Aung San Suu Kyi Church officials have expressed disappointment over the refusal of the government of Myanmar to grant visas to three members of a UN fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights abuses by security forces against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority.
Bishop Alexander Pyone Cho of Pyay, in Rakhine state on the country’s western coast, said he was incredulous when he read the news.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government “appears to face a tough challenge between the military, which still plays a key role, and the international community, including the UN,” Dr Cho said.
Yangon’s Cardinal Charles Bo has previously called on the government to ensure that allegations of persecution and genocide are thoroughly and independently examined, but Fr Kyaw Nyunt, associate pastor of Judson Church in Yangon, said the government’s move was about putting the national interest first and human rights second.
Suu Kyi has backed the country’s military despite accusations of ethnic cleansing; since 2012, over 120,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to internally displaced person camps, while it is believed the total number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is over 275,000.