The City of Oxford is threatening to withdraw a "Freedom of the City" award given to Aung San Suu Kyi, the State Counsellor of Myanmar. Suu Kyi has come under fire as of late for failing to condemn the ethnic cleansing of Myanmar's ethnic minority Rohingya population by the Myanmar Army.
In a strongly-worded letter from the Lord Mayor of Oxford as well as the leader of the Oxford City Council, Suu Kyi is urged to do something about the atrocity happening in the country. She is accused of "fail(ing) to live up to the reputation" she acquired during her time as a human rights activist.
Aung San Suu Kyi says Oxford means a lot to her. Rights mean a lot to @OxfordCity. Unless she acts, we'll withdraw her Freedom of the City. pic.twitter.com/LOLNAXuqSP
— Tom Hayes (@CllrTomHayes) September 18, 2017
“It is therefore very distressing that you have failed to live up to the reputation and beliefs we associated with you," said the letter. The letter continued chiding Suu Kyi for her inaction, saying "We know you have in the past aspired to promote similar tolerance and inclusion in Myanmar. So we are shocked at the ethnic cleansing now taking place in your country.”
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There have also been calls to strip Suu Kyi of the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991, but the Nobel Institute said that this will not happen.
The situation in Myanmar is unacceptable, and something must be done to protect the Rohingya population. Suu Kyi's relative silence on this is hypocritical and shameful, and I hope she speaks up soon.
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