Pope’s Emphasis on Religious Harmony a Strong Message to Myanmar

Though the Pope avoided a direct reference to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar during his keynote address, his emphasis on religious harmony was a loud and clear message to Myanmar, which has come under tremendous pressure to repatriate and resettle the persecuted Rohingya community, according to experts.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Pope Francis' keynote speech in Myanmar has been welcomed by experts including those of Bangladesh — his next destination. Though the Pope did not explicitly mention the word "Rohingya" in the speech he delivered to multi-faith leaders of Myanmar, his emphasis on "unity in diversity" was construed as a clear message in favor of the ostracized Muslim minority.

The Pope's advocacy of religious harmony was well received in Dhaka. The city has recently inked an agreement in Myanmar for the repatriation of the refugee community it is currently hosting. Dhaka has been jittery over the criticism the pact has evoked given the absence of a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the repatriated Rohingyas are not persecuted in Myanmar. 

"The visit of the Pope has created tremendous attention for the issue. It will certainly force the Myanmar government to consider measures to bring relief to the refugees. Stressing unity in diversity in a state where majority religion is engaged in atrocities against minorities is a substantial message," Dr. Delwar Hossain, Professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka told Sputnik.

The multi-faith meeting on Tuesday was attended by members of Myanmar's Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and the Jewish community.

READ MORE: Pope Francis Calls for Justice in Myanmar, Doesn't Mention Rohingya Specifically

When asked about his opinion on the Pope choosing to avoid a direct reference to Rohingyas, Dr. Hossain said, "The Pope is head of a state and there are diplomatic protocols involved with the host country. But the message is loud and clear."

Before meeting with the religious leaders, Pope also held a meeting with Myanmar's military head in Yangon. The talk has been termed as a "private meeting" by the Pope's media office.

 The Pope's visit to the south east nation of Myanmar is happening at a time when the US has declared the atrocities against Rohingya community "ethnic cleansing" and Amnesty International in its report has termed the treatment meted to Rohingya Muslims as a case of "Aparthied" by the state of Myanmar.

The military launched an operation in the villages of Rakhine State after Muslim insurgents of Rohingya origin carried out a series of attacks on the country's police posts in August. Myanmar's government crackdown forced more than 600,000 Rohingya people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.