A Rohingya Muslim woman is seen crying on an intercepted boat trying to flee a deadly hate campaign in Myanmar. (File photo)
Myanmar’s president says people in the western state of Rakhine cannot accept Rohingya Muslims as their fellow citizens amid a hate campaign led by Buddhist extremists.
"Political parties, some monks and some individuals are increasing the ethnic hatred. They even approach and lobby both the domestic and overseas Rakhine community," President Thein Sein told Myanmar's lawmakers in an assessment report AFP revealed on Friday.
In the August 17 report, Sein told the union parliament -- which combines the upper and lower houses -- that "Rakhine people are continuously thinking to terrorize” the Muslim minority group across the country.
Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship rights and Myanmar’s government considers them as foreigners.
Sein repeated comments he made in July when he called for sending them to camps or deportation of the 800,000-strong Muslim community.
Rights groups have been alarmed by a meaningful increase in the number of targeted attacks against the stateless Muslims since June, and accuse government forces of killing and raping Rohingya villagers.
"Political parties, some monks and some individuals are increasing the ethnic hatred. They even approach and lobby both the domestic and overseas Rakhine community," President Thein Sein told Myanmar's lawmakers in an assessment report AFP revealed on Friday.
In the August 17 report, Sein told the union parliament -- which combines the upper and lower houses -- that "Rakhine people are continuously thinking to terrorize” the Muslim minority group across the country.
Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship rights and Myanmar’s government considers them as foreigners.
Sein repeated comments he made in July when he called for sending them to camps or deportation of the 800,000-strong Muslim community.
Rights groups have been alarmed by a meaningful increase in the number of targeted attacks against the stateless Muslims since June, and accuse government forces of killing and raping Rohingya villagers.
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