Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi says the world is facing instability and conflict in part because illegal immigration spreads terrorism, as her country faces accusations of violently pushing out hundreds of thousands of unwanted Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi did not directly mention the refugee exodus in a speech to European and Asian foreign ministers in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw.
She said the world is in a new period of instability as conflicts around the world give rise to new threats and emergencies, citing "Illegal immigration's spread of terrorism and violent extremism, social disharmony and even the threat of nuclear war. Conflicts take away peace from societies, leaving behind underdevelopment and poverty, pushing peoples and even countries away from one another."
Myanmar has been widely criticised for the military crackdown that has driven more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh. The United Nations has said the crackdown appears to be a campaign of "ethnic cleansing."
Suu Kyi is Myanmar's foreign minister and state councillor, a title created for the country's once-leading voice for democracy since she is constitutionally banned from the presidency.
In her speech to the visiting foreign ministers, Suu Kyi also cited natural disasters caused by climate change as compounding the world's problems.
"I believe that if policymakers develop a true understanding on each of those constraints and difficulties, the process of addressing global problems will become easier and more effective," she said. "It is only through mutual understanding that strong bonds of partnership can be forged."
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