Rohingya still a dirty word in Aung San Suu Kyi's Myanmar

The Muslim minority in Myanmar's state of Rakhine self-identify as Rohingya, a term that the country's new civilian government refuses to acknowledge.

The government instead insists on referring to the Rohingyas as Bengalis, implying that the minority group are instead illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. This is done despite the fact that vast numbers of the Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for decades.

Last month, the U.S. embassy mentioned the Rohingya community in a statement of condolence for the more than 20 people who died after a boat sunk off the Myanmar coast.

This sparked a protest outside the U.S. embassy in Yangon, which was led by nationalist groups, including hard-line Buddhist monks, who denounced the use of the word Rohingya.

Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the country's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi is also minister, asked the U.S. to refrain from using the term because it does not assist the country's national reconciliation efforts. (Courtesy of ucanews.com)