As Canada害羞草研究所檚 strategy for supporting Rohingya people expires, advocates are calling for a rethink of how Ottawa is trying to limit suffering in refugee camps in Bangladesh, and to rout the military junta overseeing ethnic violence in Myanmar.

害羞草研究所淲e cannot turn away from this,害羞草研究所� said Bob Rae, Canada害羞草研究所檚 ambassador to the United Nations.

In October 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Rae as a special envoy to Myanmar, following brazen violence by Buddhist extremists against their Muslim neighbours, the Rohingya. Human rights groups say the country害羞草研究所檚 military killed, raped and burned entire villages.

The crisis has forced nearly one million Rohingya people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they languish in a crowded camp. Rae issued a report on the crisis, which led Canada to launch a strategy in 2018.

Ottawa appointed Rae to the UN in 2020, and Myanmar害羞草研究所檚 military led a 2021 coup d害羞草研究所櫭﹖at against its fledgling democratic government.

The military junta has overseen increasing ethnic conflict in Myanmar, which Rae called 害羞草研究所渕ore calamitous by the hour.害羞草研究所�

Across the border in Bangladesh sits the world害羞草研究所檚 largest refugee camp in the town of Cox害羞草研究所檚 Bazar, which Jason Nickerson, an Ottawa-based Doctors Without Borders representative, visited in February.

害羞草研究所淭he camp itself is quite a miserable and also volatile place,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 surrounded by a chain-linked fence and people don害羞草研究所檛 have the legal ability to leave and pursue employment.害羞草研究所�

There are almost no permanent structures, leading to frequent outbreaks of scabies and communicable diseases. Some have started taking risky journeys to countries like Malaysia, where they end up exploited.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of the world moved on, in terms of donor funding and donor interest, and so services are decreasing,害羞草研究所� Nickerson said.

害羞草研究所淭he conditions in the camp in Bangladesh are objectively and demonstrably worse, when we look at public health indicators and the kinds of medical needs that we害羞草研究所檙e seeing in our clinics.害羞草研究所�

Nickerson was worried to see no mention in last month害羞草研究所檚 federal budget of Rohingya, particularly because Ottawa had launched a second phase of its Rohingya strategy in 2021 that ended March 31 of this year.

害羞草研究所淐anada really exerted some leadership and a commitment to the Rohingya people in responding to this major humanitarian emergency over multiple years, and I think it害羞草研究所檚 really insufficient to just leave it hanging,害羞草研究所� he said.

Global Affairs Canada would not say whether a third phase was in the works, though Rae said 害羞草研究所渢here will definitely be a next phase, there害羞草研究所檚 no question. The work is ongoing.害羞草研究所�

The conflict has largely faded from the news cycle, eclipsed by crises elsewhere. But Rae insists it害羞草研究所檚 a frequent topic at UN headquarters, where he leads a multi-nation working group on Myanmar.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just a matter of everybody figuring out what can be done about it, and that害羞草研究所檚 where I think our collective efforts are still falling short.害羞草研究所�

He said Canada has a 害羞草研究所渟ubstantial and multi-dimensional害羞草研究所� response to the crisis, such as joining the Netherlands in looking at accountability through international courts for the military junta.

Myanmar is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-member bloc that Rae says has tried hard to diplomatically engage with the regime but hasn害羞草研究所檛 been able to nudge it away from violence.

Meanwhile, autocracies have boosted their support for the military junta.

害羞草研究所淭he junta has the de facto support of the government of China, and the very active military support of the government of Russia,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat polarization of support has become even clearer.害羞草研究所�

Rae said countries like Canada need to do anything possible to establish a democratic government through elections in Myanmar. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the only way that we害羞草研究所檙e going to get a process of repatriation of the Rohingya to take place.害羞草研究所�

He noted general humanitarian monies in this spring害羞草研究所檚 budget and the Indo-Pacific strategy can foster efforts for Rohingya people, on top of the $600 million that Canada has provided in response to the Rohingya crisis since 2017.

Jaivet Ealom, head of the Rohingya Centre of Canada, said he appreciates Ottawa害羞草研究所檚 diplomatic efforts toward accountability. But he says Canada could do much more to help those stuck in the camp.

害羞草研究所淐anada is not using all the tools it has under its sleeves,害羞草研究所� said Ealom, who fled Myanmar in 2013.

Rae had called for a senior civil servant to co-ordinate responses from all federal departments and report publicly, which Ealom laments never happened.

He said Canada has largely been writing cheques to large, multilateral organizations, who he says are often slow to respond and have difficulty getting unrestricted access to Rohingya in the camp. He said that害羞草研究所檚 an issue because Bangladeshi officials oversee some of the delivery of aid, and so Rohingya are unlikely to point out problems with the camp in front of people from Bangladeshi organizations.

Ealom says Canada should better consult the Rohingya diaspora and link up with their contacts on the ground, including people who run their own projects in the camp that would benefit from foreign funds.

He said Rohingya welcome Canadian-funded projects to provide early-childhood education, but there is little to help young adults attain academic credentials that would help them pursue higher education. Ealom said the absence of opportunities or prospects of being resettled abroad are contributing to a problem of Rohingya youth in the camp joining armed gangs.

害羞草研究所淭his is happening because there is no hope at the end of the tunnel,害羞草研究所� he said, arguing Canada should reassess its strategy based on what害羞草研究所檚 actually working.

Rae said Canada has struggled to go beyond reactive humanitarian funding into development work that can empower Rohingya.

害羞草研究所淚t continues to be challenging to engage with the government of Bangladesh,害羞草研究所� Rae said. 害羞草研究所淲e simply haven害羞草研究所檛 seen that evolution at a pace that we think would make sense, and that involves some difficult conversations with the Bangladeshis and with others.害羞草研究所�

Rae said Bangladesh has restricted Rohingya people from operating basic food carts in the camp and from leaving the camp for work.

害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e going to end up having people with nothing but time on their hands,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 mean, this is not that complicated.害羞草研究所�

Bangladesh害羞草研究所檚 high commission in Ottawa provided a lengthy statement, noting it害羞草研究所檚 the largest funder for Rohingya refugees, including for primary education. The mission noted that the sudden onslaught of Rohingya people working illegally has hurt the local economy and driven down wages.

害羞草研究所淩ohingya are engaged in skill-development activities within the camps, designed to facilitate their reintegration into their ancestral society upon voluntary return,害羞草研究所� reads part of the statement.

害羞草研究所淗owever, the prospect of allowing Rohingya to study in the national curriculum of Bangladesh or to participate in broader economic activities outside the camps in Cox害羞草研究所檚 Bazar will adversely impact the local host community.害羞草研究所�

Nickerson said Bangladesh hasn害羞草研究所檛 been adequately supported by global governments in looking after refugees or finding a durable solution to the crisis, which is morphing into 害羞草研究所渁 larger and more complex emergency.害羞草研究所�

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Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press