Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Tension grows as Myanmar deploys troops near refugee camp

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Tension are growing after Myanmar sent more troops to its border, where thousands of Rohingya refugees are in camps. Myanmar says the move targets insurgents, but Bangladesh is demanding an immediate withdrawal. CGTN's Dave Grunebaum has the story.

DAVE GRUNEBAUM YANGON "Bangladesh protested the build up of soldiers in an area close to no-mans land which is a buffer area just inside the Myanmar side of the border.

Many Rohingya refugees who fled Rakhine State were staying there for months.

But Myanmar says the increase in troop levels is not meant to antagonize Bangladesh.

The government says it's acting on intelligence that there were insurgents in the area that might attack Myanmar.

But this troop build up could also hinder any plans for repatriating Rohingya refugees.

Almost 700-thousand Rohingyas have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State to Bangladesh since August because of a military counter-insurgency campaign after insurgent attacks. The UN has called the operation ethnic cleansing, accusations Myanmar's army denies.

Bangladesh is struggling with the influx of refugees. Repatriation is supposed to be voluntary and additional troops could add to a list of reasons why many Rohingya refugees might refuse to repatriate."