Philippines ready to provide aide to Northern Rakhine state if Myanmar asks: DFA

September 18, 2017

The Philippines is ready to provide aid to the Northern Rakhine state if Myanmar requests, said Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar on Monday.

Bolivar said Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has spoken to the Myanmar foreign minister to relate this offer.

"As Chair of ASEAN ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Philippines is coordinating with the Government of Myanmar and the other ASEAN Member States to determine what assistance Myanmar may need and request on the humanitarian front and to identify the best modalities to deliver such assistance," said Bolivar.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since August due to alleged violence against them in Rohingya communities and made their way to Bangladesh,  news reports said.

Bolivar said there will be an informal meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week where the general debate will start on September.

Bolivar added the ASEAN foreign ministers are also expected to have a dialogue with the UN Secretary General and perhaps with Slovakia Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, president of the General Assembly.  DMS