Myanmar State Counsellor Aung san suu kyi on Tuesday said the country will soon begin the verification process for the return of Rohingya refugees who had fled the western Rakhine state in recent weeks in the backdrop of an army crackdown.
Suu Kyi, in a State of the Union address, the first since attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents on August 25 sparked a military response forcing over 410,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, said her administration wants to bring an end to suffering of all people as quickly as possible.
âWe donât want Myanmar to be a nation divided by religious beliefs or ethnicities. Hate and fear are main scourges,â Suu Kyi said. She added the responsibility to establish peace lies with the government.
Suu Kyi went on to add that Myanmar is making efforts to restore peace and stability in the western state. âWe want to find out why this exodus is happening. We would like to talk to those who have fled as well as those who have stayed. I think it is very little known a great majority of Muslims in the Rakhine state have not joined the exodus, the government has been making every effort to restore peace and stability and to bring harmony in Rakhine communities,â she said.
Describing Myanmar as a âcomplex countryâ, Suu Kyi said the country does not fear scrutiny from international community. âBurma is a complex nation. People expect us to overcome all the challenges in shortest time possible,â she said. âMyanmar does not fear international scrutiny, we are committed to finding a sustainable solution in Rakhine state.â
At the same time, she opened the door to international observers, asking them to visit the south-east Asian country and see things âfor yourself.â
âWe would like you (world) to think of our country as a whole, not just as little afflicted areas,â she said.
