The United States has said it remains “deeply concerned” about the tensions in the western Burmese state of Rakhine, but rejected allegations of “ethnic cleansing” made by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).
Addressing the situation in the Rakhine state, a senior State Department official said, “we have obviously expressed our concern over the tension there,” but denied that the Burmese security forces were trying to annihilate the Rohingya population.
The US statement followed remarks by the OIC Secretary general, Ekmeleddin Ihsanolgu, expressing his disappointment at the inaction of the international community to prevent “massacre, violations, injustice and ethnic cleansing” perpetrated by the Burmese government against the Rohingya Muslims.
Earlier in the day, a US State Department spokesperson, Patrick Ventrell noted that the US was monitoring the sectarian conflict developments in the Burma, urging “all parties to exercise restraint, to refrain from further violence, and to uphold principles of non-discrimination, tolerance and religious freedom.”
He also acknowledged that the US state had concerns about ensuring "that the displaced get humanitarian aid.”
It is believed that US officials are accompanying the UN human rights envoy, Tomas Ojea Quintana, on his visit to the affected area. Quintana is expected to submit a report on Burma to the Human Rights Council in October.
