On the second day of his three-day visit, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-to-lead-huge-mass-for-bangladesh-catholics-25549">Pope Francis finally met Rohingya </a>refugees&nbsp;in Dhaka as he appealed for "a spirit of openness, acceptance and cooperation"&nbsp;

During the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-arrives-in-bangladesh-appeals-for-decisive-action-for-refugees-from-rakhine-state-25546">Pope Francis held an open-air mass</a>&nbsp;in a park in central Dhaka with around 100,000 Bangladeshi Catholics in attendance.

Francis is the first Pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years, quite expectedly the crowd thronged to watch the Holy See with chants of "viva il papa" ("long live the Pope").

The Pope had arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday after spending three days in Myanmar to find ways and means to help solve the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months.

Soon after arriving in Bangladesh the Pope met Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.

In his speech, he praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state".&nbsp;

The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, sidestepped using the term again in Bangladesh calling them "refugees".

He appealed to the international community to take decisive action to address the "grave crisis".&nbsp;

 
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During the day, Pope Francis held an open-air mass?in a park in central Dhaka

On the second day of his three-day visit, Pope Francis finally met Rohingya refugees in Dhaka as he appealed for "a spirit of openness, acceptance and cooperation" During the day, Pope Francis held an open-air mass in a park in central Dhaka with around 100,000 Bangladeshi Catholics in attendance. Francis is the first Pope to visit Bangladesh in 31 years, quite expectedly the crowd thronged to watch the Holy See with chants of "viva il papa" ("long live the Pope"). The Pope had arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday after spending three days in Myanmar to find ways and means to help solve the Rohingya crisis which has spiralled out of control in recent months. Soon after arriving in Bangladesh the Pope met Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. In his speech, he praised Bangladesh's "spirit of generosity and solidarity" in helping "a massive influx of refugees from Rakhine state". The Pope who has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, sidestepped using the term again in Bangladesh calling them "refugees". He appealed to the international community to take decisive action to address the "grave crisis".

Watch: Pope Francis meets Rohingya refugees in Dhaka

India on Thursday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-bars-un-rights-investigator-just-before-visit-27284">announced a $25 million development</a> assistance package for Myanmar&#39;s troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh.

India&#39;s announcement comes <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-to-start-returning-from-january-officials-27205">after foreign secretary S Jaishankar </a>held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar&#39;s capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-refugees-still-fleeing-from-myanmar-to-bangladesh-unhcr-26177">Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State has become </a>the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

&quot;The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation,&quot; external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. &nbsp;

The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar.

India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody.

Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.?

India on Thursday announced a $25 million development assistance package for Myanmar's troubled Rakhine State which has become the epicentre of Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh. India's announcement comes after foreign secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Myanmarese leaders in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday. The amount is set to be spent over a period of 5 years. Myanmar's Rakhine State has become the focus of world attention with allegation of large-scale persecution being carried out by the military forcing several thousand Rohingyas to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. "The amount of commitment to the development efforts is $25 million over five years which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The external affairs spokesman said there were several other aspects of discussions which included how India can help Myanmar restore normalcy in Rakhine State and help in the repatriation of Rohingyas who have fled. The spokesman also added that India welcomes intervention by any country which help in restoring normalcy in Myanmar. India and Myanmar had earlier on Wednesday signed an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development in Rakhine State. Meanwhile, as the Rohingya crisis brews, Myanmar said two journalists who were detained in Myanmar on December 12 have appeared in court and remanded to judicial custody. Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who were reporting from Rakhine State were detained by Myanmar authorities after accusing them of violating the Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Rohingya crisis: India announces $25 million aid to restore normalcy in Rakhine State

The United States <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/6700-rohingya-killed-in-myanmar-in-first-month-including-730-children-international-aid-group-26719">said it would like to see &quot;safe&quot; and &quot;dignified&quot;</a> return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting &quot;Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home&quot;.

However, even after<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-row-elements-of-genocide-in-myanmar-says-un-chief-25936"> nearly four months, Rohingyas continue </a>to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain.

&quot;In terms of the repatriation plan, we&#39;d like to see the plan. We&#39;ve heard about it in concept, but one of the things that would be important to be in that plan is the voluntary, safe and dignified return,&quot; State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site outside Rakhine State, a newspaper said.

The military said it was investigating the site, reports said.

The US meanwhile pressed for &quot;voluntary repatriation&quot; of Rohingyas, saying: &quot;People have to feel like it&#39;s safe to go home. If they don&#39;t feel like it&#39;s safe to go home, it&#39;s probably not going to be safe to go home.&quot;

&quot;They have to have a dignified return. That means treating the people well as they decide to return home,&quot; the State Department spokesperson added.

&quot;We hope that the refugees will eventually be able to go home, to go home to Burma. More than 600,000 of them have been forced across the border since August alone, and now it&#39;s December,&quot; she said.

Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site

The United States said it would like to see "safe" and "dignified" return of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, insisting "Rohingyas need to be treated well as they decide to return home". However, even after nearly four months, Rohingyas continue to flee Myanmar in huge numbers. The UN has estimated over 6,20,000 Rohingyas have already crossed over to Bangladesh with thousands more expected to reach trekking over mountains and through forests and rice fields inundated by monsoon rain. "In terms of the repatriation plan, we'd like to see the plan. We've heard about it in concept, but one of the things that would be important to be in that plan is the voluntary, safe and dignified return," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said. Even as the efforts are underway to repatriate the Rohingyas, Myanmar authorities on Tuesday found ten bodies buried in a mass grave site outside Rakhine State, a newspaper said. The military said it was investigating the site, reports said. The US meanwhile pressed for "voluntary repatriation" of Rohingyas, saying: "People have to feel like it's safe to go home. If they don't feel like it's safe to go home, it's probably not going to be safe to go home." "They have to have a dignified return. That means treating the people well as they decide to return home," the State Department spokesperson added. "We hope that the refugees will eventually be able to go home, to go home to Burma. More than 600,000 of them have been forced across the border since August alone, and now it's December," she said.

Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar should be voluntary and dignified: US

Doctors Without Borders, a private charitable organization consisting of doctors and medical workers, said at least 6,700 Rohingyas have been killed in Myanmar in a month.

The aid group&nbsp;which provides assistance to people in distress across the world said: &quot;At least 6,700 Rohingya, in the most conservative estimations, are estimated to have been killed, including at least 730 children below the age of five years.&quot;

The aid group said it had released the figures based on a survey it had conducted.

The UNHCR in its report had said earlier at least 625,000 Rohingyas had arrived in Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army allegedly started atrocities against the minority Rohingyas.

Speaking at the United Nations, Pramila Patten, special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said on Wednesday that United Nations Security Council members should visit Myanmar to investigate reports of large-scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas.

&quot;Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death,&quot; Patten told the Security Council.

Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable &quot;would send an important signal.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Meanwhile, councillors in Dublin councillors on Wednesday voted to revoke an award given to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to protest against her handling of violence against Rohingyas, Irish media reported.

The vast majority of councillors backed the move to revoke the &nbsp;&quot;Freedom of the City of Dublin&quot; award, with 59 votes in favour, two against and one abstention, broadcaster RTE said.

Doctors Without Borders, a private charitable organization consisting of doctors and medical workers, said at least 6,700 Rohingyas have been killed in Myanmar in a month. The aid group which provides assistance to people in distress across the world said: "At least 6,700 Rohingya, in the most conservative estimations, are estimated to have been killed, including at least 730 children below the age of five years." The aid group said it had released the figures based on a survey it had conducted. The UNHCR in its report had said earlier at least 625,000 Rohingyas had arrived in Bangladesh since August 25th as the Myanmar Army allegedly started atrocities against the minority Rohingyas. Speaking at the United Nations, Pramila Patten, special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said on Wednesday that United Nations Security Council members should visit Myanmar to investigate reports of large-scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas. "Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death," Patten told the Security Council. Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable "would send an important signal." Meanwhile, councillors in Dublin councillors on Wednesday voted to revoke an award given to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to protest against her handling of violence against Rohingyas, Irish media reported. The vast majority of councillors backed the move to revoke the "Freedom of the City of Dublin" award, with 59 votes in favour, two against and one abstention, broadcaster RTE said.

6,700 Rohingya killed in Myanmar in first month, including 730 children: International aid group

Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas.

&quot;Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death,&quot; Patten told the Security Council.

Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar.

UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army.

Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand&nbsp;an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable &quot;would send an important signal.&quot;

The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas.

A United Nations women&#39;s rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

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Pramila Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar

Special envoy of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Pramila Patten urged the UN body to visit Myanmar over reported large scale violence by the Army against Rohingyas. "Some witnesses reported women and girls being tied to either a rock or a tree before multiple soldiers raped them to death," Patten told the Security Council. Patten said the 15-member Security Council should visit Myanmar to get a first-hand account of the Rohingya crisis sweeping Myanmar. UN said recently over 620,000 Rohingyas have crossed over to Bangladesh after August 25th due to atrocities by the Myanmar Army. Patten said that a Security Council resolution should demand an immediate end to violations against civilians in Rakhine state and outlining measures to hold the perpetrators accountable "would send an important signal." The Myanmar Army has repeatedly denied committing any atrocities against the Rohingyas. A United Nations women's rights panel had earlier asked the Myanmar government for a report of the last months on rapes and sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls by the security forces in Rakhine state. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) also asked Myanmar authorities to provide details on women and girls killed in the violence since the army crackdown began in late August.

UN Security Council should visit Myanmar, says UN official

Pope Francis on Saturday explaned why he had avoided the use of the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar.

The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar&#39;s military leaders wold have &quot;closed the door in our faces&quot; and that he wanted to be allowed to go &quot;further in the private meetings.&quot;

&quot;I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings,&quot; he told reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh.

The pope said he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue, Reuters reported. (Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/myanmar-social-media-furious-after-pope-uses-rohingya-word-25742">Myanmar social media anger after Pope says &#39;Rohingya&#39;</a>)

He also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar&#39;s military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees.

&quot;For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses,&quot; he said.

The pope met Myanmar&#39;s military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation&#39;s biggest city, Yangon.

About his meeting with the military leaders, Pope Francis said, &quot;It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable.&quot;&nbsp;

Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: &quot;I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say&quot;.

He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase &quot;Intelligenti Pauca,&quot; which means &quot;Few words are enough for those who understand,&quot; strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence.

Myanmar, predominantly a Buddhist country, does not consider the Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say the word &quot;Rohingya&quot; because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups.

On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year.

He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting.

He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God&#39;s presence was within them and they should be respected.

&quot;I was crying and tried to hide it,&quot; Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him.

About 625,000 Rohingyas have escaped from Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25.

Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations. 
 
(With inputs from Reuters)

Francis said he knew that if he had used the word in official speeches, Myanmar's military leaders would have 'closed the door in our faces'

Pope Francis on Saturday explaned why he had avoided the use of the term "Rohingya" on the first leg of his trip in Myanmar. The pontiff said he knew that had he used the word in official speeches, Myanmar's military leaders wold have "closed the door in our faces" and that he wanted to be allowed to go "further in the private meetings." "I knew that if in the official speeches I would have used that word, they would have closed the door in our faces. But (in public) I described situations, rights, said that no one should be excluded, (the right to) citizenship, in order to allow myself to go further in the private meetings," he told reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Bangladesh. The pope said he believed he got his message across to both the civilian and military leadership without shutting down dialogue, Reuters reported. (Also Read: Myanmar social media anger after Pope says 'Rohingya') He also indicated that he had been firm with Myanmar's military leaders in private meetings about the need for them to respect the rights of Rohingya refugees. "For me, the most important thing is that message gets through, to try to say things one step at a time and listen to the responses," he said. The pope met Myanmar's military leaders privately on Monday, shortly after his arrival in the nation's biggest city, Yangon. About his meeting with the military leaders, Pope Francis said, "It was a good conversation and the truth was non-negotiable." Asked if he used the word Rohingya during the private meeting with the military chiefs, the pope said: "I used words in order to arrive at the message and when I saw that the message had arrived, I dared to say everything that I wanted say". He then gave a reporter a mischievous grin and ended his answer with the Latin phrase "Intelligenti Pauca," which means "Few words are enough for those who understand," strongly hinting that he had used the word the military detests while in their presence. Myanmar, predominantly a Buddhist country, does not consider the Muslim Rohingya as an ethnic group with its own identity but as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Local Roman Catholic Church authorities had advised him not to say the word "Rohingya" because it could spark a backlash against Christians and other minority groups. On Friday in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Francis held an emotional encounter with Muslim Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and then used the word Rohingya for the first time on the trip, although he had defended them by name twice from the Vatican earlier this year. He also disclosed that he cried when he met a group of Rohingya refugees on Friday in Bangladesh, where he defended their rights by name in an emotional meeting. He told the crowd where the Rohingya were that God's presence was within them and they should be respected. "I was crying and tried to hide it," Francis said on the plane, recounting how moved he felt when the refugees recounted their ordeals to him. About 625,000 Rohingyas have escaped from Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in response to Rohingya militant attacks on an army base and police posts on August 25. Refugees have said scores of Rohingya villages were burnt to the ground, people were killed and women were raped. The military have denied accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United States and United Nations. (With inputs from Reuters)

Pope explains why he did not say 'Rohingya'

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism.

The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

&quot;Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace,&quot; he said.

The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday.

The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke.

During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar&#39;s religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them.

The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar.

The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi.

(All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

In his address, the Pope drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism. The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism. "Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace," he said. The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday. The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke. During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar's religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them. The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar. The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi. (All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

Pope Francis warns Myanmar religious leaders against cultural colonialism

Myanmar&#39;s Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pope-arrives-in-myanmar-on-high-stakes-visit-25246">met Pope Francis in </a>Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since&nbsp;the exodus of Rohingyas from&nbsp;Rakhine state.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop&#39;s residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had &quot;no religious discrimination&quot; as the two men spoke with each other for the first time.

&quot;Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all,&quot; adding, &quot;Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country,&quot;&nbsp;Hlaing said.

The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi.

On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country&#39;s highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy.

Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in the day with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him.

Myanmar's Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing met Pope Francis in Yangon today as tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar continued to simmer even after three months since the exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine state. A motorcade arrived at the archbishop's residence as the Pope arrived earlier in Myanmar with people on the streets coming out in huge numbers to welcome him. During the meeting, Hlaing told Pope Francis that Myanmar had "no religious discrimination" as the two men spoke with each other for the first time. "Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all," adding, "Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country," Hlaing said. The Pope who is on a four-day visit to the country will meet the Rohingya refugees including Myanmar leader Suu Kyi. On November 29, the Pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. Pope Francis is visiting Myanmar for the first time.

'No religious discrimination in Myanmar,' military chief to Pope Francis

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