Business Standard

Protest in Myanmar targets US Embassy use of term 'Rohingya'

Image

AP Yangon
Buddhist monks have joined several hundred protesters outside the US Embassy in Myanmar to demand it stop using the term "Rohingya" to refer to a Muslim ethnic minority group.

The protesters insisted the group be called "Bengali" and be regarded as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. The families of many members of the minority have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Myanmar does not officially recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group, and denies most of them citizenship and basic rights.

Conflict over land in the western state of Rakhine, where most of the estimated 1 million Rohingya live, caused violence between Buddhists and Muslims which later spread to other parts of the country.
 

The US Embassy used the term "Rohingya" this month in a statement of concern about their situation.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Apr 28 2016 | 8:44 PM IST

Explore News