Explorer

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to address nation next week on Rohingya crisis

Naypyidaw [Myanmar], September 13 (ANI): Nobel Laureate State Councillor and leader of National League for Democracy Aung San Suu Kyi will address the nation on the Rohingyas Muslims crisis engulfing Rakhine state next week.

Suu Kyi's addess will be her first speech since scores were killed in the violence that has sent nearly 380,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Myanmar State Counsellor and de facto leader has decided to skip the next week's United Nations General Assembly debate as criticism of her handling of the Rohingya crisis has grown immensely.

At a press conference late Wednesday, government spokesman Zaw Htay said Suu Kyi would "speak for national reconciliation and peace" in a televised address on September 19.

According to reports, about 370,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's northern Rakhine state for Bangladesh, Nepal and India since the outbreak of violence last month.

Amid a dramatic increase in the number of refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar's Northern Rakhine state, UNHCR called for urgent action to address the root causes of the recent surge in violence, so that people are no longer compelled to flee and can eventually return home in safety and dignity.

"In the last two weeks an estimated 370,000 Rohingya refugees have sought safety in Bangladesh. The limited shelter capacity is already exhausted. Refugees are now squatting in makeshift shelters that have mushroomed along the road and on available land in the Ukhiya and Teknaf areas," said a UNHCR said in a briefing in Geneva.

The Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim minority in Buddhist-majority Rakhine, have long experienced persecution in Myanmar, which says they are illegal immigrants. They have lived in Myanmar for generations but are denied citizenship.

The UN Security Council is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the crisis.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi has been criticised by former supporters in the West for failing to do enough to prevent the violence.

"The Rohingyas are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar who have faced discrimination and extreme poverty for decades. They have not been allowed to exercise their basic rights including the freedom to move, right to education, work and other social, civil and political rights. The Rohingya fleeing Myanmar are now stateless refugees, making them even more vulnerable and adding more challenges to the search for solutions," UNHCR added.

The U.N. refugee agency further said that while most of Rohingya refugees arrive on foot, mostly walking through the jungle and mountains for several days, thousands are braving long and risky voyages across the rough seas of the Bay of Bengal.(ANI)


This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI

View More
Advertisement
Advertisement
25°C
New Delhi
Rain: 100mm
Humidity: 97%
Wind: WNW 47km/h
See Today's Weather
powered by
Accu Weather
Advertisement

Top Headline

Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies Of Heart Attack At Banda Medical College
Gangster-Turned-Politician Mukhtar Ansari Dies Of Heart Attack At Banda Medical College
Roof Collapses During Renovation Work At Chennai Bar, 3 Dead
Roof Collapses During Renovation Work At Chennai Bar, 3 Dead
Mukhtar Ansari News LIVE: Security Beefed Up At Bandra Medical College After Gangster's Death
Mukhtar Ansari News LIVE: Security Beefed Up At Bandra Medical College After Gangster's Death
PM Modi Calls Congress A 'Bully' After Lawyers Write To CJI. Here's What He Said
PM Modi Calls Congress A 'Bully' After Lawyers Write To CJI. Here's What He Said
Advertisement
for smartphones
and tablets

Videos

Bihar Lok Sabha Polls 2024: ABP Exclusive With Papu Yadav, MP No Longer Contesting From PurniaVarun Gandhi Pens Emotional Letter To Pilibhit After Being Denied, Says 'Mai Aapka Hu Aur Rahunga'Delhi Excise Policy Case: With CM Arvind Kejriwal's Arrest, Who Will Run The State | Watch ReportLok Sabha Elections 2024: 'BJP Just Wants To Break The Aam Aadmi Party' says Saurabh Bhardwaj
Embed widget