Myanmar's Suu Kyi condemns abuses in Rakhine but silent on army role

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday condemned rights violations in Rakhine state and said violators would be punished, but she did not address U.N. accusations of ethnic cleansing, drawing cool international responses and calls for action to help minority Muslims.

Suu Kyi made the remarks in her first address to the nation since attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents on Aug. 25 led to a military response that has forced 421,000 Rohingya Muslims, more than half of them children, into neighbouring Bangladesh.