Aung San Suu Kyi welcomed in Parliament despite criticism

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has visited Parliament House in Canberra amid ongoing criticism over the crisis faced by the Rohingya ethnic minority.

Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Parliament House.

Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Parliament House. Source: AAP

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was welcomed to Parliament House in Canberra with a 19-gun salute on Monday before meetings with the government and the opposition.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and senior representatives from the government and opposition attended the ceremonial welcome for the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi inspects the guard during a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House in Canberra
Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi inspects the guard during a ceremonial welcome at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AP


As state counsellor, a position akin to prime minister, Ms Suu Kyi was in Sydney on the weekend for a special gathering of Southeast Asian leaders.

In Canberra, she inspected the button and brass of the Australian Federation Guard officers and marching band as the troops sweltered under a cloudless sky.




Then during a day of formal events, Mr Turnbull and Ms Suu Kyi had a detailed discussion about the ongoing Rohingya crisis.

The prime minister encouraged her to reach a resolution for the resettlement of displaced Rohingya people.

He noted Australia's aid commitment to Myanmar and Bangladesh and offered ongoing support and assistance to end the crisis and ensure displaced people can return to their homes as quickly as possible.

The leaders also discussed economic development, education challenges and overseas development assistance in Myanmar as well as water management and research.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong raised with Ms Suu Kyi human rights issues and concerns about events in Rakhine State.

Rohingya supporters hold placards during a protest against Aung San Suu Kyi as she visits Australia to attend ASEAN Summit 2018 in Sydney, Saturday, March 17, 2018.
Rohingya supporters hold placards during a protest against Aung San Suu Kyi as she visits Australia. Source: AAP


Ms Suu Kyi has been criticised in recent months for her silence in the face of the ongoing violence towards Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority, which the United Nations dubbed a "textbook case of ethnic cleansing".

More than 700,000 people have escaped to refugee camps across the border following a military crackdown in August.

Myanmar is a majority Buddhist country and Rohingya Muslims face discrimination and are denied citizenship.

Over the weekend, members of Myanmar's Rohingya Community in Australia called for Ms Suu Kyi to go home.

But at a special summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations on the weekend, Mr Turnbull said Ms Suu Kyi had raised the issue in private meetings.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world