POPE URGES ‘DECISIVE’ MEASURES ON ROHINGYA CRISIS

DHAKA: Pope Francis on Thursday called for“decisive” international measures on the R oh ing ya refugee crisis as he began a visit to Bangladesh, where more than 620,000 of the Muslim minority have sought sanctuary after fleeing violence in Myanmar.

“It is imperative that the international community take decisive measures to address this grave crisis, not only by working to resolve the political issues that have led to the mass displacement of people, but also by offering immediate material assistance to Bangladesh in its effort to respond effectively to urgent human needs,” the pope said in a speech.

Pope Francis made his comments shortly after arriving from Myanmar, where he walked a diplomatic tightrope, staying away from allegations thatthearmy is waging anethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims despite pressure to publicly confront the incendiary issue.

He praised Bangladesh for taking in the refugees who have flooded across the border on an unprecedented scale since a fresh outbreak of violence in their native Rakhine state.

But as in Myanmar, he refrained from using the word “Rohingya”, instead referring to themas “refugees from Rakhine state”.

The pope had been urged not to use the name in Myanmar to avoid provoking hardline Buddhists and making the country’s Catholic community a target.