The May 18 Memorial Foundation’s Board of Directors on December 17, 2018 decided to withdraw the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights that was awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi in 2004.

This decision is made to express the Foundation’s protesting spirit against Aung San Suu Kyi who, while holding an influential political position, has not taken any actions in order to stop human rights violations on the Rohingya that has been raising international indignation.

Since September 2017, after the Rohingya issue surfaced as an internationally urgent issue early that year, the May 18 Memorial Foundation has issued multiple protest statements under the names of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights Laureates, Foundation’s international programs’ participants, and the Foundation itself. Along with this, the May 18 Memorial Foundaton sent out protest letters to the Minister of Foreign Policies, the Secretary of the State, the Chief Justice in Myanmar and the Myanmar Ambassador to Seoul as well as Aung San Suu Kyi to urge them to stop their inhumane acts. But, regardless of the Foundation’s endeavors, they have been in silence.

The inhumane acts and human rights violations of Aung San Suu Kyi is against the spirit of the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights which clearly raises the values of human rights and democracy. Hereupon, the May 18 Memorial Foundation’s Board of Directors decided to finally withdraw the Prize from Aung San Suu Kyi who has seriously damaged the spirit of the Prize. Also, all the respectful treatments confered to her by the Foundation will be withdrawn accordingly.