Rohingya crisis: Disappointing speech by Nobel Peace Prize winner

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) fears that the much-noticed speech Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s state councilor, held recently – focusing on the state of the nation – will not help stop the exodus of the Muslim Rohingya. “The Nobel Peace Prize winner managed to appease the international community by condemning human rights violations in general. However, by downplaying the serious situation of the Rohingya, she didn’t manage to win over the persecuted minority. Now, she is met with incomprehension and rejection,” criticized Ulrich Delius, the director of the STP, in Göttingen on Tuesday.

“This speech may have pleased most of the diplomats, because it contained all the usual generalities and empty promises regarding human rights. For us human rights activists, however, the speech was a mockery. The serious situation of the Rohingya was in no way adequately addressed – and there weren’t any appropriate suggestions for political solutions to the conflict,” said Delius. About 440,000 people have fled from violence in Rakhine state since August 25, 2017, including about 30,000 Buddhist Rakhine and Hindus.

In her speech, Aung San Suu Kyi had emphasized that those who are responsible for human rights violations would be held accountable, regardless of their religion and ethnic origin. “Unfortunately, however, the Nobel Peace Prize winner didn’t mention the role of the army, which, according to all witness reports, is responsible for most of the human rights violations. If the soldiers are not punished for their ‘burnt earth’-policy, there will be no lasting peace and reconciliation in Rakhine state,” Delius warned.

According to the STP, it is “ignorant and grossly trivializing” of Aung San Suu Kyi to claim that most of the Rohingya had not fled. “More than a third of this population group have left their homes within only three weeks – so there must be serious reasons. If the Nobel Peace Prize winner has no idea what could have led to this mass-exodus, she is obviously suffering from a loss of reality,” explained Delius.

The human rights organization also accused the councilor of not taking responsibility for the escalation of the Rohingya crisis. Aung San Suu Kyi has been the de-facto governor of Burma for a year and a half. During that time, she has done nothing to put an end to the apartheid-like exclusion and discrimination of the Rohingya or to promote reconciliation between Buddhists and the Muslim minority.

Header Photo: European Parliament via Flickr