Opposition leader hits out at violence, seeks to mediate in conflict over controversial mine
MONYWA, Myanmar: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi publicly criticised the crackdown on protesters at a mine in north-western Myanmar and said yesterday that the public needed an explanation of the violence that injured dozens, including Buddhist monks, Associated Press reported.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 10,000, Ms Suu Kyi made the point that she did not want confrontation but said people had the right to ask why the authorities cracked down so harshly on the non-violent protesters.
Activists and Buddhist monks had occupied the mine for 11 days before the police used water cannons, tear gas and smoke bombs to break up the protest early on Thursday.
Ms Suu Kyi visited injured protesters and met mining company officials and activists on Thursday. She was due to meet security officials yesterday.
The mine is a joint venture between China’s Wanbao Mining Copper and the military-owned Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings. Most people there remain suspicious of the military and see China as an exploitative investor that helped support its rule.
Ms Suu Kyi said the deals were done under the previous military regime without taking into account the wishes of the people but that Myanmar should honour its commitments nonetheless, especially since they involve a neighbouring country.
Myanmar verifies citizenship of Rakhine residents
The Thailand-based advocacy group, the Arakan Project, warned that the results could be used to definitively rule out citizenship for the Rohingya, who have suffered discrimination for decades and are widely viewed as foreigners from Bangladesh.
So far, more than 2,000 Muslim families have gone through the process, but “no illegal settlers have been found”, said state spokesman Win Myaing. He declined to say whether illegal settlers would be deported.