The letter to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights regarding the current situation in Myanmar

December 25, 2017.

Mr. Young, John
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR)
john.young [at] humanrights.ca

Dear Mr. Young, John

The current situation in Myanmar meets the criteria of Genocide. Aung San Suu Kyi, as State Counsellor has aided and abetted the Military government at every turn in their genocidal actions against the Rohingya. Legal scholars, genocide scholars and even practitioners of international law from Yale Law School and Queen Mary U Law, from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to the Permanent People’s Tribunal on Myanmar, have all called it genocide. In addition, please listen to the recent lecture by Genocide Scholar, Dr. Maung Zarni, at University of Toronto, Mississauga, hosted by Institute of Research of Genocide Canada and Amnesty International UTM here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyZ4kD8WCCA

As a result of this ongoing genocide that has created the worst refugee disaster in the 21st century, it is only logical that Mrs. Kyi’s photograph/poster be removed from your Museum as the intent it is to honour her and her achievements. Unfortunately, her racist and anti-Muslim position, which was previously shielded, and has only come out to light now, makes her unsuitable for the vision and mission of the Museum, and day by day it casts darker clouds over the Museum’s credibility, intentions and purpose.

No doubt, the context of all these pictures is to have a champions of human rights. However, as a ’thought experiment’, imagine having a poster of Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot or Idi Amin, in the Museum, with glowing tributes? To say the least, that would not be just or conducive to the educational and inspirational aims of the Museum, and as justice seeking Canadians, we would find it abhorrent.

If the History of Myanmar is to be included, by all means it should, but it must expose the genocidal Myanmar regime for what it really is, up to the present day. In fact, the Museum can and should call this a genocide to educate the Canadians. That would mean restructuring the whole Myanmar display.

We look forward to hearing from you, as to your anticipated plan of action.

Dr. Emir Ramic
Chairman of the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada