Buddhist monks in Burma have raised the concerns of human rights groups by protesting for the deportation of the Muslim minority Rohingya, for a third consecutive day.

Burma saw its largest Buddhist monk led demonstrations since the pro-democracy uprisings in 2007.

Hundreds of traditionally dressed Monks marched through Burma’s second largest city, Mandalay, supporting President Thein Sein’s calls for the segregation and deportation of the Rohingya minority.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Director For Asia, Phil Robertson, noted that the Monk’s prevalent moral authority was likely to increase the sectarian tensions, saying,

“The fact that these monks just several years ago were protesting for democracy and human rights, and are today now protesting for exclusion and potential deportation of a particular ethnic group causes some concern that the government may in fact listen to these kinds of voices”.

The Buddhist monks’ unrest comes after violent clashes this summer between the muslim Rohingya and the Buddhists in the western Rakhine state, resulted in displacement of thousands of muslim Rohingya.

Burmese authorities have established a commission to investigate the human rights violations in these clashes.

However, HRW Deputy Director questions whether the commission can independently investigate the clashes in the state. He went on to say,

“There needs to be accountability in addition to a sort of far-sighted vision for a way that both of these groups will be able to live in peace”

Burma refuses to grant citizenship to the Rohingya, despite some living there for generations. The Rohingya are recognised by the United Nations as one of the worlds most persecuted minorities. Incidentally, Burma has 135 legally recognized minorities under a 1982 citizenship law that left out the Rohingya.