Pope’s failure to say 'Rohingya' in Myanmar disappoints

By Dildar Baykan

ANKARA

During a visit to southeast Asia this week, Pope Francis called for respect for the rights of all of Myanmar’s ethnic groups, but disappointed human right activists by failing to directly mention the persecuted Rohingya Muslims.

In a speech in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw, he referred to the continued suffering of Myanmar’s people “from civil conflict and hostilities”.

“The future of Myanmar must be peace, a peace based on respect for the dignity and rights of each member of society, respect for each ethnic group and its identity, respect for the rule of law and respect for a democratic order that enables each individual and every group -- none excluded -- to offer its legitimate contribution to the common good,” he said.

Francis made no mention of the Rohingya or the crackdown in the western state of Rakhine, which has been condemned by the UN and the U.S. as “ethnic cleansing”.

In appeals from the Vatican earlier this year, the pope had previously prayed for “our Rohingya brothers and sisters”. His avoidance of the term during the trip, however, was seen by many as a retreat from his earlier support for the oppressed and marginalized around the world.

‘Not a Muslim problem, a human one’

The pope’s attitude caused disappointment among human rights institutions and Rohingya Muslims.

Yusuf Balci, who heads the Turkish-based Arakan Platform -- using an alternate name for Rakhine -- underlined that the issue is not just a problem of Muslims, but one of all religions, and indeed all humanity.

“We expect Christians, other religions, and even Buddhists, to approach this issue from a human perspective. The pope’s speech was understandable but we expect him to respond to the realities," he told Anadolu Agency.

Mustapha Akoub, Asia Pacific director for the Alliance for Freedom and Dignity, also described the visit as “disappointing.”

“We expected him to speak openly about human rights violations in Arakan. We were expecting much more from him, but we were very disappointed,’’ Akoub said.

Ibrahim Mohammad, a founding member of the Dutch-based European Rohingya Council (ERC), said, “The pope even avoided saying 'Rohingya.’ That deflated our hopes.”

Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s regional deputy director, also said he had hoped the pope would use the term.

“The pope missed an opportunity to reinforce his previous messages that affirmed the rights of the Rohingya to self-identify and used the name that they had chosen for themselves,” he said.

Fleeing brutal crackdown

More than 620,000 refugees have fled the region since Aug. 25 in the wake of a brutal military crackdown.

During the crackdown, security forces and Buddhist mobs have killed men, women and children, looted homes, and torched Rohingya villages, according to refugee accounts. Speaking in September, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali said around 3,000 Rohingya had been killed in the operation.

Rohingya have faced discrimination in the predominantly Buddhist country for decades. They are deprived of citizenship and unable to access basic services.

Many in Myanmar refuse to identify the Muslims of Rakhine as Rohingya, claiming they are migrants from Bangladesh even though they have lived there for generations.

In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity. The international community has called on the Myanmar government and military to immediately halt atrocities and allow Rohingya to return home safely.