MANILA/YANGON: Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte apologised to Myanmar counterpart Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday for saying genocide was taking place in her country, saying his remark was a satirical barb at the West for not taking in Rohingya Muslims.
The United Nations and rights groups say nearly 700,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya have fled Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh since August, after attacks on security forces by Rohingya militants sparked a military crackdown that the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.
Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its security forces launched a legitimate counter-insurgency operation in response to Rohingya militant attacks.
Duterte last week said the Philippines was willing to provide sanctuary for Rohingya fleeing what he called “genocide”, a comment a
Myanmar government spokesman said showed he had no restraint and knew nothing about Myanmar.
But in remarks aimed at Suu Kyi, Duterte clarified that and said he was not interfering in what he called Myanmar’s “civil war”.
“I will apologise to you, but if you have noticed my statement was almost a satire,” he told reporters.
“I am not ready to intervene in your (internal affairs).”
The Philippines and Myanmar are members of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), which has a rigid policy on non-interference on each other’s affairs.
Duterte, who brooks no criticism from what he sees as hypocritical western powers, said he was speaking against European countries which had accused Myanmar of rampant human rights violations, but did little to help the Rohingya.
MYANMAR ‘SERIOUSLY CONCERNED’
Meanwhile, the government of Aung San Suu Kyi expressed “serious concern” on Friday over a move by the International Criminal Court prosecutor seeking jurisdiction over alleged deportations of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar to Bangladesh.
In a filing made public on Monday, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked the court to rule whether it has jurisdiction over the alleged deportations.
An affirmative verdict could pave the way for her to investigate the alleged deportations as a possible crime against humanity. The main reason for doubt over jurisdiction is that, while Bangladesh is a member of the court, Myanmar is not.
— Reuters
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