Rohingya militants call ceasefire as Bangladesh warns of genocide in Burma

THE ROHINGYA militant group fighting the Tatmadaw military of Burma (Myanmar) in the country’s northern Rakhine State has declared a ceasefire amid a conflict which has caused the flight of almost 300,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh over the past two weeks.

The group, known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), announced via its Twitter account a one-month "cessation of offensive military operations” on Sunday to enable "humanitarian actors to assess and respond to the humanitarian crisis in Arakan State.”

Arakan is the former name of Rakhine State. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that 290,000 Rohingya have fled over the border from the Rakhine into Bangladesh over the past two weeks.

"ARSA strongly urges the Burmese government to reciprocate this humanitarian pause by ceasing military offensive operations and participate in assisting the victims regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds in all conflicted affected,” the statement read.