Burmese President Thein Sein blamed extremisms for the violence that erupted between Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine State in October. The president made the comments to Buddhist and Muslim religious leaders during a recent meeting in Rangoon.
“There were nationalist and religious extremists who incited and agitated improperly behind the scenes to spread the violence in the region,” said the president.
According to news report by the state run MRTV actions has been taken against 1,081 people who connected to the violence in Rakhine State. But the television station failed to provide any more information about the accused and their alleged offences.
It’s obvious the violence that has displaced about 120,000 people has blighted the country’s image. The majority of those displaced were Muslims. Thein Sein called for combined efforts by the government.
“The country will lose face among the international community if we fail to pursue the norms of human rights and humanitarian work being practiced in many countries,” he said.
Thein Sein sent a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon promising to take action to tackle the problems in Rakhine, home to an estimated 800,000 Rohingya Muslims who are not recognized as citizens.
Thein Sein government would also look at “issues of birth registration, work permits and permits for movement across the country for all”.
But the president said he will condemn the “criminal acts” of elements inside his country and promised to deal with the perpetrators in accordance with the rule of law.
