China calls for political solution; says 'unilateral accusations' won't work

Beijing: China, an ally of Myanmar's junta, on Tuesday called for a political solution to resolve the Rohingya issue, saying "unilateral accusations and pressure" will not work.

The comments from the Chinese foreign ministry came a day after the UN investigators demanded prosecution of Myanmar's top military leaders including the army chief for genocide against the country's persecuted Rohingya

Muslims.

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the country's northern Rakhine state to Bangladesh after the army launched a crackdown last year on insurgents. There were reports of arson, murder and rape by soldiers and vigilante mobs.

Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country, has denied the allegations of ethnic cleansing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters that a political solution is needed to be found to resolve the issue when asked for her reaction to the UN investigators' recommendations.

"The Rakhine state has a complex background in terms of history, religion and ethnic groups. We hope that Bangladesh and Myanmar could engage in more dialogue and contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the Rakhine state," she said.