US asks Myanmar to resolve ethnic conflicts through dialogue

WASHINGTON: The US on Friday asked Myanmar to resolve the differences with minority ethnic communities through peaceful dialogue and not through armed conflict, and also end racial and religiously motivated discrimination.

"We are concerned about violence by any side, in Kachin, as we have said, and we call on both sides to come to the peace table to end efforts to settle this through aggressive means.

"The government of Burma (Myanmar) has had good success in many other ethnic areas in getting to a process of dialogue and negotiation, and we want to see the same thing in Kachin," State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters at her daily news conference.

In the last few days, the United States has expressed its concern over use of air power by Myanmar against the Kachin rebels.

The United States calls Myanmar by its previous name Burma. United Kingdom is the only other country to do so.

The State Department also urged Myanmar to adhere to its commitment on Rohingya Muslims.

"We look to the government of Burma to implement the commitments that it"s made to seek a longer- term solution that will include addressing citizenship issues for the Rohingya population and ending racial and religiously motivated discrimination," she said.

"We remain deeply concerned about the protection of asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants found at sea, no matter where they"re found, and we consistently urge countries to cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the exercise of their mandate," Nuland said.
Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/US-asks-Myanmar-to-resolve-ethnic-conflicts-through-dialogue/articleshow/17895795.cms