Story highlights "Our reputation is tarnished by honoring those who turn a blind eye to violence," the Oxford City Council said

Suu Kyi's handling of the Rohingya crisis has been roundly criticized by the West

(CNN) Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been stripped of an award by the British city of Oxford, where she went to university, for her handling of the Rohingya crisis.

The Oxford City Council voted unanimously to take the "unprecedented" step of revoking the city's highest honor, the Freedom of the City of Oxford, that was bestowed upon her in 1997. She graduated from Oxford University's St. Hugh's College in 1967.

Suu Kyi has been roundly criticized in the international community for failing to condemn the alleged ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in the country's Rakhine State.

More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled violence in the region since August 25, crossing the Bangladesh border with stories of executions, rape and torture.

The United States, United Kingdom and United Nations have all declared that ethnic cleansing has taken place. Myanmar's military says it was targeting terrorists who carried out a series of deadly attacks on security forces.

Oxford City Council has removed the Freedom of the City of Oxford from Aung San Suu Kyi.



The cross-party motion was unanimously supported at a special council meeting moments ago. pic.twitter.com/GXYiJIdxGI — Oxford City Council (@OxfordCity) November 27, 2017