Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

Last week I had the privilege of visiting Bangladesh with a bipartisan delegation organised by Save the Children Australia. The aim of the visit was to provide a direct exposure to the Australian aid program. It was an opportunity to go to the camps where some one million of the Rohingya people are currently living, having been displaced from Myanmar. The violence, human rights abuses and destruction have been well documented and the camps are the direct result. The Rohingya people are now living largely on cleared land from the Bangladeshi department of forestry in an area roughly the size of a federal electorate in Sydney or Melbourne. The camps are located at Cox's Bazar, one of the poorest areas of Bangladesh. The government as well as the people of Bangladesh have been extraordinarily generous and humane in helping the Rohingya.

Mohammad Abdul Kalam, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, has been vital in coordination in his role. The commissioner made the point to us that there had been waves of Rohingya displaced across the course of the last decade. We visited the UNHCR senior protection coordinator, Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth. Both of these impressive individuals were candid in their assessment, evaluation, of the challenges ahead.

In the camps we visited a Save The Children learning centre. Save the Children run 110 centres supporting children's learning and wellbeing. We also visited numerous healthcare centres. I found the work of Save the Children and CARE Australia very impressive, particularly through the Australian humanitarian partnerships. CARE Australia were providing numerous women-friendly spaces in the camps for women and girls to gather, meet and access services. Many of them have experienced gender based violence in addition to violence they faced in Myanmar.

Some of us also visited the Mahji, or community leaders, in the camps. We discussed the issues of governance and service delivery. Oxfam and other NGOs are providing water pumps, toilets and massive recycling and sanitation upgrades. I was struck by the sympathy and kindness of the Bangladeshi women we visited at the BRAC Community Empowerment Program. I was impressed also by the World Food Program and the new multi-wallet assistance card pilot and its ability to improve flexibility, integrity and the operation of food distribution.

In the camps 80 per cent of the population are women and children. Sixteen per cent of households are headed by women and four per cent of households are actually headed by children. There are obstacles such as social seclusion during the day for women and girls, as well as safety and security issues when they go out at night. Shelters often lack separate places for bedding, changing and cooking. This is one of the major issues in the camps.

Bangladesh is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention, and the Rohingya are classified as forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. This has consequences for services, protection, humanitarian responses and other issues. Australia has contributed $70 million in humanitarian funding, and we continue to work with NGOs to achieve change. In 1982, the Myanmar government stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship. We must continue our efforts as a country to assist the voluntary, safe and sustainable return home of the Rohingya people. The conditions for return are not there and are not expected in the foreseeable future. In the interim, education and employment must be addressed. We heard that the Australian government's voice is just as important as contributions of financial aid.

Schools must be built, qualified teachers employed and accreditation of school qualifications implemented. Currently the level of learning afforded in the camps is primary school level. There is a need also for secondary and tertiary pathways to help bring about improved options for the future of the Rohingya people. Without certified formal education and equipping people with portable skills for employment, I fear a lost generation. I fear idleness will lead to further vulnerability, criminality and extremism. Access to livelihood is important for self-reliance and self-esteem. As I've said, gender based violence, the protection of women and children, governance of the camps, washing issues and infrastructure issues all persist—although, on the evidence we received, it's getting better. The Rohingya people are not going anywhere any time soon. I implore the Australian government to maintain our efforts, continue our aid and assistance, and participate with the international community to find solutions so the Rohingya people may return home and live in peace as citizens. In the meantime, let's do all we can as a country to show our humanity, decency and compassion by helping those in need in Bangladesh, including those in the Rohingya camps.

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