Rights groups urge aid access to conflict-hit Myanmar region
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JAKARTA - Rights groups urged Myanmar to allow humanitarian access to a troubled Muslim-majority region following the latest violence that has prevented aid agencies from delivering food and medicines.
Troops have been sweeping northern Rakhine state for more than a week, hunting an estimated 400 fighters who officials believe are members of mostly stateless Rohingya Muslim community acting with the support of Islamists abroad.
The Myanmar military has declared the area an "operation zone" and has tightly controlled the flow of information since insurgents seized dozens of weapons in raids on border posts on Oct. 9, in which nine police officers were killed.
U.N. agencies have said they have no access to the affected areas to assess humanitarian needs after the attacks.
