Aung San Suu Kyi became a symbol of hope to those that lived in desperate situations without the protection of democratic rights. She stood in opposition to the Myanmar military dictatorship and was considered a threat, as exemplified by the fact that between the periods of 1989 to 2010 she was condemned to house arrest. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and in 2011 stood for a candidacy in a by-election. However, her greatest legacy, a supporter of the oppressed, could become her greatest failure.
The Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group of approximately 1.3 million, face severe persecution. They are not recognized as citizens (due to the highly discriminatory 1982 citizenship law) of Myanmar and as a result they lack access to education, healthcare and basic human rights. They are persistently viewed as outsiders and illegitimate ‘Bengali citizens’ by the Buddhist majority and have been attacked by some extremist Buddhist monks. The politicians, including Ms Suu Kyi, remain reluctant to address their plight and raise the debate of granting them equal citizenship.
The main issue is that supporting the Rohingya people remains politically unpopular, therefore, for the democratic process to continue Ms Suu Kyi must be rational and proceed to support policies which are popular.
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