Myanmar's Suu Kyi says terrorism in Rakhine state is a threat

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Terrorism remains a threat in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and could have “grave consequences” for the region, the Southeast Asian country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said on Tuesday.

“The danger of terrorist activities, which was the initial cause of events leading to the humanitarian crisis in Rakhine remains real and present today,” she said in a lecture in Singapore.

“Unless this security challenge is addressed, the risk of inter-communal violence will remain. It is a threat that could have grave consequences, not just for Myanmar but also for other countries in our region and beyond.”

According to the United Nations (UN), Myanmar authorities had laid landmines along the border with Bangladesh and required Rohingya returnees to provide “proof of nationality."

The UN has accused Myanmar of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Muslim minority.

Yet Myanmar has staunchly defended the crackdown as an effort to snuff out Rohingya militants who raided police posts in 2017.

The spike in security along the border is a response to new intelligence about the movement of Rohingya militants, said Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay in March.

"We acted this way based on the information we got regarding terrorism, especially the ARSA movement," as he told AFP, using an acronym for the militant group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, and declining to elaborate further.

"It was not aimed at antagonizing Bangladesh," he added.

Source(s): Reuters