Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi appointed Surakiart to chair an advisory board for the implementation of the recommendations. “We welcomed the establishment of the advisory board for the implementation of the recommendations on Rakhine state led in his individual capacity by Professor Surakiart,” Vivian said. A rift in the Surakiart board was seen last month during its first meeting with Suu Kyi when former US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson quit and voiced accusations against the board for “cheerleading” for Suu Kyi and failing to address the problem at its fundamental root causes. Surakiart rejected the allegation, saying he looked at positive and constructive angles to end the crisis. Asean maintained its stance to continue support for humanitarian relief in Rakhine state and welcomed the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh as arranged by Dhaka and Nya Pyi Taw.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 06, 2018 18:06 UTC