Nobel official: No intention of withdrawing Suu Kyi Peace Prize after UN report

Norway’s Nobel Institute said Wednesday it does not intend to withdraw the Peace Prize Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi won in 1991 after a United Nations report called the treatment of the Rohingya people at the hands of the Myanmar military a “genocide.”

“There is no question of the Nobel Committee withdrawing the peace prize,” director Olav Njolstad told Agence France-Presse. 

{mosads}”The rules of the Nobel Peace Prize do not allow it,” he added.

A U.N. report released Monday described acts of rape, mass killings and more “perpetrated on a massive scale” against the Muslim-majority Rohingya. The Myanmar military began its crackdown after Rohingya militants carried out a series of deadly attacks on police officers.

The U.S. on Tuesday joined Britain, France, Sweden and others in a call for Myanmar’s military leaders to be held accountable in a vote at a U.N. Security Council session.

A council set up by the Myanmar government cleared the military of any wrongdoing.

Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work championing democracy and human rights, which led her to be placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years. She is currently Myanmar’s state counsellor, a position akin to prime minister.