Yangon summons Dhaka envoy over article

Bangladesh’s ambassador has been summoned by the Myanmar government after a Dhaka-based newspaper ran an opinion piece calling for a referendum in the Arakan state. English daily ‘Dhaka Tribune’ in an Op-Ed titled “A referendum in Rakhine state?” on March 20 suggested that Rohingya-majority parts of the state should hold a referendum on whether to secede from Myanmar. The Rohingya issue has been a thorn in Myanmar-Bangladesh relations as hundreds of Muslim Rohingyas fled the coastal state in the southern Myanmar and took refuge in Cox’s Bazar following sectarian violence over the years. Bangladesh has long been demanding that the international community press the authoritarian government of the Southeast Asian nation for their repatriation. Its government, however, denies them citizenship. The UN and international researchers accuse the Myanmar authorities of large-scale human rights violations against the Muslim group and of backing the local Buddhist community during outbursts of inter-communal violence, according to a news agency.