Myanmar VP's mendacious claims

Myanmar's Vice-President Henry Van Thio's statement on the ongoing Rohingya crisis at the UNGA can only be described as scandalous. Van Thio made several dubious claims, much like Suu Kyi a day earlier, which include not knowing the reasons for the mass exodus of Rohingyas; the fact that the majority of Muslims had stayed behind; and that there have been no armed clashes since September 5.

First, the repeated failure by the Myanmar government to even acknowledge the fact that the roots of the Rohingya exodus lie, among other things, in the minority's lack of citizenship is astounding. Second, the terms "Muslim" and "Rohingya" are not interchangeable; therefore, the statement that most of the Muslims did not flee says nothing about the percentage of Rohingyas who have fled. And finally, the claim that there have been no armed clashes since September 5 is also misleading because satellite imagery analysed by Amnesty International has revealed that many villages were burnt after that date.

Van Thio's address is reflective of well-designed rhetoric that we are all too familiar with. Now that both the US and France have vehemently condemned the atrocities being committed against the Rohingyas, we hope Myanmar comes out of its state of denial and brings an end to the state-sanctioned violence in Rakhine state. If Myanmar is sincere about resolving the crisis, they must grant full access to the UN so that independent investigations can be carried out and the necessary steps taken to repatriate the Rohingyas back to their homeland where they no longer have to face violence.