As Canada updates Rohingya crisis strategy, advocates urge rethink – Winnipeg Free Press

OTTAWA – As Canada's support strategy for the Rohingya people expires, advocates are calling for Ottawa to reconsider its efforts to end suffering in refugee camps in Bangladesh and topple the military junta that oversees ethnic violence in Myanmar.

Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, said: “We cannot give up on this.”

In October 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Wray as a special envoy to Myanmar following the brutal violence perpetrated by Buddhist extremists against their Muslim neighbors the Rohingya. Human rights organizations say that the country's military has killed, raped and burned entire villages.

The crisis has forced nearly a million Rohingya people to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where they live in many camps. Ray spoke about the crisis that led Canada to launch the strategy in 2018.

Ottawa appointed Rae to the UN in 2020, and Myanmar's military staged a coup in 2021 against its newly formed democratic government.

The military junta has overseen Myanmar's escalating ethnic conflict, which Ray called “disastrous by the hour.”

Across the border in Bangladesh is the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, which was visited by Jason Nickerson of Doctors Without Borders in Ottawa in February.

“The camp itself is a very sad and unstable place,” he said. “It's surrounded by a chain-link fence and people have no legal way to leave and get jobs.”

There are almost no permanent structures that lead to frequent outbreaks of scabies and infectious diseases. Some have embarked on dangerous journeys to countries such as Malaysia, where they are exposed to exploitation.

“In terms of donor funding and donor interest, many countries around the world have moved on, so services are declining,” Nickerson said.

“The situation in the camp in Bangladesh is objectively and demonstrably worse when we look at public health indicators and the kinds of medical needs we see in our clinics.”

Nickerson was concerned that the Rohingya would see no mention in last month's federal budget, especially since Ottawa launched the second phase of its Rohingya strategy in 2021, which ended on March 31 of this year.

“Canada has shown some leadership and commitment to the Rohingya people over the years in responding to this major humanitarian emergency, and I think it's really not enough to just let it go,” he said.

Global Affairs Canada won't say whether a third phase is in the works, but Ray said “the next phase will definitely happen, there's no question. Work continues.”

The conflict has been largely removed from the news cycle, which has been overshadowed by crises elsewhere. But Ray says the issue is a frequent topic at UN headquarters, where he heads a multinational task force on Myanmar.

“It's a matter of figuring out what everyone can do, and I think that's where our collective efforts are still lacking.”

He said Canada would provide a “significant and multi-dimensional” response to the crisis, such as joining the Netherlands in seeking accountability for the military junta through international courts.

Myanmar is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member bloc that, Ray said, has tried hard to build diplomatic relations with the regime but has failed to shake it off the violence.

At the same time, autocracies increased their support for the military junta.

“The junta has the de facto support of the Chinese government and very active military support from the Russian government,” he said. “The polarization of support was even more pronounced.”

Rae said countries like Canada should do everything possible to establish a democratic government through elections in Myanmar. “This is the only way we can carry out the Rohingya repatriation process.”

He noted that general humanitarian funds in this year's spring budget and the Indo-Pacific Strategy will help support Rohingya efforts, in addition to the $600 million Canada has provided since 2017 in response to the Rohingya crisis.

Jaivet Ialom, head of the Rohingya Center in Canada, said he appreciates Ottawa's diplomatic efforts toward accountability. But he says Canada can do more to help those who remain in the camps.

“Canada is not using all the tools at its disposal,” said Ialom, who fled Myanmar in 2013.

Ray called for a senior civil servant to coordinate the responses of all federal departments and provide a public report, which Ealom never did.

He said Canada mostly writes checks to large, multilateral organizations, which he says are often slow to respond and difficult to access unfettered Rohingya in the camps. This is a problem, he said, because Bangladeshi officials oversee the delivery of aid, so it is unlikely that Rohingya will speak to people from Bangladeshi organizations about problems in the camp.

Ialom says Canada should consult with the Rohingya diaspora and reach out to their contacts on the ground, including those who run their own projects in the camp that benefit from foreign funds.

He said the Rohingya welcome Canada-funded early childhood education projects, but nothing to help young adults achieve academic credentials that would help them pursue higher education. Ialom said the lack of opportunities or prospects for resettlement abroad contributes to the problem of Rohingya youth in the camp joining armed groups.

“It's happening because there's no hope at the end of the tunnel,” he said, adding that Canada needs to reevaluate its strategy based on what's actually working.

Rae said Canada has struggled to move away from humanitarian funding to development work that can empower the Rohingya.

“Communicating with the Bangladeshi government is becoming difficult,” Rae said. “We haven't seen that evolution at a pace that we think makes sense, and that includes difficult conversations with the Bangladeshis and others.”

According to Rae, Bangladesh has restricted Rohingya residents from operating basic food carts in the camp and from leaving the camp for work.

“You're going to have people with nothing but time on their hands,” he said.

“I mean, it's not complicated.”

The Bangladesh High Commission in Ottawa issued a lengthy statement noting that it was the largest ever funding for Rohingya refugees, including primary education. The mission noted that the sudden influx of Rohingya people working illegally has hurt the local economy and reduced wages.

“When the Rohingya return voluntarily, they will be engaged in skills development activities in the camps to facilitate their reintegration into their ancestral society,” it said.

“However, the ability to allow Rohingya to study in Bangladesh's national curriculum or participate in wider economic activities outside the camps in Cox's Bazar will have a negative impact on the local host community.”

Nickerson said global governments have not adequately supported Bangladesh in handling refugees or finding a long-term solution to a crisis that is becoming a “bigger and more complex emergency.”

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 19, 2024.