Myanmar urged to allow passage of aid to Muslim-majority areas

Humanitarian agencies and rights groups have urged Myanmar to allow the passage of much-needed aid to the restricted Muslim-majority areas they have no access to.

Humanitarian agencies and rights groups have urged Myanmar to allow the passage of much-needed aid to the restricted Muslim-majority areas they have no access to.

Amnesty International said on Thursday that the latest government crackdown on Muslims had “aggravated what was already a serious humanitarian situation in the country.”

“The Myanmar authorities must immediately lift restrictions preventing the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies from reaching people in need,” said Rafendi Djamin, Amnesty’s Southeast Asia and the Pacific director.

Brad Adams, with the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said Myanmar’s officials were required by law to act in “a manner that respects human rights, ensures that the area’s people get the aid they need, and allows journalists and rights monitors into the area.”