Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of human rights award by US Holocaust Museum

The Nobel laureate has yet to respond to the move

Aung San Suu Kyi smiles after receiving an honorary degree at Oxford University in 2012 (Reuters)

Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of a prestigious award by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum over what it said was her failure to speak out against ethnic cleansing and genocide committed against a Muslim minority in her country.

Over the past 12 months there have been repeated reports of atrocities carried out against Myanmar’s Rohingya by the country’s military. Anywhere up to 700,000 people have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The international community has repeatedly called on Ms Suu Kyi, the most powerful civilian leader in the country and a Nobel laureate to speak out about the murder and killings that the UN has described as a “text-book case” of ethnic cleansing. Myanmar's army has repeatedly denied allegations

The Burmese military, allied with armed Buddhist civilians, are alleged to have killed thousands of Rohingya in the western state of Rakhine since last August., although the army has repeatedly denied the allegations. The US has described Myanmar’s denials as “preposterous” and called on the UN security council to pressure MsSuu Kyi “to acknowledge these horrific acts”.

The Washington museum’s rescission of its Elie Wiesel Award to Ms Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is the latest honour to be retracted over her silence about widespread abuses against the Rohingya.

Ms Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy have refused to cooperate with United Nations investigators, fed hate attacks on the Rohingya and denied reporters access to areas where alleged abuses have taken place, the museum said in a letter to Ms Suu Kyi that was posted on its website.

“Preventing genocide is at the core of our work every day. Based on inspiration that you created for millions around the world, with your long resistance to military dictatorship, and your advocacy for freedom and human rights for all the people of Myanmar, we were honoured to present you with the first Elie Wiesel Award in 2012,” it said.

“It is with great regret that we are now rescinding that award. We did not take this decision lightly.”

It added: “The National League for Democracy, under your leadership, has instead refused to cooperate with United Nations investigators, promulgated hateful rhetoric against the Rohingya community, and denied access to and cracked down on journalists trying to uncover the scope of the crimes in Rakhine State.

“We understand the difficult situation you must face in confronting decades of military misrule and violence in your country and that institution’s still powerful constitutional role.

“However, the military’s orchestration of the crimes against Rohingya and the severity of the atrocities in recent months demand that you use your moral authority to address this situation.”

Reuters said the move by the museum was the latest institution to rescind an honour. Last month, three Nobel peace laureates urged Ms Suu Kyi and the military to end the “genocide” of Rohingya Muslims now or face prosecution.