Former U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has began a fact-finding visit to Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state. The Myanmar Government has appointed Annan to head a commission tasked with finding solutions for the situation. Myanmar's military launched a sweeping operation in the town after Rohingya militants attacked security forces in early October. The military has been accused of large-scale violence against members of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, resulting in destruction of villages, civilian casualties and an exodus of refugees to neighboring Bangladesh. <br/><br/>The government denies the allegations and said 17 soldiers and police as well as 69 militants have died in clashes since then. Malaysia and other countries with large Muslim populations are increasingly critical of Myanmar's handling of the issue. United Nations officials said that at least 10,000 Rohingyas have fled from Rakhine to Bangladesh in recent weeks. There are about 800,000 Rohingya people living in the state.