MNDF denies rumors of military exercises with Myanmar

Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has denied the rumors that military exercises were planned between the armies of the Maldives and Myanmar.

A statement released by MNDF on Monday said that there were no military exercises planned for the armies of the two nations, adding that there were no future planned military exercises with Myanmar either.

Maldives on Sunday severed ties with Myanmar, as confirmed by the Maldives Foreign Ministry.

A statement released by the Foreign Ministry stated that “Maldives condemns in the strongest terms, the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim community in Myanmar, and is deeply concerned by the recent cycle of violence that resulted the death of dozens of Rohingya Muslims and displacing several thousands”.

The statement noted that “Rohingya Muslim minority continues to suffer under systematic repression and the United Nations has in the past documented such human rights violations against this minority group”.

It also said that the international community must act swiftly and firmly to stop the bloodshed.

“The Government of Maldives has decided to cease all trade ties with Myanmar, until the Government of Myanmar takes measures to prevent the atrocities being committed against Rohingya Muslims,” the statement said.

“The Government of Maldives requests the United Nations Secretary General and the United Nations Human Rights Council to look into the grave violations of human rights against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar,” it added.

The Rohingya are often described as "the world's most persecuted minority".

They are an ethnic Muslim group who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims who live in the Southeast Asian country. They are not considered one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, which has effectively rendered them stateless.