2,600 Rohingya houses burned, nearly 60,000 fled

Nearly 2,600 houses were burned in northwestern Myanmar last week, in an area inhabited by Rohingya Muslims, and approximately 58,600 members of this ethnic minority have fled to Bangladesh, UNHCR representatives in that country announced, Al Jazeera reported.

Myanmar officials blamed the armed group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army for the burning of houses, and that group claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on security posts, which caused last week's clashes, Reuters reported.

However, Rohingya Muslims who fled to Bangladesh said that the campaign of burning houses and killing members of the Myanmar army aims to expel them from the area.

The world's most vulnerable ethnic minority

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously warned of a possible humanitarian catastrophe in western Myanmar and insisted that the country's security forces exercise restraint, after nearly 400 people, mostly Rohingya, were killed in clashes.

The issue of nearly 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar represents the biggest challenge for the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is criticized by some Western critics for not standing up for this minority, which has complained of persecution for years.

According to official data and United Nations reports, Rohingya Muslims are the world's most vulnerable ethnic minority.

Rohingya Muslims do not have their own state and their rights are significantly limited.