Hillary expresses concern on Myanmar unrest

DHAKA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed deep concern over sectarian violence in Myanmar.

In a statement on Monday Clinton said: “The situation in Rakhine state underscores the critical need for mutual respect among all ethnic and religious groups and for serious efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Myanmar.”
 
She said, “We urge the people of Burma to work together toward a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic country that respects the rights of all its diverse peoples.”

The violence will threaten the democratic and economic reforms in the country after decades of military-ruled isolation, Clinton further said.
 
USA and the European Union have both recently suspended economic sanctions against Myanmar to recognize and encourage its transition to democracy.

They both have appealed to the nation’s rulers to calm the situation and bring reconciliation.

Tensions between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas, a stateless people, turned violent in Myanmar’s northwest over the past week, after the gang rape and murder of a Buddhist woman, widely blamed on Muslims, sparked bloody reprisals.
 
BDST: 1816 HRS, JUN 12, 2012
Edited by: Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Sr Newsroom Editor, M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor