Myanmar Rejects Rohingya Temporary Ceasefire

YANGON - Myanmar's government has rejected a proposed ceasefire by militants in the country's embattled Rakhine state. They saying don't "negotiate with terrorists."

Rohingya militants, known as Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) issued a statement Saturday, saying "offensive military operations" would be paused until October 9 to give access to aid groups.

The statement called on the Myanmar government to do the same to address the "humanitarian crisis" unfolding in the state.

However in response to a request for comment on the ceasefire, Zaw Htay, the spokesman for the office of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, told CNN they would not be accepting the offer.

"We have no policy to negotiate with terrorists," Zaw Htay told CNN.

At least 294,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled across the border to Bangladesh since fighting broke out on August 25, according to a situation report from the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) in Bangladesh. The report said $77 million in funding was needed to deliver urgent aid to the new arrivals.

Yanghee Lee, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Myanmar, said Friday that at least 1,000 people had been killed in the violence, though she said that figure is "very likely an underestimate."

"Figures are difficult to verify because of lack of access to the affected areas," she said.