Senate Rescinds Honorary Degree

October 19, 2018

In accordance with its internal policy and procedures, the Senate of Carleton University has unanimously voted to rescind the honorary degree awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi in 2011.

The decision by Carleton Senate’s comes after the House of Commons voted unanimously on Sept. 20, 2018 to declare that the ethnic cleansing campaign perpetuated against the Rohingya Muslims was an act of genocide by Myanmar’s military. The House subsequently voted on Sept. 27, 2018 to revoke the honorary citizenship awarded to Suu Kyi. This decision was affirmed by a vote in the Canadian Senate on Oct. 2, 2018. No honorary Canadian citizenship had ever been revoked by Parliament prior to this decision.

The university’s policy states: “In rare and exceptional circumstances, where the behaviour of an individual has caused significant concern, the Honorary Degrees Committee has the right to review and recommend to Senate the rescinding of an honorary degree.”