Rohingya crisis is the biggest challenge, says Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that Rohingya crisis is the biggest challenge which the country is facing and it is unreasonable to expect to solve the issue in 18 months.

While answering to ANI's question on Rohingya Muslims, Aung San Suu Kyi said,''It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months.''

''As the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades, goes back to pre colonial times,'' Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Aung San Suu Kyi further said,''We have to decide how to differentiate terrorists from innocents. You in India would be well versed with this.''

''Our duty is to take care of our citizens and we will try our best. Our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be. We want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law,'' Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Nearly 126,000 civilians from the Rohingya Muslim minority have now taken refuge in the squalor of overburdened relief camps in Bangladesh to escape a two-week "clearance operation" by the Burma security forces that have razed villages to the ground and left hundreds dead.

The latest violence in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state began on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics for not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution. Meanwhile, Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force Rohingya out with a campaign of arson and killings.

OneIndia News