Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi (L) receives an official welcome on the forecourt during her visit to Parliament House in Canberra on March 19, 2018.
Suu Kyi is in the Australian capital after attending the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-Australia special summit in Sydney over the weekend. / AFP PHOTO / MARK GRAHAM        (Photo credit should read MARK GRAHAM/AFP/Getty Images)
Myanmar leader responds to Rohingya crisis
02:11 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

Canada’s House of Commons voted unanimously on Thursday to revoke the honorary citizenship of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi over the Rohingya crisis.

The Commons reaffirmed a motion passed last week recognizing that “the crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingyas constitute a genocide” and consequently voted to strip Suu Kyi of her citizenship, which was given to her in 2007.

The motion referred to the independent United Nations investigation into alleged human rights abuses carried out against the Rohingya Muslims.

A UN report published earlier this month called for Myanmar’s military leaders to be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes – and found that Suu Kyi failed to use her “moral authority” to prevent the abuses in Rakhine State.

Canada’s Senate must now pass a similar motion for the citizenship to be officially revoked, according to Canadian state broadcaster CBC.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CBC that the gesture would do little to ease the suffering of the Rohingya.

“Whether she has citizenship or not, it doesn’t help the Rohingya in any degree,” he said Thursday.

“Parliament granted her citizenship, Parliament can take it away. But we’re focused on helping the millions of people who are suffering either in place or as refugees.”

Suu Kyi is one of just six people to have received honorary Canadian citizenship.

Holocaust hero Raoul Wallenberg, former South African president Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, business magnate and religious leader Karim Aga Khan and Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai are the others.