Oxford College eliminates Aung San Suu Kyi portrait over Rohingya crisis

Aung San Suu Kyi is under fire in the recent while for neglecting the pain and discrimination of people of Rohingya community. Foundations and Organisations are increasingly criticising her for failing to take action. Recently, the prestigious Oxford University College also removed the Aung San Suu Kyi portrait from display. In place of Suu Kyi’s portrait, the university administration brought in a Japanese painting by artist Yoshihiro Takada.

Suu Kyi’s allegedly shoddy handling of the issue led to more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims escape to neighbouring Bangladesh. Global leaders are also criticising her for not addressing the UN allegations of ethnic cleansing.

Aung San Suu Kyi graduated from the same college in 1967 and the college awarded her an honorary degree in June 2012.

But St. Hugh’s College of Oxford University has not yet specified the clear reason for removing the Myanmar leader’s painting. Their communications manager Benjamin Jones told BBC that it is because they wanted to shift the painting to a “secure location”. They also said that Takada’s painting will be on display “for a while”.

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The painting displayed in the entrance of the college's main building where now Takada’s painting hung. Suu Kyi graduated from the same college in 1967 and the college awarded her an honorary degree in June 2012. However, the university is not considering taking back her honorary degree.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi became Myanmar’s civilian leader in 2015 after winning elections. She was a former political prisoner and she gave a speech last week where she condemned human rights abuses. However, she did not hold the Myanmar army responsible for Rohingya Crisis. Neither did she address the speculated ethnic cleansing.

But reports say that she is sent her representative to discuss the matter with the Bangladesh government. Minister of the Office of State Counselor Kyaw Tint Swe reached Dhaka on Sunday night and will meet with Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on Monday.

Picture credit- Fresh News Asia