Recognizing Rohingya ‘genocide’, Canada revokes Suu Kyi’s honorary citizenship

Following the inhuman atrocities and mass genocide of Myanmar’s Rohingya people especially Muslims, the Canadian Parliament has today revoked Aung San Suu Kyi honorary Canadian citizenship.

The honorary citizenship was awarded to Suu Kyi in 2007 and now the Senate has voted unanimously to strip her of the bestowed citizenship, IBT Times reported.

Suu Kyin now becomes the first person to get her honorary Canadian citizenship revoked.

Recently the United Nations fact-finding mission reported last month that Myanmar’s military has systematically carried out military attacks and killed thousands of Rohingya civilians, burned hundreds of their villages and engaged in so-called ethnic cleansing and mass gang rape.

The Senate also called for the prosecution of the top generals involved in carrying out the inhuman acts in the region while recognizing the crimes committed against Rohingya civilians as genocide.

“We must recognize this atrocity for what it is,” said Sen. Ratna Omidvar, who introduced the motion to revoke Suu Kyi’s citizenship Tuesday. “It is genocide. We must call it as it is.”

Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her fight for democracy in Myanmar.

“At that point, she was a champion for change and human rights … The world pinned its hope on her as the shining light and hope for a democratic and peaceful Myanmar,” said Omidvar.

“As we all now know, that was not to be,” said Omidvar referring to Suu Kyi’s denial of her military’s atrocities.

She has also restricted access to international investigators and journalists, apart from defending the military and denied humanitarian aid for the Rohingya.

“We need to send a strong signal here in Canada and around the world that if you’re an accomplice of genocide, you are not welcome here. Certainly not as an honorary Canadian citizen.”