Canada invites its honorary citizen Suu Kyi

TORONTO - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has invited Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to visit Canada.

The Nobel peace laureate, who was freed from house arrest by the military junta Nov 13, is an honorary Canadian citizen along with other famous leaders such as Nelson Mandela, the Aga Khan and the Dalai Lama.

The 1991 Nobel laureate was awarded the honorary citizenship in 2007. She is linked to Canada through her late husband Michael Aris whose mother was French Canadian.

According to the Canadian Press, the prime minister has invited the Myanmar leader to visit the country as Canada shares her desire to see democracy flourish in her home country in Southeast Asia.

Canada was one of the many countries which Suu Kyi thanked on her release for their support during her long house arrest.

Canadian opposition leader Jack Layton has invited her to accept her honorary citizenship in person.

The 65-year-old Myanmar leader, who has spent 14 of the past 20 years under house arrest, enjoys a widespread support in Canada where some of pro-democracy Myanmar leaders are also based.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)