SUU KYI SAID ARMY ADMISSION ON KILLINGS A POSITIVE STEP
 |
| Reuters photo : Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi attend a news conference in Naypyidaw, Myanmar January 12, 2018 |
Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Friday it was
“positive” that the country’s military was taking responsibility for the
actions of troops, after the army said soldiers were involved in killing 10
captured Rohingya Muslims.
The military said in a statement on Wednesday that soldiers and
Buddhist villagers had murdered 10 Muslim “terrorists” at a village in northern
Rakhine State at the beginning of September and that action would be taken
against those responsible.
Asked at a joint news conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro
Kono about the rare admission of wrongdoing by the military, known as the
Tatmadaw, Suu Kyi said: ”The Tatmadaw investigated and will take necessary
action on that.
“It is a new step for our country,” she said, according to a transcript
posted on her Facebook page. “I see it that way because a country needs to take
responsibility for the rule of law in the country, and this is the first step
on the road of taking responsibility and it is a positive thing.”
Suu Kyi rarely speaks to the media and has said little in public about
the crisis in the western state. The army, which is not under the control of
the civilian government, launched a sweeping counteroffensive in northern
Rakhine in response to Rohingya militant attacks on Aug. 25, triggering an
exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.
Asked if the revelations about the killing at the village of Inn Din,
about 50 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sittwe, could be a concern
for refugees who are being asked to return, Suu Kyi said: ”Some people might be
afraid, but this is not something that has happened right now.
“It was an investigation into a case that happened before. So doing
this investigation is a deterrent so that similar cases don’t happen later.”
Suu Kyi was speaking following a meeting in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw
at which Kono asked her to ensure the “safe and voluntary” resettlement of
those who have fled, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The Japanese foreign minister said Tokyo, one of Myanmar’s biggest
foreign aid donors, planned to give about $20 million for humanitarian support
to Rohingya refugees, subject to parliamentary approval, Kyodo said.
“Japan wants to actively support Myanmar’s efforts,” Kyodo quoted Kono
as telling the news conference.
Myanmar and Bangladesh have been discussing a plan to repatriate the
refugees.
Prior to the joint news conference, the Japanese government announced
emergency grant aid of around $3 million to Myanmar to help facilitate the
return of the Rohingya.
News source - Reuters( YANGON )
No comments