World`s Religious Leaders Meet Aung San Suu Kyi Discussing Rohingya

Jakarta, MINA — A group of world`s religious leaders including from Indonesia met with Myanmar State Advisor Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Daw, to discuss and seek a solution to ethnic issue of Rohingya in the province of Rakhine of Myanmar.

The group that included former general chairman of Muhammadiyah, the country`s second largest non political Islamic organization, Din Syamsuddin, discussed the citizenship of the minority Muslim community not yet recognized by Rangoon.

The group and Aung San Suu Kyi discussed the issue openly and in friendly atmosphere on May 25 at the office of the Myanmar leader, ANTARA News quoted a news release issued here on Monday as saying..

“Developments in Myanmar, especially in the province of Rakhine, has caused great concern in southeast Asia even in the world,” Din, a special envoy of President Joko Widodo for inter faith and civilization dialogs, said.

Therefore, the Rohingya issue needs to be resolved immediately and properly, Din said in the statement.

He said there is no way of solving the problem in the province of Rakhine other than creating peaceful coexistent and recognition of the citizenship of all people.

For that purpose, Din, who is also chairman of Advisory Board of the Ulema Council (MUI) urged for recognition of the citizenship of the Rohingya people by granting them their rights as citizens.

Aung San Suu Kyi, as a state advisor, a rank equal to Prime Minister, said Myanmar adopts democracy and highly respects human rights and democratic values.

“The problem in the province of Rakhine and other regions in Myanmar would be settled in the spirit of peace and reconciliation,” she said.

Also taking part in the discussion were Supreme Patriarch of Sri Langka, Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia, President of Risho Kosakai of Japan Rev Niwano (all three Buddhist leaders), Bishop Gunnar Stalsett, an European Christian leader, Madame Vinu Aram, a Hindu leader from India, deputy secretary general of Religions for Peace International from New York Rev Koichi Sugino, President of Asian Conference on Religions for Peace (ACRP) and interfaith leaders in Myanmar.

The delegates presented letters to Aung San Suu Kyi from world`s religious leaders addressed to the Myanmar people.

Suu Kyi received the letters and welcomed proposal of the group to hold an international conference on Myanmar in October 2018.

The conference is expected to be a milestone marking a just settlement of the Rohingya problem, the statement said. .(T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamc News Agency (MINA)