By Nkeremwem Cosmas
Freedom fighters, democrats, activists and humanists are piling pressure on Myammar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to renounce complicit silence and act forcefully to stop military sponsored ethnic cleansing of the country’s Rohingya Muslims, half a million of whom have fled into neighbouring Bangladesh following violence.
Following examples set by cities, colleges and fellow awardees who have been returning or cancelling their earlier associations with her, Bob Geldof, musician and founder of Live Aid has said he will return his Freedom of the City of Dublin in protest against Suu Kyi, who also holds the award.
Mr Geldof said in a statement: “Her association with our city shames us all and we should have no truck with it, even by default. We honoured her, now she appalls and shames us.”
He said he would hand back the award at City Hall in the Irish capital on Monday morning.
According to the BBC, another Irish musician U2 has also criticised her for failure to tame her security forces unleashing the violence. In a statement on the band’s website, they said her failure to address the crisis was “starting to look a lot like assent. So we say to you now what we would have said to her: the violence and terror being visited on the Rohingya people are appalling atrocities and must stop.”
Last month, Oxford City Council stripped Ms Suu Kyi of the freedom of the city, which she was awarded in 1997.
Oxford City Council leader Bob Price acknowledged that it was an “unprecedented step” for the local authority.People are “absolutely appalled” by the situation in Myanmar, he said, adding it was “extraordinary” she had not spoken out about reported atrocities in the country.
St Hugh’s College at Oxford University, where Ms Suu Kyi read politics, has removed a portrait of her from display.
Ms Suu Kyi has been condemned by international leaders and human rights groups over her reluctance to acknowledge the military violence, which the UN has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.
The violence in Rakhine erupted on 25 August when Rohingya militants attacked security posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, triggering a military crackdown.
