Musician Bob Geldof returns award in protest over Suu Kyi
Irish musician and activist Bob Geldof said he's returning his Freedom of the City of Dublin award in protest against fellow award holder and Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Geldof said, "her association with our city shames us all." Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, has faced widespread criticism for failing to address the alleged ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslim population.
Geldof: 'We honored Suu Kyi, now she shames us'
In a statement, Geldof said, "Her association with our city shames us all and we should have no truck with it, even by default. We honoured her, now she appalls and shames us." He said he would return his award to City Hall in Dublin.
U2 calls on Suu Kyi to end violence against Rohingya
The violence, allegedly perpetrated by the Myanmar military, has forced over 500,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh in recent months. Irish rock band U2 has also criticized Suu Kyi. "So we say to you now what we would have said to her: the violence and terror being visited on the Rohingya people are appalling atrocities and must stop," the band said in a statement.
Oxford University removed Suu Kyi's portrait from display
Last month, in an "unprecedented move," the Oxford City Council stripped Suu Kyi of the freedom of the city award bestowed on her in 1997. A portrait of Suu Kyi was also removed from display at the St. Hugh's College at Oxford University, where the Myanmar leader studied politics. The UN has also criticized the anti-Rohingya violence as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing."
