As Australia celebrates Refugee Week from 15 to 20 June, Jesuit Mission Australia and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia are calling on the Australian government to take stronger action in response to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.
Five years after the military seized power, more than 3.5 million people have been displaced by violence and instability. The flawed elections held earlier this year have further compounded the crisis.
“[The] people in Myanmar continue to face widespread violence, displacement, and the systematic denial of their fundamental rights,” the Jesuit organisations said in their joint statement. “Despite the scale and persistence of this crisis, it has not received the sustained response it demands.”
The organisations are calling for stronger pathways for people from Myanmar to seek protection in Australia, increased aid funding for locally led and grassroots organisations across the region, greater engagement with Myanmar diaspora communities, and continued advocacy for human rights and democracy in Myanmar.
“JRS works daily, across the region, alongside people who have fled violence and persecution in Myanmar. We see their strength and resilience, and we also see the immense barriers they face in accessing the bare minimum standards of safety, dignity and human rights,” said Fr Brett O’Neill SJ, Country Director of JRS Australia.
JRS operates in over 57 countries, accompanying, serving, and advocating for refugees and people seeking asylum, including throughout Asia Pacific.
“As the situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, Australia has both an opportunity and a responsibility to show leadership in our region,” said Fr O’Neill. “This means ensuring people can access protection, supporting communities on the frontlines of this crisis, and responding in a way that protects the dignity and humanity of those most affected.”
JRS has a long-standing relationship with Jesuit Mission Australia, whose programmes include supporting livelihoods and poverty alleviation; providing education, aid, and accompaniment; and delivering essential services to people displaced from Myanmar across the region.
Together, both organisations represent thousands of people, from frontline workers, displaced families, and concerned citizens, to diaspora leaders in Australia, who want to see lasting change for the people of Myanmar.
“Jesuit Mission Australia stands with the people of Myanmar and with the communities across our region who continue to respond with courage and compassion in the face of immense suffering,” said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia.
“Our partners across the region continue to accompany communities affected by the crisis in Myanmar every day, providing education, essential services, and hope in incredibly difficult circumstances. Australia has a responsibility to respond in a way that upholds human dignity, strengthens protection pathways, and supports those working closest to the communities most affected.”
Both organisations welcomed the report from the Senate inquiry into Democracy and Human Rights in Myanmar and expressed their support for the Australian government in the implementation of its recommendations to advance human rights and democracy for the people of Myanmar.
Read the full statement here.
