Term 'Bengali' normal: Myanmar Deputy House Speaker
YANGON - Upper House Deputy Speaker Aye Tha Aung says the controversial term “Bengali” does not imply inferiority while no one will accept any kind of invasion of Rakhine State.
The term is not recognised as appropriate outside Myanmar and these people are instead called "Rohingya", the term that is not acceptable in Myanmar.
Aye Tha Aung toured the state this week and said: “During previous governments, staff allegedly took bribes to allow illegal 'Bengali' migrants into the country. And they’re offered official registration cards. We know it. These 'Bengalis' now living in Rakhine State are from what was India’s Bengal. In years, millions of them entered Myanmar in various ways. In the past they came to work in agriculture and returned regularly. Now Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Rathedaung and Sittwe are overpopulated. And they even declared a state of their own around there. It’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
Rakhine's Buddhists were generous to allow them to live freely in the state together with them, he said.
Calling them “Bengali” is not meant to make them feel inferior, he added.
