Glasgow has revoked its “offer of freedom of the city” from the Nobel Laureate leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to defend Rohingya Muslims.
Glasgow City Council has voted to remove the offer of the freedom of the city from Aung San Suu Kyi after she has been criticised for failing to speak up in defence of Rohingya Muslims.
The honour had been offered in absentia to the current state counsellor of Myanmar while she was under house arrest as Burma’s pro-democracy leader in March 2009.
Suu Kyi, who was released in 2010 has since joined the Myanmar Government, and has been criticised around the world for not stopping the genocide against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar.
Since August, at least 500,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee the country, reporting mass murder, rape and arson by Myanmar army and Buddhist militias.
Last month, Glasgow city councillors agreed to write to Suu Kyi to raise their concerns over their situation and to condemn the ongoing violence.
Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Eva Bolander, received a response from the Burmese leader and councillors have now gone ahead with stripping her of the honour as she failed to condemn the violence.
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Ms Eva Bolander said: “It’s with great sadness that Glasgow City Council decided today to withdraw the honour of freedom of the city from Aung San Suu Kyi.
“This honour was offered, in absentia, to the current State Counsellor of Myanmar while she was under house arrest as Burma’s pro-democracy leader in March 2009.
“I and the leader, Councillor Susan Aitken, recently wrote to Aung San Suu Kyi voicing the city’s concerns about the human rights atrocities occurring in Myanmar, Rohingya and Rakhine and urging her to intervene.
“The response we received was disappointing. This decision has not been taken lightly.
“The City’s reputation could have been tarnished by continuing to honour those that turn a blind eye to violence.”
