Following Aung San Suu Kyi’, the State Counsellor of Myanmar, inadequate response to Myanmar’s humanitarian crisis, the London School of Economics Student’ Union has motioned to withdraw the ceremonial award of Honorary President it bestowed her with. We spoke to LSESU General Secretary Mahatir Pasha to find out more.

“We have a rich history of fighting for what is right and leading by example, let’s lead the way in this fight against the genocide of “the world’s most persecuted minority”. Let’s make clear to the world that Aung San Suu Kyi no longer deserves an honorary award from our Union as she no longer adheres to the principles she once so valiantly promoted but rather, now adheres to principles that are the polar opposite.”

– Mahatir Pasha, LSESU General Secretary

The LSESU announcement comes as a number of British universities and institutions are reassessing, and in many cases removing honours that have been granted to her for her previous fight against military oppression in Myanmar and her promotion of non-violence and freedom. St Hughs College, Oxford, removed the painting of their former student amid contentions that Myanmar’s military is responsible for carrying out ethnic cleansing. However, Oxford University refused to reconsider the honorary degree awarded to her in 2012.

“For too long now the Rohingya people have been subject to a brutal genocide. Children are being murdered, women raped, people massacred and villages burnt to the ground.

The situation has already led to almost half the entire Rohingya population (500,000) fleeing for safety.

LSE Students’ Union has a proud history of fighting for social justice and for what’s right. Students are agents of political change and in this upcoming motion we will make a clear statement to the world – we stand with the Rohingya people and against Aung San Suu Kyi.”

– Mahatir Pasha, LSESU General Secretary

The Rohingya are not considered one of the nation’s 135 official ethnic groups and have been denied citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, leaving them stateless and victim to abhorrent persecution. Their rights to work, travel and study have been restricted as well as access to health care, rights to marry and freely practice Islam. They are being ethnically cleansed whilst nothing is being done to stop it. Around half of the persecuted population in Rakhine state have fled for safety in neighbouring Bangladesh. Despite the UN categorizing the situation as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing”, UN aid to the Rohingyas has been prevented access. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government refuses to recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic group; instead blaming violence in Rakhine upon so called “terrorists”. Whilst the Nobel Peace Prize laureate may not have authority over the military, her failure to condemn indiscriminate force and continued negligence of the persecuted minority, has led to international criticism. Suu Kyi’s deafening silence on the matter became worse when she stated that she does not “fear international scrutiny”.

“LSESU believes that universities and students are agents for political change and that silence in the face of violence is not acceptable. We condemn the Muslim genocide in Myanmar, we condemn all Islamophobia, and we will actively work against any system which is complicit in supporting this violence.”

– Mahatir Pasha, LSESU General Secretary

As a result, General Secretary of the LSESU, Mahatir Pasha has called for all LSE students to support the motion that will be debated on Thursday 9th November. The motion symbolises the union’s “opposition to her current position and inaction in the face of genocide”. In keeping with the university’s history of “fighting for what is right”. The full statement is available to read on the LSESU’s Tumblr page.