This is with reference the story, “Suu Kyi: Help us complete path to democracy” (Sept. 24). The 67-year-old Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest for opposing Myanmar’s military rulers and was recently elected a member of Parliament, is on a 17-day tour of the United States. She has already met with President Barack Obama and received the Congressional Gold Medal. Suu Kyi voiced optimism for democracy in her Southeast Asian home. She has followed in Mandela’s footstep by accepting Americans highest civilian honor, the congressional Gold medal, in an emotional ceremony in Washington, at the same time, the US responded to her call to further ease sanctions by lifting restrictions on Burmese President Thein Sein and parliamentary speaker Thura Shwe Mann — former junta leaders who lead a reformist government — in recognition of efforts to promote political reforms and human rights, and to move Myanmar towards democracy.
Anyway, between receiving Congressional awards on Capitol Hill and dining with the Obama’s at the White House it seems to us that she will be hard pressed to avoid addressing the burning question—what to do with the Rohingyas Muslims? Until now, Suu Kyi has been largely silent on the issue—she even answered: “I don’t know” when asked by a reporter whether the Muslim Rohingya community should be allowed Burmese citizenship. Other statements have been purposefully vague. During her European tour, she responded to reporters’ questions about the Arakan crisis by referring to the matter as a “rule of law” issue—hardly a heartfelt sentiment by a woman renowned across the world as a defender of the oppressed, a voice for the needy.
We are not expecting that NLD (National League for Democracy) can make policy or implement them because we know that NLD is just opposition party. What we want from Suu Kyi is that she must have moral courage to stand for the principal even not popular among voters such as Rohingyas citizenship issue. All expectation are not from NLD but from national leader Suu Kyi. She could have defused the tension between Rakhine buddies and Rohingyas Muslims by making a statement on the principal but she fail and thousand of innocent people are still paying the price Arakan state will pay this price forever. (Naser Mullah, Riyadh)
Obama and free speech
Obama defied US Constitution at UN by saying that — “US government had nothing to do with this video.” The entire world is amused at what Obama at UN said about US made anti-Islam video. He said: “I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video.” It is surprising that how a US president (especially with distinguished legal background) can such a false statement. Obama’s mistake is evident from even what he himself said in this UN speech that “We understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them. I know there are some who ask why don’t we just ban such a video. The answer is enshrined in our laws. Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech.”
Any body who has even an elementary knowledge of constitutional law knows that no government (including US government) makes such videos but US government has every thing to do to protect constitutionally guaranteed “free speech” of the said video. Therefore despite widespread outrage in the Muslim world the US has not banned this video. Rather on the contrary, Obama has gone at length in this UN speech to extensively lecture the entire world and especially the Muslim world that why they should also follow the values of “free speech,” by saying that “In every culture, those who love freedom for themselves must ask themselves how much they’re willing to tolerate freedom for others.”
Not only this, Obama at the UN has gone one step further and said that this “free speech” is not merely the values of the US but also of West (that means entire Christian world). Therefore no body should be under any delusion. Through this video controversy the West is trying to bully Muslims in accepting the values of “free speech.” (Hem Raj Jain, By e-mail)
Letters — Suu Kyi’s double standard
