"Action plan" in Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state to be launched by government


The Government of Myanmar has pledged to launch an "action plan" to ease ethnic tensions in its troubled Rakhine.

The south-east Asian country has been plagued by violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities since June 2012.

The worst of the clashes affected hundreds of thousands of families in the country's second poorest region.

Speaking in the General Assembly on Monday, Foreign Minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, urged the international community to provide assistance.

"The situation should not be looked at in a superficial manner. The international community should contribute pragmatically and objectively to find a durable solution. In addressing the root cause, we are working for peace, stability, harmony and development of all people in Rakhine State. An Action Plan is being finalized and will soon be launched."

The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that the freedom of movement of hundreds of thousands of people in Rakhine has been restricted, severely compromising their basic rights to food, health, education and livelihoods.

SOURCE: Derrick Mbatha, United Nations.