similarly call on Muslims
worldwide to not forget these oppressed brothers of yours," read the
message.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to arrive in Myanmar
Tuesday for talks with the country's leadership, including Suu Kyi, but
analysts said it was unclear how big a priority the Rohingya were. The
visit was scheduled before the latest outbreak of violence.
"As far as the Rohingya issue is concerned, yes, it is an issue for
Myanmar, yes, it is an issue for the region, including India, and in the
discussions with his counterpart I'm sure he'll bring up the issue," said K.
Yhome, senior fellow at India's Observer Research Foundation.