Why the Rohingya in Myanmar may not find a saviour in Suu Kyi

Tensions continue to simmer in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine, home to the minority Rohingya Muslims.

The latest wave of violence came after coordinated attacks on border outposts on October 9 killed nine police officers and injured four others. In retaliation, the Myanmar military launched “clearance operations”, which have resulted in more than 100 deaths, with hundreds of others detained, more than 150,000 displaced, dozens of women sexually assaulted and more than 1,200 buildings razed. Aid workers and independent journalists have been banned from travelling to the affected areas.

The office of President Htin Kyaw has rejected reports of rape and said those killed were jihadists, while the military says Muslim terrorists burnt down the houses themselves to frame the army.

Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, has in particular faced censure for not speaking out in support of the Rohingya. There has even been an online campaign for the Nobel Committee to take back the Peace Prize she received in 1991.

Her critics include those in Myanmar’s fellow Asean states. She put off a trip to Indonesia partly due to protests over the crackdown, while Malaysian leaders have called for Myanmar to be expelled from Asean, with Prime Minister Najib Razak defying NLD warnings to tell a December 4 pro-Rohingya rally in Kuala Lumpur: “Someone tell Myanmar that the Asean Charter also protects human rights.”