Burma's Suu Kyi pressured to take stand on Rohingyas
Updated 16 July 2012
Burma is continuing to gain international acceptance as it moves away from military rule and towards a more representative system of government.
Burma's Suu Kyi pressured to take stand on Rohingyas (Credit: ABC)
Among the latest developments, landmark talks between Burma's president Thein Sein and the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a major business conference in Cambodia.
But there remains significant disquiet among many in the international community about Burma's treatment of its Rohingya community. Recent sectarian violence has again focussed attention on their plight.
Rohingyas say Burma's military government stripped the 800,000 strong community of their Burmese citizenship in 1982, accusing them of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Rohingya community leaders argue that if their citizenship was restored, their people would feel safer and would not feel the need to take refuge abroad.
But some prominent pro-democracy leaders in Burma are openly opposed to Rohingyas getting citizenship.
And it is not clear where democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi stands on the Rohingya issue.
Correspondent: Shaikh Azizur Rahman
Speakers: Salim Ullah, Central Committee member, Arakan Rohingya National Organisation; Delwar Hossain, professor, International Relations, Dhaka University; Mark Farmaner, director, Burma Campaign UK; Nurul Islam, president, Arakan Rohingya National Organisation; Jacob Zenn, security analyst.
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