OIC secretary general heads delegation to Myanmar

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu visited Myanmar Tuesday on top of delegation from OIC member states. The delegation included Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmet Davuto?lu along with representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Malaysia, read a statement by OIC Friday. The delegation arrived in Burma on Wednesday and met with officials and Rohingya Muslims, who make up the majority of the estimated 140,000 people displaced by two waves of violence in Arakan State last year. Ihsanoglu listened to displaced-camp residents to inspect their status after they were subject of violence erupted against them by Buddhists. He denied reports claim the delegation's intervention in Burma internal affairs asserting that the visit aims only to humanitarian support. He also said that the OIC is a political organization, dismissing claims on its role as a religious entity. Trust between Buddhists and Muslims is the first step to bridge gap between both sides, the statement quoted Ihsanoglu as saying. Bruma's authorities are accused by rights groups for allowing violence against Muslims as they face grave attack by Buddhist citizens.