Myanmar hits back at ‘harmful’ UN statement on Rohingya crisis

Myanmar rebuffed a UN Security Council statement criticizing its handling of the Rohingya refugee crisis on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the top UN body called on Myanmar to rein in military operations that have pushed more than 600,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh since late August, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis. Responding to the Security Council, the office of Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi said the statement “ignores the fact that the issues facing Myanmar and Bangladesh today can only be resolved bilaterally.” The statement “could potentially and seriously harm the bilateral negotiations between the two countries, which have been proceeding smoothly and expeditiously,” it added.