DHAKA: Myanmar claims it has repatriated the first family of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

UN however warned that the country is not ready for their return.

Nearly 700,000 refugees have fled to Bangladesh to escape a brutal military campaign that began last August.

Myanmar says five members of a family arrived at a "repatriation camp" on Saturday (April 14).

Myanmar says five members of a family arrived at a "repatriation camp" on Saturday, and were provided with supplies and ID cards.

The UN accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing." However, Myanmar denied this charge.

The Myanmar government, on the other hand, says it has been engaged in a justified campaign against Rohingya militants in its Rakhine state.

Earlier this month, it sentenced seven soldiers to prison terms for involvement in the killing of 10 Rohingya men, it says.

The Rohingya are a mostly Muslim minority ethnic group in Myanmar. They are not recognized by the state, which denies them citizenship and considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

BDST: 1150 HRS, APR 15, 2018

AH/SMS