It was partly a problem of translation. Thein Sein had said, “During the colonial period, many Bengalis came to Arakan to work. A portion chose to stay. Under Burmese law, anyone who is a third-generation descendant of these immigrants is entitled to Burmese citizenship. But there are also illegal immigrants who have come since colonial times and who are using the name ‘Rohingya.’ Their presence threatens stability. We cannot take responsibility for them. The UN should place them in refugee camps until they can be taken to a third country.”
