You must speak out on ‘genocide’ Tutu tells Suu Kyi
ANTI-APARTHEID campaigner Desmond Tutu has condemned Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi for her silence on the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in her country.
Critics have accused the Burmese leader – and Nobel peace prize winner – of turning a blind eye to the violent persecution of Rohingya Muslims.
The 85-year-old South African archbishop, who was also awarded a Nobel peace prize, said the ‘unfolding horror’ had forced him to speak out against a woman he considered ‘a dear sister’.
In an open letter to Suu Kyi, he wrote: ‘Your emergence into public life allayed our concerns about violence being perpetrated against members of the Rohingya.
‘But what some have called “ethnic cleansing” and others “a slow genocide” has persisted – and recently accelerated ... My dear sister: If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar [Burma] is your silence, the price is surely too steep.
‘We pray for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people.’
He joined a growing list of figures calling on Aung San Suu Kyi to intervene in the conflict. Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever peace prize winner, said on Monday ‘the world is waiting’ for Suu Kyi to act.
The Rohingya comprise some 1.1million people in Buddhistmajority Burma who have long complained of persecution.
According to UN estimates, up to 300,000 Rohingya could be displaced into neighbouring Bangladesh due to ‘clearance operations’ by the Tatmadaw, Burma’s armed forces.
The army says it is rooting out ‘ terrorists’ among the Muslim population.
Burma’s government claims about 400 people have been killed so far, though UN officials estimate the death toll to be more than 1,000.
Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, receiving
‘We pray for you to intervene’
the award for ‘her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights’ while standing up against military rulers.
But more than 386,000 have now signed an petition on the website Change.org calling for the award to be revoked.
She defended her response to the crisis for the first time on Thursday, but did not refer to the Rohingya specifically.
Instead, she said: ‘We have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens.’
Desmond Tutu’s intervention comes as the UN refugee agency announced an estimated 270,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh over the past two weeks.
Vivian Tan, a spokesman for the agency, said: ‘The numbers are so alarming.’