CANADA MAKES AUNG SAN SUU KYI AN HONORARY CITIZEN

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001932 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL BM CA SUBJECT: CANADA MAKES AUNG SAN SUU KYI AN HONORARY CITIZEN ¶1. (U) On October 17, the Parliament of Canada unanimously adopted a motion from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to make Aung San Suu Kyi an honorary Canadian citizen "as a demonstration of Canada's support for the people of Burma in their struggle against the brutal military dictatorship that rules their country." The government had announced its intention to seek this honor in its "Speech from the Throne" to open the new parliamentary session on October 16. ¶2. (U) The text of the motion is as follows: "That, Whereas Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, has been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize as one of the world's leading champions of peace, democracy and non-violence; Whereas she has been repeatedly deprived of her liberty and contact with her family since July 1989 as retribution for her support for the cause of freedom, democracy, human rights and justice for the people of Burma; Whereas she led the National League for Democracy to victory in multi-party democratic elections in 1990, the results of which were ignored by the military regime; Whereas she remains one of the leading forces in the continuing struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma and a symbol of the desire of the people of Burma for political freedom; Whereas recent events show that her desire for democracy and peace is deeply shared by the people of that country; Whereas her long struggle to bring freedom and democracy to the people of Burma has made her the embodiment of these ideals and an inspiration to all of us; Whereas Canada has previously acknowledged the contribution of other leading champions of human dignity, granting them honorary Canadian citizenship; Therefore, this House resolves to bestow the title "Honorary Canadian Citizen" on Aung San Suu Kyi and requests that the people of Canada demonstrate their friendship and solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi as an honorary citizen of Canada and, through her, to the people of Burma." ¶3. (U) Referring to public protests in support of the Burmese people in cities across Canada in recent weeks, PM Harper said that Canadians "want us to act and we must." He expressed hope that the motion would send the clear signal that Canada stands for universal values that are under siege today in Burma, and also send a message to Aung San Suu Kyi that Canadians, and all civilized people of the world, "stand behind her in her quest for democracy and freedom." ¶4. (U) Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier separately issued a statement saluting Aung San Suu Kyi, in which he asserted that Canada stands alongside those who share values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. He stated that the parliamentary motion "reinforces our consistent calls to the government of Burma, through the United Nations and other means, to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Burma, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition." He confirmed Canada's strong support for the visits of the UN Special Envoy to Burma and the region, and called on the government of Burma to facilitate the Envoy's work. WILKINS