Canada calls for 'justice' in Myanmar

By Seyit Aydogan

TORONTO

Those responsible for the atrocities being inflicted on Myanmar's Rohingya must be held to account, Canada's top diplomat and international development minister said Wednesday.

"On the question of accountability and impunity, we must ensure that those responsible for the atrocities and human rights violations committed in Rakhine state, including sexual and gender-based violence, are brought to justice," said Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Marie-Claude Bibeau in a joint statement.

"Without justice, equity and respect for fundamental rights in Myanmar, there can be no peace," said the statement.

"[...] Canada will continue to advocate for the full and unimpeded access to Rakhine state by the United Nations and international organizations and the voluntary, dignified, safe and sustainable return of refugees."

On Aug. 25, 2017, Myanmar launched a major military crackdown on the Muslim ethnic minority, killing almost 24,000 civilians and forcing 750,000 others, including women and children, to flee to Bangladesh, according to the Ontario International Development Agency.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.