Justice For All Canada Urges Canada’s Government to Address Inconsistencies in Rohingya Aid |
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Media Contact: Taha Ghayyur, 647 948 5772, ext 100
June 23rd, 2023
Ottawa—Justice For All Canada participated in a parliamentary panel on Monday, June 19th, alongside activists and academics from the Rohingya and Burmese communities. The program was a rare opportunity to critically analyze Canada's leadership role in bringing meaningful change to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. We extend our gratitude to organizers MP Sameer Zuberi and the Parliamentary Friends of a Democratic Burma, co-chaired by MP Adam Chambers and MP Garnett Genuis, with Vice Chair MP Mike Morrice, including the Parliamentary Centre.
"The panel was a crucial platform to amplify the urgent needs and suffering of Rohingya Muslims. While we appreciate Canada’s efforts for Rohingya, it is vital to address inconsistencies and take action to ensure the long-term well-being and rights of genocide victims," said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Our Government Relations team highlighted the urgent need for accountability, equality, and justice for the Rohingya community, who continue to suffer the consequences of the genocide decades after the Burmese government’s persecution, discrimination, marginalization, and violence against them. The panel also welcomed pro-democracy activists and representatives from the Burmese community, further providing an ideal platform where diaspora members used their own voices to explain the importance of addressing the ongoing human rights crisis in Burma. Since the nationwide coup in February 2021, Burma’s junta security forces have carried out a brutal crackdown against millions of civilians, mass killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, and other abuses amounting to crimes against humanity.
On the panel, Justice For All Canada presented a series of Rohingya-related recommendations to Global Affairs Canada’s South East Asian division in attendance. Our key recommendations focused on proactive measures to address the urgent needs of the Rohingya community;
1) Supporting long-term schooling for Rohingya refugee children and youth. Current access to schooling beyond the primary level is limited, with only about 3% of Rohingya refugees having access to formal secondary education, according to the UNHCR. We urged Canada’s government to rationalize extending educational support under its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), as 400 000 school-aged Rohingya children and girls are restricted from learning under the Bangladesh and Myanmar curriculums. Particularly in Bangladesh, the government does not provide formal education for Rohingya children in the camps, and they are not integrated into the national education system.
2) Implementing Transparent and Accountable Aid Distribution. Canada is dedicating $288.3 million from 2021 to 2024 to support “crisis-affected populations in Myanmar and Bangladesh, particularly Rohingya refugees.” During the panel and subsequent meetings, Justice For All Canada urged Global Affairs Canada to establish clear mechanisms for reporting and monitoring the allocation and utilization of such funds given to local and international humanitarian organizations. We mentioned the inclusion of regular audits, reporting mechanisms, and engaging Rohingya community leaders to ensure that aid reaches those most in need.
3) Urgent Action for Rohingya Refugee Resettlement: Since Canada acknowledged the Rohingya genocide in 2017, less than 1,000 Rohingya have been resettled in Canada. We emphasized the need for a refugee resettlement program and sustained international pressure and cooperation between Canada and Bangladesh. In our conversations with Rohingya and Bangladeshi authorities, it is believed that Canada’s government must issue exit permits for Rohingya refugees to be able to leave. We also asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to clarify this issue.
4) Human Rights in Trade Agreements: 40,000 Rohingya refugees face government-sponsored hate speech, deportation threats and precarious living conditions in India—a country with which Canada has entered an ambitious Indo-Pacific Agreement (IPA). Under the IPA, we reiterated that any trade deals with India's government must be premised on upholding the human rights of refugees, particularly Rohingya.
Justice For All Canada is grateful to the Canadian government for its landmark initiatives and commitment to addressing the Rohingya crisis. The unique panel served as a meaningful and crucial platform for raising awareness, advocating for the rights of displaced Rohingya, and shedding light on the ongoing human rights abuses in Burma. However, it is essential to recognize that more must be done.
Justice For All Canada is a human rights advocacy organization with UN consultative status. Our work focuses on preventing genocides and challenging crimes against humanity and persecution facing Indigenous, ethnic and religious minorities.
June 23rd, 2023
Ottawa—Justice For All Canada participated in a parliamentary panel on Monday, June 19th, alongside activists and academics from the Rohingya and Burmese communities. The program was a rare opportunity to critically analyze Canada's leadership role in bringing meaningful change to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. We extend our gratitude to organizers MP Sameer Zuberi and the Parliamentary Friends of a Democratic Burma, co-chaired by MP Adam Chambers and MP Garnett Genuis, with Vice Chair MP Mike Morrice, including the Parliamentary Centre.
"The panel was a crucial platform to amplify the urgent needs and suffering of Rohingya Muslims. While we appreciate Canada’s efforts for Rohingya, it is vital to address inconsistencies and take action to ensure the long-term well-being and rights of genocide victims," said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
Our Government Relations team highlighted the urgent need for accountability, equality, and justice for the Rohingya community, who continue to suffer the consequences of the genocide decades after the Burmese government’s persecution, discrimination, marginalization, and violence against them. The panel also welcomed pro-democracy activists and representatives from the Burmese community, further providing an ideal platform where diaspora members used their own voices to explain the importance of addressing the ongoing human rights crisis in Burma. Since the nationwide coup in February 2021, Burma’s junta security forces have carried out a brutal crackdown against millions of civilians, mass killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, and other abuses amounting to crimes against humanity.
On the panel, Justice For All Canada presented a series of Rohingya-related recommendations to Global Affairs Canada’s South East Asian division in attendance. Our key recommendations focused on proactive measures to address the urgent needs of the Rohingya community;
1) Supporting long-term schooling for Rohingya refugee children and youth. Current access to schooling beyond the primary level is limited, with only about 3% of Rohingya refugees having access to formal secondary education, according to the UNHCR. We urged Canada’s government to rationalize extending educational support under its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), as 400 000 school-aged Rohingya children and girls are restricted from learning under the Bangladesh and Myanmar curriculums. Particularly in Bangladesh, the government does not provide formal education for Rohingya children in the camps, and they are not integrated into the national education system.
2) Implementing Transparent and Accountable Aid Distribution. Canada is dedicating $288.3 million from 2021 to 2024 to support “crisis-affected populations in Myanmar and Bangladesh, particularly Rohingya refugees.” During the panel and subsequent meetings, Justice For All Canada urged Global Affairs Canada to establish clear mechanisms for reporting and monitoring the allocation and utilization of such funds given to local and international humanitarian organizations. We mentioned the inclusion of regular audits, reporting mechanisms, and engaging Rohingya community leaders to ensure that aid reaches those most in need.
3) Urgent Action for Rohingya Refugee Resettlement: Since Canada acknowledged the Rohingya genocide in 2017, less than 1,000 Rohingya have been resettled in Canada. We emphasized the need for a refugee resettlement program and sustained international pressure and cooperation between Canada and Bangladesh. In our conversations with Rohingya and Bangladeshi authorities, it is believed that Canada’s government must issue exit permits for Rohingya refugees to be able to leave. We also asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to clarify this issue.
4) Human Rights in Trade Agreements: 40,000 Rohingya refugees face government-sponsored hate speech, deportation threats and precarious living conditions in India—a country with which Canada has entered an ambitious Indo-Pacific Agreement (IPA). Under the IPA, we reiterated that any trade deals with India's government must be premised on upholding the human rights of refugees, particularly Rohingya.
Justice For All Canada is grateful to the Canadian government for its landmark initiatives and commitment to addressing the Rohingya crisis. The unique panel served as a meaningful and crucial platform for raising awareness, advocating for the rights of displaced Rohingya, and shedding light on the ongoing human rights abuses in Burma. However, it is essential to recognize that more must be done.
Justice For All Canada is a human rights advocacy organization with UN consultative status. Our work focuses on preventing genocides and challenging crimes against humanity and persecution facing Indigenous, ethnic and religious minorities.