Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis visits Burma in shadow of refugee exodus and genocide accusations

Pontiff's arrival follows days after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Aung San Suu Kyi government of carrying out 'ethnic cleansing' of persecuted minority

Monday 27 November 2017 08:10

A girl embraces Pope Francis as he arrives at Yangon International Airport

(Max Rossi/Reuters)

Pope Francis had landed in Yangon, the start of a delicate visit for the world's most prominent Christian to majority-Buddhist Burma, which the United States has accused of “ethnic cleansing” its Muslim Rohingya people.

The Pope will also visit Bangladesh, to where more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled from what Amnesty International has dubbed “crimes against humanity” by Burmese security forces, including murder, rape, torture and forcible displacement.

The Burmese army denies the accusations.

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

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1/15Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma

Getty

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma

EPA/Raminder Pal Singh

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi

Reuters/Akhtar Soomro

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran

EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia

EPA/Ali Lutfi

Rohingya refugees – in pictures

Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh

EPA

Only about 700,000 of Burma's 51 million people are Roman Catholic. Thousands of them have travelled by train and bus to Yangon, the country's main city, to catch a glimpse of the pope.

Reuters

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