Thursday, November 15, 2012

What the (Western) Press Isn't Telling You...

...Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burman nationalist.

The (forever) darling of Western media, Nobel-peace prize laureate has been rather quiet about the violence in Burma's Rakhine state (though she did call it... wait for it... an "international tragedy").

No ASSK - its not an international tragedy.  Its a Burmese tragedy.

Why?  Because the Rohingya are Burmese (we're talking about citizenship, not nationality).

It seems that Aung San Suu Kyi, is pro-democracy. Is pro-free Burma.  But for the Burmans.

Perhaps I'm being a little harsh - I wonder what her position on other ethnic minorities is? Or is it because the Rohingya are predominantly Muslim? Maybe she's a Buddhist revivalist (perhaps she could borrow some pages from some of the Sinhala ultras?)?

More questions than answers at this point.

But, we can safely state that Western press wouldn't dare sully the good name of ASSK.  Especially when the people in question, who are being ethnically cleansed, are Muslim (because that would go against the whole Muslim-terrorist-thing).

Not Bangladeshis. Certainly not Bengalis. But Burmese Rohingya Muslims.

Asia has always been a fascinatingly communalist place. Perhaps we should bring back Arakan?  That won't make the Bangladeshis very happy though.  And it would seem that a federal-style democracy in Burma is a pipe-dream. Unless you're Burman.

Edit:

Not just a rant (Times of India).

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