Myanmar has rejected exclusive responsibility for the Rohingya crisis, at an international meeting in Bangkok. Indonesia and Malaysia in recent weeks
ADVERTISEMENTMyanmar has rejected exclusive responsibility for the Rohingya crisis, at an international meeting in Bangkok.
Indonesia and Malaysia in recent weeks have also been at a loss over how to handle more than 3,000 arrivals of Rohingya Muslims, among the world’s most persecuted minorities.
Myanmar representative Htein Lynn was categorical: “On the issue of boat people migrating, you cannot single out my country. Some issues fall within domestic jurisdiction.”
More than a dozen countries touched by the crisis, directly or indirectly, were represented in the Thai capital, the United States as well.
The US Assistant Secretary of State, Anne Richard, explained that a US navy plane is keeping a lookout for vessels with migrants:
“We do have cooperation with Malaysia, so the plane is up in the air. It is surveying the area, and I think that this is a very good thing, and we’re hopeful we can expand that a bit.”
With a recent crackdown by Thailand, traffickers have abandoned many migrants at sea.
Mostly Buddhist Myanmar denies the Rohingya citizenship, branding them illegal entrants from Bangladesh.
While many of them languish in camps, Malaysia and Indonesia are calling for other countries to take them in.