Ayatollah Khamenei:

Rohingya Tragedy Marks Death of Nobel Peace Prize

Date: 12 September 2017 - 21:42

News ID: ۴۴۱۰۵

TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims marks the "death of the Nobel Peace Prize," in a sharp attack on Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
"A cruel government, at the top of which sits a cruel woman who was awarded a Nobel prize, kills innocent people, sets fire to them, destroys their houses and displaces them and no tangible reaction is seen," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a speech here.
Suu Kyi has been sharply criticized around the world for her failure to condemn brutal attacks on her country's Muslim minority now she is the effective leader.
"Yes, they condemn it, issue statements, but what good does it do? They should take action. This marks the death of the Nobel Peace Prize," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"This tragedy is occurring-- through the brutal government of Myanmar -- before the eyes of Islamic countries and governments, as well as the international community, not to mention the hypocritical and deceitful governments, who claim to advocate for human rights," he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei criticized those relying solely on the secretary general of the United Nations for the condemnation of the genocide in Myanmar.
"The sham of advocates, belonging to human rights groups, who sometimes stir up hue and cry due to a country's punishment of a convicted criminal, have opted to show no reaction towards massacre and displacement, affecting tens of thousands of Myanmar's people."
The United Nations says 370,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar since the army launched a huge crackdown in Rakhine late last month.
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein described the operation as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."
Ayatollah Khamenei said the problem is not about Buddhists and Muslims. "Maybe a few religious fanatics play a role, but a government is doing this. This is a political issue," the Leader said.
"The solution is for Muslim governments to act. We are not saying they should send troops there, but impose political and economic pressure," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to convene "for this specific purpose and to discuss what measures can be taken for these Muslims."
The Iranian Red Crescent has prepared an aid package for the Rohingya but is awaiting permission from Myanmar for its delivery, the Mizan Online news agency reported.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran has to be bold in making its stance known.
"The world today is the world of oppression, and the Islamic Republic has to maintain for itself the honor of speaking out against oppression anywhere in the world, whether in territories occupied by Zionists, or in Bahrain, or Yemen, or Myanmar.”