I was in Yangon early last October when reports first emerged of a crackdown on suspected 'terrorists' in Myanmar's Rakhine state. The military operation had displaced a number of local residents, creating tensions that would eventually lead to a serious armed confrontation between Rohingya militants and Myanmar's security forces. Nine policemen were killed, triggering a violent recourse of more killings and burning of villages. The situation seems to have gone out of control, with thousands of displaced Rohingyas crossing the border into neighboring Bangladesh or setting out to sea to seek refuge elsewhere.