Arakan News Agency
Myanmar Vice-President U Henry Van Theo said his government did not know the reasons for the Rohingya’s exodus to Bangladesh from Arakan province.
This came in a speech to the UN General Assembly, in the absence of the State Counselor, the Prime Minister of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi has been the subject of international criticism after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accused the country’s security forces of committing ethnic cleansing crimes against the Rohingya Muslim community in Arakan since August 25th.
“The Myanmar government does not know why these large numbers of Rohingyas have been displaced to Bangladesh,”Van Theo said.
“Those who were forced to flee their homes in Rakhine (Arakan) were not only Muslims, but also small groups of other minorities, and the world had forgotten their ordeal.”
He said the violence, described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Arakan, “is due to a deep state of mistrust that has been established for decades.”
He stressed his country’s commitment to the “equitable and indiscriminate distribution of humanitarian aid in Arakan and the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan” on Rohingya.
Last August, Annan, Chairman of the Arakan Advisory Committee, handed over to the Government of Myanmar a final report on the fact-finding on acts of violence against Rohingya Muslims.
“The Myanmar government is deeply concerned about the current situation in Arakan, and we express our deepest sympathy to the families of all innocent civilians, police and security forces who have lost their lives,” said Van Theo.
“I am pleased to inform you that the situation has improved and no armed clashes have been reported since 5th September.”
“We are also concerned about reports that the number of Muslims crossing Bangladesh is still large and we need to know the reasons for this displacement,” the Myanmar official said.
Since August 25th, the Myanmar army has committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan province, killing and injuring thousands of civilians, according to Rohingya activists.
Since that date, some 421,000 Muslims in the province west of Myanmar have crossed into Bangladesh, according to the latest international data.
This came in a speech to the UN General Assembly, in the absence of the State Counselor, the Prime Minister of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi has been the subject of international criticism after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accused the country’s security forces of committing ethnic cleansing crimes against the Rohingya Muslim community in Arakan since August 25th.
“The Myanmar government does not know why these large numbers of Rohingyas have been displaced to Bangladesh,”Van Theo said.
“Those who were forced to flee their homes in Rakhine (Arakan) were not only Muslims, but also small groups of other minorities, and the world had forgotten their ordeal.”
He said the violence, described by the United Nations as ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Arakan, “is due to a deep state of mistrust that has been established for decades.”
He stressed his country’s commitment to the “equitable and indiscriminate distribution of humanitarian aid in Arakan and the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan” on Rohingya.
Last August, Annan, Chairman of the Arakan Advisory Committee, handed over to the Government of Myanmar a final report on the fact-finding on acts of violence against Rohingya Muslims.
“The Myanmar government is deeply concerned about the current situation in Arakan, and we express our deepest sympathy to the families of all innocent civilians, police and security forces who have lost their lives,” said Van Theo.
“I am pleased to inform you that the situation has improved and no armed clashes have been reported since 5th September.”
“We are also concerned about reports that the number of Muslims crossing Bangladesh is still large and we need to know the reasons for this displacement,” the Myanmar official said.
Since August 25th, the Myanmar army has committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan province, killing and injuring thousands of civilians, according to Rohingya activists.
Since that date, some 421,000 Muslims in the province west of Myanmar have crossed into Bangladesh, according to the latest international data.
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