Since arriving in southern Bangladesh鈥檚 refugee camps, Canada鈥檚 newly-appointed special envoy to Myanmar has heard horrific accounts of violence against Rohingya refugees, including bombings by military helicopters, beheadings and attacks on women and children.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to be able to say (these things) are unimaginable, but unfortunately, in the world we live in today, they鈥檙e imaginable,鈥� the former Ontario premier and prominent Liberal told CTV鈥檚 Daniele Hamamdjian.
Since August, more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims and other minorities have made the perilous journey from Myanmar into Bangladesh to avoid what the United Nations has called a case of 鈥渢extbook ethnic cleansing,鈥� and 鈥渢he world鈥檚 fastest growing refugee crisis and a major humanitarian emergency.鈥�
鈥淧eople are so deeply traumatized and hurt by what鈥檚 happened,鈥� said Rae, who was appointed special envoy to Myanmar on Oct. 23.
Without cameras and staff present, Rae met with 12 Rohingya women who shared their experiences in Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine state. He says the refugees detailed horrific violence including sexual assault, aerial bombings, beheadings and attacks on children with machetes. Rae says the nature of these harrowing stories has been consistent.
'Where are all the men?'
Another thing that has struck the special envoy: 鈥淲here are all the men?" he says. "What happened to them?鈥�
One man in the camp, Jahid Hossain, told 麻豆影视 that he managed to escape only because he had a warning.
鈥淢y boss is a good man and he told me to take my wife and kids and leave because there would be a massacre," Hossain said.
It鈥檚 stories like these that Rae will present to officials in Myanmar and to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of next week's APEC meeting in Vietnam.
鈥淚 think Mr. Trudeau is known throughout the world as a good-hearted man, and I think he鈥檒l be very heavily impacted by what he sees and what he hears,鈥� Rae said.
鈥淪omebody has to be held responsible for this,鈥� he added.
Despite the mounting refugee population flowing into Bangladesh鈥檚 camps, Rae calls the community鈥檚 resilience and courage 鈥渆xtraordinary.鈥� Children, who make up more than half of the refugee population, are carrying on with everyday life. Refugees are building homes and mosques, and schooling is being provided.
Concerns over camp conditions
鈥淟ife goes on 鈥� it has to go on, but the point is it has to go on in better conditions than this,鈥� Rae said. 鈥淚 had one wonderful conversation with a few men who were standing around, and they said 鈥榳hy are you here?鈥� and I said 鈥榳e need to make this place livable 鈥� and that鈥檚 a big challenge because this is the fastest growing group of refugees anywhere in the world right now.鈥�
Among the concerns Rae discussed were that of health care and poor infrastructure. Rae says there鈥檚 a potential for landslides and localized flooding at the camps. And with a growing population and limited access to good health care, the spread of disease is also a threat.
During his time in Bangladesh and Myanmar, Rae says he鈥檒l mainly be spending his trip speaking with NGOs who have a lot of information from the ground.
Jean-Jacques Simon, UNICEF South Asia鈥檚 regional chief of communication, is happy he鈥檚 there.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that Bob Rae comes here, speaks for the authorities, sees for himself what鈥檚 happening here, the needs,鈥� Simon said.
With regard to restitution efforts, Rae says Canada should be closely involved in establishing relationships that make 鈥渞eal progress.鈥�
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of work for us to do to work with the government of Bangladesh and to work with the government of Myanmar, along with a number of other likeminded countries to say 鈥榳e鈥檙e not going to go away. We鈥檙e not going to just disappear. This is not just one trip on one day,鈥欌�� Rae said.
鈥淎nd I think anybody who sees a picture of these kids; you can鈥檛 leave a place like this and not have a sense of obligation to do whatever you can to make a full life for them possible.鈥�
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Daniele Hamamdjian in Bangladesh
