Friday, August 17, 2012

Silence of Aung San Suu Kyi on Rohingyas

Aung San Suu Kyi is a very visible name, just like Nelson Mandela's in older days.
She has spent a life time in fighting for people's rights in Burma, now called Myanmar.
By now she is out there in the open, free.
She also has traveled abroad and collected her Nobel Prize.
She is in the Burmese Parliament and enjoying the usual perks of life.
Sort of life time triumph.

Except that her care for human rights are bit exposed now.
She has failed to, so far, to take a principled stand on the plight of Rohingyas in Burma.
She has her eyes on the high political office in her country and does not want to anger the majority Buddhists by speaking for preserving the rights of Rohingya Muslims.

She toured Europe just after the Rohingya riots and evaded a clear answer on the issue.

The president of Burma was even a step ahead - he was ready to send Rohingya to any country willing to take them in. As inept as you can get on the international scene. Rohinyas are recognized by UN as the most persecuted minority in the world. Burma accuses them to be migrant Bangladeshis in spite of the fact that they have been living there for generations. Bangladesh too is not willing to take them in.