SE Asia urges Myanmar to hold military accountable for Rohingya crisis

Myanmar's neighbours in Southeast Asia have urged the country to hold those responsible for the Rohingya crisis "accountable", Singapore said Tuesday, in a rare call for justice from within the region.

Around 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's western Rakhine state have fled across the border to Bangladesh since August last year following a military campaign that allegedly involved murder, rape, torture and razing villages.

The UN has accused Myanmar's military of committing "genocide" against the Muslim minority.

As global pressure has mounted over the atrocities, Myanmar formed an "Independent Commission of Enquiry", which is chaired by former Philippine deputy foreign minister Rosario Manalo -- but gave no details of the commission's remit, powers or how long it would take to complete its investigation.

Critics have blasted the commission for its toothlessness after Manalo said her commission will not be "blaming" or "finger pointing" anybody.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian