Although Manipur and some other regions will be the first to vote in the seven-phase election starting on Friday, campaign meetings are being held behind closed doors because of a fear of violence
India: Deeply concerned by Rohingya crisis
India says it remains ‘deeply concerned’ about the situation in Rakhine State and the outflow of refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh.
Published : 9 Sept 2017, 04:02 PM
Updated : 9 Sept 2017, 04:12 PM
In a statement on Saturday, the Indian government said the situation in Rakhine State must “be handled with restraint and maturity, focusing on the welfare of the civilian population alongside those of the security forces”.
“It is imperative that violence is ended and normalcy in the State restored expeditiously,” it said, amid a continuous influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.
About 300,000 Rohingya refugees have found their way into Bangladesh since Aug 25 when the latest violence broke out, according to a UN estimate.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi talk to reporters during their joint press conference in the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw, Myanmar September 6, 2017. Reuters
New Delhi said it had earlier strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on Myanmar security forces in Rakhine.
“The two countries have since affirmed their shared determination to combat terrorism and not allow its justification under any pretext.”
It said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Myanmar, he had “expressed his concern at the casualties of security forces as well as other innocent lives.”
“He had also urged a solution based on respect for peace, communal harmony, justice, dignity and democratic values.”
It was also agreed during Modi’s visit that India would provide assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme with the government of Myanmar.
The statement came amid criticism that Prime Minister Modi did not make any comment on the Rohingya plight during his visit.
India also refused to sign a declaration adopted by the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development in Indonesia's Bali because it mentioned the ongoing violence against Rohingyas.
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