BANGKOK, Jan 30: A leading human rights group on Friday called on Myanmar to stop persecuting its Rohingya people and urged its neighbours to meet their humanitarian obligations.

Amnesty International said in an open letter the mistreatment of the Muslim minority from Myanmar’s western Rakhine State was the “root cause” of a crisis which has seen thousands of migrants cast adrift in open seas.

“Myanmar must immediately stop the persecution of the Rohingya minority, which is the root cause of the crisis,” said the letter, signed by Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific Director Sam Zarifi and circulated to six Asian nations.

“All governments should meet their obligations under the law of the sea and provide assistance to those in distress at sea,” it added.—AFP