Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is facing international criticism over her country’s crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, called on Saturday for “a culture of peace” to end conflict between communities.
However, she did not mention the Rohingya crisis — which has led the UN to call for a genocide investigation — in her keynote address to an international meeting organised by a group linked to the Unification Church. “At the basis of conflict is ill-will which seeks to hurt and to destroy and thus to open the way to conflict, which in turn spews out an ever-renewing cycle of hate and fear, snuffing out the light of peace,” she said.
She called for cooperation between nations to seek peace and mutual prosperity. “Only by promoting a culture of peace in this world of interdependence will it be possible to create harmony between diverse countries and societies,” she said.
Her speech at the Kathmandu meeting, backed by the Universal Peace Foundation, came a day after Paris announced will it will strip her of her honorary freedom of the French capital. The British cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Oxford have taken similar action against Ms. Suu Kyi over her refusal to condemn the military violence.
About 300 Rohingya live in Nepal and one person from of the refugee community called for Nepal to raise their issue with Ms. Suu Kyi. “We are suffering. I think if she wants to help us, she can,” he said.
