Suu Kyi stripped of Freedom of Oxford award amid Rohingya crisis

A few days after Oxford took down the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, the University decided to stip her of the Freedom of Oxford award over her handling of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi is an alumnus of Oxford University having graduated in philosophy, politics and economics in 1967 from St Hugh's college before completing her masters in politics in 1968.

The Oxford City Council voted unanimously to support a motion that said it was "no longer appropriate" to celebrate Suu Kyi, who has come under fierce criticism for inaction in the face of reported atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, Britain's The Independent reported.

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On Saturday, Oxford had decided to place her portrait in storage at St Hugh's college and replace it with a new painting gifted by Japanese artist Yoshihiro Takada.

"The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to a secure location," the college had said in a statement.

Oxford's decision to strip Suu Kyi of the Freedom award and the removal of her1997 portraitcomes a few days before new students arrive at the college to start their course.