AYPYITAW: Pope Francis urged the leaders of majority-Buddhist Myanmar, mired in a crisis over the fate of Muslim Rohingya people, to commit themselves to justice, human rights and respect for ?each ethnic group and its identity?.
The Pope avoided a diplomatic backlash by not using the highly charged term ?Rohingya? in his addresses to officials, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi. However, his words were applicable to members of the beleaguered minority, who Myanmar does not recognise as citizens or as members of a distinct ethnic group. More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh - where the Pope heads on Thursday - since the end of August, escaping from a military crackdown that Washington has said included ?horrendous atrocities? aimed at ?ethnic cleansing?. Francis made his comments in Naypyitaw, the country?s capital, where he was received by Suu Kyi, the Nobel peace laureate and champion of democracy who has faced criticism for expressing doubts about the reports of rights abuses against the Rohingya and failing to condemn the military.
11-29-2017, 02:00 PM
Pope urges respect for rights but avoids ?Rohingya? row
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