Canada MPs vote to strip Myanmar's Suu Kyi of honorary citizenship over Rohingyas

Ottawa, Sept 28: Not long ago, she was an icon for the democratic world. But not anymore. The parliamentarians of Canada have voted in unison to revoke the honorary citizenship of Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi over her alleged failure to halt persecution the Rohingya Muslim minority in her country.

Suu Kyi had once risen as a darling of world's democratic forces and also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her efforts for establishing democracy in the South-east Asian country which had long been under the rule of a military junta. She became the country's first state counsellor in April 2016 after her party - National League for Democracy - sweeping the 2015 elections, the first openly contested one in the country since 1990.

The international world, however, was disappointed over the 73-year-old leader's approach towards the genocide against the Rohingyas. At least 7 lakh Rohingyas have fled Myanmar because of oppression.

The Canadian lawmakers' move came a day after their prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said that the parliament was reconsidering whether the Myanmar leader still deserved the honour that his country gave her.

Canada extended the honorary citizenship to Suu Kyi, who is just one of six people to have been recognised. The honorary citizenship is conferred by a joint declaration of both the houses of parliament and officials told Reuters that it will revoked in the same manner.