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Canadian Government Complacent in Rohingya Genocide
9-20-2017
An Honorary Canadian citizen, Aung San Suu Kyi, is complacent in world’s worst ethnic cleansing – Genocide – against the stateless people of Rohingya Muslims, within her country, Myanmar, and all Canadian government seems to be doing is providing lip service.
Rather than holding the Canadian citizen, who is in midst of committing an indictable offence punishable by up to life imprisonment, under Canadian law, as well as its international obligations, under “Rome Statute.” The Canadian government has opted to maintain an eerie silence. Our government’s eerie silence and absolute failure to take action against a Canadian citizen, Ms. Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto leader, under Canadian law and Canada’s international obligations sets an ugly precedent for other Canadians to commit horrendous crimes in other countries without impunity. Is this the future direction of Canada? This despite the fact that, Prime Minister Trudeau wrote Monday in a letter to Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burma, “It is with profound surprise, disappointment and dismay that your fellow Canadians have witnessed your continuing silence in the face of the brutal oppression of Myanmar’s (Burma’s) Rohingya Muslim people.” The Canadian government has yet to fulfill its legal obligations under international laws by taking her to task by holding her accountable. It is no more than a “lip service.”
Add insult to injury, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Chrystia Freeland is downplaying the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya’s Muslims, which the United Nations has defined in its reports as “Calculated policy of terror,” and described the situation as “Textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Yet, Ms. Freedland, reluctantly acknowledged it as, "Based on the reports, this looks a lot like ethnic cleansing and that is not acceptable." Clearly, she seems to be completely oblivious to UN findings, and what other world leaders are calling it, what it is – “Ethnic Cleansing.” If what’s happening in Rohingya only seems to be “ethnic cleansing’ to her, we would like to know her exact definition of “Ethnic Cleansing.”
The recent wave of “Genocide” among many in past against “the world’s most persecuted community,” that started on August 25, has forced 421,000 Rohingya Muslims, more than half of them children into neighbouring Bangladesh. “Survivors and human rights groups have documented Myanmar security forces and Buddhist vigilante mobs shooting Rohingya civiliansas they fled, as well as witness accountants of rapes, and torching of more than 1000 villages” reports Sydney Morning newspaper.
UN Human Rights Council, Mr Darusman in his report described “how soldiers raped women, stomped on the stomach of a woman in labour and slit the throat of an eight-month-old baby when he started crying.”
Amnesty International said Ms Suu Kyi was "burying her head in the sand". However, it seems as not only Ms. Suu Kyi, an Honorary Canadian citizen, but also those who granted her this honour past summer, the Canadian PM and Foreign Affairs Minister are also burying their heads in the sand.
Two prominent Canadian Muslims lawyers, Mr. Faisal Kutty, and Mr. Washim Ahmed points out, “Last year a Parliamentary Subcommittee on Human Rights issued a report titled “Sentenced to a Slow Demise” highlighting the plight of these stateless persons. Despite nothing concrete coming out of the report (at least publicly), Ottawa did not openly raise the plight of the “world’s most persecuted minority” during Suu Kyi’s visit here this summer.”
In fact, despite huge opposition, objections, and reservations by Canadians, including AlAmeen Post, the Canadian government went ahead and granted Ms. Suu Kyi, an Honorary Canadian Citizenship.
Now Canada has not only Moral, and ethical rather legal obligation, under Canadian Law as well as its international obligation as signatory to international treaties to hold Ms. Suu Kyi accountable and revoke her Canadian Citizenship immediately.
Former Liberal government Justice Minister, as well as former Canadian Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Allen Rock, unequivocally stated on CBC Power and Politics, “What we are watching, so emotional, its genocide taking place in Myanmar, nothing less.” He suggested that “Canada should use its weight at the UN to make a fuss.” He added, “We are talking about a millions lives at stake.” In summary, “It’s a major human rights catastrophe.”
On a question of Ms. Suu Kyi’s status as an Honorary Canadian Citizenship, and Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. Rock, unequivocally stated, based on the “savagery” being witnessed “it doesn’t belong to her,” and indicated starting a petition to have it taken away.
In reference to her Canadian Citizenship, he minced no words, stating, “Take that too. We accorded that citizenship as a special honour given to handful of people… she ought not to be an honorary citizen of this country. She doesn’t bring credit to Canada, by what she is doing at present.”
As far as the financial aid Canada has committed, $2.55 Million, given to Bangladesh to cope with the influx of 400,000 Rohingya Muslims is absolutely meaningless. It amounts to merely $6.37 for each refugee. As Mr. Washim Ahmed pointed out on CBC, compare this to $95 Million foreign aid given to Myanmar since 2013. Mr. Ahmed added, "It's Canada's obligation to make sure that all the foreign aid that Canada has given to Myanmar is not used to commit those atrocities, to commit those crimes against humanity."
Myanmar is exploiting a legal loophole to commit these atrocities as it is “not signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Court, which establishes International Criminal Court (ICC)” writes Mr. Kutty and Ahmed.
However, they add, “Canada can investigate Suu Kyi’s (or any other Canadian citizen or permanent resident) involvement in state-backed or state-acquiesced atrocities without any UN authorization. On June 24, 2000, we became the first country to incorporate the obligations of the Rome Statute into our domestic laws by adopting the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWCA). This act allows Canada to exercise jurisdiction over a crime that is committed outside Canada by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Adopting the principles of the Rome Statute, the CAHWCA makes it an indictable offence punishable by up to life imprisonment if a person in authority conspires, attempts to commit, commits or counsels genocide, a crime against humanity, a war crime or fails to exercise proper control over a person, under his or her effective authority. Liability extends for failing to take all necessary and reasonable steps to prevent or repress the commission of the offence or submit the matter for investigation.”
Canadian government has a legal, moral, and ethical obligation to either revoke her citizenship, or hold Ms. Suu Kyi accountable for these crimes as any other Canadian Citizen would be. The law must treat all Canadians equally or Canada stands to lose its own credibility as a law abiding nation in international community as well as in Canada.
Its time for the Canadian Prime Minister, to take the moral high ground and do the right thing or become an author of an ugly precedent.
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