Pope Francis avoids mentioning horrors faced by Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar speech

'Unity': Pope Francis gives a speech during in Naypyitaw, Myanmar
REUTERS
Chloe Chaplain28 November 2017

Pope Francis urged "respect for each ethnic group" during a keynote speech in Myanmar but avoided mentioning the horrors faced by Rohingya Muslims

The Pope said the country is suffering from civil conflict and hostilities "that have lasted all too long and created deep divisions”.

Speaking after Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi made an address, he said: “The arduous process of peace building and national reconciliation can only advance through a commitment to justice and respect for human rights.”

"Religious differences need not be a source of division and distrust, but rather a force for unity, forgiveness, tolerance and wise nationbuilding," the pope added.

Rohingya: thousands of refugees have fled Myanmar (Redux / eyevine)
Redux/eyevine

His visit to Myanmar comes after an exodus of more than 620,000 Rohingya from Rakhine state to the southern tip of Bangladesh following a military crackdown.

Last week, the United States last week branded the crisis "ethnic cleansing".

Speeches: Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi with Pope Francis
AFP/Getty Images

The Pope’s trip is a delicate one and some papal advisers warned him against even saying the word "Rohingya", lest he set off a diplomatic incident that could turn the country's military and government against minority Christians.

Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya as citizens nor as members of a distinct ethnic group with their own identity, and it rejects the term "Rohingya" and its use.

Pope Francis did not use the word in his speech.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in