Pence Takes Suu Kyi To Task Over Myanmar Treatment Of Rohingya

The violence which drove 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Bangladesh was "without excuse", US Vice President Mike Pence told Aung San Suu Kyi in stinging comments on a summit sidelines on Wednesday

Singapore, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2018 ) :The violence which drove 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Bangladesh was "without excuse", US Vice President Mike Pence told Aung San Suu Kyi in stinging comments on a summit sidelines on Wednesday.

Suu Kyi has seen her reputation as a rights defender destroyed by her refusal to speak up for the Rohingya, a stateless group reviled in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Pence added to the pressure on Suu Kyi, who this week has had an Amnesty International honour revoked and faced sharp words from Malaysia's premier at a usually tame meeting of Southeast nations in Singapore.

Sitting next to Suu Kyi, Pence -- who has joined the summit for bilateral meetings -- condemned the "violence and persecution" against the Rohingya as "without excuse".

Then in a front-on challenge to Myanmar's civilian leader, Pence said he was "anxiousto hear about the progress" being made to hold the perpetrators accountable.