BANGKOK: The UN chief on Sunday urged Myanmar to ensure the “safe” return of Rohingya refugees driven out by army operations, a plea made in front of Aung San Suu Kyi more than two years since her country cracked down on the Muslim minority. Violence in Rakhine state in 2017 forced more than 740,000 Rohingya to flee, most seeking refuge in overcrowded camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, in what UN investigators say amounted to genocide. Only a few hundred Rohingya have returned to Myanmar so far, with many fearing further persecution in the Buddhist-majority country. Suu Kyi has come under fire for failing to use her moral force to defend Rohingya after the 2017 unrest. Suu Kyi has faced pressure over her country’s treatment of the Rohingya from fellow ASEAN members Malaysia and Indonesia, which are both Muslim-majority.--AFP

Source: New Strait Times November 03, 2019 09:11 UTC