Myanmar's (Burma) Suu Kyi cozying up to Hungary's prime minister Orban is absurd
It's not how the West imagined it. For years, the West supported Myanmar (Burma) as it was evolving from a military dictatorship into a democracy — only to watch the country's figurehead for freedom, Aung San Suu Kyi, turn into a right-wing populist sympathizer.
Last week, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate flew to Europe. While there she did not meet French President Emmanuel Macron or German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but rather Hungary's divisive, right-wing populist leader, Viktor Orban, who is notorious for his anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The meeting, which was a harmonious affair, represents a major affront to the West, which is nevertheless at pains to maintain some sort of diplomatic relationship with Myanmar. Two years ago, the West was appalled at the Myanmar military's ethnic cleansing campaign against the country's Muslim Rohingya minority.
During her meeting with Orban, Suu Kyi made it abundantly clear that she cares very little about Western values and diplomatic niceties. Afterward, Suu Kyi and Orban issued a joint Islamophobic statement in which they said that immigration, and both countries' growing Muslim populations, posed a serious challenge.
Yet it's downright absurd for Suu Kyi to make such a claim. Myanmar's Muslim population is not growing. In fact, Myanmar's military drove nearly 1 million Rohingya out of the country, forcing them to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The United Nations later described the expulsions as an act of ethnic cleansing.
Today, there can be no doubt — even for those still giving her the benefit of the doubt — about Suu Kyi's true beliefs. She stands by Myanmar's murderous military, and apparently also by Europe's right-wing populists, who scorn human rights. Not because she is forced to, but because she wants it that way.
https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-myanmars-suu-kyi-cozying-up-to-orban-is-absurd/a-49108276
