US to urge Myanmar to assist Bangladesh

International Desk: During a daily press briefing in Washington DC on Wednesday, the State Department`s deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said that the USA would urge Myanmar authorities to assist Bangladesh to rescue and provide immediate relief to migrants adrift.

Marie Harf, in the press conference, said," The deputy secretary will be there tomorrow, and this will be a key topic of conversation then."

Harf said, "He will urge the Burmese Government to cooperate with Bangladesh particularly to rescue and provide immediate relief to migrants adrift."

"And as we’ve said before, when it comes to some of these conditions, we remain concerned about the factors that drive people to risk their lives at sea, including the Government of Burma’s policy towards its Rohingya minority and racially and religiously-motivated discrimination," said the spokesperson.

While briefing she also said, "Deputy Secretary will emphasize – as we have a number of times – the need for the Burmese Government to assume responsibility for these longstanding issues in Rakhine state, including addressing the conditions facing the Rohingya population."

"And I think we’ll urge also some full and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance there as well," Marie Harf added on the day.

risingbd/ USA/ May 21, 2015/ Mahfuz/ Augustin Sujan