Recently revealed insurance scams involving bogus helicopter rescues and hospital treatment of tourists have rocked the tourism industry and embarrassed the government.

“Since your [Nepal government] investigation commenced on May 30, until August 1, our company has stopped 61 fraudulent helicopter rescues from happening, that’s one every two days,” said Danny Kaine, head of Assistance for Travellers Assist, a UK-based medical assistance company representing international insurers in Nepal, in an email to the Tourism Ministry, a copy of which was obtained by the Post.

“And that’s just the result of our company. Imagine how many other companies are experiencing this same problem. The situation is out of control, and I believe that from the inside you don’t quite see how the fraud is happening and to what scale,” he said in the email dated August 9.

“In 21 days, our clients, who provide travel insurance for over 70 percent of the English-speaking travelers who visit Nepal, will stop issuing travel insurance policies for Nepal. In addition, we are working with the governments of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada on the issues,” he added.

In another email, Kaine said that three major insurance underwriters from the UK, Australia and the US held urgent meetings to discuss the possibility of cancelling all the travel insurance policies for British, Australian and American tourists who visit Nepal.

“This is due to fraudulent helicopter rescues that are happening throughout Nepal and overtreatment that is happening in some hospitals that is costing insurance companies millions of dollars every year. For the past six months, our company has conducted several investigations into past travel insurance claims, and we have found that up to 30 percent of helicopter rescues that happen are completely unnecessary,” he said.

The insurance companies have demanded that helicopter rescue costs be capped at $4,000 per flight. “If there is less money, the helicopter companies are less likely to want to share their profits with trekking companies and hospitals that will drastically reduce the amount of fraud,” Kaine.

“Fake rescue is obviously a matter of concern for us, and we have recommended stern action against all the companies involved in it,” said Tourism Secretary Krishna Prasad Devkota.

“We have sent the investigation report to the ministries and departments concerned like the Home Ministry, the Central Investigation Bureau, the Department of Revenue Investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and others suggesting action as per the crime committed,” he said, adding that the government would prepare a guideline within next week on how rescues can be done.

“We will not leave any stone unturned to punish the agencies and people involved in fraud that has dented Nepal’s reputation.”

On July 30, a government fact-finding committee submitted a 700-page probe report to Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari recommending that from the next tourist season (September-November) all rescue activities be entrusted to the Nepal Police to stop the insurance scam that has damaged the country’s reputation.

The committee report has urged the government to investigate the transactions of eight travel, trekking and rescue agencies named Kailash Charter Rescue, Alpine Rescue, Mountain Heli Charter Service, Eagle Heli Charter Service, Easy Heli Charter Service, Flight Connection Domestic, Mountain Rescue Service and Himalayan Social Journey Trekking.

Four hospitals Swacon International Hospital, Era Health Centre, CIWEC Hospital and Vayodha Hospitals and three helicopter companies Heli Everest, Manang Air and Air Dynasty Heli Services are being scrutinised by the government for quoting exorbitant rates and making claims against tourist insurance policies.

The committee suspects that they may be involved in tax evasion too. The fact-finding panel probed 10 helicopter companies, six hospitals and 36 travel, trekking and rescue agencies following complaints filed by tourism entrepreneurs.

Unscrupulous operators have been pocketing thousands of dollars from insurance companies by making multiple claims for a single chopper ride or pushing trekkers to agree to airlifts for minor illnesses.

Trekking companies get hefty kickbacks when hikers are evacuated from the mountains.

The committee said in its report that there have been widespread complaints of dishonest companies serving adulterated food to make tourists sick so that they can be evacuated by helicopter, and they can receive commissions from helicopter companies and hospitals and clinics.

According to the report, a local agent was found billing the insurance company 50,000 Euros ($57,972) for evacuating a group of trekkers. In another case, they found that a local agent issued two separate bills for one rescue. The insurance company was billed 86,248 euros. The insurance company was billed $24,000 for minor treatment in a hospital.

This is the third year in a row the week has been organised in the city as a promotion for both retail items and tourism.

It’s part of plan called “Promote Vietnamese enterprises to directly participate in foreign distribution networks up to 2020” set out in 2015.

“In recent years, the government has opened opportunities for local businesses to further expand their networks overseas, among which Thailand is a promising market,” Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said at the opening.

Thai Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong noted the 42 years of friendly relations between the countries. “These relations have not been just diplomatic, but also strongly involved with economics, trade, investment, culture, education and tourism.”

The countries have long exchanged goods and services, with trade volume and value increasing every year. The Thai private sector has been investing in Vietnam and importing its products, Sontijiwarong said.

Thailand is currently Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Department of Asia-Africa Markets.

Last year, Vietnam-Thailand trade rose to US$15.3 billion from $11.5 billion in 2015, representing an average annual growth rate of 15.5 per cent.

At the end of July, bilateral trade reached $9.5 billion, a rise of 14.2 per cent year-on-year. The two countries are striving to bring two-way trade to $20 billion by 2020 and ensure more balanced trade in the future.

About 60 Vietnamese firms participated in the event, of which 40 businesses exhibited goods, focusing on items with high export potential such as processed fruits, coffee, instant noodles, clothes and silk, as well as products representing the identity of the regions of Vietnam such as vermicelli, mushrooms and handicrafts.

Another 20 firms will attend a business-matching session with buying teams from Central Group Thailand.

Nguyen Long Hai, head of sales at Long Trieu Coffee Co, said this was the second year his company had brought products to the event.

Last year, the firm was unable to find any customers because the product design and brewing type did not fit with Thai tastes.

“This year, we have brought a new product, coffee beans, mostly used for espresso machines, which are more suited to Thai customers’ habits. In addition, we renovated our design to make it more eye-catching, hoping to connect with Thai partners in the business-matching session, as well as introduce a new coffee trend to Thais – filter coffee,” Hai told Viet Nam News.

Within the framework of the event, the MoIT in collaboration with the Central Group organised the Trade Connection Conference to help Vietnamese enterprises meet the Purchasing Department of the Central Group’s retail system.

Through this workshop, Vietnamese enterprises and suppliers will have a better opportunity to introduce products, learn about requirements and standards on quality and design of Thai customers, as well as exchange business methods with representatives from Central Group Thailand.

Philippe Broianigo, CEO of Central Group Vietnam and Big C Vietnam, revealed that Vietnamese goods worth $50 million-60 million were exported to Thailand through Central Group’s retail system last year and this number is expected to rise in the future.

Tourism is a new highlight of this year’s event, initiated by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last year, with the hope of drawing more Thai tourists to Vietnam.

Vietnam has huge tourism potential with natural beauty, distinctive culture and unique cuisine that Thais find delicious. Many famous tour operators together with airlines and hotels such as Vietjet Air, Thai Airways, Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Accor and Group Asia Holidays attended the event.

The event will run until August 26 at Central World Plaza, one of the largest shopping destinations in Bangkok.

“Please be on high alert and take every necessary measure,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told cabinet members and officials at a meeting on storm preparedness.

He urged local governments to issue evacuation orders and take other necessary measures “without fear.”

Typhoon Cimaron is packing maximum gusts of 216 kilometres (133 miles) per hour, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said.

It was around 260 kilometres southeast of Ashizuri — on the coast of Shikoku island — in western Japan by 0300 GMT on Wednesday, the agency added.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall late Thursday and head north through Friday morning, bringing intensifying wind and rain.

“Please remain vigilant for landslides, inundation of low ground, flooding of rivers, storms, and high and tidal waves,” the weather agency said.

Meteorological agency chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora warned the typhoon could bring “multiple hazardous phenomena” such as violent wind and high tides “simultaneously at night.”

“Please evacuate early,” he said at a press conference.

Some parts of central Japan could see up to 800 millimetres (31 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to noon Friday, the agency said.

The areas at risk include parts of the country still recovering from flooding and landslides caused by record rains in July that killed over 200 people.

Several cities and towns started to issue evacuation advisories, with television footage showing residents of Okayama, one of areas worst hit by last month’s deadly flooding, working to pile up sandbags.

Some trains have suspended operations and more than 100 flights were cancelled, most of them domestic routes, reports said.

The approach of Cimaron comes as Typhoon Soulik was already bringing heavy rain to parts of the main southern island of Kyushu.

They agreed that journalists and media organisations in the region must also join in the effort. They agreed to contribute by sharing both their experiences and their best practices in coping with what they call the scourge of fake news which has already created chaos, feelings of animosity and even violence in many societies.

They issued a call during the forum “How Asean Should Fight Fake News” organised by the Confederation of Asean Journalists (CAJ) in Bangkok on Monday for the mainstream media to take a lead in the battle against fake news.

In their presentations at the forum, each media representative outlined how fake news and disinformation is affecting every layer of their societies.

In Singapore, people have been duped by false information about foods and health, and in more serious cases many were swindled through the systematic spread of fake news.

In Vietnam and several other Asean countries, confusion and chaos was caused by doctored photos and outright falsehoods.

And in countries where there are already serious political divides or religious conflicts, such as Indonesia and Cambodia, fake news always has the potential to trigger confrontations with serious consequences. And more often than not, fake news is also used by interest groups to buttress their interest.

Recent actions in the Philippines are a grim reminder that governments or state agencies bent on scoring political gains can also be a source of fake news as surely as can individuals with a sinister mind.

While the proliferation of fake news may continue unabated in these countries, there is increased awareness among people, especially those in the media, civil organisations and state agencies of the need for a concerted effort to educate their societies about its dangers.

Many have launched on-line awareness campaigns and introduced training and school curricula to promote digital literacy.

The CAJ media representatives agreed that creating informed and media-literate societies is the most effective long-term approach to deal with fake news.

They also agreed that with its resources and expertise, mainstream media cannot shirk their responsibility to lead the charge against fake news.

But mainstream media need to gain the public trust and confidence by strengthening their professionalism through objective and factual reporting.

They emphasised that the most effective weapons against fake news are facts.

The forum also agreed that since fake news knows no boundaries, there is a need for journalists and media organisations in the region to work together to counter it through sharing information and their best practices.

They also cautioned against any legal measures or legislation that might be initiated ostensibly to combat fake news, but would in fact have adverse effects on the freedom of the media.

The forum is part of the activities under the Action Plan for 2018-2020 of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ) adopted at its general assembly held in Bangkok early this year.

CAJ is one of the oldest and most active media organisations in Southeast Asia, established in 1975 to forge cooperation among Asean journalists. The Confederation of Thai Journalists currently holds the CAJ chairmanship.

Attending the forum were representatives from the Club of Cambodian Journalists, National Press Club of the Philippines, Vietnam Journalists Association, Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia (PWI), Laos Journalists Association, National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM), Creative Media and Publishing Union (CMPU) of Singapore, and Confederation of Thai Journalists.

The findings from international charity Save the Children have dashed a long-standing belief that thousands of ‘lost’ children in the world’s largest refugee camp might one day be reunited with their parents.

There are more than 6,000 children known to aid workers in the Bangladesh camps who never found their parents after fleeing a brutal army crackdown in Myanmar that has been likened to ethnic cleansing.

Humanitarian agencies say the real number is impossible to know but some estimates run higher, as many children disappeared into the enormous camps to live with relatives or neighbours once they crossed the border alone.

Some came on their own and were placed in temporary care.

Efforts to reconnect these children with their parents have been under way since 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were expelled from Myanmar a year ago.

But this latest data — gleaned from more than 100 cases of unaccompanied and separated minors in the largest study of its kind — suggests half these children were orphaned before they even arrived, and that many witnessed their parents’ violent murders.

“We knew it was bad, but not this bad. Even experienced child protection managers were shocked by the findings,” said Beatriz Ochoa, humanitarian advocacy manager for Save the Children in Cox’s Bazar.

“This is going to have a profound implication on our work. Some of these children watched their parents die. Can you imagine?”

Lost generation

Jubeda Begum has been caring not just for her own infant, but also for her young niece and nephew after she said her sister Rozia was murdered with her husband during an army sweep in their village last year.

The orphaned children, aged 8 and 7 years, were surrounded by family and playmates in the bleak confines of their refugee shanty town, but trauma simmers beneath their smiles.

“They both miss their parents a lot. They often cry for their father and mother,” 25-year-old Jubeda told AFP in the doorway of her shack where the wider family of 10 live under one tarpaulin roof.

The Rohingya crisis has been marked by its appalling impact on children.

Sixty percent of the civilians pursued by Myanmar forces and armed Buddhist militias into destitution in Bangladesh were children, aid groups say.

Their lives in the unsanitary, cramped and lawless terrain of Cox’s Bazar has fostered a “fatalism” about their future, UNICEF said in a new report Thursday.

“Older children and adolescents who are deprived of opportunities to learn or make a living, are at real risk of becoming a ‘lost generation’, ready prey to traffickers and those who would exploit them for political or other needs,” the report stated.

Orphans and unaccompanied children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect and are treated as high-priority cases, child protection workers say.

In the bleak camps — where nearly a million Rohingya displaced by decades of violence live hand to mouth — caring for these youngest victims often falls to family.

“We all take care of him,” said Mohammad Issa, gesturing to his six-year-old cousin Tarek who has lived with his family since the boy’s parents were killed in Myanmar.

“We do not let him feel the lack of parents. But still, he sometimes misses them.”

Matthias Krull, 44, a German national and Panamanian resident, was one of a ring of conspirators and he admitted the scam began in late 2014 with “a currency exchange scheme that was designed to embezzle around $600 million from PDVSA,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

PDVSA was the crown jewel of Venezuela’s imploding economy and remains virtually the only source of hard currency for the embattled government. But it also has made the company a target of theft and graft.

The Justice Department said the stolen fund were “obtained through bribery and fraud.”

The conspiracy in 2015 doubled to $1.2 billion in funds embezzled from PDVSA. Krull became involved in 2016 when another member of the ring asked him to help launder the proceeds.

They used Florida real estate and “sophisticated false-investment schemes to conceal that the $1.2 billion was in fact embezzled from PDVSA,” the statement said.

He pleaded guilty in a Florida court to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced October 29.

Krull’s co-conspirators “include former PDVSA officials, professional third-party money launderers, and members of the Venezuelan elite, sometimes known as ‘boliburgues.'”

US authorities arrested Krull in Miami last month, while Gustavo Hernandez Frieri, a Colombian, was arrested in Italy and is awaiting extradition.

The Venezuelans indicted in the case are Francisco Convit, shareholder of energy company Derwick Associates; Carmelo Urdaneta, former petroleum and mining ministry legal advisor; Abraham Ortega, ex-PDVSA staffer; and Jose Vicente “Chente” Amparan, a businessman and “professional money launderer” with links to Spain and Malta.

Venezuela’s economic freefall continues, with hyperinflation expected to soar to one million percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

On Tuesday, President Nicolas Maduro introduced a new currency, dropping five zeros and devaluing the “sovereign bolivars” by 96 percent.

Kevin Kwan, who has lived in the US since he was 11 but is still a Singapore citizen, faces up to three years in jail and a hefty fine if convicted, the city-state’s defence ministry said.

The movie adaption of his bestseller, which focuses on the glamorous world of Singapore’s super-rich, was released in the United States last week and has been hailed as a watershed for Hollywood diversity due to its mostly Asian cast.

The film had its Singapore premiere Tuesday, with some of its stars gracing the red carpet and hundreds of fans turning out — but Kwan was conspicuous by his absence, Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper reported.

And in a twist worthy of a Hollywood thriller, Singapore’s defence ministry revealed in a statement that Kwan “failed to register for National Service in 1990, despite notices and letters sent to his overseas address.

“He also stayed overseas without a valid exit permit.”

The Singapore-American author had committed offences under the enlistment act and faces a fine of up to Sg$10,000 ($7,300) and a prison term of up to three years if convicted, the ministry said.

Male Singapore citizens are required to undergo two years of national service upon turning 18. They can either serve in the military, the police or the civil defence force.

The defence ministry said Kwan sought to renounce his Singapore citizenship in 1994, but his application and a subsequent appeal were rejected due to his failure to complete national service.

“Crazy Rich Asians”, the first Hollywood film for a generation to have a majority-Asian cast, tells the tale of an Asian-American woman who is plunged into the world of Singapore’s wealthy elite after travelling to the city with her boyfriend.

While it has been widely praised in the US, the movie has drawn flak in Singapore for focusing on the wealthy ethnic Chinese and ignoring the country’s substantial minorities.

The Kerala state government and India’s military have issued rare warnings about viral social media messages as they confront the aftermath of floods which have killed some 420 people.

The deluge of false news, videos and claims also comes as the Indian government steps up pressure on Facebook, WhatsApp and other platforms to act against fake news, blamed for inciting more than 20 lynchings in the past two months.

Some postings have been relatively harmless. Portuguese football superstar Ronaldo is often linked to big donations after a catastrophe that makes international headlines.

But Indian fact-checking websites like Boomlive.in have highlighted how many people are using Ronaldo’s supposed donation to criticise the federal government’s response to the crisis.

The central government has pledged almost $100 million in aid so far.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijaran issued a Twitter warning after a viral fake video said there were cracks in the Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala’s Idukki district.

 – Fake fatigues – 

In the clip an unidentified man, quoting a supposed friend in the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says that within three hours the surrounding area will be inundated.

“I wish to inform all that the state government will now take very strict action against such people,” Vijayan said.

The Indian Army in turn debunked a fake video where a man in military fatigues is seen talking about the relief operations and slamming the Kerala chief minister.

“Imposter wearing army combat uniform in video spreading disinformation about rescue and relief efforts,” the army tweeted.

“Every effort (being made) by all and Indian army to overcome this terrifying human tragedy,” it said, urging people to inform authorities about suspicious news.

Joke news peddled by parody accounts on Twitter have also caused distress.

“Man refuses to accept a saffron life jacket, dies as a result,” read a headline on a story by Fault News which describes itself as a satirical portal.

Saffron is the most sacred colour for Hindus. They are the majority in Kerala, a state of 33 million people, and there is rivalry with Christian and Muslim communities.

In yet another instance, an image of a flooded car park at a Renault dealership in the main city of Kochi turned out to be an old photo.

Fake news is often deadly in India. Hoax messages about child kidnappers being seen in villages spread like wildfire on platforms such as WhatsApp, which boasts more than 200 million users in India.

Mobs quickly gather to target the alleged intruders. More than 20 innocent people have been killed across India since June.

Facebook is investigating intensively to counter fake news in India and other countries, hiring teams to track content and linking with fact-checking groups, its officials say.

The Indian government demanded that Facebook-owned WhatsApp clamp down on fake news in talks this week with its chief executive Chris Daniels.

Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said he was assured that WhatsApp “will soon take steps” to comply with the demands.

In a drama that played out simultaneously across two US cities, a court found one former aide guilty of eight charges — and the other pleaded guilty to another eight — stemming from the federal investigation into the 2016 presidential election.

In New York, Trump’s longtime fixer, the attorney Michael Cohen, admitted to charges that included making illegal campaign contributions.

Cohen detailed how he made pre-election hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both claim to have had affairs with Trump.

But in a sensational twist, Cohen also pointed to the president — or “individual 1” as a co-conspirator — alleging that he acted “in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office” in making those payments.

“I participated in this conduct with the purpose of influencing the election,” a visibly crestfallen Cohen told the judge, his voice trembling at times as he addressed the packed courtroom.

That admission put Trump himself in legal jeopardy. And it raised the prospect that a once-trusted lieutenant is ready to spill secrets, gathered over decades, in exchange for a reduced sentence.

In a statement to US media, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said, “there is no allegation of any wrongdoing against the President in the government’s charges against Mr. Cohen.”

Cohen’s lawyer Lanny Davis explained his client’s about face after years spent vowing to “take a bullet” for Trump.

“This is Michael fulfilling his promise… to put his family and country first and tell the truth about Donald Trump,” said Davis.

“Today, he stood up and testified under oath that Donald Trump directed him to commit a crime by making payments to two women for the principal purpose of influencing an election,” the lawyer continued.

Nearer home

While the Cohen drama was unfolding in New York, a jury in Virginia found Trump’s one-time campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, guilty on eight counts, including bank fraud, tax fraud and failure to declare foreign bank accounts.

Trump expressed regret, calling Manafort “a good man.”

“I feel very sad about that,” Trump told reporters as he arrived in West Virginia for a rally, claiming the conviction was part of a “witch hunt” after the 2016 election.

“It’s a very sad thing that happened, this has nothing to do with Russian collusion.”

Trump also sought to distance himself from Manafort — who was instrumental in the 72-year-old securing the 2016 Republican nomination.

“He worked for many, many people,” said Trump, citing campaigns for former president Ronald Reagan and vice presidential candidate Bob Dole.

At the rally Trump made oblique but impassioned comments about Manafort and the Mueller probe.

“Where is the collusion?” he asked the crowd. “They are still looking for collusion, where is the collusion? Find some collusion. We want to find of the collusion.”

New York family

It is Cohen’s decision to enter a plea deal that may pose the most problems for Trump.

While it is US legal tradition that the president cannot be tried, the allegation, if proven, will only increase calls for his impeachment as congressional elections in November come nearer.

“I think impeachment is now squarely going to define the midterms,” Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist and Trump critic, told The New York Times. “It’s inescapable now that Democrats can legitimately raise that issue.”

Questioned by a federal judge in Manhattan, Cohen indicated he had paid sums of $130,000 and $150,000 each to two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump.

Cohen said he made the payments “at the request of a candidate” to silence “information that would be prejudicial to the candidate and the campaign.”

In addition to two counts of violating campaign finance laws, Cohen pleaded guilty to five counts of tax fraud and one of bank fraud during the hearing before US District Judge William Pauley.

The federal judge informed the 51-year-old Cohen that he faced a maximum of 65 years of imprisonment, with his sentence set to be handed down on December 12.

The US president had spent much of the day cooped up at the White House, as rainstorms raged outside and the two high-profile legal cases with profound implications for his presidency reached their coda.

At a courthouse close to Washington, jurors spent four days deliberating on the 18 charges against Manafort.

While the jury was unable to reach a verdict on 10 counts, prompting the judge to declare a partial mistrial, Manafort was found guilty on the eight remaining charges.

These included five counts of filing false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one of failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

Each of the bank fraud counts carries a significant maximum sentence and the 69-year-old could theoretically live out the remainder of his years in prison — though a legal expert contacted by AFP predicted his sentence would in reality last less than a decade.

Myanmar says its military operations in Sikander’s home state of Rakhine last August were an effort to root out terrorists who had targeted police officers.

But the scars and disfigured skin of Rohingya civilians — men, women and children — tell a different story.

“It was a soldier who shot me,” Sikander, 37, recounted almost a year after Myanmar security forces stormed his village of Yae Twin Kyun, in Muangdaw district, on September 1.

On the back of his right shoulder is a large scar, round and concave, a thumb-sized gouge of flesh taken from his body.

“I’m still in pain, I take medicine from the clinic [for it],” he told AFP. “I can’t lift heavy things.”

Sikander is one of the more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims — a minority from Myanmar long considered outsiders and denied citizenship — expelled almost a year ago when security forces launched “clearance operations” after rebel attacks.

Today, he lives across the border in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district, where refugee camps hold more than a million Rohingya.

Those who made it to Bangladesh have recounted rape, extrajudicial killings and the razing of entire villages.

Myanmar has denied accusations of atrocities — apart from a solitary massacre in the village of Inn Din.

It insists its operations were proportionate responses targeting Rohingya militants.

But the violence written on the bodies of refugees speaks otherwise.

A round tore through 60-year-old Kabir Ahmed’s left shoulder as he fled, leaving a pink arrow-shaped scar.

There is the line of gnarled flesh under the bend of eight-year-old Minara’s knee, where she was shot at home in Rakhine.

Mohammad Haroon, 28, has a gash at the top of his spine where a bullet hit him as he was trying to cross the border.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders says it has treated more than 2,600 patients for injuries from bullets, knives and burns.

The figure does not include women subjected to sexual violence.

Many of the wounds have an enduring physical impact.

Minara can’t walk properly and Haroon has trouble breathing.

Mohammed Sultan, 30, went blind after a bullet pierced his right temple and severed his optical nerves.

But his brother fared worse.

“One of my brothers came to rescue me, but he was shot in the back, and he died,” he said.