Exclusive: Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

[snoop1130]

Exclusive: Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

By Michelle Nichols

 

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country from Myanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees.

 

As Trump left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

 

"He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees."

 

A Myanmar military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country's Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

 

The Myanmar government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.

 

Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said Trump's stance on refugees was clear, so it was not worth asking him for help with the Rohingya Muslim refugees.

 

"Already America declared that they will not allow any refugees," she said. "What I can expect from them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?"

 

"Bangladesh is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it."

 

A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said Trump was deeply interested in the subject and that "he would definitely engage if it were brought up."

 

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian refugees indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people from six predominantly Muslim countries.

 

"The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Trump said on Twitter on Friday.

 

Trump says the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban.

 

About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

 

Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on Myanmar to allow the Rohingya to return.

 

"(Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that Myanmar is their country. They should take them back," she said. "These people are suffering."

 

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence. Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that Myanmar would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was "a process we have to discuss."

 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the Myanmar government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes.

 

"People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday.

 

A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in Myanmar this week.

 

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-9-19

[Baerboxer]

Jeez. Why should the US run to the Bangladeshi's aid? She has made it very clear the refugees are unwelcome and will be confined to a large camp with restricted movement. 

 

If she wants to tap some aid, so it can be siphoned no doubt, why doesn't she tap her Moslem brethren like Pakistan, Saudi, UAE, etc etc.

 

They love to condemn the West at every opportunity but come running when they smell the chance of handouts.

[Stargeezr]

If I remember right these people have in the past also attacked the Burmese military and

other Burmese people. If that is the case, then they deserve to be driven from Burma.

I also agree that the other Muslim countries can give money to where these refugees

have fled to.  I have not heard that money has come from Saudi Arabia or any other

rich ME country.  The USA is not so rich that they can really afford to feed, clothe and

get housing in for these new refugees. They have problems of their own, like the huge

rebuilding needed after Hurricane Harvey , Irma, maybe Juan and the newest

one heading their way.

Geezer

[NickJ]

Send them all to Europe. Especially Germany. They seem to love them there.

[farcanell]

That's the spirit chaps.

 

hey hey... f*** them.... righto... moving on

[taipan1949]

On 9/19/2017 at 7:07 PM, snoop1130 said:

Exclusive: Bangladesh PM says expects no help from Trump on refugees fleeing Myanmar

By Michelle Nichols

 

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday about Rohingya Muslims flooding into her country from Myanmar, but she expects no help from him as he has made clear how he feels about refugees.

 

As Trump left an event he hosted at the United Nations on reforming the world body, Hasina said she stopped him for a few minutes.

 

"He just asked how is Bangladesh? I said 'it's doing very well, but the only problem that we have is the refugees from Myanmar'," Hasina told Reuters in an interview. "But he didn't make any comment about refugees."

 

A Myanmar military response to insurgent attacks last month in the country's Rakhine state sent more than 410,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh, escaping what the United Nations has branded as ethnic cleansing.

 

The Myanmar government says about 400 people have been killed in the fighting.

 

Hasina, who is due to address the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, said Trump's stance on refugees was clear, so it was not worth asking him for help with the Rohingya Muslim refugees.

 

"Already America declared that they will not allow any refugees," she said. "What I can expect from them, and especially (the) president. He already declared his mind ... so why I should ask?"

 

"Bangladesh is not a rich country ... but if we can feed 160 million people, another 500 or 700,000 people, we can do it."

 

A senior White House official was unaware of the exchange but said Trump was deeply interested in the subject and that "he would definitely engage if it were brought up."

 

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump tried to put a 120-day halt on the U.S. refugee program, bar Syrian refugees indefinitely and impose a 90-day suspension on people from six predominantly Muslim countries.

 

"The travel ban into the United States should be far larger, tougher and more specific-but stupidly, that would not be politically correct!" Trump said on Twitter on Friday.

 

Trump says the move is needed to prevent terrorist attacks and allow the government to put in place more stringent vetting procedures. There is a key Supreme Court hearing next month on the constitutionality of his executive order on the ban.

 

About a million Rohingya lived in Rakhine State until the recent violence. Most face travel restrictions and are denied citizenship in a country where many Buddhists regard them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

 

Hasina said she wanted to see more international political pressure on Myanmar to allow the Rohingya to return.

 

"(Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi) should agree that these people belong to her country and that Myanmar is their country. They should take them back," she said. "These people are suffering."

 

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has faced a barrage of international criticism for not stopping the violence. Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told Reuters on Monday that Myanmar would ensure those who left their homes could return, but there was "a process we have to discuss."

 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the Myanmar government to end military operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the safe return of civilians to their homes.

 

"People are still at risk of being attacked or killed, humanitarian aid is not reaching the people who need it, and innocent civilians are still fleeing across the border to Bangladesh," Haley said after Britain hosted a meeting on the crisis in New York on Monday.

 

A U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state, Patrick Murphy, is due in Myanmar this week.

 

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Lincoln Feast)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-9-19

 

[taipan1949]

Why would a muslim expect anything from Trump or anyone else with the sense to hate muslims? He tried to ban muslims from his country and his dumb ^%^$%#$% Judges countered him. He really needs to get rid of them. I support anyone who is against the vermin of allah invading any country.Anyways, no intelegent western country would part with one penny to help the cockroach Rohygna to keep on breeding.

[farcanell]

18 hours ago, taipan1949 said:

Why would a muslim expect anything from Trump or anyone else with the sense to hate muslims? He tried to ban muslims from his country and his dumb ^%^$%#$% Judges countered him. He really needs to get rid of them. I support anyone who is against the vermin of allah invading any country.Anyways, no intelegent western country would part with one penny to help the cockroach Rohygna to keep on breeding.

Mmmm.... interesting POV... we may have read different books, but you get that.

 

Rohingya people aren't invading anyone, other than an invasion of refugees, of course.

 

And funnily enough, ( for intelligent westerners) during WW2, when the buddhists of Thailand and Burma, had turned their backs on the allied forces, the Muslim Rohingya, did not... they remained an allied supporter.... thanks Rohingyas... I appreaciate that, and hope that some sense and stability can be worked out sooner than later.