06/08/2019
On May 29th, I had the privilege of attending an update on the Rohingya and Sri Lanka crises held by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The subcommittee members include: Anita Vanderbeld, David Sweet, Cheryl Hardcastle, David Anderson, Peter Fragiskatos, Iqra Khalid, and Marwan Tabbara. It was encouraging to see the great work being done by Canada, even if progress is slow. The current government is taking a large step by placing themselves in a leadership position when addressing these crises. For this analysis I would like to focus on the Rohingya crisis, as this is the one the meeting went into with depth.
Currently, there are refugee camps in Bangladesh for the Rohingya. They prioritize the protection of women and the evidence they provide for crimes committed against them. In these camps some progress has been made in the form of learning centers being provided for children under 12 and reproductive health services being made available. The government of Bangladesh is not happy with the location of the refugee camps in their country so they are refusing to provide education or employment opportunities for the residents. This is lowering the quality of life for an already traumatized people. When one of the ministers visited Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh they learned that what the Rohingya desired most was justice and accountability. The Rohingya also wanted to extend their thanks to Canada for acknowledging and validating the crisis. Canada was the first country to do so. The United Kingdom is the second and only other country to follow Canada’s example.
Bangladesh has proposed the expulsion of refugees. This would take away the Rohingya’s last line of defense against Myanmar. Due to the fragile relationship between Canada and Bangladesh, blocking this motion is difficult. Canada has so far been able to continually delay this plan. They have even convinced the government to grant permission for necessary infrastructure to be built in the refugee camps. This includes sewers and protections against monsoons. Even so, the government of Bangladesh continues to search for ways to limit the refugees. Their latest attempt is sending refugees to an old military base on the Island of Basanchar. This camp would have terrible conditions. Refugees would find themselves trapped on an island where their safety would not be guaranteed and there would be very little access for foreign entities to help them. It would basically be a one way ticket. Luckily, Canada has been able to delay this attempt and will continue to block motions like this.
There are 2 options Canada believes are the most effective ways they can hold Myanmar accountable for the Rohingya genocide. They can either prosecute Myanmar individuals in the International Criminal Court or they can prosecute the state in the International Court of Justice. Option 1 entails finding specific individuals that the UN Security Council agrees should be charged. This is an issue because China holds a seat here and they hold the power to cast a veto vote. Once charged the indivuduals will likely face sanctions which will require jail time. Option 2 has multiple ways in which it can be enacted. The UN General Assembly can call for a vote on using the International Court of Justice; or, Canada can take legal responsibility and take Myanmar to court themselves. The issue with this option is there may not be enough evidence to result in Myanmar being held accountable.
The timeline for Canada to choose one of these options depends on the success of their diplomats. Canada is hoping other countries will join them in this pursuit of justice. In order for Canada to have the highest likelihood of success other states need to be involved. Other states like Japan can impose influential sanctions that will be persuasive as they are Myanmar’s biggest investor.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to experience the steps a powerful human rights leader like Canada takes to address crises. They identified the issue, consulted the people affected, and are currently taking meticulously thought out action to create positive change. I would love to learn more about the various possible approaches and what other experts believe would be the best solution.