Rohingya crisis looms as Pope Francis lands in Myanmar
Pope Francis will be visiting Myanmar and Bangladesh, meeting with people on both sides of the world’s biggest forced exodus this year. He will be meeting leaders in Myanmar as well as Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Pope Francis has left Rome for a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh.
He’s expected to address the Rohingya refugee crisis during his trip.
The pope has previously condemned Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya.
More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Myanmar to Bangladesh in the past three months.
Myanmar’s ruling party has objected to the use of the term “Rohingya” to identify the mostly Muslim minority, demanding that they be called “Bengalis” or “Muslims from Bangladesh”.
Al Jazeera’s Scott Heidler reports from Yangon, Myanmar.