Awarding Canadian honorary citizenship to Aung San Suu Kyi, the symbol of democratic hopes in Myanmar, sends a strong message to the military regime ruling that country, says her representative abroad.
Sein Win, who heads Suu Kyi’s government in exile, thanked the federal government for the honour and urged Canada and other countries to continue pressing the military junta for democratic reforms.
“This is the time for sanctions, this is the time for keeping up pressure,” said Win, who accepted the award on Suu Kyi’s behalf in a ceremony on Parliament Hill.
The ceremony took on an urgent note because of the devastation caused in Myanmar by Cyclone Nargis.
Win urged international aid agencies to move quickly to bring relief supplies into Burma and expressed hope that the military regime would allow the agencies into the country.
“The time is running out, it is an urgent operation. We know how our people suffered. They have nothing to eat and in Ragoon, there is no drinking water.”
Bernier said Canada will continue to enforce the economic sanctions it imposed in November after authorities there mounted a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
