Attacks on Rohingya Muslims in Burma are on the increase, warns Amnesty International on Friday.
In continuing communal violence, Rohingyas have become targets for killings, rape and physical abuse although the Burmese government has dismissed the allegations as groundless and biased.
Amnesty accused Burma’s security forces and ethnic Buddhists of being responsible for the attacks.
Rohingya Muslims are denied Burmese citizenship as the government considers them to be illegal settlers from Bangladesh.
Over the last six weeks attacks have been "primarily one-sided, with Muslims generally and Rohingyas specifically the targets and victims," Benjamin Zawacki, a Bangkok-based researcher for Amnesty, told The Associated Press.
Zawacki added,
"Some of this is by the security forces' own hands, some by Rakhine Buddhists with the security forces turning a blind eye in some cases."
"For too long Myanmar's human rights record has been marred by the continued denial of citizenship for Rohingyas and a host of discriminatory practices against them."
"Under international human rights law and standards, no one may be left or rendered stateless,"
