Dalai Lama condemns attacks on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

BRUSSELS, Sept 15 (KUNA) -- World-renowned Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama condemned Thursday attacks against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma, describing them as acts of "some mischievous individuals who do not represent Buddhism." "When I first heard that some Burmese Buddhists were harming Muslims in Burma, I was in Washington," he told the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee in Strasbourg.
"I want to tell those Burmese Buddhists, when you face some problem, please visualise the face of the Buddha. If Buddha comes there he will definitely protect our Muslim brothers and sisters," he said.
Moreover, he also criticised Burmese political leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for not speaking up against the atrocities committed against the Rohingya. "She remained quiet for a while, as Nobel Laureate she should speak against injustice," he said, adding that "any person who indulges in violence is not a genuine Buddhist or a Muslim." The Dalai Lama, who lives in India, said that since the 9/11 attacks in the US, he has " come forward to defend Islam," noting that he has many Muslim friends who are very dedicated and peaceful. (end) nk.nam