Ears Strained for Single Word as Pope Lands in Myanmar
The pope has arrived in Myanmar, where attention is focused on whether he will use the word Rohingya. The local Roman Catholic Church has publicly urged him not to.
Pope Francis landed in Yangon amid the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis that has followed a campaign by the Myanmar military against the Muslim minority group.
Myanmar’s generals avoid using the word Rohingya in the majority Buddhist country and refer to the persecuted group as Bengalis – a reference to their supposed non-national status.
The pope’s words will be carefully monitored, especially since Myanmar’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been vilified by Western critics for not speaking out about human rights abuses against the Rohingya.
Should he avoid repeating the prayers for “our Rohingya brothers and sisters” he has previously used, he will face criticism in the rest of the world.
While the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is respected in Myanmar, and the trip was planned in advance of the current crisis, local Catholics fear a backlash against them should he refer to Rohingya while in the country.
“Being a religious leader – Catholic leader – means that he is well regarded, but of course there is this worry if he says something, people might say, ‘O.K., he just came to meddle,’” said Burmese analyst Khin Zaw Win, a former political prisoner. “So, I think a lot of diplomacy is needed, in addition to the public relations.”
Leading Australian Doctors Put Pressure on Government With Offer to Help in Manus
Some of Australia’s most respected doctors have offered to conduct a free health assessment of Manus refugees. The clinicians said they were “deeply concerned” at the condition of the asylum seekers.
In an open letter to the government 18 doctors, including the heads of medical bodies and the royal college of medicine, expressed concern over damage to Australia’s reputation and the men’s health.
“We believe that the humanitarian issues take precedence over politics,” the letter said. “This is a matter beyond immigration and border control but one that affects the health of people and others’ perceptions of our great nation.”
The remaining asylum seekers in the defunct Manus detention center were forcibly removed last week. The clinicians said an independent review of their health and circumstances was urgently required.
The men had refused to leave the center, fearing for their safety in the local community after a number of violent incidents and recent threats. In the end police hit the men who refused to leave with metal batons to force them onto buses.
Israel to Pay $5,000 per Head to Rwanda to Take Refugees
Israel is close to a deal under which it would pay Rwanda to take failed asylum seekers. A report in the Times said that an agreement was close on a $5,000 fee for each refugee.
Israel is home to nearly 40,000 African asylum seekers, mostly from Sudan and Eritrea, many of whom live in the working-class neighborhoods of Tel Aviv. The government has given them three months to leave the country or face deportation.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to step up deportations and recently ordered the closure of the Holot migrant center in March next year. The desert center, which holds 1,200 people, allows residents to leave to work during the day.
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