Report draws particular attention the plight of women
The Canadian Press Posted: Dec 22, 2017
Canada's special envoy on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar
says it's hard to put the extent of the humanitarian crisis into words.
Bob Rae issued his interim report on Thursday night on
the crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee Myanmar
to neighbouring Bangladesh because of a crackdown by Myanmar security forces.
Rae's interim report said refugee camps are
"deplorably overcrowded and pose a threat to human health and life
itself."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed the former
Ontario premier earlier this year to give him advice on the humanitarian
crisis, which the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing.
'Seeing these words in print makes me realize
how inadequate words are to express the extent of the damage and trauma.' - Bob
Rae in his interim report
Rae travelled to Bangladesh earlier this year to see the
situation and has also met with a number of leaders, officials and
non-governmental organizations in the region.
His interim report drew particular attention the plight
of women, saying he heard detailed and graphic accounts from women who made it
to Bangladesh about sexual violence and abuse at the hands of the Myanmar
military.
Rae said those accounts included sexual violence as a
weapon of war and there is clear evidence of sexual trauma among the women who
survived.
"A focused effort to deal with this issue is
required," the report said.
'I don't even have words': Calgary interfaith
group calls for sanctions as Rohingya refugee crisis deepens http://www.cbc.ca/1.4408164
"Seeing these words in print makes me realize how
inadequate words are to express the extent of the damage and trauma being
suffered by women and girls among the Rohingya refugees."
Rae said the international community must get involved in
addressing the issue and additional resources will be required.
"These allegations of crimes against humanity need
to be addressed directly by the international community, and there is a need
for post-traumatic measures to help those who survived this ordeal."
Rae returns in January
The United Nations Human Rights Council has appointed a
fact-finding mission to examine the treatment of the Rohingya, but officials
have not been allowed to visit Myanmar or interview officials in the country's
government and military, Rae said.
The investigation into what happened must be
"thorough and systematic" and must gather evidence and examine events
over the past several years, the report said, adding that Canada must remain
involved in this "important" international work.
The International aid group Doctors Without Borders said
last week that it conducted a field survey that found at least 6,700 Rohingya
Muslims were killed between August and September in the crackdown.
International rights groups blame the government and
military for being unwilling to investigate possible wrongdoing by government
officials and have urged Myanmar to accept the assistance of international
investigators.
Myanmar's military said in a statement Monday that legal
actions would be taken against the perpetrators.
Rae said he intends to return to Bangladesh in the New
Year to continue his "challenging assignment" and have more talks
with officials in Myanmar, Bangladesh and international organizations before
completing his final report and issuing recommendations.