29 MAY 2015 - BANGKOK, THAILAND: HTIN LYNN, Special Representative of the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addresses the “Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean.” Myanmar opposes efforts by others to label the Rohingya, an ethnic minority from Myanmar, as an oppressed minority. Myanmar insists the Rohingya, who are overwhelmingly Muslim, are undocumented immigrants and is trying to expel them from Myanmar. Thailand organized and hosted the meeting at the Anantara Siam Hotel in Bangkok. The meeting brought together representatives from the 5 countries impacted by the boat people exodus: Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, which have all received boat people, and Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh, where they are coming from. Non-governmental organizations, like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as countries responding to the crisis, like the United States, also attended the meeting. A total of 22 organizations attended the one day conference. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
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