MPs vote to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of citizenship


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State Counselor of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Hanoi, Vietnam, September 13, 2018

Author's right of the image
Reuters

Canadian MPs voted unanimously to revoke the honorary citizenship of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The adoption of the motion was a response to his failure to end the persecution of the Rohingya minority in his country.

Ms. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts to bring democracy to Myanmar – also known as Burma – under military rule.

A UN report released last month said that Myanmar's military leaders were to be investigated for genocide against the Rohingyas.

At least 700,000 Rohingya have fled violence in the country in the past 12 months.

Rare honor

Members' decision in the House of Commons came one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Parliament is reconsidering whether Ms Suu Kyi still deserves the honor of citizenship.

But Trudeau also said the decision would not put an end to the plight of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar, which is predominantly Buddhist.

In 2007, Canada granted honorary citizenship to Ms. Suu Kyi, one of six people to be so recognized.

Honorary citizenship has been conferred on Canada by a joint resolution of both Houses of Parliament. Canadian officials told Reuters the process should be officially abolished.

The next steps are unclear, Liberal MP Andrew Leslie told reporters on Thursday after the motion was passed by MPs.

"Now, the government's mechanisms will in fact go through the details of what needs to be implemented," he said.

Earlier this month, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion to recognize crimes against Rohingya as an act of genocide.

  • Aung San Suu Kyi: The icon of democracy fallen into disgrace
  • Could Aung San Suu Kyi face Rohingya genocide charges?

In 2015, Ms. Suu Kyi became a Myanmar State Counselor, de facto head of the country's civil administration, following a democratic opening in Myanmar.

Since last year, at least 700,000 Rohingyas have fled Myanmar after the army launched a brutal crackdown in response to attacks by a militant Rohingya group.

Ms. Suu Kyi has come under international pressure to condemn the alleged brutality of the army. However, she refused to do so.

The last time she spoke to the BBC in April 2017, she said: "I do not think there is an ethnic cleansing going on.I think ethnic cleansing is a strong expression too. to use for what is happening ".

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