NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has declined to confirm the participation of Indian officials in the international ‘Diplomatic Core Team' that is to visit Myanmar's restive Rakhine state next week.
The team comprises diplomats from various countries invited by the Myanmar government to have a sense of the ground situation in Rakhine state where the government forces and the Rohingya community, the majority of which are Muslims, are engaged in a bloody armed conflict. The Myanmar government which is under strong international pressure to stop the military action against the Rohingyas has denied any human rights violation and has instead accused the Rohingyas of unleashing terror.
"I am aware the Government of Myanmar has extended an invitation to the Diplomatic Core to visit the affected region. I am aware of some of the media personality of India being part of that. I am not sure about participation from our side and at what level and whether our mission is participating or not," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
India's reluctance to send a government team to visit Rakhine comes amid reports of the alleged massacre of Hindu Rohingyas by the Muslims. The Indian government has said it hopes authorities in Myanmar would punish the perpetrators of the crime and ensure safety and security of the Hindus.
"We have seen the press reports about the Hindu graves. We are also looking at the statement that was issued by the State Counselors' office. I can say that we condemn terrorism in all forms, we emphasized that there is no justification for any acts of terrorism which targets civilians. In this conflict, we do hope that the authorities will be able to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. We hope that the families of the victims will be extended all possible assistance so as to instill a sense of security and return of normalcy," the MEA spokesperson said during the presser today.
Myanmar's Army has claimed that they have discovered a mass grave of Hindus in Rakhine state and has blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for those killings.
