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Rohingya Genocide: Party Report Card |
How We Graded Parties
Using a strictly non-partisan approach, this report card evaluates Canada’s five main federal parties based on their positions and actions related to the genocide of the Rohingya and the ongoing refugee crisis in Myanmar-Burma and Bangladesh. We assessed each party across four focus areas:
Grades were based on documented actions from 2017 to the present, with emphasis on events following the 2021 military coup and major shifts since 2023. We prioritized votes, motions, sanctions, public statements, and refugee program developments over symbolic gestures or one-time comments. We also considered whether parties sustained their engagement over time or dropped the issue once media attention declined. Each sub-issue was graded individually, then averaged to determine the final overall grade. In cases where parties were silent on specific aspects, we evaluated them based on omission as well.
- Support for Rohingya repatriation.
- Commitment to international justice mechanisms and sanctions on the military junta.
- Humanitarian aid and resettlement efforts for Rohingya refugees
- Position on engaging with the military junta or legitimizing regional actors that enable impunity
Grades were based on documented actions from 2017 to the present, with emphasis on events following the 2021 military coup and major shifts since 2023. We prioritized votes, motions, sanctions, public statements, and refugee program developments over symbolic gestures or one-time comments. We also considered whether parties sustained their engagement over time or dropped the issue once media attention declined. Each sub-issue was graded individually, then averaged to determine the final overall grade. In cases where parties were silent on specific aspects, we evaluated them based on omission as well.
Context and Additional Analysis
Liberal Party: The Liberals were in power throughout the Rohingya genocide and its aftermath. Their most significant action came in 2018, when Canada became the first country to officially recognize the genocide, alongside a pledge of $300 million in aid and support as part of a Multi-Year strategy. In the years that followed, the government added hundreds of millions more funds, which has helped support education, housing and basic needs in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. While the aid during this period has been substantial, the political will to sustain pressure on the military junta has faded. The Multi-Year strategy to address the crisis has not been renewed, resulting in a significant drop in financial assistance. Canada initially appointed Bob Rae as special envoy, and later ambassador to the UN, and supported the International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings launched by The Gambia. However, these moves have not been matched by strong domestic sanctions. Canada has imposed targeted sanctions on top Myanmar-Burmese generals, including Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, under both the Magnitsky Act and other sanctions regimes. However, enforcement has been narrow, and sanctions have not expanded to cover financial entities, state-linked corporations or private actors funding the junta. The Liberal government has also remained vague on its willingness to engage with ASEAN’s failures or build a coalition outside of U.S. and U.K. leadership. There has been no clear refugee sponsorship strategy since the initial crisis response and community advocates have voiced frustration at the lack of updates, transparency and urgency. The Liberals continue to speak about the Rohingya in humanitarian terms, but the political energy is no longer there. The genocide was recognized, but there has been little sustained action to confront the system that enabled it.
Conservative Party: The Conservatives supported the initial parliamentary genocide recognition motion in 2018 and called for strong Canadian leadership when the crisis was still fresh. But in the years since, the party has shifted its focus away from international human rights advocacy and toward broader security and geopolitical issues. While they continue to support humanitarian aid and have condemned the military junta’s actions, they have not taken the lead on policy or accountability measures for the Rohingya. In terms of international justice, the Conservatives have expressed support for ICJ proceedings but have not put pressure on the government to expand Canada’s involvement or implement Magnitsky sanctions. Their record in recent years shows a lack of sustained attention to the issue. They have said little about the role of Canadian companies or global businesses profiting from the military junta. On refugee resettlement, they’ve raised concerns about asylum systems more generally and have not centered the needs of the Rohingya in their platform.
New Democratic Party (NDP): The NDP has maintained consistent support for the Rohingya, including backing the genocide recognition, advocating for ICJ accountability, and pushing for stronger refugee protections. They have publicly called on the government to impose Magnitsky sanctions against the Myanmar-Burmese military leadership and criticized Canada’s ongoing arms export permits to surrounding states that indirectly enable the junta. They’ve supported calls for more Rohingya to be welcomed to Canada, but haven’t consistently proposed a concrete framework or set clear benchmarks for what justice and reparations should look like. Their voice in Parliament has remained focused and principled, but this file hasn’t received the same sustained energy from the NDP as issues like Palestine or the Uyghurs. Still, they remain one of the only parties continuing to name the genocide and press the government to treat it not as a historical event, but as an ongoing crisis that demands accountability.
Bloc Québécois: The Bloc supported the genocide recognition motion in 2018 and has occasionally spoken in support of international action to hold Myanmar-Burma accountable. Their interventions on this issue have mostly occurred in committee settings or during UN-related debates, and their general positioning has been supportive of humanitarian responses. However, the party has not centered the Rohingya crisis in its public statements or foreign affairs platform. While they back Canadian involvement at the ICJ and have voted in favour of humanitarian aid, they have not prioritized sanctions, refugee protection or post-genocide justice.
Green Party: The Greens have spoken out in support of the Rohingya and backed international justice mechanisms, but their involvement has largely been limited to statements and symbolic support. They endorsed Canada’s recognition of the genocide and supported humanitarian aid initiatives, but have not led policy responses or refugee resettlement efforts. Their platform lacks depth on Myanmar-Burma or South Asia in general, and the Rohingya issue has not been prominently featured in their recent parliamentary work. That said, Green MPs have shown strong alignment with international law and human rights values. They’ve supported Canada's role at the ICJ and condemned ongoing violence in Myanmar-Burma, including the 2021 military coup. Their messaging has been consistent, but they have lacked a sustained presence on this issue and have not used their voice to build momentum for deeper action.
Conservative Party: The Conservatives supported the initial parliamentary genocide recognition motion in 2018 and called for strong Canadian leadership when the crisis was still fresh. But in the years since, the party has shifted its focus away from international human rights advocacy and toward broader security and geopolitical issues. While they continue to support humanitarian aid and have condemned the military junta’s actions, they have not taken the lead on policy or accountability measures for the Rohingya. In terms of international justice, the Conservatives have expressed support for ICJ proceedings but have not put pressure on the government to expand Canada’s involvement or implement Magnitsky sanctions. Their record in recent years shows a lack of sustained attention to the issue. They have said little about the role of Canadian companies or global businesses profiting from the military junta. On refugee resettlement, they’ve raised concerns about asylum systems more generally and have not centered the needs of the Rohingya in their platform.
New Democratic Party (NDP): The NDP has maintained consistent support for the Rohingya, including backing the genocide recognition, advocating for ICJ accountability, and pushing for stronger refugee protections. They have publicly called on the government to impose Magnitsky sanctions against the Myanmar-Burmese military leadership and criticized Canada’s ongoing arms export permits to surrounding states that indirectly enable the junta. They’ve supported calls for more Rohingya to be welcomed to Canada, but haven’t consistently proposed a concrete framework or set clear benchmarks for what justice and reparations should look like. Their voice in Parliament has remained focused and principled, but this file hasn’t received the same sustained energy from the NDP as issues like Palestine or the Uyghurs. Still, they remain one of the only parties continuing to name the genocide and press the government to treat it not as a historical event, but as an ongoing crisis that demands accountability.
Bloc Québécois: The Bloc supported the genocide recognition motion in 2018 and has occasionally spoken in support of international action to hold Myanmar-Burma accountable. Their interventions on this issue have mostly occurred in committee settings or during UN-related debates, and their general positioning has been supportive of humanitarian responses. However, the party has not centered the Rohingya crisis in its public statements or foreign affairs platform. While they back Canadian involvement at the ICJ and have voted in favour of humanitarian aid, they have not prioritized sanctions, refugee protection or post-genocide justice.
Green Party: The Greens have spoken out in support of the Rohingya and backed international justice mechanisms, but their involvement has largely been limited to statements and symbolic support. They endorsed Canada’s recognition of the genocide and supported humanitarian aid initiatives, but have not led policy responses or refugee resettlement efforts. Their platform lacks depth on Myanmar-Burma or South Asia in general, and the Rohingya issue has not been prominently featured in their recent parliamentary work. That said, Green MPs have shown strong alignment with international law and human rights values. They’ve supported Canada's role at the ICJ and condemned ongoing violence in Myanmar-Burma, including the 2021 military coup. Their messaging has been consistent, but they have lacked a sustained presence on this issue and have not used their voice to build momentum for deeper action.