Pope Francis called for respect for rights and justice in a keenly watched address in Myanmar yesterday, but refrained from any mention of the Rohingya, or allegations of ethnic cleansing that has driven huge numbers of the Muslim minority from the country. Sharing a stage with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the capital Naypyidaw, he did not address the Rohingya crisis head-on, instead tip-toeing around the unfolding humanitarian emergency. Peace can only be achieved through "justice and a respect for human rights", he said in a broadly framed speech that also called for "respect for each ethnic group and its identity".

Pope Francis and Aung San Suu Kyi. Pic/AFP