KATHMANDU: Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, who is facing international criticism over her country's crackdown on
Rohingya Muslims, called Saturday (Dec 1) for "a culture of peace" to
end conflict between communities.
The Nobel Peace prize winner did not mention
the Rohingya crisis - which has led the United Nations to call for a genocide
investigation - in her keynote address to an international meeting organised by
a group linked to the Unification Church.
"At the basis of conflict is ill-will
which seeks to hurt and to destroy and thus to open the way to conflict, which
in turn spews out an ever-renewing cycle of hate and fear, snuffing out the
light of peace," Aung San Suu Kyi said.
Aung San Suu Kyi called for cooperation
between nations to seek peace and mutual prosperity.
"Only by promoting a culture of peace in
this world of interdependence will it be possible to create harmony between
diverse countries and societies," she said.
Aung San Suu Kyi, whose position of state
counsellor in Myanmar is considered the equivalent of a prime minister, has
faced a wave of condemnation since Myanmar launched its military crackdown on
the Rohingya in August 2017.
More than 700,000 have fled Myanmar's Rakhine
state to camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. Many told horrific stories of
widespread killings, rapes and villages razed to the ground.
Myanmar's military insists it only targeted
Rohingya militants and Aung San Suu Kyi has deflected all criticism.
Other top officials at the meeting, which was
accompanied by boosted security in the Nepali capital to head off protests, did
not mention the conflict which has overshadowed many of Aung San Suu Kyi's
international appearances.
Her speech at the Kathmandu meeting, backed
by the Universal Peace Foundation, came a day after Paris announced will it
will strip her of her honorary freedom of the French capital over her failure
to speak out against the Rohingya crackdown.
The British cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and
Oxford have taken similar action against Suu Kyi over her refusal to condemn
the military violence.
A UN rights team found evidence of widespread
murder, rape, torture and arson, and called for top generals to be prosecuted
for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
About 300 Rohingya live in Nepal and one of
the refugee community based in Kathmandu, who requested anonymity, called for
Nepal to raise their issue with Aung San Suu Kyi.
"We are suffering. I think if she wants
to help us, she can," he said.
Source: AFP