ROHINGYA LETTER

[cfob@xxxxxxxxxxx]

The Burma-Tibet Group, OPIRG-Carleton   Canadian Friends of Burma
326 Unicentre, 1125 Colonel By Dr.      145 Spruce St., Suite 206
Carleton University                             Ottawa ON K1R 6P1
Ottawa ON K1S 5B6
                                                    18 April 1995

To all Members of Parliament, Ottawa, Canada:

We draw your attention to the desperate plight of the Rohingya
refugees from Burma (Myanmar). We believe they are targetted for
coercion under the "voluntary" repatriation program in Bangladesh
run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Canada is
the third-largest funder of this program. Canada gave C$1.5M in
response to UNHCR's appeal in 1993. The next appeal will likely
be Dec 95, but all refugees may be repatriated as early as July
or August.

Please study the attached report by the US Committee for Refugees
(USCR). It is a powerful indictment of the Bangladesh government
and UNHCR, and is backed by reports from other refugee groups,
including recent updates from Medecins sans Frontieres (France).
Last July, UNHCR abandoned case-by-case refugee interviews under
severe pressure from Bangladesh. UNHCR officials did nothing as
camp authorities tortured and beat refugees who did not want to
return. USCR also reports that the camp authorities were
"deliberately withholding food as a means of `forcing' or
`encouraging' the refugees to return." In a previous exodus in
1978, some 10,000 refugees died of severe malnutrition and
illness after food rations were drastically cut, according to
USCR.

Since this report's release, the Bangladesh embassy has assured
us that refugees do indeed "volunteer": They stand in groups, in
one place if they say "yes" to repatriation, another place for
"no." But they must do this in front of the very authorities they
still do not trust, the UNHCR and Bangladesh camp officials. 

UNHCR has no way to protect 250,000 returnees from the pervasive
human rights abuses of Burma's illegal military regime, the State
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC). SLORC's enormous
forced labour projects are well-documented. During the initial
exodus, one doctor "estimated that in the average family of ten,
two members [suffered from] abuses such as gunshot wounds,
beatings, burns, or physical exhaustion, and that on average one
woman per family had been raped." (USCR) 

Please urge that Canada quickly endorse USCR's recommendations:
(full text on page 22)
- UNHCR should reinstate case-by-case interviews for all
  refugees, and inform refugees of their rights ~ including
  choosing not to repatriate. To ensure this, Bangladesh should
  allow independent human rights monitors in the refugee camps
  to ensure that all coercion stops. 
- Canada should inform Bangladesh of our commitment to voluntary
  repatriation. Canada has strong aid ties to Bangladesh.
- SLORC should allow independent human rights monitors to accom-
  pany UNHCR workers in Arakan State in Burma. UNHCR should
  continue repatriation only when SLORC takes steps to restore
  human rights in Burma, otherwise repatriation cannot be con-
  sidered "voluntary."

Every week, another 4,000 Rohingya refugees are returned to
Burma. We trust you agree that, as a donor country, Canada shares
responsibility for their safety. We look forward to your
response.

Sincerely,



Terry Cottam                            Penny Sanger
Burma-Tibet Group, OPIRG-Carleton       Canadian Friends of Burma

cc:  Approx. 700 contacts, including Globe & Mail; Dave Todd,
     Southam News; Canadian Council for Refugees; US Committee
     for Refugees; Refugees International; Burmese Relief Center
     -- Japan; MSF France; Concern (Ireland); Burma Action Group
     (UK); Save the Children Fund (UK)