ANC condemns violence against Myanmar's Rohingya
16 October 2017
Cape Town – The ANC has added its voice to the growing international condemnation of the violence directed against the Rohingya by Myanmar's military.
Edna Molewa, chairperson of the ANC's NEC sub-committee on international relations, said on Monday in a statement that the ruling party "condemns in the strongest terms the actions of the Myanmar military that have resulted in the displacement of some 509 000 Rohingya Muslims from the Northern Rakhine State to Bangladesh".
"This has led to a significant humanitarian and refugee crisis that includes an estimated 100 000 children," Molewa said.
She pointed out that the Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Despite having lived in the country formerly known as Burma for centuries, they are not considered one of the country’s official ethnic groups.