Suu Kyi will change her position on Rohingya atrocities, Bangladesh FM believes

Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi will change her stance on atrocities against the Rohingya ethnic minority by the military, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen believes.

Suu Kyi, the state counsellor of Myanmar and Nobel Peace laureate, has defended the military rejecting accusations of genocide committed against the Rohingya as "incomplete and misleading".

She challenged allegations in a lawsuit brought by Gambia last month accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Wednesday.

The case should not be heard by the UN's highest court, she said.

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks on the second day of hearings in a case filed by Gambia against Myanmar alleging genocide against the minority Muslim Rohingya population, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands Dec 11, 2019. REUTERS

Hours earlier in Dhaka, after a meeting with US Ambassador Earl Miller, Momen told reporters it was “very unfortunate” that Suu Kyi was leading the defence of the military at the court.

“I always believe that she will open her eyes and change her position,” he said.

Suu Kyi spent decades battling the same military generals accused of perpetrating mass atrocities against Myanmar’s minority Rohingya Muslims.

She came to power in 2016 following a landslide election win, but a military-drafted constitution means she must share power with the army that ruled the Southeast Asian nation for decades.

The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on four Myanmar military leaders, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, in the toughest action taken yet by Washington for alleged human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other minorities.

Momen said he himself had joined street protests for Suu Kyi’s freedom a number of times when she had been incarcerated by the military.

“She was an icon of democracy and human rights. Her stooping so low has hurt me,” he added.

He hoped Suu Kyi would finally speak the truth.

Asked about justice for the Rohingya, Momen said Bangladesh’s priority is the repatriation of the over 1.1 million Rohingya who have taken refuge in Bangladesh following decades of persecution and a 2017 military crackdown.

“We want them to live a dignified life in their country. We want the atrocities to stop. But accountability must be ensured for this to happen,” he said.

INDIA’S CITIZENSHIP LAW

Speaking about the citizenship law of India he said: “India is historically a tolerant country. I think India’s historical position will weaken if they move away from the idea of secularism.”

The law, which was scheduled to be passed by India’s parliament on Wednesday evening, seeks to grant Indian nationality to Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs who had fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan before 2015.

The move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government faced stiff resistance from opposition parties, minority groups and student bodies, with some calling it discriminatory against Muslims.

On being asked about Indian Home Minister and ruling BJP chief Amit Shah’s reported comments in parliament while placing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Momen said, “I think many of these are incorrect. Religious bond is very strong in our country. Religion is everyone’s own issue, but festivals are of all.”

“No one of the other religions (than Islam) is persecuted in our country,” he remarked.

Momen believes the Indian leaders are “misinformed”.

“I always say that there is no minority in our country as we all are Bengalis,” he said.

He hoped non-Muslims in Bangladesh would issue “strong statements” on the matter.