Pope Francis refers to ‘Rohingya’ after meeting refugees in Bangladesh

1 Dec, 2017 15:27 / Updated 7 years ago

Pope Francis referred to refugees who have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh as “Rohingya” on Friday. He used the politically sensitive name for the persecuted minority for the first time on his Asia tour after meeting a group of them in Dhaka, AFP reported. “Let us continue to do the right thing and to help them,” he said. “Let us continue to work to ensure that their rights are recognized.” The pope had earlier faced criticism for not using the word “Rohingya” in mainly-Buddhist Myanmar. The stateless Muslim minority are widely reviled as illegal immigrants there, and many refuse to see the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group.