Suu Kyi blames world conflicts partly on illegal immigration
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar — Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Monday that the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism, as her country faces accusations of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi did not directly mention the refugee exodus in a speech to European and Asian foreign ministers in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyitaw. But her speech highlighted the views of many in the country who see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and accuse them of terrorist acts.
The ongoing Rohingya exodus is sure to be raised by the visitors at the meetings Monday and Tuesday.
Suu Kyi said the world is in a new period of instability as conflicts around the world give rise to new threats and emergencies, citing “Illegal immigration’s spread of terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war. Conflicts take away peace from societies, leaving behind underdevelopment and poverty, pushing peoples and even countries away from one another.”