By OLIVER SLOW | FRONTIER
Aung San Suu Kyi was due to make the speech at Sydney’s
Lowy Institute on Tuesday, but on Monday the think-tank released a statement
she had been forced to cancel because she was “not feeling well”. She had been
expected to take questions after her speech.
SITTWE — State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has
cancelled a planned speech and question and answer session in Australia, citing
illness.
The State Counsellor is currently in Australia attending
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, which is being held in the
country for the first time.
The cancellation came hours after she met with Australian
Prime Minister Mr Malcolm Turnbull, who told reporters that the pair had
discussed the ongoing crisis in Rakhine State, which has seen almost 700,000
people – overwhelmingly Muslim Rohingya – flee the state for Bangladesh
following a heavy army crackdown. The exodus was triggered by attacks from
fighters from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army in August.
“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed the matter
comprehensively at some considerable length herself,” Turnbull said, adding she
had requested help from fellow ASEAN members to help solve the issues in the
beleaguered state.
Speaking by phone to Frontier, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said it was unaware Aung San Suu Kyi had withdrawn from the Lowy
Institute event.
Aung San Suu Kyi has faced considerable international
criticism for failing to speak up in defence of the Rohingya, who are largely
denied access to citizenship and basic services, including education and
healthcare.
On Saturday, a Rohingya living in a village in central
Rakhine State told Frontier that the community was disappointed by her silence
on the issue.
“At first we thought when the NLD [National League for
Democracy] came to power, we would be fine. But since [Aung San Suu Kyi]
entered parliament, nothing has changed,” said the man, whose name Frontier has
withheld, and who said he has not been able to leave his home village since
violence flared in the state in 2012.
On Saturday, Australia’s attorney general rejected a bid
by lawyers to have Aung San Suu Kyi charged for crimes against humanity, saying
she has diplomatic immunity.
Rakhine Sittwe residents in the town’s market told
Frontier that trade in the state capital had slowed considerably since the
uptick of violence in August.
“We are not happy because tourists rarely come here,”
said Daw Mar Thin, a vegetable seller. “If the conflict between Muslims and
Rakhine people does not improve, then our trade will not improve.”