Why Aung San Suu Kyi has stayed silent on the plight of Rohingya

When thousands of Rohingya people from Myanmar were discovered floating in boats on the Southeast Asian seas much of the world was understandably gripped by this unfolding human tragedy.

Voices of anger were raised; something had to be done to end the suffering, to help those men, women and children in need.

But what has surprised some is the silence of the Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

After all, these are the poverty-stricken and disenfranchised refugees from her own country who are now the focus of greater attention than ever before.

The contrast could not be more striking: how could such an iconic figure of human rights be so reticent when it comes to defending an ethnic minority from her own country?

It was only at the urging of reporters last week that a spokesman for her opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), addressed the issue, urging a solution that acknowledged their right to citizenship status in Myanmar.

"If they are not accepted [as citizens], they cannot just be sent onto rivers. Can't be pushed out to sea. They are humans. I just see them as humans who are entitled to human rights," Nyan Win, spokesman for the National League for Democracy, said.