The United Nations Security Council members, who met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during their mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, will today visit Rakhine state, the epicenter of the Rohingya refugee crisis.
The council is continuing its mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar, taking a first-hand look at the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled across the border to escape violence.
The delegation of diplomats from the council's 15 member countries arrived yesterday in Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, holding meetings with Suu Kyi as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces General Min Aung Hlaing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. The council mission also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives in the capital of Myanmar.
"Ambassadors also met with civil society, parliamentarians and government representatives. The council members will today fly to Rakhine state the epicenter of the mass displacement crisis, which has been caused by a recurring cycle of clashes between mainly Buddhist residents in the state, and Rohingya Muslims who have also lived there for decades," the spokesperson said.
In Rakhine, the delegation is expected to meet local government representatives and civil society.
According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), about 671,000 Rohingya refugees have fled targeted violence and serious human rights violations in Myanmar since last August.
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Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland as his new special envoy on Myanmar, to strengthen the world body's efforts to assist Myanmar's peace and reconciliation process.
The UN spokesperson added that over the weekend, the Council delegation visited Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, where they listened to testimony from refugees at the Kutupalong Camp. Before departing for Myanmar early on Monday, the delegation met with Hasina in Dhaka.