Myanmar acknowledged on Monday that the international community had “concerns” about waves of boat people fleeing its shores but insisted it should not be solely blamed for the regional migrant crisis.
Information Minister Ye Htut said his country understood “the concerns (of) the international community on the people in the sea”.
“Instead of blaming Myanmar for all these problems… all these issues should be solved by the regional partners,” he added in English following a briefing between government officials and diplomats in Yangon.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims, a minority who face daily prejudice and a raft of restrictions in western Myanmar, have long fled in rickety boats across the Bay of Bengal.
Text and photo: AFP
