AFP, YANGON, MyanmarDivided by hatred, but united over the written word, Rohingya Muslim poets in Bangladeshi refugee camps joined Buddhist bards in Myanmar by video link as part of a groundbreaking poetry festival in a nation reeling from genocide allegations. Yet the minority evoke little sympathy in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where even the word “Rohingya” is taboo. Forty poets from across Myanmar recite works in various languages, including Burmese, but the focus is on reconnecting the estranged Muslim minority. Ethnic Rakhine writer Won Roe traveled especially from his home state, where deep divisions prevail between the mainly Buddhist Rakhine and remaining Rohingya Muslim communities. Won Roe is convinced poetry can act as a “bridge between communities” and worked closely, if virtually, with Mayyu Ali ahead of the event.
