Hundreds of Rakhines backed by pro government Buddhist nationalist blocs have protested against the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) for distributing aid to Rohingya Muslims.
On Monday at around 11 a.m., over 300 Rakhine Buddhists came out in what our local correspondent say is an apparent move to cut off life saving aid to Rohingya Muslims living in the zero point. This further complicates the situation as the Myanmar government had earlier strongly protested aid coming in from the Bangladesh side.
The Bangladesh government says they are not in charge of aid to the zero point and they are handled by aid agencies.
The recent protest, organised by quarters close to the government indicates this is a maneuver to get rid of thousands of refugees residing in the zero point along the Taung Pyo border, according to our local correspondent.
The protesters say the inhabitants are Bengalis, although they are Rohingyas who fled the 2017 military operation but did not enter the Bangladesh border. The protesters say they want the zero point free of this population, a line that has been echoed by the government many times.
Tensions have erupted in the zone after Myanmar bolstered forces along the zero point and even opened fire at the refugees earlier this year.
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