“What Canada and the World Can Do About the Rohingya Crisis”
Personal preamble at bottom in italics
In the last week, the Special Envoy to the Prime Minister of Canada, Bob Rae (a former political leader, lawyer, activist himself) released a report giving a detailed perspective of his work in fact-finding and interviews from a wide range of stakeholders, at the request of the Prime Minister. This is a critical framework for analyzing what is happening in Myanmar and Bangladesh and equally as important, provides concrete and actionable recommendations. For advocacy, I believe strongly this should be content that needs to be implemented and fought for. This comes from an extremely experienced and reputable leader who was asked by the Prime Minister. Kudos to the government for taking that unique step to bring on the Envoy, now it is time for action. A few key take-aways from this document (already presented to the government) which was broken down into the situation of the Rohinya, report (4 parts: Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar, The Political Situation in Myanmar, The Question of Accountability and Impunity and Effective Coordination and Cooperation) and the recommendations.
The Situation of the Rohingya:
- Aung San Suu Kyi, the globally celebrated icon of peace and liberty, who has been strongly criticized for not speaking against the plight of the Rohingya, is not the “de facto leader” of the country. There are two governments in Myanmar, a civilian and military government
- Myanmar has been subject to significant conflict since independence in 1948, mostly amongst ethnic minority non-state armed groups (this includes but not exclusive to the Rohingya) and the government dominated by the military
Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar
- Rohingya exodus from Myanmar since August 25, 2017 was 671,000; the camps near the town of Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh are now the biggest globally
- Refugee camps are at great risk of catastrophe with the potential for heavy rain, wind and outbreak of disease (especially with the monsoon season approaching)
- Sexual trauma in refugee camps (e.g. — Kutupalong camp) are pervasive
- Not to be discounted are conditions for local Bangladesh residents. An inflow of hundreds of thousands of refugees significantly impacts those already living in low-income regions
The Political Situation in Myanmar
- The demands of Rohingya (who possess no formal status in Myanmar) for citizenship and any sort of recognition are not only rejected by the government but also by the general Myanmar population. Discrimination has been persistent well-before this crisis
- Representatives from the international community have been shut out from some communities by the government where there are reports of malnourishment, denial of free speech and access to basic services. Note (aside) — Reuters reported the existence of mass graves. It is difficult to report the extent of the situation without neutral observers
- Other solutions have been proposed, most notably the Kofi Annan (former Secretary General of the UN) Commision. The government accepted to implement this but little progress has been made. Early this year, the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed in principle to repatriation of the refugees in Bangladesh. The conditions are not in place for the Rohingya to be protected if sent back
- “The notion that these are all issues of absolute sovereignty, to be settled exclusively between the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh, misses the points that the UN General Assembly has recognized: the duty to protect the security of individuals is initially the duty of states, but failing that becomes a wider regions and, ultimately, international obligation”
I will continue with the rest of the report and recommendations next week. To access the full report (40 p), visit here.
One questions I personally have been struggling was what to do to make an impact (or at least be involved) and be effective to others who are leading. In a great conversation that I hope is one of countless throughout this journey and life via this effort, a person with great experience and wisdom suggested to try to build momentum around a particular issue. The Rohingya situation and I say situation because there are too many shocking words to describe in one phrase (“ethnic cleansing”, “genocide”, “crimes against humanity”, “humanitarian crisis”) is the one I hope to give everything to right now. I have a rough idea of things that need to be done, some contacts to reach out to but other than that, although I have been following it for six months since it the latest flare-up, I am not sure what a successful campaign will entail. However, I subconsciously feel this is part of the struggle and learning. I do know for sure I am ready to do anything to help and want to meet, learn from and help with and collaborate with anyone who is ready to take on the same. I write this preamble in part as a journal to reflect on and connect with others who are going through something similar but also I am hoping those interested will reach out if you have thoughts, insights or would like to work together in any way.
