US hails Bangladesh for sheltering Myanmar refugees

The United States has appreciated Bangladesh for hosting hundreds of thousands of Myanmar refugees and asked the Myanmar authorities to pay respect to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the civilians in Rakhine state.

"We thank Bangladesh for hosting hundreds of thousands of Myanmar refugees, fleeing violence, with nowhere to go," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at a press conference after a meeting with his British counterpart Boris Johnson in London on September 14, said a foreign ministry statement here yesterday.

It was the US secretary of state's first public comment since eruption of violence in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar last month. 

Tillerson said the Burmese security forces must respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of civilians in Rakhine State. "We need to see the restoration of UN humanitarian agency access in Rakhine State," he said

While talking about the UN Security Council's stance on the Myanmar issue, the US secretary of state said the UN Security Council was united in calling for an end to violence against innocent civilians in Rakhine state.

He said: "With respect to the horrors that we are witnessing occurring in Burma, I think it is a defining moment in many ways for this new emerging democracy, although it is a power-sharing arrangement." 

"And I think it is important that the global community speak out in support of what we all know the expectation is towards the treatment of people, regardless of their ethnicity, and that we must - this violence must stop; this persecution must stop. It's been characterized by many as ethnic cleansing. That must stop," Tillerson said.

The US secretary of state said: "And we need to support Aung San Suu Kyi and her leadership, but also be very clear and unequivocal to the military share-power-sharing in that government that this is unacceptable." 

Meanwhile, Myanmar and Bangladesh featured prominently in the press briefing at the US Department of State on Sept 14.

In the briefing, the USA thanked the Bangladesh government for accepting so many of the Rohingyas into their country to provide them "at least a safer place."

"We have been pretty clear in thanking the government of Bangladesh for accepting so many of the Rohingyas into their country to provide them at least a safer place," spokeswoman Ms Nauert said. 

Replying to a question about possibility of Deputy Assistant Secretary Patrick Murphy's visit to Bangladesh over the Rohingyas refugee issue, she said, "I'm not aware if he's going to Bangladesh. I know for a fact he's going to Burma." 

Responding to another question whether the US secretary of state has any plans to meet the Bangladeshi prime minister at the UNGA next week, Ms Nauert said: I'm not aware of that on his schedule."

The US State Department spokeswoman said the United States has provided $63 million or so to internally displaced people in Myanmar as well as externally displaced people.

Source: bss