Pope Says His Defense of Rohingya Got Through in Burma

Pope Says His Defense of Rohingya Got Through in Burma
Pope Francis gestures during a news conference on board of the plane during his flight back from a trip to Burma and Bangladesh, Dec. 2, 2017. Reuters/Vincenzo Pinto/Pool
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Pope Francis on Saturday defended his strategy of avoiding the term “Rohingya” in Burma, saying he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh, the pontiff also indicated that he had been firm with Burma’s military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.