Those who bestowed awards on Suu Kyi must speak up
THE National Association of Democratic Lawyers (Nadel) associates itself fully with the calls by international NGOs and other organisations calling for direct UN intervention in the humanitarian catastrophe in the Rakhine state of Myanmar where hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya population have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh for refuge.
This human tragedy is occurring under the direct watch of a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who is the head of government in Myanmar. This government has to take responsibility for the actions of the military and paramilitary forces waging a war of genocide against the Rohingya population who are of the Muslim faith. What is not mentioned is that the conflict in Rakhine state is rooted in the fact that the Rohingya population has been denied citizenship and human rights in Myanmar, which is their country of birth, and have been engaged in this struggle for protection, justice and rights against the oppression of the government.
Nadel adds its voice to that of our Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu , in calling on Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, as head of the government of Myanmar, to bring a halt to these atrocities and honour the principles of the award that she received and purportedly stands for. Her decision to not address the UN General Assembly, is disappointing and of concern. If Suu Kyi is being held “hostage” by her military leaders, then she should resign and send a message of hope to the Rohingya victims. If she continues to remain silent she will be deemed complicit in this act of genocide and should face the full force of sanctions, and UN investigations into crimes against humanity together with her military leaders. In the meanwhile she should also be called to account by the Nobel authorities for dishonouring the award she received.
Nadel also hopes that the Gandhi Memorial Committee headed by Ms Ela Gandhi from Durban will issue a statement to distance themselves from Suu Kyi’s failure to stop the killings and destruction of the villages of the Rohingya people, as this committee also awarded Suu Kyi the Gandhi Memorial Award for her past struggle for human rights.
The silence of these organisations that bestow these awards is an embarrassment to other awardees and in particular, a blight on the memory of the great Mahatma Gandhi. Memory Sosibo Publicity Secretary Nadel Executive Committee