Pope Francis called for respect for rights and justice in a keenly-watched address in Myanmar on Tuesday, but refrained from any mention of the Rohingya, or allegations of ethnic cleansing that has driven huge numbers of the Muslim minority from the country. Sharing a stage with Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the capital Naypyidaw, he did not address the Rohingya crisis head-on, instead tip-toeing around the unfolding humanitarian emergency. Rights groups had urged him to tackle Myanmar on its treatment of the minority during his four-day visit. She spoke of the challenges her country faces as it creeps out of the shadow of five decades of military rule, but also did not reference the Rohingya. So far, the pontiff has received a warm welcome in Myanmar, whose Catholic community numbers just over one percent of the country’s 51 million people.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 28, 2017 11:48 UTC