Cattle from abandoned Rohingya villages walk along a beach in southern Maungdaw, Rakhine state, after fleeing burning villages. Credit:AP Sources in Geneva say Australia argued it would be pre-judging the situation if the council called on the Myanmar government to end "violations and abuses" before UN investigators delivered their findings next March. The contentious line in the resolution, expected to be formally passed this week, now reads "expressing grave concern at the recent reports of serious human rights violations and abuses in Myanmar, in particularly Rakhine state, and calling for an end to violence". Human rights activists monitoring the council said the change watered down the gravity of abuses at the same time as Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi refuses to criticise her country's security forces. "It is important the fact-finding mission does its valuable job but it should not become an excuse to not do anything during an emergency such as what is unfolding in Burma [Myanmar] currently," a source at the council said.

Sri Lankan Buddhists express solidarity with Myanmar Buddhists, outside the UN office in Colombo on Wednesday. Sign in centre reads "We do not want any Rohingya extremists who killed Buddhist monks". Credit:AP A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said "we consider it important we maintain appropriate lines of communication with Myanmar on a very challenging set of security, human rights and humanitarian issues and concerns in Rakhine state". But Emily Howie, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, said while "it's important to maintain communication with Myanmar, where possible, this shouldn't be done by whitewashing the reality of the violence and abuse occurring on the ground". Bangladeshi activists from various Islamic groups burn a Myanmar flag and mock coffin during a protest in Bangladesh, against the persecution of Rohingya Muslims. Credit:AP Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said last week she had refrained from condemning Myanmar's government "because I can see that Aung San Suu Kyi can't be blamed for what's happening. She has to be part of the solution, otherwise we will be going back decades in terms of Myanmar's growth and prosperity."

Ms Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism across the world and calls for her Nobel peace prize to be returned. Rohingya girl Noor Fatima plays with her father Muheeb-Ullaha as she recovers at Sadar Hospital in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Noor was badly injured when Myanmar soldiers burnt her house. Credit:AP Ms Bishop said the Rohingya crisis had been a "reality check". "It comes as a shock to see some of the press reports around the world," she said. "It has uncovered a very complex and complicated history in Myanmar." The body of an elderly Rohingya man is carried on a stretcher during his funeral near Taiy Khali refugee camp, Bangladesh, on Wednesday. Credit:AP

The spokesperson said Australia was "deeply concerned" by the violence in Rakhine and had called for an end to security operations, protection of civilians in accordance with international law and unfettered humanitarian access to affected areas. Australia is providing $20 million in aid through agencies to people affected by the crisis and has sent relief experts with an Indonesian team to the Bangladesh camps to help assess their needs. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop wants Myanmar's leader AUng Sun Suu Kyi to be part of the solution. Credit:AP But human rights groups have called on Australia to cut military ties with Myanmar's army and stop peacekeeping training and other support. Rights groups have also criticised Australia for offering $25,000 to Rohingya refugees detained on Manus island to return to Myanmar.

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi delivers a televised speech to the nation on the same day she was due, but declined, to appear at the UN. Credit:AP "Australia is all over the place on Myanmar," Ms Howie from the Human Rights Law Centre said. "On the one hand it's great to see Australia raise the concerns about the violence in Rakhine state with the human rights council," she said. "But that good work was seriously undercut by news at home that Australia is offering money to Rohingya refugees to return to that very same violence." Human Rights Watch has declared that violations committed by Myanmar's security forces - including forced population transfers, deportation, murder, rape and other sexual violence, and persecution - amount to crimes against humanity under international law.

Myanmar's government has rejected UN accusations its military has embarked on a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya and says its security forces have been responding to attacks by insurgents. Loading The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted Minister for Social Development, Relief and Resettlement Win Myat Aye as saying the government would manage the redevelopment of hundreds of torched Rakhine villages. The move is likely to raise concerns about prospects for the return of the refugees from Bangladesh.