MYANMAR: World Bank President Jim Yong Kim urges Myanmar government to investigate the violence in Rakhine state which, according to human rights groups, killed at least 40 Rohingya Muslims

Record ID: 564872

  • Title: MYANMAR: World Bank President Jim Yong Kim urges Myanmar government to investigate the violence in Rakhine state which, according to human rights groups, killed at least 40 Rohingya Muslims
  • Date: 27th January 2014
  • Summary: NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR (JANUARY 27, 2014) (REUTERS) WORLD BANK PRESIDENT JIM YONG KIM SHAKING HAND WITH MYANMAR PRESIDENT THEIN SEIN AND TAKING SEAT VARIOUS OF JIM SEATED AND LISTENING TO COLLEAGUE PAN OF MEETING ROOM VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT THEIN SEIN AND JIM ON STAGE SHAKING HAND WITH OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF GROUP PHOTOS OF PRESIDENT THEIN SEIN, JIM AND OFFICIALS BEING TAKEN SIGN READING (in English): "MYANMAR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE" CAR DRIVING PAST POSTER SIGN READING (in English): "2ND MYANMAR DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION FORUM" EXTERIOR OF MYANMAR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE JIM ENTERING ROOM JIM WALKING ON STAGE JIM AND WORLD BANK OFFICIALS TAKING SEATS ON STAGE JOURNALIST SITTING WORLD BANK OFFICIAL ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD BANK PRESIDENT, JIM YONG KIM, SAYING: "We do not condone violence, and we are hopeful that the government will take all measures to investigate and also to respond in the appropriate way." CAMERAMAN FILMING JOURNALIST TAKING NOTE WORLD BANK OFFICIALS ON STAGE VARIOUS OF JIM LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Myanmar
  • Country: Myanmar
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAA9IOBXT3YXEDRCR80T9N1D17M
  • Story Text: Myanmar's government should launch an investigation into the violence in Rakhine state which human rights groups report have killed at least 40 Rohingya Muslims, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said on Monday (January 27).
    The World Bank president made the statement on his last day of visit to the southeast Asian country for the Myanmar Development Cooperation forum in the capital Naypyitaw.
    He urged the Myanmar government to look into the mass killing that erupted earlier this month in Rakhine state.

    "We do not condone violence, and we are hopeful that the government will take all measures to investigate and also to respond in the appropriate way," Jim told a news conference.
    The United Nations and human rights groups have said that at least 40 Rohingya were killed by security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist civilians in mid-January in a restricted area of the conflict-ridden western state.
    On Friday (January 24), government spokesman Ye Htut denied there had been any mass killing, in line with statements over the past week.
    But information provided by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) further eroded the position of the government, which is facing international pressure to conduct an investigation.
    On Sunday (January 26), Jim also announced that 2 billion USD funding will be given to the Myanmar government to improve the essential services for Burmese people such as the universal health care service and the electricity.
    But the Bank warned against corruption with Jim recalling shutting down a programme in Bangladesh on his first day on the job in 2012, because of corruption concerns.
    Despite the country's ongoing reforms, the World Bank has ranked Myanmar 182 out of the 189 countries in its annual Doing Business report.
    During his two-day visit, Jim had met with Myanmar president Thein Sein, the opposition as well as business leaders.
    About 75 percent of Myanmar's mostly rural population has no access to health care, and more than 70 percent have no electricity, the Bank said.
    Part of the aid package will support the government's aim of providing health care to all citizens by 2030, while half will go to expand electricity generation, transmission and distribution, the Bank said in a statement.
    The news comes nearly two years after the World Bank announced it would return to Myanmar following an absence of a quarter of a century.
    Many donors abandoned the country during its 49 years of military rule, which eviscerated one of Southeast Asia's most promising economies.
    In February 2012, the Bank said it would re-engage with Myanmar after a March 2011 transfer of power from the military to a semi-civilian government that kicked off sweeping political and economic reforms.
    In January 2013, Japan helped Myanmar's government clear debts left unpaid by the previous ruling junta, allowing the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to provide financing.
    Myanmar's low score on the Doing Business survey last October was due to corruption, Charles Schneider, a World Bank economist based in Yangon, said at the time, though he added the country was improving transparency.
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