SINGAPORE (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed has sharply criticized Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi for her handling of an ethnic crisis that led to mass killings and the exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims from her country.
Mahathir said Tuesday that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi is "trying to defend the indefensible" in justifying violence by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya in Rakhine state.
He said that as a former political prisoner, Suu Kyi should understand suffering.
Mahathir was asked about the issue at a news conference on the sidelines of a regional summit in Singapore.
Suu Kyi became an icon for democracy after spending about 15 years under house arrest for opposing Myanmar's earlier military dictatorship. She has been severely criticized for her handling of the Rohingya.
