The European Union deals a blow to what had been increasingly warm ties between the bloc and Burma’s military, saying it will suspend any invitations to the Tatmadaw’s top brass and “review all practical defence cooperation,” as well as maintaining an existing arms embargo.

Buddhist monks and nationalists assembled outside the US embassy in April to denounce the use of the term “Rohingya” in an embassy statement.

The BBC’s Burmese-language news service has severed ties with Burma’s MNTV, with the former citing “interference” from the state broadcaster, saying it had constituted “a serious breach of trust with our audiences.”

Twenty parties issue statement saying that the government's failure to address recent terrorist attacks was “the equivalent of committing an act of terror”.

International human rights advocates have criticised the interim report of the government-formed investigative commission tasked with probing the attacks on 9 October and subsequent violence in northern Arakan State.

Was it a step forward or a flop? Whatever the verdict is, the 19 December “retreat” of ASEAN foreign ministers in Burma on the touchy Rohingya issue was itself the message.