Pope Francis has finally arrived in Myanmar for his first papal visit to a country vastly affected this year of the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.
One of the subject of the papal visit is likely to focus on is whether he will use the term "Rohingya" to describe the group, who say they are persecuted. However, Myanmar officials reject the term for fears that it could incite negative or violent reactions by the Buddhist majority. Myanmar officials do not use the term, instead labelling Rohingya as "Bengalis", and say they migrated illegally from Bangladesh so should not be listed as one of the country's ethnic groups. Bangladesh denies they are its citizens.
The Pope is scheduled to meet Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the head of the country's military.
One of the highlights of the visit is the trip to Bangladesh, to meet a small group of Rohingya refugees there in a symbolic gesture. The 80-year-old pontiff has become known for his moderate views and willingness to denounce global injustice.
More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar (also called Burma) for neighboring Bangladesh since August when deadly attacks on police posts by Rohingya militants prompted a military crackdown in Rakhine state.
Myanmar says the military crackdown in Rakhine is to root out violent insurgents there, but the UN has described the violence as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" - a sentiment echoed by international critics.
Who are the Rohingya?
The Rohingya are often described as "the world's most persecuted minority".
They are an ethnic group, majority of whom are Muslim, who have lived for centuries in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingya who live in the Southeast Asian country.
The Rohingya speak Rohingya or Ruaingga, a dialect that is distinct to others spoken in Rakhine State and throughout Myanmar. They are not considered one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, which has effectively rendered them stateless.
Nearly all of the Rohingya in Myanmar live in the western coastal state of Rakhine and are not allowed to leave without government permission. It is one the poorest states in the country with ghetto-like camps and a lack of basic services and opportunities.
Due to ongoing violence and persecution in the region, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighbouring countries either by land or boat over the course of many decades.
