Naypyitaw, Myanmar - Myanmar leader Aung
San Suu Kyi on Tuesday condemned human rights violations in
Rakhine state and said violators would be punished, but she did
not address UN accusations of a campaign of ethnic cleansing
by the military, drawing a cool international response.
She made the remarks in her first address to the nation
since attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents on August 25 led to a
military response that has forced 421 000 Rohingya Muslims, more
than half of them children, into neighbouring Bangladesh.
Western diplomats and aid officials, hoping for an
unequivocal condemnation of violence and hate speech, welcomed
the tone of the Nobel Peace laureate's message, but some doubted
if she had done enough to deflect global criticism.
At the annual United Nations General Assembly, U.N.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres repeated a call for an end to
military operations and restoration of humanitarian access.
"I take note of State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi's address
today and their intention to implement the recommendations of
the advisory committee for Rakhine state, that was chaired by
Kofi Annan, within the shortest time possible," he said.
"But let me emphasize again, the authorities in Myanmar must
end the military operations, allow unhindered humanitarian
access and recognize the right of refugees to return in safety
and dignity; and they must also address the grievances of the
Rohingya, whose status has been left unresolved for far too
long."
Britain said on Tuesday it had suspended its military
training programme in Myanmar because of the violence in Rakhine
state. French President Emmanuel Macron termed what
had occurred "ethnic cleaning" and told the U.N. General
Assembly that France would start a Security Council initiative
in response, but gave no details.
A European Union spokeswoman said immediate priorities were
a cessation of violence and full access to all humanitarian aid
workers.
She said Suu Kyi's invitation to the diplomatic corps to
visit Rakhine was "a step forward," but added: "Myanmar's
leadership needs to show that the democracy they fought so hard
for can work for all the people of Myanmar, beyond ethnic,
social and religious boundaries."
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, in his speech to the
General Assembly, likened the violence in Myanmar to genocides
in Bosnia and Rwanda and urged a halt to the "ongoing ethnic
cleansing" and the safe return of refugees.
Amnesty International described Suu Kyi's speech as "little
more than a mix of untruths and victim-blaming", saying she and
her government were "burying their heads in the sand" for
ignoring the army's role in the violence.
"We condemn all human rights violations and unlawful
violence. We are committed to the restoration of peace and
stability and rule of law throughout the state," Suu Kyi said in
her address in the capital, Naypyitaw.
"Action will be taken against all people, regardless of
their religion, race and political position, who go against the
law of the land and violate human rights," she said.
Long feted in the West as a champion of democracy in the
Buddhist-majority country during years of military rule and
house arrest, Suu Kyi has faced growing criticism for saying
little about abuses faced by the Rohingya.
The United States urged Myanmar on Monday to end military
operations, grant humanitarian access, and commit to aiding the
safe return of civilians to their homes.
Myanmar's generals remain in full charge of security and Suu
Kyi did not comment on the military or its actions, except to
say there had been "no armed clashes and there have been no
clearance operations" since Sept. 5.
Rohingya refugees arriving in Bangladesh have told of
soldiers and Buddhist civilians attacking and burning villages
as recently as last Friday. It was not possible to verify their
accounts.
BURNING VILLAGES
Rights monitors and fleeing Rohingya say the army and
Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have mounted a campaign of arson
aimed at driving out the Muslim population. The U.N. rights
agency said it was "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing".
Myanmar rejects the charge, saying its forces are tackling
insurgents of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which
the government has declared a terrorist group and accused of
setting the fires and attacking civilians.
Western governments that backed Suu Kyi's campaign against
military rule still see her as the best hope for Myanmar's
political and economic transition.
But she has to avoid angering the powerful army.
She also has to avoid alienating supporters by being seen to
take the side of a Muslim minority that enjoys little sympathy
in a country that has seen a surge of Buddhist nationalism.
Some diplomats said she had not squarely addressed the
problem of violence in her speech.
But her domestic audience was happy.
Thousands of supporters cheered and let balloons float into
the sky in the main city of Yangon as they watched her speech on
a big screen. Social media saw a blizzard of posts with the
message: "We stand with Aung San Suu Kyi".
Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch said satellite images
showed about half of all Rohingya villages had been torched and
it was time that Suu Kyi, the government and military faced the
fact that the security forces "shoot and kill who they want."
Amnesty International said there was "overwhelming evidence"
the security forces were engaged in ethnic cleansing.
'READY TO EXPLODE'
In Geneva, the head of a U.N. investigation into the
violence said his team had heard testimony that suggested
Myanmar's security forces may be committing rights violations.
"What they have come up with reflects in general the
reporting of the international media," Marzuki Darusman said,
referring to a small team of investigators talking to refugees
in Bangladesh.
Myanmar has declined to issue visas to Darusman's team, but
he said he was more hopeful following Suu Kyi's speech in which
she spoke of allowing diplomats access to Rakhine state.
Suu Kyi, 72, said her government had been promoting harmony
between the Muslim and largely Buddhist ethnic Rakhine
communities. But a government official there did not share her
optimism.
"They have no trust for each other," the state's secretary,
Tin Maung Swe, told Reuters, adding that tensions were high.
"The situation is ready to explode."
Suu Kyi said she was committed to recommendations made by
the advisory team led by Annan, a former U.N. secretary-general,
which last month suggested a review of a law that links
citizenship and ethnicity and leaves most Rohingya stateless.
On the return of refugees, Suu Kyi said Myanmar was ready to
start a verification process and "refugees from this country
will be accepted without any problem".