Burma Task Force (USA) criticizes Suu Kyi’s speech addressing military attacks on Rohingya

THE Burma Task Force (USA) on Tuesday said it rejects Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech addressing the ongoing military attacks on Rohingyas in Burma. The speech delivered in English was clearly meant for the consumption of a foreign audience, in order to temper growing international outrage and condemnation of Myanmar’s crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya Muslims, it pointed out.

In a statement the BTF said: “Suu Kyi’s speech boasted ignorance of the well documented crimes against the Rohingya, claiming “solid evidence” was needed before action could be taken. Reacting to the speech, Imam Malik Mujahid, Chair of Burma Task Force said, “Over 400,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee to Bangladesh, and there is satellite images of 214 burned down villages: what more proof does Suu Kyi need to consider as ‘solid evidence?’”

“Human rights organizations and the United Nations have documented and presented Suu Kyi’s government with copious facts regarding the ongoing abuses of Myanmar’s military against civilians, including: killings, rapes, forced disappearances and looting. In fact, 52% of female refugees interviewed by the U.N. in Bangladesh reported having been sexually abused by Myanmar’s forces.

“Burma Task Force notes Suu Kyi conceded that 50% of Rohingya Muslim villages are still standing. She must then recognize that the other 50% have been destroyed by the Burmese military.

“Burma Task Force has called for continued international pressure and for governments to take greater actions from cutting military aid to Myanmar’s military and placing targeted sanctions on generals directly complicit in the genocide.”

“World leaders must start to accurately describe what is happening to the Rohingya, just as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh has, by calling the violence against Rohingya by its actual name – ‘genocide,’” said Imam Malik Mujahid.

Burma Task Force is a coalition of 19 American and Canadian Muslim organizations.