The Myanmar government has rejected an offer by its powerful neighbor China to mediate a diplomatic dispute that the Southeast Asian country is having with Bangladesh over the recent exodus of minority Rohingya Muslims, a government spokesman said on Monday.
On April 25, China offered to step in between the two nations that are butting heads over the plight of tens of thousands of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh during a violent crackdown in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state that began last October.
The stateless Rohingya have been living in refugee camps in Cox's Bazar near the border with Myanmar while the two countries hash out which one should take responsibility for them. Many people in Myanmar believe the Rohingya are illegal refugees from Bangladesh and refer to them as “Begalis.”
“Myanmar and Bangladesh are already trying to solve the Rakhine issue,” Zaw Htay, spokesman of the State Counselor’s Office, said at a news conference in the capital Naypyidaw on April 29. “Our government’s policy is to resolve this problem bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh.”
“We can understand China’s offer for mediation, as it has its interests in the region such as with the Kyaukphyu pipeline but, as I have said, our policy is to resolve it [the issue] between Myanmar and Bangladesh ourselves,” he said.
The U.S. $1.5 billion oil pipeline connects Rakhine state’s deep-water port in the town of Kyaukphyu in the Bay of Bengal with the city of Kunming, capital of southwestern China’s Yunnan province, but has not begun pumping crude from Myanmar to China because the countries have yet to finalize the terms of the deal and sign a contract.
China also wants to mitigate the row between Myanmar and Bangladesh to ensure that its infrastructure development interests in both nations remain secure.
Myanmar has come under heavy fire by the international community and rights groups for possible “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingya during the four-month crackdown and for its basic treatment of the members of the group, who are denied citizenship and other basic rights in the Buddhist-majority country.
Reported by RFA’s Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Are you hilarious? Myanmar cares on killing its own citizens, butchering its own people. Why should they need to resolve? They don't see Karens, Chinese, Kachins and Chins its own people, leave alone Rohingyas
Aug 14, 2017 01:26 PM
It is undeniable truth the so-called Rohinga aka Bengali originated from the near-at-hand Bengali land of over population and grinding poverty .
They are genetically identical to Bangladeshi(Bengali). Speak like duck, walk like duck and sound like duck is a duck. They are 100% Bengali.
The government of Bangladesh are actually encouraging Bengali influx into Burma, there is no doubt that the government looks upon this phenomenon and makes no effort to prevent it. They only bring chaos and destruction to the host country like Burma... They are parasites to any civilized societies. They are only thinking to make population grow, relocating into other countries for the propagation of Islam.
Bangladesh is responsible for Bengali Rohingya's issue.
May 05, 2017 06:36 AM
"It is undeniable truth the so-called Rohinga aka Bengali originated from the near-at-hand Bengali land of over population and grinding poverty . " it is undeniable white so-called american aka european originated from Europe... And your point is ?
Aug 25, 2017 10:55 AM
More than one million people from Myanmar currently living in Bangladesh legally or illegally. Bangladesh is already a poor country which is still trying to solve its own problem. On the other hand Myanmar is pushing their people in Bangladesh to create more problems. Many think that Buddhists are peace lover. But I don’t think Buddhists in Myanmar like to live in harmony. We saw many pictures of monks attacking those poor people. Currently million Burmese homeless people living in Bangladesh with no home and work. Some working with very low salary and working hard. International community should know about them more to help them.
May 01, 2017 08:32 PM
If China want to go between Myanmar and Bangladesh on solving northern Rakhine issue, the first thing they must tell Bangladesh is stop using the Rohingya terminology. If China says and Bangladesh agree, Myanmar could trust China's sincerity and start the business.
May 01, 2017 06:07 PM
