PEN Canada

September 30th marks Canada’s annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which honours the experiences of Indigenous communities traumatized by governments and residential school systems across our country. We honour the courage of Canada’s diverse Indigenous, Metis and Inuit storytellers, writers, speakers, artists, teachers, scholars, journalists, activists, advocates, allies and political representatives. At PEN Canada, we observe this day as an opportunity to take action as writers and readers who value a society that seeks to fully acknowledge our shared histories, and to celebrate the vitality of free expression for all survivors and their descendents, to heal and to pursue a more just future, together.

Myanmar’s military government recently confirmed a death sentence imposed on author and activist Kyaw Min Yu under the country’s Counter-Terrorism law.