Senate votes unanimously to strip Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary Canadian citizenship
Parliament has officially revoked Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary Canadian citizenship after the Senate voted on Tuesday to strip Myanmar’s de facto leader of the honour in light of the United Nations finding that Myanmar’s military leaders should face charges of genocide.
The unanimous approval of Tuesday’s motion took place on the Senate’s first sitting day after the House of Commons passed the same motion last week. Both chambers have now unanimously decided to reverse Parliament’s 2007 decision to grant the citizenship. At that time, Ms. Suu Kyi was praised internationally as a champion of democracy and was awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1991.
The head of the Nobel Foundation told Reuters last week that while some of Ms. Suu Kyi’s actions are “regrettable,” her prize will not be withdrawn.
Independent Senator Ratna Omidvar, who introduced Tuesday’s motion, said Ms. Suu Kyi’s silence in the face of the refugee crisis created by Myanmar’s campaign of violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority must be condemned.
“History teaches us, when people in power are silent, that silence is tantamount to complicity,” Ms. Omidvar said after the Senate vote. “It’s important to send this message with one voice from both Houses of Parliament, so that the nation knows we’re all speaking with one voice.”
Because the granting of honorary citizenship was an act of Parliament, the government appears to be of the view that Parliament also has the authority to revoke the honorary citizenship and no further action is required.