MPs unanimously pass motion to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's honorary citizenship

MPshave unanimously passed a motion to strip AungSan SuuKyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship.

More and more Canadian politicians have been calling on Ottawato revoke the honour bestowed on the de facto Myanmar leader in 2007 over her complicity in the brutal crackdown of the Rohingyapeople.

A United Nations fact-finding mission recently found the Myanmar military was committing genocide against the minority Muslim population and other ethnic minorities, and that SuuKyihadfailed in her duty to protect her own citizens.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggestedParliament could consider revoking her honorary Canadian citizenship, but that he believes such a move would do little to ease the humanitarian crisis afflicting the Rohingya people.

Andrew Leslie, parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister ChrystiaFreeland, said the next steps are not immediately clear, since this is "new ground."

"Keeping in mind this is the will of Parliament, now the machinery of government will actually chew over the details of what specifically is required to implement," he said.

While SuuKyi is no longer recognized as an honorarycitizen by the House of Commons, the Senate must pass a similar motion before it is officially revoked.

Last week,MPsfrom all parties unanimously adopted a motion condemning the actsof the Myanmar military againstRohingyaMuslims as an act of genocide.

TheUN report names six military commanders in Myanmarwho should beinvestigated for genocide inRakhinestate, and crimes against humanity in other areas, calling their actions "shocking for their horrifying nature and ubiquity."

"Many of these violations undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law," it read.

The report also condemnsSuuKyifor failing to useher power or moral authority to prevent the persecution of theRohingyaand protect the civilian population. Instead, civilian authorities have spread false narratives, allowed hate speech to flourish and blocked independent investigations, the report says.

Trudeau on removing Aung San Suu Kyi's honorary citizenship

6 years ago

Duration 0:17

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to the CBC's Chris Rands.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said thesymbolic gesture won't do much to ease the suffering of the Rohingya.

"Whethershe has citizenship or not, it doesn't help the Rohingya in any degree," he said. "Parliament granted her citizenship, Parliament can take it away. But we're focused on helping the millions of peoplewho are suffering either in place or as refugees."

In Canada, honorary citizenships are not conferred by the prime minister or the cabinet of the day, but by a vote in Parliament. Similarly, it would take such a vote to strip someone's honorary citizenship away.

6 people have honorary Canadian citizenship

Only sixpeople have received honorary Canadian citizenship:

• Raoul Wallenberg (1985).
• Nelson Mandela (2001).
• Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama (2006).
• Aung San Suu Kyi (2007).
• Karim Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims (2009).
• Malala Yousefzai (2014).

Freeland's spokesman Adam Austen said the government supported the motion, put forward by the Bloc Quebecois, "in response to her continued failure to speak out against the genocide of the Rohingya, a crime being committed by the military with which she shares power."

"We will continue to support the Rohingya people through humanitarian assistance, targeted sanctions against Myanmar's generals and by pushing for accountability for those responsible through an appropriate international body," he said.

Tens of thousands ofRohingyaare believed dead and morethan 700,000Rohingyahave been forced to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they are living in squalid and overcrowded refugee camps.

Today in Geneva, the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to create a new panel to expedite criminal prosecutions againstMyanmar's military commanders involved in thebrutal crackdown against the Rohingya.

The council adopted a resolution to set up a system to collect and analyze evidence and prepare files to make it easier forprosecutors to bring cases to trial in national, regional or international courts.

MPs vote to strip Aung San Suu Kyi's honorary citizenship

6 years ago

Duration 0:42

MPs have unanimously backed a motion to strip Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi of her the honorary Canadian citizenship.