Australia to increase Burma's humanitarian aid

Updated 21 February 2013, 23:52 AEST

Zoe Daniel, South-East Asia correspondent and staff

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced an increase in humanitarian assistance to Burma's Rakhine state, where scores of people have been killed in communal violence.

Muslim Rohingya women walk inside the Bawdupha Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located on the outskirts of Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's western Rakhine state on October 30, 2012. (Credit: AFP) 

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced an increase in humanitarian assistance to Burma's Rakhine state, where scores of people have been killed in communal violence.

Minister Carr has announced an extra $2.5 million in funding for sanitation and shelter ahead of the coming wet season.

The fighting between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims has divided the community and led to the Rohingya being separated into temporary camps, which house an estimated 120,000 people.

Minister Carr has also offered support to Thailand in accommodating Rohingya who are fleeing the area by boat and landing in Thailand's South on the way to Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

Rakhine State suffered two bouts of deadly sectarian violence last year between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims.

The government says the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and does not regard them as citizens.

Bangladesh also denies them citizenship and the estimated 800,000 Rohingya in Rakhine State are therefore effectively stateless.

Source : Radio Australia