Follow me on Twitter: @mk1157
I remember advocating for Burma leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1989 when she was arrested and sentenced to 21 years, I traveled to Washington and to other countries internationally to fight against the Burma dictatorship. We wanted her to be released from custody and house so that a fair election could be held. When she received a Nobel Prize in 1991, it truly warmed my heart.
Today, however, all of the admiration I had for this once great woman is gone. I always thought very highly of the people of Burma and believed they were tolerant, but it appears I was mistake. The systematic torture and murder of Muslims currently going on in that country is beyond sickening.
The United Nations needs to get involved and step in immediately. This is genocide, plain and simple, and something must be done before it is too late. As a Jewish man who grew up in a predominantly Muslim country, I know just how difficult it can be when you are the religious minority. There is name-calling, bullying, and sometimes outright violence.
It is shameful when the religious minority is treated that way, but it is nothing compared to what appears to be nothing short of ethnic cleansing going on in Burma.
The world needs to unite to take the proper steps to not only stop what is going on in Burma, but to also make sure it never happens again anywhere else. Minority groups should never be forced to live in fear just because of who they are, and it should certainly never be allowed to reach the level that it has in Burma where the minority is being outright purged.
And in addition to the international community, Aung San Suu Kyi needs to reverse course and take the proper steps to stop what is going on in her country. I loved and respected her once. We all did. It’s time for her to remind us why.