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Recognise Rohingyas: Obama | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com
New York, Nov 19 (bdnews24.com)US President Barak Obama on Monday urged Myanmar to give citizenship to hundreds of thousands of stateless Rohingya in the west of the country where ethnic bloodshed has caused massive displacement.
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After Obama's landmark six-hour visit to the reclusive Southeast Asian nation, the White House in a press briefing said the Myanmar government responded positively to the issue.
Myanmar's estimated 800,000 Rohingyas, a Muslim minority, are officially stateless, and regarded by the government of the majority Buddhist country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, rather than one of its 135 official ethnic groups, as a result of which it denies them citizenship.
Bangladesh, which is hosting some 500,000 Rohingya people since 1991-82, does not recognise them either and has denied them entry after the recent spate of sectarian violence in Myanmar's Rakhaine State. The United Nations has referred to them as "virtually friendless".
He called for an end to communal violence between Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine that has left more than 100,000 people displaced.
"National reconciliation will take time, but for the sake of our common humanity, and for the sake of this country's future, it is necessary to stop the incitement and to stop violence," he said.
Many Rohingya refugees tried to flee to Bangladesh which views them as economic burdens for the country.
"We welcome the Burmese government providing access to the International Committee of the Red Cross to prisoners. We also welcome their decision to establish a process to adjudicate the remaining prisoners of conscience that we believe are being held within the country.
Their decision to bring in the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will both help strengthen the monitoring capacity in the country and help build the capacity of Burma to deal with human rights issues, the White House added.
"They've reiterated a commitment to pursue a ceasefire in Kachin State, which is the one remaining ethnic insurgency that they're confronting. And with regards to the Rohingya in the Rakhine State, they reiterated their commitment to not just calm the situation, but to address the underlying issues including returning displaced people to their home and addressing the issue of citizenship for the Rohingya."
The first serving US President to visit Myanmar, Obama gave a speech at Rangoon University students and said the US would help to rebuild Burma's economy and could be a partner on its journey forward.
New York, Nov 19 (bdnews24.com)US President Barak Obama on Monday urged Myanmar to give citizenship to hundreds of thousands of stateless Rohingya in the west of the country where ethnic bloodshed has caused massive displacement.
.
After Obama's landmark six-hour visit to the reclusive Southeast Asian nation, the White House in a press briefing said the Myanmar government responded positively to the issue.
Myanmar's estimated 800,000 Rohingyas, a Muslim minority, are officially stateless, and regarded by the government of the majority Buddhist country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, rather than one of its 135 official ethnic groups, as a result of which it denies them citizenship.
Bangladesh, which is hosting some 500,000 Rohingya people since 1991-82, does not recognise them either and has denied them entry after the recent spate of sectarian violence in Myanmar's Rakhaine State. The United Nations has referred to them as "virtually friendless".
He called for an end to communal violence between Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine that has left more than 100,000 people displaced.
"National reconciliation will take time, but for the sake of our common humanity, and for the sake of this country's future, it is necessary to stop the incitement and to stop violence," he said.
Many Rohingya refugees tried to flee to Bangladesh which views them as economic burdens for the country.
"We welcome the Burmese government providing access to the International Committee of the Red Cross to prisoners. We also welcome their decision to establish a process to adjudicate the remaining prisoners of conscience that we believe are being held within the country.
Their decision to bring in the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will both help strengthen the monitoring capacity in the country and help build the capacity of Burma to deal with human rights issues, the White House added.
"They've reiterated a commitment to pursue a ceasefire in Kachin State, which is the one remaining ethnic insurgency that they're confronting. And with regards to the Rohingya in the Rakhine State, they reiterated their commitment to not just calm the situation, but to address the underlying issues including returning displaced people to their home and addressing the issue of citizenship for the Rohingya."
The first serving US President to visit Myanmar, Obama gave a speech at Rangoon University students and said the US would help to rebuild Burma's economy and could be a partner on its journey forward.
