Mahathir blasts Myanmar and United Nations over Rohingya ‘genocide’

The Malaysian leader says attacks on the community in Rakhine state were ‘institutionalised terrorism’, criticising Suu Kyi’s government for a lack of action and the UN for a ‘deafening’ silence

Rights activists welcome his remarks, but call on his government to reassess its own treatment of refugees

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo: Bernama

Published: 7:27pm, 25 Sep 2019Updated: 7:58pm, 25 Sep 2019

Rights activists have welcomed remarks by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in which he refers to the targeting of Myanmar’s Rohingya as “genocide” and “institutionalised terrorism”, but have called on his government to reassess its own treatment of refugees.

“What took place were mass killings, systematic rape and other gross violations of human rights [that] resulted in Rohingya fleeing the country on masse,” Mahathir told a high-profile event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as he described violence against the community in Rakhine state by military forces and Buddhist extremists.

He slammed the Myanmar government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, for being unwilling to take any action to “resolve the crisis” – and the United Nations for its “deafening” silence.

He also praised the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) for attempting to seek legal redress for the stateless Rohingya through the International Court of Justice, saying that other countries should support the OIC “to ensure that the perpetrators do not get away with the heinous crimes they have committed”.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s government has been criticised by Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad for being unwilling to resolve the Rohingya crisis. Photo: AFP

“It is left up to us – the international community, to do something about the situation. For a start, the UN should play its role, taking into account that it was established in the hope of preventing future human-made miseries … Without Security Council action, others must do their part to resolve the crisis and bring perpetrators to justice,” Mahathir said.