WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday condemned an upsurge in violence in Myanmar that has sent 300,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh, saying it was "deeply troubled" by attacks on both sides.
"The United States is deeply troubled by the ongoing crisis in Burma," said Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, condemning attacks on Burmese military positions and the subsequent spasm of deadly ethnically tinged violence.
"At least 300,000 people have fled their homes in the wake of attacks on (a) Burmese security post on August 25," without directly accusing the Burmese military of carrying out a crackdown.
We "reiterate our condemnation of those attacks and ensuing violence."
The Trump White House had been facing questions about its silence in the face of a crisis that a UN envoy has called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".