Aung San Suu Kyi is so far refusing to join the cabal of human rights activists and the media pushing her to defend the Rohingya Muslims involved in the recent riots in Burma’s Rakhine Province. Could it be that she knows that some among them are outside agitators and Islamic extremists and that some Buddhists believe that Rohingya helped blow up the centuries-old Buddhist monuments in Afghanistan in 1999 when they were training with the Taliban.
Please hang tough Ms. Suu Kyi! From the Globe and Mail where reporter/opinion writer Mark MacKinnon appears to be drinking deeply from the Islamists-are-victims cup.
It was hailed in Europe as a victory tour. But as Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi moved gracefully across the continent this week, receiving standing ovations everywhere she went, a part of the country she hopes to rule was sliding into sectarian chaos.
In MacKinnon’s mind this all about politics:
Known as a woman of unyielding principles, she now has to check her remarks against public opinion – that is, if she wants to get elected.
Already, some [Who are the ‘some,’ I’m not disappointed that she isn’t embracing them!-–ed] are disappointed with her refusal to speak out for the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar considered to be among the world’s most persecuted people. [Considered to be among the world’s most persecuted people? By whom? What about the Christians of the Middle East?—ed]
More than 60 people have now been killed in three weeks of clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in the west of Myanmar. The World Food Program reported it was feeding 66,000 who had been displaced by the fighting, which has seen homes torched and buses attacked by mobs, and is expecting to have to deal with tens of thousands more. Thein Sein, Myanmar’s reformist President, has warned the violence could spread to other parts of the ethnically diverse country.
What! If she has an opinion that doesn’t fit the politically correct views of the Leftwing human rights grievance industry then somehow her views are now illegitimate and driven purely by crass political motives! Gee, is Hillary going to take back those hugs?
….when asked in Norway for her opinions about the violence in Rakhine, Ms. Suu Kyi sounded more like someone campaigning for office than a Nobel laureate.
“There are some who say that some of those who claim to be Rohingyas aren’t the ones actually native to Burma, but have just come over recently from Bangladesh,” she said, repeating an argument that holds little merit but is widely expressed among Myanmar’s ethnic Burman and religious Buddhist majorities.
Asked directly whether Rohingyas should be regarded as full citizens of Myanmar, she replied, “I do not know.”
Readers! Please pay attention to all of this Rohingya news—the powers that be are building a case to bring thousands, perhaps tens of thousands to the US! For background we have 4 years of reports at our special category on the Rohingya.