Aung San Suu Kyi duped Ireland, says Geldof

AUNG SAN Suu Kyi has “duped” Ireland, Bob Geldof has said as he returned his freedom of Dublin in protest.

The musician said the Nobel Peace Prize winner who came through so much had an even greater responsibility not to “oversee” carnage in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi became a free woman of the Irish capital in 2000 as she struggled for democracy while under military arrest.

Since her freedom and election as de facto leader two years ago she has faced international criticism over lack of action to prevent alleged ethnic cleansing of her country’s Rohingya Muslims by security forces.

Geldof, 66, said: “Having fought through moral force these thugs in the military she comes to power democratically and it is a great moral victory.

“How much more is the onus and responsibility on you at that point to say something, to not oversee carnage? How much more?”

More than half a million of the Rohingya minority group have fled to Bangladesh after recent violence.

Suu Kyi’s leadership has drawn criticism from human rights groups who campaigned for her freedom during 15 years under house arrest by a military junta.

There have been calls for her to be stripped of the Nobel prize she won in 1991 and she has been condemned by international leaders over her reluctance to acknowledge violence by the army.

The British Government has said the treatment of minority Muslims looked like ethnic cleansing.

Geldof delivered the scroll to Dublin City Council offices.

He said: “Dublin should not have any truck with this war. She has let us Dubliners down, she has let Ireland down, because we thought she was one thing and we have been duped.”