Suu Kyis denial of truth
To stop the
brutality on the Rohingya, the international community must put pressure on the Myanmar government
After a long silence Myanmars State Counselor and its de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi broke her silence through an address to her nation on the Rohingya issue and blatantly tried to play down the unjust persecution of Rohingya people once again that in fact gave tacit approval to militarys action. Very sadly, there was no condemnation of the violence that is still going on, no commitment to stop the brutality. There was no hope left in her words for the people who are victims of ethnic cleansing.
Her speech generated worldwide criticisms from the leaders of the nations and human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Suu Kyi, in line with the policy of her government, never uttered the word Rohingya excepting when she mentioned Rohingya Salvation Army once in her speech. She identified the persecuted people as Muslims or groups of Muslims denying their ethnic identity. This means that she is sticking to the notion that the Rohingya are immigrants or settlers and are not citizens of Myanmar.
Moreover, she said that Myanmar was not afraid of international scrutiny on what is going on the Rohingya. This is really a bitter irony. It was because of fear of criticism she cancelled her planned visit to the United Nations General Assembly. Her government did not allow human rights groups people, journalists and officials of various governments to enter the troubled region of the Rakhaine state.
In her speech she said that her government is ready to accept refugees taking shelter in Bangladesh raising eyebrows of people at large that there should be an enquiry into why these Muslims are fleeing Myanmar. This is a blatant denial of the truth what the Amnesty International described Myanmars leaders are doing by burying their heads in the sand over the horrors unfolding in Rakhine.
Her speech makes it abundantly clear that Suu Kyi and her government will continue to turn a blind eye to the plight of Rohingya. Now, to stop the brutality on these stateless people, the international community must continue to put pressure on the Myanmar government as has been expressed by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
If the international community immediately does not halt the barbaric persecution, through sanctions or other means, there would be no Rohingya left in Myanmar and the leaders of the nations will be witness to what the UN described as the textbook example of ethnic cleansing.
