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Violence against Rohingya 'without excuse,' US V-P tells Suu Kyi

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US Vice-President criticises Myanmar leader Suu Kyi over persecution of Rohingya Muslims

SINGAPORE US Vice-President Mike Pence criticised Myanmar's military for the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in a meeting with the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday and said he was keen to hear that those responsible for the violence would be held accountable.

"The violence and persecution by military and vigilantes that resulted in driving 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh is without excuse," he told Ms Suu Kyi in a brief meeting with the media before they went into private talks on the sidelines of a Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore.

"I am anxious to hear the progress that you are making of holding those accountable who are responsible for the violence that displaced so many hundreds of thousands and created such suffering, including the loss of life," Mr Pence added.

He said Washington was also keen to hear about progress in making it possible for the Rohingya to voluntarily return to the western Myanmar state of Rakhine from vast refugee camps in southern Bangladesh where they now live.

The US has accused the military of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority who are widely reviled in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. United Nations-mandated investigators have accused the military of unleashing a campaign of killing, rape and arson with "genocidal intent".

Myanmar says its operations in Rakhine were a legitimate response to attacks on security forces by Rohingya insurgents in August last year.

Of course people have different points of view but the point is that you should exchange these views and try to understand each other better. Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Ms Suu Kyi, responding to Mr Pence, said: "Of course people have different points of view but the point is that you should exchange these views and try to understand each other better."

"In a way, we can say that we understand our country better than any other country does and I'm sure you will say the same of yours, that you understand your country better than anybody else," she added.

Amnesty International this week withdrew its most prestigious human rights prize from Ms Suu Kyi, accusing her of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya.

Once hailed as a champion in the fight for democracy, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner has been stripped of a series of international honours over the Rohingya exodus.

The violence and persecution by military and vigilantes that resulted in driving 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh is without excuse. US Vice-President Mike Pence

Mr Pence also said that Washington wanted to see a free and democratic press in Myanmar, and the jailing of two journalists last year was "deeply troubling" for millions of Americans.

"In America, we believe in our democratic institutions and ideals, including a free and independent press," he said.

He did not mention by name Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested in Yangon in December last year. They were found guilty in September of breaching the Official Secrets Act and sentenced to seven years in prison.

On Nov 5, lawyers for the two journalists lodged an appeal against their conviction.

At the time of their arrest, the duo were working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim villagers during an army crackdown in Rakhine.

Reuters published its investigation into the massacre on Feb 8. - REUTERS

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