“Bengalis” is a term often used pejoratively by Myanmar officials to describe the Muslim Rohingya minority, 1.3 million of whom live in Buddhist Myanmar, but are not recognized citizens.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said he was willing to accept Rohingya refugees in the Philippines, believing that genocide was taking place in Myanmar.
“I really pity the people there,” Duterte said in a speech during the awarding of outstanding farmers, fisherfolks, and coastal communities in Malacañang on Thursday.
“I’m willing to accept refugees. Rohingyas, yes. I will but we should split it with Europe,” he added.
The President did not elaborate further on his statement.
But he hit back at the international community, which has been critical of his administration’s so-called war on drugs, saying they could not even help solve the problems of Myanmar on its Rohingya refugees.
“They can’t even solve the Rohingya. That is really genocide, if I may say so,” he said.
Duterte also referred to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi as his “friend.”
“Kaibigan ko pa naman ‘yung babae,” he said, referring to Suu Kyi.
(The woman is my friend.)
The President has said he had advised Suu Kyi to ignore criticisms from human rights groups over Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims.
READ: Duterte to Suu Kyi: Ignore human rights criticisms on Rohingya issue
Syuu Ki, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been criticized for her silence on the abuses of Myanmar’s military against Rohinya refugees. /kga