No Change for Rohingya Since Genocide 3 Years Ago

In August 2017, the world witnessed a genocide carried out by the Myanmar military and government against the Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim minority who have lived in Myanmar for generations. Thousands of men, women and children were raped, tortured and killed. Three years later, over 1 million Rohingya remain stuck in the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh. They are subject to horrible living conditions, are currently at a heightened risk of contracting COVID and have little future. Meanwhile in Myanmar, authorities continue to oppress minorities and the UN has warned that there is a serious risk of genocide recurring

Although Canada was amongst the first countries to declare the atrocities a genocide, this tragedy and emergency has largely faded from our news and consciousness. We need to re-engage on various fronts including expanding sanctions, placing pressure on companies the UN found to be supporting the military, joining Gambia’s efforts for accountability at the International Court of Justice and increasing awareness and urgency for support and action in the international community.