Myanmar's Suu Kyi says Rohingya citizenship issue needs 'very careful handling'
In rare comments on Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslims, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged caution on granting citizenship to minorities, saying the sensitive issue must be addressed “very, very carefully.”
The Myanmar government is reviewing citizenship status and “should go about it very quickly and very transparently and then decide what the next steps in the process should be,” she told The Washington Post.
But in an interview published, Suu Kyi dodged a direct question on whether the Rohingya – who have triggered international outcry as they flee the country on rickety boats in their thousands – should be given citizenship.
“The protection of rights of minorities is an issue which should be addressed very, very carefully and as quickly and effectively as possible, and I’m not sure the government is doing enough about it,” she said.
“It is such a sensitive issue, and there are so many racial and religious groups, that whatever we do to one group may have an impact on other groups as well,” she stressed.
“So this is an extremely complex situation, and not something that can be resolved overnight.”
