Myanmar FM Aung San Suu Kyi (R) shakes hands with UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Yanghee Lee (Photo: MNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Myanmar Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi met UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Yanghee Lee on June 20 in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss the protection of human rights in Myanmar.
They also exchanged views on the situation in Rakhine State, the ongoing peace process and humanitarian aid for Myanmar.
Aung San Suu Kyi explained the Myanmar government’s stance on the Muslim minority in the country’s northwestern region, saying that the government will avoid using the controversial term “Rohingya” to refer to the community.
Earlier on June 17, Myanmar’s representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Thet Thinzar Tun, said that the use of the term would add fuel to fire and only make the situation worse.
She suggested calling them “Muslim community in Rakhine State” instead for the sake of harmony and mutual trust between Buddhists and Muslims.
The 1.1 million-people Muslim society identify themselves by the term Rohingya while most in Myanmar see them as illegal migrants from Bangladesh and call them “Bangalis”.
It was the fourth time Yanghee Lee had visited Myanmar but the first time since the new government took power early this year.-VNA
