Canada must support Rohingya activists-in-exile

Rohingya-Canadians have demonstrated initiative, capacity, and presence in many fora, and deserve to be treated as an asset and supported—materially and politically—in Canada. Many other states do so. Canada must catch up and improve its policy and practice.

In 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, then-foreign affairs minister, and Bob Rae, then special envoy to Myanmar, met on the Rohingya issue with community leaders in Canada. Despite all their successful activism, organizing events, raising public awareness, briefing politicians, campaigning and the like, we are not aware of any Rohingya groups or leaders in Canada receiving financial support either from the Government of Canada or from major NGOs which they assist, write Saifullah Muhammad and John Packer. Photograph courtesy of Saifullah Muhammad

Opinion

BY SAIFULLAH MUHAMMAD AND JOHN PACKER

November 18, 2021

Canada is experiencing more and more immigrants who, in one sense or other, have fled their country of origin but don't merely seek "refuge" in Canada. Rather, from Canada they remain actively engaged in their country of origin—typically as human rights defenders, e...

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