National Post (National Edition)
A cautionary tale about bestowing high honours,
In March 2012, with much fanfare, Canada’s then-Conservative government presented honorary Canadian citizenship to Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now Burma’s de facto leader after spending many years as the voice of opposition in that country. If there were ever a cautionary tale for why governments should exercise caution in bestowing such honours, one would be hard pressed to find a better example than this one.
Glancing back to the time Aung San Suu Kyi received this honour from the Canadian government, one can forgive those in power for thinking then that it would be a good idea to present her with honorary citizenship. Aung San Suu Kyi had been a long-standing voice of opposition to an undeniably repressive military regime that effectively confined her to house arrest for more than 15 years. Her perseverance in opposing the military junta is well-documented. And in response to her efforts and international pressure, political change finally came to Myanmar (also known as Burma).
Over the last few years Aung San Suu Kyi has transformed from opposition figure to the effective leader of Myanmar. Although she is constitutionally prohibited from becoming Myanmar’s actual leader due to a technical provision in Myanmar’s laws, she has adopted the name and office of “State Counsellor.” Few, if anyone, would doubt Aung San Suu Kyi’s real power within the current government of Myanmar.
All of which leads us to the terrible headlines emanating from Myanmar in recent days. The Myanmar government has undertaken a program of brutal repression against the Rohyinga Muslim minority in that country. It has committed horrific human rights abuses. Its conduct has aptly been described as ethnic cleansing. From the slaughter of children to the forced displacement of Rohyinga Muslims, Myanmar’s systematic program of oppression is disgraceful, shameful and intolerable.
From Aung San Suu Kyi — a former icon for the oppressed — there has been only silence, if not outright attempts at justifying the intolerable conduct of the state that she effectively leads. The Pope, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and editorialists all over the world have called on her to denounce the state’s actions and take every action necessary to stop them. Instead, a person who was once a voice against injustice now remains quiet and seemingly unconcerned. It is truly shameful.
Governments should heed this case as a cautionary tale. They should query the appropriateness of awarding individuals with high honours such as the citizenship of one’s country or the Nobel Peace Prize — two of the many accolades bestowed on Aung San Suu Kyi.
Simply put, recognition of this kind must not be extended to those who are active politicians. If such honours are to be awarded at all, they should be reserved for those who have completed their life’s work and are indisputably worthy of such recognition. If those in power are tempted to present such awards to individuals like Aung San Suu Kyi, I would suggest that they first have a conversation with any of the Rohyinga’s Muslim refugees who are fleeing repression in Myanmar.
The Canadian government should withdraw Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary citizenship and avoid such presentations in the future. Mario Silva is a former Member of Parliament and the 2013 Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
MYANMAR’S SYSTEMATIC PROGRAM OF OPPRESSION IS DISGRACEFUL. — SILVA