Francis also did not mention a recent military crackdown on the Rohingya – described by the UN as a textbook campaign of “ethnic cleansing” – as he delivered a speech to Burma’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other diplomats in the capital Naypyitaw.
But he lamented how Burma’s people have suffered “and continue to suffer from civil conflict and hostilities”, and insisted that everyone who calls Burma home deserves to have their basic human rights and dignity guaranteed.
Rohingya Muslims have faced state-supported discrimination in the predominantly Buddhist country for decades, deprived of citizenship and unable to access basic services such as education and health care.
In August, the army began what it called “clearance operations” in Rakhine state following an attack on police posts by Rohingya insurgents.
The violence, looting and burning of villages has forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
In the most anticipated speech of his week-long trip to Burma and Bangladesh, Francis expressed support for Ms Suu Kyi’s efforts to bring about reconciliation among different groups after decades of military dictatorship, and insisted that religious differences in must never be a cause for division or distrust.
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