Myanmar says it terminated position of US diplomat Richardson

Myanmar on Thursday said it made the decision to dump US diplomat Bill Richardson from an advisory panel on the Rohingya crisis, accusing the veteran politician of a "personal attack" on Aung San Suu Kyi in his stinging resignation letter, reports AFP from Yangon.

The war of words has heaped embarrassment on Suu Kyi whose star as a rights defender continues to plummet over her failure to speak out for the Rohingya in the face of overwhelming evidence of the Muslim minority group's suffering.

Suu Kyi's office said that during discussions in Myanmar's capital on January 22, "it became evident" that Richardson was not interested in providing advice as one of five international members of a new panel on a crisis that has seen nearly 690,000 Rohingya flee a military crackdown to Bangladesh.

"In view of the difference of opinion that developed, the government decided that his continued participation on the board would not be in the best interest of all concerned," the office said in an English statement posted on Facebook.

A spokeswoman for Richardson said the Myanmar government's remarks were "not true" and referred requests for comment to the diplomat's original statement, in which he said he could not in "good conscience" sit on a panel he feared would only "whitewash" the causes of the Rohingya crisis.

He tore into Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi for an "absence of moral leadership" over the problem, and described her "furious response" to his calls to free two Reuters journalists arrested while covering the crisis. A Myanmar government spokesman hit back earlier on Thursday, accusing the former New Mexico Governor of overstepping the mark.

"He should review himself over his personal attack against our State Counsellor," government spokesman Zaw Htay told AFP, using Suu Kyi's official title.

Urging understanding instead of blame, Zaw Htay said the issue of the arrests was beyond Richardson's mandate and he should not have brought it up at his meeting with Suu Kyi. The heated discussion left Myanmar's leader "quivering" with rage, Richardson told the New York Times. The Reuters journalists, Myanmar nationals Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, face a possible 14 years in prison under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing classified documents that they say were given to them by two policemen.

Myanmar says it terminated position of US diplomat Richardson

Myanmar on Thursday said it made the decision to dump US diplomat Bill Richardson from an advisory panel on the Rohingya crisis, accusing the veteran politician of a personal attack on Aung San Suu Kyi in his stinging resignation letter, reports AFP from Yangon. The war of words has heaped embarrassment on Suu Kyi whose star as a rights defender continues to plummet over her failure to speak out for the Rohingya in the face of overwhelming evidence of the Muslim minority groups suffering. Suu Kyis office said that during discussions in Myanmars capital on January 22, it became evident that Richardson was not interested in providing advice as one of five international members of a new panel on a crisis that has seen nearly 690,000 Rohingya flee a military crackdown to Bangladesh. In view of the difference of opinion that developed, the government decided that his continued participation on the board would not be in the best interest of all concerned, the office said in an English statement posted on Facebook. A spokeswoman for Richardson said the Myanmar governments remarks were not true and referred requests for comment to the diplomats original statement, in which he said he could not in good conscience sit on a panel he feared would only whitewash the causes of the Rohingya crisis. He tore into Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi for an absence of moral leadership over the problem, and described her furious response to his calls to free two Reuters journalists arrested while covering the crisis. A Myanmar government spokesman hit back earlier on Thursday, accusing the former New Mexico Governor of overstepping the mark. He should review himself over his personal attack against our State Counsellor, government spokesman Zaw Htay told AFP, using Suu Kyis official title. Urging understanding instead of blame, Zaw Htay said the issue of the arrests was beyond Richardsons mandate and he should not have brought it up at his meeting with Suu Kyi. The heated discussion left Myanmars leader quivering with rage, Richardson told the New York Times. The Reuters journalists, Myanmar nationals Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, face a possible 14 years in prison under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing classified documents that they say were given to them by two policemen.