Rohingya Crisis:

Pope Francis in Myanmar amid calls for action

Pope Francis faces a diplomatic test as he began his visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, countries that attracted global attention following the Rohingya refugee crisis stemming from atrocities committed by Myanmar's army since late August.

The UN has accused Myanmar of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas, while US, France and a number of rights groups termed the incident “crimes against humanity” and even “genocide” owing to Myanmar's excessive use of force, which compelled over 620,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh.

Western powers, including the US and EU, have sharply criticised Myanmar, while China has sought a bilateral solution between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Pope Francis' visit comes at a time when the international community is eagerly waiting to see a solution to the Rohingya crisis, which has been in place for several decades.

Rohingyas are denied citizenship, land rights and discriminated in terms of social and economic services in Rakhine, home to some 1.1 million Rohingyas.