LOC23:00
20:00 GMT
WASHINGTON, June 11 (KUNA) -- The US made it clear on Tuesday that it stood
against what it called "birth limitation policies" currently being proposed
for Muslims in Myanmar.
State Department Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki said the US was "deeply
concerned about reports that some officials in Burma plan to enforce or have
said they plan to enforce a two-child limit for Rohingya Muslims.
"The United States, of course, opposes coercive and discriminatory birth
limitation policies, and we have pressed senior Burmese government officials
to abolish this local order," she added.
Myanmar's Immigration Minister, Khin Yi, expressed support for the
two-child policy according to media reports, saying it benefits the minority
Rohingya Muslims who live in the northwestern Rakhine State.
Both the United Nations and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi have
condemned the policy, calling it racist. Health workers in Myanmar have also
said that such a law would result in unsafe abortions, as Muslim families tend
to have many children.
The minister's comments come amidst international concern regarding the
treatment of Rohingya Muslims by Buddhist monks over the past year. Violence
between the two parties has resulted in hundreds of deaths and homelessness
among Muslims.
"We urge the government of Burma to eliminate all such policies without
delay, and we will continue to express our concerns," said Psaki. (end)
ys.hy.bs
KUNA 112300 Jun 13NNNN