Canada MPs vote to strip Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of honorary citizenship

Canada 'will continue to support the Rohingyas,' says a Foreign Ministry spokesman

Aung San Suu Kyi (AFP)

Canadian legislators have voted unanimously to strip Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship – granted over a decade ago – in response to alleged atrocities committed against the Rohingya minority in her country.

“In 2007, the House of Commons granted Aung San Suu Kyi the status of honorary Canadian citizen,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Adam Austen. “Today, the House unanimously passed a motion to remove this status.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday that he was open to stripping Ms Suu Kyi of the honour, while noting that doing so would not end the crisis in Myanmar.

Since last year, a reported number of at least 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar following a campaign of mass killings and other atrocities against the Rohingya people. The army and government have denied being responsible.

The US State Department released a report earlier this week saying Myanmar’s military had waged “well-planned and coordinated” attacks against the Rohingya people. A United Nations official had labelled the crimes an “ethnic cleansing”.

The House of Commons had voted unanimously to call the crimes against the Rohingya people a genocide.

“Our government supported this motion in response to her (Ms Suu Kyi’s) continued failure to speak out against the genocide of the Rohingya, a crime being committed by the military with which she shares power,” said Mr Austen.

Ms Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her leadership and efforts in fighting for democracy against military rule in Myanmar, also Burma.

The vote to strip Ms Suu Kyi of honorary citizenship does not have an immediate effect because it must be removed by a joint resolution of both the House and the upper Senate chamber.

Mr Austen added that Canada: “will continue to support the Rohingyas by providing humanitarian assistance, imposing sanctions against Myanmar's generals and demanding that those responsible be held accountable before a competent international body”.