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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Duterte might say sorry to Suu Kyi over Rohingya comment

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It’s the president’s prerogative.

This, in effect, was what the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) tried to impart on Friday on whether President Rodrigo Duterte would make a personal apology to Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The DFA was reacting to criticisms over the president’s comment on the Rohingya crisis.

Duterte had commented that genocide was taking place in Myanmar, but later apologized to Suu Kyi in a press conference with reporters in Davao City on April 13.

The president said he was not referring to Suu Kyi but was hitting out at European countries which had accused Myanmar of human rights violations but were not helping the Rohingya refugees.

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Still, the president is expected to personally apologize to Suu Kyi when they meet in the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Singapore set April 27-28.

“Alam ko, may ipinahayag na siya dati. Pero ‘yung personally na i-a-approach niya si Daw Suu, I think that’s something that we can leave up to him kasi you know I can’t predict what the leaders will do there in Singapore,” said DFA Assistant Secretary for Asean Affairs Maria Hellen dela Vega at a news conference in Malacañang.

 Dela Vega added that she “won’t be surprised” if Myanmar will offer to brief the leaders on developments in Rakhine state.

Duterte earlier said the Philippines was willing to give shelter to Rohingya refugees fleeing what he called “genocide.”

The comment, however, drew the ire of a Myanmar government spokesman who said that the Philippine president had “no restraint and knew nothing about Myanmar.”

The president later clarified that he was not interfering in what he called Myanmar’s “civil war.”

“I will apologize to you, but if you have noticed, my statement was almost a satire,” he said.

“I was just adapting their findings that there are a lot of violations in your country. I am not ready to intervene in your (internal affairs),” Duterte said.

Duterte’s top legal aide, Salvador Panelo, said the President’s offer to provide a place for refugees was “consistent” with his and the Filipino people’s “compassionate and accommodating nature.”

Panelo added it was aligned with Duterte’s policy of “assisting those perceived to be victims of human rights violations from any part of the world.”

Duterte had advised Suu Kyi during his trip to India last January to ignore criticisms from human rights organizations on her refusal to condemn attacks on the Rohingya.

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