The country’s geopolitical vulnerabilities could deepen as political fissures widen.

The harassment, detention and deportation of Bengali-speaking migrant workers is merely the first step in identifying and creating a new stateless population in South Asia

India’s worries in its neighbourhood have deepened after Muhammad Yunus’ Beijing visit last month

The US will find it geopolitically challenging to engage with China-backed ethnic armed outfits operating in Myanmar

The Rohingya are seen as “foreigners” and designated as “Bengalis” by the majority Buddhist ruling classes of Myanmar. They have been denied citizenship and excluded from any future vision of Myanmar, as the nation grapples with issues of ethnicity, religion and citizenship.

The future of the million Rohingyas in Bangladesh is uncertain. The government wants the community en masse to be shifted to a floating island in the middle of the Bay of Bengal. What does this mean for the stateless Rohingya? Only time will tell

The outgoing president, Htin Kyaw, who was also close to Suu Kyi, retired “in order to take rest from the current duties and responsibilities” amid visible weight loss and speculation over his health.

The statement posted on the presidency’s Facebook page said Htin Kyaw wanted to “take a rest”.

The conflict is separate to the Rohingya crisis in the west of the country, but security forces are similarly accused of committing frequent abuses against civilians.

Statements from the Myanmar and Bangladesh foreign ministries said Bangladesh would set up five transit camps on its side of the border.