Criticism of the Nobel Peace Prize winner from Burma (Myanmar): first an iconic figure for freedom, now a party politician

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) accuses Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of not showing enough commitment for the human rights of the victims of persecution in Burma. "We are deeply disappointed that the opposition politician, who was persecuted for so long herself, remains silent about the systematic exclusion and expulsion of the Muslim Rohingya," said the STP's Asia-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Wednesday. "It is high time for Aung San Suu Kyi to demonstrate commitment towards human rights. She should at least try to ensure that humanitarian aid workers will be able to access the Rohingya refugees. If the Nobel Peace Prize winner tries to cover up the dramatic situation of the refugees as a populist attempt to improve her chances in the election, she might lose her credibility as an iconic figure."

On Thursday, Aung San Suu Kyi will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President Joachim Gauck and the President of the German Bundestag,Norbert Lammert, in Berlin for talks. On Friday, she will be awarded with the Willy Brandt Prize. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel will give a eulogy for the Burmese politician.

The situation of the approximately 130,000 Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee from their villages and neighborhoods in Burma since the outbreak of violence in the summer of 2012 has once again become more dramatic in March 2014: The Burmese authorities decided that most of the international aid organizations will not be allowed to do any further humanitarian work in the camps, based on dubious allegations. "This is a clear violation of international humanitarian law that cannot be justified," said Delius. "As a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi must advocate for sustainable peace and a worldwide implementation of basic human rights. She cannot just accept the situation." The exclusion of minority groups will lead to even more tensions in the country and will also disturb the process of democratization.

So far, Aung San Suu Kyi has not commented much on the Rohingya crisis. She merely asked the Muslims and Buddhists to exercise moderation and to try and solve the conflict with respect to the rule of law. "This sounds reasonable, but it is actually quite irrelevant and will not even help, because Burma's authorities justify the exclusion of the Rohingya based on the still valid Citizenship Act of 1982," said Delius. Formally, the authorities are respecting the constitution – but the United Nations and many governments all over the world accuse the state of persecuting the Rohingya and violating their human rights. Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the 'National League for Democracy' (NLD), prefers not to criticize the fact that the Rohingya are denied their citizenship rights, because the majority of the Buddhist population welcomes the exclusion of the Muslims."

Ulrich Delius, head of STP's Asia department, is available for further questions: Tel. 0551 49906 27 or asien@gfbv.de.