JEDDAH — The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) plan to open a liaison office in Myanmar amid tensions between Muslims and majority Buddhists there, has been put on hold.

But there is no word on whether the move is fully blocked, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the world’s biggest Islamic political bloc said here, Wednesday.

Plans by the 57-nation bloc to open an aid office in Yangon have brought a backlash from Buddhists.

Sectarian tensions are high in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state after clashes in June between Buddhists and Muslims left nearly 90 dead.
Ihsanoglu said the OIC has received an “indirect request” from Myanmar’s Border Ministry to postpone opening an office. But, he said, that there has been no official order.

The issue will be further discussed at an IOC meeting next month in Djibouti, he said.

Myanmar suspended the opening of the OIC office after anti-OIC protests in Yangon and three other cities. — Agencies