Spain Honors Suu Kyi and Dr Cynthia Maung

A leading Spanish honor has been awarded to Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Dr Cynthia Maung, who runs a clinic for Burmese refugees and migrant workers at the Thai-Burmese border. They will share the 2007 Catalonia International Prize, consisting of the sum of 100,000 euros and a sculpture. The prize is awarded annually by Spain’s regional government of Catalunya to persons judged to have decisively contributed through their creative work to the development of cultural, scientific or human values around the world. Catalunya’s prime minister, José Montilla, will present the award at a ceremony in Barcelona in November.

Suu Kyi ‘Honorary Citizen’ of Canada

The Canadian government will grant honorary citizenship to Burma’s detained dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday in recognition of her long struggle for democracy, during a ceremony on parliament hill. Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier will present the honorary citizenship to Suu Kyi’s cousin, Sein Win, the Washington-based prime minister of the Burmese exile government.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has spent almost 12 years of the past 18 years in detention under house arrest in Burma. The honorary Canadian citizenship is a testament to Canada’s long-standing respect and admiration for Aung San Suu Kyi’s struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma. Suu Kyi will become the fourth person, and the first woman, to be granted honorary citizenship-after Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Raoul Wallenberg.

Source: The Irrawaddy

A sombre afterword: With the catastrophes in Burma (and China), let us not forget that the only voice that Rangoon seems to listen to is that of Beijing who again seem to blocking UN Security Council action and failing to use all its influence to press the junta to open up Burma to relief efforts. Perhaps Rangoon can host the next Olympics.