First the good news, Bangladesh has "delayed" the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Burma who are adamant they do not want to return without security. Your calls, tweets and urging of Bangladesh's government not to send Rohingya back worked, and for that we want to thank you!
There is still much more that must be done to ensure the Rohingya are not returned to a situation where their lives are once again under threat. Unfortunately, because of the actions of the Burmese military, most Rohingya homes no longer exist. Instead, the leadership in Myanmar has spoken about isolating returnees in “model villages”, a form of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp.
This is reminiscent of the existing camps where Rohingya have been imprisoned since 2012. Camps The New York Times referred to as the “concentration camps of 21st century” Where 120,000 Rohingyas live under barbed wire with no freedom to leave. No freedom to get a job, to receive healthcare or get an education. They too were promised repatriation.
This is happening again. Today,
Reuters reported"a wire-mesh fence topped by barbed wire" around a camp where Rohingyas will be "housed." This is according to a photo published by a Burmese government newspaper. 48 Rohingyas will be forced to live in each hut of this genocide zone.
All this while the genocide is ongoing. Just last week 500 Rohingya houses were burned down and hundreds arrived in Bangladesh. A Washington Posteditor on Sunday wrote, "Burma, a country also known as Myanmar, is showing how the genocide can be carried out quickly, comprehensively - and with virtually no consequences for the perpetrators."
UK Campaign for Burma has launched a worldwide petition to stop India and Japan from funding these new concentration camps for Rohingya. We support their campaign. Pleasesign the petition now.
Contact the Indian & Japanese Ambassadors to Canada and let them know your objections
