The United States is calling on both Burma and Bangladesh to help the victims of recent communal violence in Arakan State. Michael Posner, the assistant secretary of state for human rights and democracy, said on Thursday that the governments of both countries were obligated “to ameliorate this very challenging situation.” He said the US urged Bangladesh to open its borders in accordance with its international obligations under a refugee convention after it turned back around 2,000 Rohingyas fleeing the violence. He also expressed concern about 15,000 people displaced inside Burma.—AP