Govt lost narrative on Rohingya crisis

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Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has made history again, at the age of 74, by travelling to The Hague to defend the country from genocide charges at the International Court of Justice.

Many foreign analysts who have never been to Myanmar or who have little understanding of the nuances, history and complexities of the country have commented freely on newswires and in newspapers, often making little or no sense. The military in Myanmar is known as a human rights violator and it is a matter of record that for decades the armed forces’ soldiers and officers have committed atrocities. But her decision to travel to

The Hague demonstrates Daw Aung San Suu Kyi doesn’t believe genocide took place in her country, and this opinion is widely shared among Myanmar citizens.

The government’s main failure, and ongoing problem, was losing control of the narrative of the Rohingya crisis to the West, and to her enemies, who are determined to go after her. Since the crisis erupted, the Ministry of Information has been hopeless, with the messaging from the government being on-again, off-again. Many in the country wish that one day soon Myanmar will have a professional army that will behave according to international norms and respect human dignity and human rights, and stay out of politics.