Myanmar’s Suu Kyi meets Tillerson on Rakhine crisis

By AFP
14 November 2017
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi meets Tillerson on Rakhine crisis
Photo: Myanmar State Counsellor Office

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced rising global pressure Tuesday to solve the crisis for her nation's displaced Rohingya Muslim minority, meeting America's top diplomat in the Philippines.
Suu Kyi sat down with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the side-lines of the East Asia Summit in Manila.
Washington has been cautious in its statements on the situation in Rakhine, and has avoided outright criticism of Suu Kyi.
Supporters say she must navigate a path between outrage abroad and popular feeling in a majority Buddhist country where most people believe the Rohingya are interlopers.
At a photo opportunity at the top of her meeting with Tillerson, Suu Kyi ignored a journalist who asked if the Rohingya were citizens of Myanmar.
At a later appearance after the meeting, Tillerson -- who is headed to Myanmar on Wednesday -- was asked by reporters if he "had a message for Burmese leaders".
He apparently ignored the question, replying only: "Thank you", according to a pool report of the encounter.
© AFP