The Burma Task Force and the Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative say they have officially recognized Aug. 25 as “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.”
In a press release sent out this week, the two non-profit organizations said they will host a large event in Toronto to mark the very first Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day.
“In a united, worldwide day of action, education and empowerment, these organizations will be hosting their largest event in Canada to mark the beginning of the Rohingya expulsion by the oppressive Burmese government and its brutal military regime,” the release said.
The event will include speakers, artists and activists as well as a live exhibition to “enhance the audiences’ understanding of the experiences faced by the Rohingya people.”
Approximately 1.1 million Rohingya live in Myanmar today. The ethnic minority has faced tensions in the country for decades, however conditions for the Rohingya have worsened since August 2017. An estimated 671,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar and entered Bangladesh since then, a report from the International Organization for Migration says.
The Burma Task Force and the Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative said there will be events hosted in major cities throughout Canada, and they are offering their full co-operation to the organizers and participants of these events.
“In the past, Canadians have shown overwhelming support for the Rohingya cause,” the release said.
“The Government of Canada has also taken a humanitarian approach to the crisis after Canadian citizens spoke out against the immense brutalities taking place in Myanmar/Burma.”
Toronto’s event will be hosted at Queen’s Park in front of the legislative assembly at 2 p.m. on Aug. 25.
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