U2 have followed in the steps of Bob Geldof in asking for the award to be removed from the Myanmar leader.
U2's Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton have signed off on an open letter to Dublin City Council, asking for Suu Kyi to be stripped of freedom of the city.
Just last month, Bob Geldof returned his Freedom of Dublin award as the prize is also held by Suu Kyi, who has stayed silent on the matter of 600,000 Rohingya Muslims having to flee Myanmar due to fear of ethnic cleansing.
U2 have reinforced the actions of Geldof in expressing the same sentiments in a letter to the council of the country's capital. U2 however, have asked for the award to be taken off Suu Kyi instead of the band returning their own.
According to The Journal, The band have written the following in a signed letter:
"Dear Councillor,
We write as long-time supporters of Amnesty International, and as extremely proud recipients of the Freedom of the City. We remember very clearly the day when we received that honour alongside Aung San Suu Kyi whose son Kim accepted on her behalf.
The day was a very special one for us first and foremost because Dublin is our hometown. Of the various “awards” – deserved or not – we’ve been lucky enough to receive over the years, this is by far the one that means the most to us. It was also special because we’d been so moved by the strength and fortitude shown by Aung San Suu Kyi in then-Burma. We were campaigning for her release and were proud of Dublin’s recognition of her courage, and that of her colleagues, to bring about fledgeling democracy against all odds… against one of the most brutal regimes of modern times.
So it saddens us to be writing to you today as you discuss recent events in Myanmar and decide whether that merits the rescinding of the honour you bestowed on her.
We believe it does.
You have the same facts as we have, which indicate that deliberate and brutal violence, rape, and murder are being used to drive the Rohingya from Rakhine State. This persecution has been authorised and led by Min Aung Hlaing, the Head of Myanmar’s military. While Aung San Suu Kyi does not have the capacity to control the military, she does have the responsibility to condemn their actions.
The civilian government that she leads is responsible for everyone in her country, and no matter how difficult her position is, to stand by while half a million lives and livelihoods are deliberately decimated by the Myanmar Military is beyond comprehension. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”
The decision of who should and shouldn’t have this honour lies with you. But we felt compelled to write given our history with you, and with Aung San Suu Kyi. We believe her failure to stand up for the rights of the Rohingya constitutes a betrayal of the principles for which she was so revered… and for which she received the Freedom of the City. The City of Dublin sent a very strong message in defence of human rights in 1999, we believe an equally strong message in defence of human rights is just as important now.
Thanks for your time.
Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr and Adam Clayton".
