PM should help Rohingya

An open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

First, I want to thank you for setting such a strong example to the world of how to accept and care for refugees fleeing war and persecution. I felt so proud of Canada and you as prime minister when you welcomed the refugees of Syria to our country. Your compassion for others in need shows the true spirit of our country of many cultures.

Your generous and loving actions make me proud to be a Canadian recently living abroad in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country that looks to you with admiration for all you have done to help Syrian refugees. I truly believe that welcoming our brothers and sisters in need, regardless of religion or race, with open arms and compassionate hearts, is the best and only way to cure the ills of our world today.

This is why I respectfully request that while Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma (also known as Myanmar) is visiting Canada, you ask her why the Rohingya people continue to suffer so greatly under her regime. Since her party was elected in 2015 under the promise of a new democracy, the persecution of the Rohingya people has become much worse. Hundreds of Rohingya have been killed and many others are persecuted by the military, forced to run for their lives, escaping by boat and becoming stranded in countries like Indonesia in their struggle to stay alive.

My sincere hope is that you will allow the Rohingya into Canada as you have so generously done for the Syrian people. I respectfully urge you to speak to Aung San Suu Kyi and pressure her to stop the massacre and persecution of Rohingya people. Wendy Bone, Vancouver