Myanmar refuses to recognise most Rohingya as citizens and places a raft of restrictions on them, such as family size, movements and access to jobs
In recent years tens of thousands of Rohingya have left, fleeing on often deadly voyages across the Bay of Bengal at the hands of ruthless people-smuggling and trafficking networks
They have been joined by hundreds of Bangladesh economic migrant, many from the dirt-poor Cox's Bazer coastal area adjacent to Rakhine
The exodus was largely ignored until a crackdown on the people-smuggling trade as gangmasters abandoned their human cargoes on land and sea
Myanmar has come under increasing pressure from the international community to halt the ongoing persecution of its Rohingya population
But the authorities have stuck ti their line that Rohingya are not fleeing persecution
Myanmar insists most of the migrants are from Bangladesh and has vowed to sent them bake across the border. AFP