Louis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the Ministry will consider increasing Singapore's financial contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to provide more support to Syrian refugees in light of the escalating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): Mr Ng asked whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would consider increasing Singapore’s financial contribution to the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, in order to provide more support to Syrian refugees in light of the ongoing Syrian conflict.

Singapore commends the UNHCR, and other humanitarian organisations, for their tremendous efforts to save lives in Syria in challenging conditions.

As I said in this House in January this year, Singapore will continue to support the work of the UNHCR and humanitarian groups as they seek to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

Singapore has been providing voluntary financial contributions to the UNHCR annually. We are not a major donor but a small country with limited resources. But as a responsible global citizen, we have increased our contributions to the UNHCR this year from US$50,000 to US$60,000. This is in recognition of the acute demands placed on the UNHCR, not just in Syria, but all around the world. Our contribution is comparable to those made by other ASEAN countries.

The Syrian conflict is now into its sixth year. More than 400,000 Syrians have been killed. There are now more than 4.8 million Syrian refugees, and millions of internally displaced.

The key actors in this conflict have acknowledged that the only way to end this conflict is to reach a political solution. We hope they can achieve this as soon as possible while ensuring the safety of civilians and that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Project Hearts to Hands is an initiative, jointly organised by the Office of Louis and Advocates for Refugees - Singapore, aimed at serving & supporting refugees & refugee-led organisations.

Along with a team of 30 volunteers Louis visited an extraordinary Acehnese fishing community which rescued many refugees and built a community library for the village of 400 families, provided support and established friendship with refugees at Bayeun Camp in East Aceh, Indonesia.

Louis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether he can provide updates on Singapore's role with regard to ASEAN's humanitarian response to support Rohingya refugees in Rakhine state; and (b) whether Singapore will be taking any further measures to help the refugees in light of the unfolding crisis.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): On 19 December 2016, I attended an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' informal meeting which was called by Myanmar's State Counsellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to brief all of us on the situation in Rakhine State. The meeting was timely and useful in helping ASEAN member states to better understand the situation and also to understand Myanmar's efforts to address this complex situation.

There was an open, frank and constructive exchange of views amongst all the Ministers present. We discussed how ASEAN can best support the Myanmar government in its efforts to find a viable, long-term and sustainable solution to the problems in Rakhine state. The focus was on making sure that humanitarian aid would reach the communities in need. Following the meeting, the Myanmar government expressed its readiness to grant necessary humanitarian access and to continue to keep ASEAN informed on developments in Rakhine state.

From a Singapore perspective, we have emphasised that every government must ensure the safety and protection of all its people regardless of race or religion, and that all people must enjoy the same basic rights. At the same time, it is also the right and the responsibility of every state to secure its borders and maintain internal security.

Issues of race, language and religion in every country, including Singapore, are always sensitive and complex. Similarly, inter-communal relations in Rakhine state are highly complicated with long historical roots. These issues are not going to be resolved easily or quickly in the short term. Patience, restraint, and time will be required to build up trust among the different stakeholders and communities, foster racial harmony, and to restore peace and stability for the long term.

We continue to encourage all parties, including the Myanmar government and the international community, to continue working together towards a long-term solution so that affected communities can rebuild their lives. In Singapore, our own local communities initiated a fundraising campaign in December 2016. I am very heartened to note that Singaporeans from across all communities have come forward to contribute more than S$350,000; I think it is closer to S$400,000. The funds that have been raised will be distributed equally to the affected communities in Rakhine state and Aceh. The funds for the Rakhine state will be channelled through Myanmar-based organisations to assist all affected communities, regardless of ethnicity and religion. The President of the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) Ustaz Mohamad Hasbi Bin Hassan had also written to the Prime Minister to offer PERGAS' assistance and the Prime Minister has replied.

This is another occasion in which all Singaporeans cam demonstrate compassion and can collectively contribute to humanitarian relief efforts.

Louis: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for that reply. There are two clarifications. One, Indonesia recently sent government-to-government humanitarian aid to the Rohingyas in the Rakhine state consisting of 10 freight containers with instant noodles, baby food, wheat, cereals and sarongs. Does the Singapore Government have plans to do a similar thing?

Second, I wanted to also share that I have visited the refugee camps twice. What I saw and the stories I heard were heart-breaking. I know that there various reasons for this crisis and there is no easy solution, as the Minister has mentioned; but I hope we remember that there are children involved in this, children who are now fatherless, motherless, families who are torn apart. I agree that we cannot accept the refugees here in Singapore, but I hope that the Singapore Government can do more. So, the second clarification was whether we will provide the matching to the funds that have been raised so far for this issue?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: First, let me express our appreciation to the Member Mr Louis Ng who has personally visited these refugee camps. If Members speak to him, I am sure he would be able to attest to you that there are real people, vulnerable people and children, who are victims of circumstances beyond their control. It is important that we exercise collective human compassion to help these people.

On the exact modalities, this is something which we will continue to engage both the Myanmar government as well as the relevant non-government organisations − whether it should be specific items or whether it is best handled in cash. These are issues which I would rather resolve on the ground by people who are actually present and familiar with the situation, and familiar with the needs of the people.

We have not made any decision on matching funds but I would like to inform Members that the ASEAN countries have established a trust fund to support emergency humanitarian and relief efforts in the effect of refugee flows within Southeast Asia. The Singapore Government has made an initial contribution of US$200,000 to this trust fund and this trust fund is administered by the ASEAN Secretariat. The other ASEAN countries are also expected to contribute financially.

The larger point is this: the more avenues there are for assistance and for compassion to be applied, people to people, NGOs and government, the better. The larger point is that you need a political solution. The salutary reminder to us in Singapore is the absolute essential need to maintain harmony regardless of race, language or religion.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how does Singapore intend to support the government of Myanmar in restoring peace and stability in the Rakhine state; (b) how important is it to Singapore (as chair of ASEAN in 2018) and ASEAN in responding to the urgent situation in Rakhine or conflict in any member states that may threaten the stability of the region; and (c) whether the Government of Singapore will consider providing humanitarian assistance through the government of Bangladesh given that Bangladesh will build a refugee camp for more than 400,000 displaced Rohingya refugees.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): Mr Louis Ng and Mr Pritam Singh's questions relate to the situation in Rakhine State. Mr Christopher De Souza and Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar also posed related questions at yesterday's Sitting. I will address the four questions in my reply this afternoon.

In Myanmar's Northern Rakhine State, a humanitarian disaster has unfolded in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on 25 August 2017 and subsequent related acts of violence. The conflict has resulted in loss of lives, destruction of homes and the displacement of large numbers of people. The situation in the Rakhine State is a complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots, dating back more than half a century. There are no quick-fixes. The immediate task at hand is for all the parties involved to cease actions that will further worsen the situation on the ground, so that humanitarian assistance can reach those desperately in need regardless of ethnicity and religious affiliation. We urge the restoration of peace, stability and the rule of law in the Rakhine State. It is the responsibility of every government to protect every civilian and to restore law and order. Comprehensive, long-term and sustainable solutions must also be found to address the underlying challenges and build trust among the different stakeholders and communities, and define the legal status of everyone in Rakhine State. As a close friend and neighbour, Singapore stands ready to support the Myanmar government in whatever way we can to make a positive contribution.

Given the scale of the humanitarian needs, the Singapore Government will be offering bilateral humanitarian aid to both Myanmar and Bangladesh. We hope to contribute to the efforts to help all affected communities on both sides of the border regardless of ethnicity and religion. For Myanmar, we will be offering an aid package comprising approximately S$100,000 worth of supplies from the Singapore Government. For Bangladesh, given that it is experiencing a more severe refugee crisis, we will be offering two humanitarian loads comprising approximately S$200,000 worth of supplies from the Singapore Government.

Our community organisations have also launched fundraising drives for the affected communities in Rakhine State. I would like to highlight three such organisations in my reply.

The first is the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), which has been providing humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State since 2012. The SRC has launched a month-long public fundraising appeal¹ and committed S$27,150 worth of relief items to be distributed in Rakhine State. This is in addition to an earlier contribution of US$50,000 in shelter items to the Rakhine State. The SRC will work with the Myanmar Red Cross and the Bangladesh Red Crescent to ensure that the relief items reach the affected communities.

The second is the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), a community based charity, which has raised more than S$300,000 thus far². The RLAF will work with the UN High Commission for Refugees to distribute aid to the refugees in Bangladesh. Earlier in December 2016, RLAF and our local communities had also channelled more than S$180,000 of humanitarian aid to affected communities in the Rakhine State.

Mercy Relief will also raise funds, and is planning to deploy a team to conduct aid distribution in Bangladesh. Mercy Relief will work with Action Aid International, an established international non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh, as well as the Bangladesh Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, to distribute S$100,000 worth of items including solar lamps, blankets and shelter for affected communities.

The funds raised will be used to provide humanitarian aid to all affected communities in that region, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Members have also asked about the role ASEAN can play. Mr Christopher De Souza asked specifically if Myanmar can be compelled under the relevant articles in the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). The AHRD reaffirms ASEAN Member States' common interest and commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the purposes and the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. Although the AHRD does not impose legal obligations, we expect all ASEAN countries to uphold the spirit and the principles set out in the document.

The situation in Myanmar affects all ASEAN countries as well as the wider international community. It is in our common interest to work with the Myanmar government to support its efforts to restore peace and stability, and to find long-term solutions to this complex communal problem in the Rakhine State. While the principle of non-interference is enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, the Charter also calls for enhanced consultations on matters of common interest of ASEAN.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers recently held an informal meeting, which Minister Vivian Balakrishnan attended, in New York on 23 September 2017 to discuss the issue of the Rakhine State. The meeting began with Myanmar Minister of State for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Tin's briefing on the developments in the Rakhine State, followed by a frank and robust exchange of views among the Foreign Ministers.

Following the meeting, the Philippines issued an ASEAN Chairman's Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in the Rakhine State, which condemned the recent acts of violence and welcomed Myanmar's efforts to resolve the situation on the ground. The Chairman's Statement also reflected the undertaking by all ASEAN Member States to support Myanmar's humanitarian relief effort, and to activate the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) to work with the Myanmar Government-led mechanism, in cooperation with the Red Cross Movement, to deliver humanitarian assistance to all displaced inhabitants without discrimination. This was in line with the Foreign Ministers' recognition of the need for increased humanitarian access to all affected communities.

The Myanmar government has acknowledged that they need to address this crucible of inter-communal tension in the Rakhine State. One year ago, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi established a commission led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to make long-term recommendations to address the challenges facing the ethnically and religiously divided Rakhine State. The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State has submitted its final report and recommendations. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed her government's determination to implement them fully and "within the shortest time possible". A 15-member inter-ministerial committee has been formed to look into the recommendations. Myanmar has also welcomed the offers of the international community to contribute towards the government's humanitarian assistance programme. We hope that these efforts will be fruitful.

There is an urgent need to restore peace, stability, harmony and reconciliation among all the communities in Rakhine State. As ASEAN Member States, we are all committed to abide by the principles set out in the ASEAN Charter to enhance good governance and the rule of law. ASEAN has conveyed its hope and support for a long term solution to a complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots. While responsibility to resolve the complex issues involving the peoples of the Rakhine State ultimately rests with all the parties concerned in Myanmar themselves, Singapore and our fellow ASEAN Member States can do our part to support efforts by all parties to work towards a viable solution, so that affected communities can rebuild their lives.

¹ As of 1 October 2017, the SRC has raised S$33,510.  
² As of 2 October 2017, the RLAF has raised S$307,000.  

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis visited a Rohingya Children Refugee Camp in Johor with Project Heart to Hands.

Louis visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh with ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights - APHR, to meet with UNHCR, the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) and the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) to discuss and find ways forward to this crisis together.

Louis shared his experiences with CNA here.

Louis delivered his budget cut on Our Role in the International Community at Committee of Supply 2018.

Louis: Sir, we are faced with issues such as terrorism, cybersecurity, a growing refugee crisis – the list goes on. And these issues are often worsened by climate change. A 2017 World Economic Forum poll involving 30,000 millennials from 186 countries found that climate change was their top concern.

Another growing concern is the refugee crisis. I visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh last month, and what I saw and heard was painful and beyond words. I saw little children's childhood shattered; I saw young people all alone, having watched their family members get killed.

All these issues are complex and inter-linked, requiring resolute political will by the international community to work together.

Singapore has always been a strong supporter of multi-lateral approaches to global issues. How is Singapore working at the ASEAN level, particularly as the current Chair, as well as at the international level, to address challenges such as climate change and the Rohingya refugee crisis?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (The Minister for Foreign Affairs): Someone asked about the model ASEAN Extradition Treaty. Negotiations are not over yet but making good progress. As ASEAN Chair, we will have to work hard to maximise our common ground and keep ASEAN united. Let me also tell you very honestly, that it will be difficult. For instance, some Members ‒ I think it was Mr Louis Ng and Mr Christopher de Souza ‒ asked about the situation in Rakhine state.

Members are familiar that one of the founding principles of ASEAN is non-interference in domestic affairs. So, we cannot directly intervene. But I would say this is a humanitarian disaster of the highest order. Secondly, if this problem is not resolved properly, we will end up creating yet another flashpoint, yet another sanctuary for extremists and terrorists, and it will become another trans-boundary threat. So, in our own quiet, behind-the-scenes way, we have to try to make a positive difference.

ASEAN agreed to mobilise the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, to deliver assistance to the affected communities in Myanmar, and, when we delivered it, we insisted that it should be delivered without discrimination. All communities who need help should receive our help.

To date, the AHA Centre has delivered at least two loads of relief supplies worth US$500,000 to the Myanmar government. We have also deployed an ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts.

We had an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat last month. Myanmar gave us a briefing, and we urged Myanmar to continue implementing the recommendations made by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State which was led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. We encouraged the expeditious commencement of the voluntary return of the refugees. But it has to be done in a safe, secure and dignified way, without undue delay. Frankly, these are easier said than done when you consider what has already transpired on the ground.

We have also emphasised that the responsibility for resolving this complex problem ultimately rests with Myanmar and the stakeholders within Myanmar.

Singapore and ASEAN will continue to do our part by encouraging all partners to work towards a long-term and comprehensive political solution, and to create a conducive environment for affected communities to rebuild their lives. So, this is an example. There will always, from time to time, be an issue that tests our fundamental principles and our ability to make a positive contribution.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore will (i) send another consignment of humanitarian supplies to Bangladesh to provide aid for Rohingya refugees this year and (ii) consider increasing Singapore's financial contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) next year.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): Thank you. The UN Human Rights Council appointed a fact-finding mission in March last year. This fact-finding mission on Myanmar published its full Report on 18 September. This Report contained harrowing accounts of brutal and shocking atrocities committed in the Rakhine State that led to an outflow of refugees to Bangladesh.

I just returned from New York yesterday. On 29 September, we had an Informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting. In fact, because this topic was so sensitive, we convened a smaller group consisting of only the Ministers. We expressed our grave concern with these alleged acts of violence that had led to loss of lives, injuries, destructions of homes and displacement of large numbers of people. And to be brutally honest, this is a man-made humanitarian disaster and something which should not be happening in this day and age. 

The Foreign Ministers urged the Myanmar government that since the Myanmar government has appointed an Independent Commission of Inquiry, that this Independent Commission of Enquiry should be given a full mandate to investigate, and to hold all those responsible, fully accountable. We also called on both Myanmar and Bangladesh which have, in fact, signed an agreement in November last year that they should provide for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of refugees. But to date, not a single refugee has returned under the aegis of that agreement. So, we emphasised that a key milestone now must surely be the start or the commencement of a repartriation of refugees to Myanmar. So, we are going to have to wait and see and hope that this will begin shortly. 

 We also urged the government of Myanmar to step up its implementation of all the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, because the root causes of this conflict need to be addressed. And a conducive environment needs to be created so that all affected communities can rebuild their lives.

You need circumstances in which there are opportunities for reconciliation for assurances of justice and equality and, ultimately, for better prospects for all communities. Otherwise, this long-term inter-communal complex situation will fester. And if this festers, it will create more opportunities for extremism and, ultimately, terrorism which will not respect boundaries, and will represent a clear and present threat throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.

In the meantime, the refugees in Bangladesh deserve and need assistance. Members will recall that, in fact, last year, we had a sent a consignment of assistance to the refugees in Bangladesh. Depending on assessment of their future needs, we may have to do so again. In the meantime, I know that the private sector and people sector organisations within Singapore are also sending appropriate assistance to Bangladesh. 

I want to emphasise that, ultimately, the responsibility for resolving this must lie with the government of Myanmar; and this is a responsibility that we will hold them to account. And they do need to do the right thing and to do the right thing for all the vulnerable, defenseless and innocent victims. It is also a salutary warning to all of us in Southeast Asia. Race, language and religion are live issues and can always be exploited for short-term political gains. But an unfair share of the burden and of the injuries are sustained by defenseless people.

Louis: Sir, I thank the Minister for the reply. In his reply, I think he said that he was doing assessment on the ground to see whether to send a second consignment to Bangladesh. Can I just check when this assessment will be completed? I understand that the US had done an assessment and just last week, they announced that they will double the aid to refugees in Bangladesh and Myanmar. I have been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. I have seen what conditions they are living in, I have heard the stories firsthand of how much they have suffered, seen children with bullet wounds and how they have been scarred for life. And the people there really do need help. 

I understand that there had been many landslides recently as well. So, I am really hopeful that Singapore will provide this second consignment of humanitarian aid.

There is a second part of my Parliamentary Question (PQ), and it is whether we will increase our financial contributions to UNHRC so that we can help refugees around the world rebuild their lives.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The answer to the first question is that we are in touch with the Bangladesh government. Again, at the UN meeting last week – in fact, there were several side meetings as well – my sense is there are commitments for additional humanitarian assistance by various countries, including as the Member quite rightly said, the United States.

But my concern goes beyond just humanitarian assistance. You actually need a long-term solution. And a long-term solution is a political solution. In addition to that, you also want to have deterrence from future bouts of violence. That is why having Independent Commissions of Enquiry, and that is why holding people accountable is important.

The Member's second question on our support for the UN High Commission for Refugees, we are one of the countries that makes voluntary contributions. We have raised our contributions in 2016. But I do not want to over inflate the importance of that. We will do our part and we will work with the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

(Supplementary Question) Louis: I would like to join my fellow Members to thank Minister and MFA especially, for all the work they have done to try and resolve the crisis in Rakhine State and in Bangladesh as well. I have three supplementary questions. One, I previously asked Minister whether Singapore will be sending a second consignment of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the Minister at that point, replied that it is pending further assesment. Now that he has been to the refugee camps, could I ask for an update on whether we will be sending this humanitarian supplies?

The second is on the repatriation, which I agree should happen, but I am wondering whether once they are back in Rakhine state, whether there are plans to grant them citizenship? Because as Minister mentioned, we have to address the root causes, and one of the root causes of why they fled and resulted in this crisis is because they did not have citizenship.

And the third is in the repatriation process, whether there will be UN peacekeepers on site. I think that was one of the requests of the refugees, to ensure that this repartriation is both safe and secure for them. 

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): They are three interesting supplementary questions. On further consignments of aid, yes, we are prepared to, but I would consider targeting the aid to the refugees when they return. What I saw in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar; I know you were there, but you were there earlier last year; and according to the people on site, there is a vast difference now. The conditions the refugees are living now are much much better than when they first arrived. You know, I used to be the former Environment Minister, so I notice things like drains, latrines, water supply, food supply, cooking gas and energy – and – actually there has been a lot of work that has been done, especially on the Bangladesh side of it. My greater concern will be when they return; the rebuilding programme and ultimately their livelihoods and making a living.

I, really do not want to get into the issue of citizenship because that is not for us – the Parliament of Singapore – to be debating or to decide on behalf of Myanmar. This is something which they have to sort out through their own political processes.

Similarly, this issue of UN peacekeepers, is a sovereign issue that has to be sorted out by Myanmar, and if I were Myanmar, I would be offended if a Parliament elsewhere were making pronouncements on such issues. So with your permission I am not going to get into those two specific issues. Always think about how we, in Singapore, would view others pontificating or prescribing how we should solve our own political problems.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

(Supplementary Question) Louis: I thank the Minister for consistently looking into this issue and trying to find a way forward but I think if I could bring up a point I raised before, which is really the fourth request on the refugees, which again is about citizenship. I am not asking for the Singapore Government to give them citizenship in Myanmar but I am asking whether this issue can be discussed at a deeper level at the ASEAN meetings because that really is one of the root of the problems. 

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The simple answer, no. Citizenship is a fundamental political right. It goes to the heart of sovereignty, it goes to the heart of the construction of how a country looks at itself and identify who is in and who is out. I would humbly put to you that because this is such a fundamental point, it has to be settled within the country, through the political system, processes and stakeholders. This is not something foreigners should get involved in. So, I reiterate, therefore, my short answer to that point, which you have made repeatedly, is no. 

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis delivered the two following budget cuts at the Committee of Supply 2019.

Resolving the Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Louis: Sir, I have shared about my experiences visiting the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar several times. I will always remember what I saw, the painful stories I heard and the people, especially the children I met. To be honest, the image of the child with a bullet wound in her arm is still very much on mind. 

My biggest fear now is that these people will be forgotten. Over a million of them now live in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. The attention on this issue is diluting as people move on to more recent crises and funding gets diverted away. 

But as Minister stated, "As long as the refugees remain in the camps, and have no jobs and means of livelihood, they will have no future prospects". I also agree with Minister that "we cannot expect quick fixes". But we need to remember that in 1991, 28 years ago, 250,000 had already fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar. This is not a crisis that began last year or a few years ago. 

I do understand that this is an issue that we cannot solve on our own. However, we can help. Can the Minister and MFA share what plans MFA has in 2019 to support both Myanmar and Bangladesh in finding a long-term solution? Sir, I hope that all of us in this increasingly fragmented world remember that there is no us or them. There is only us, one human family, connected in ways we sometimes forget.

Contributing to UNHCR Rohingya Fund

Louis: Sir, Minister has said that he does not foresee a sudden cessation of support from the UN and NGOs for the refugees in Bangladesh. He stated that he does not foresee that contingency occurring, at least not in the foreseeable future.

I really hope so. At the same time, I know that the UNHCR needs $307.6 million in 2019 to meet the basic needs of the Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them. It is worrying that they have only managed to raise 2% of this amount so far, as one million refugees need this for their survival.

I appreciate that Singapore is one of the countries that make voluntary contributions to the UNHCR annually. I am glad that in 2016, as a responsible global citizen, we have increased our contributions to the UNHCR from US$50,000 to US$60,000. On top of this general donation, can we also consider donating to the UNHCR programme for Rohingya refugees specifically? Our contribution is comparable to those made by other ASEAN countries, but I sincerely hope we can contribute more to help the Rohingya refugees who so desperately need our help.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs): Mr Louis Ng asked whether Singapore could consider donating to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, fund for refugees from the Rakhine State, in addition to our general contribution. As a small country with limited resources, we are not a major donor to the UNHCR. However, as Mr Ng pointed out, we increased our annual contributions in 2016. Our contribution is comparable to that of the other ASEAN countries. What is important is to stay focused on creating a conducive environment for refugees to return to the Rakhine State. That can only be achieved through internal dialogue and consensus.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Along with about 20 volunteers from Project Humanitarian Hearts to Hands in Nee Soon East and Darul Makmur mosque, Louis visited Rohingya refugees in Johor to break fast with them

The team of volunteers hosted about 40 refugee children with a day of activities and buffet dinner for Iftar at Pulai Springs Resort. The project aims to create better awareness of refugees in Asia through volunteering.

Read the Straits Times coverage here.

Louis delivered the following budget cut on helping to repatriate Rohingyas at the Committee of Supply 2020.

Louis: Two years ago, I was at the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and listened to horrific stories of women being raped and how they watched their babies get stabbed to death. I held the hand of a little girl who was shot and she showed me her bullet wound. A young man showed me a video of the dead bodies of his entire family of seven. He watched them get slaughtered.

Two years later, all these are still fresh in my mind. What I have heard has scarred me for life and made me question my faith in humanity. But more than anything, it has scarred the Rohingyas for life and they desperately need help. This is not a political issue and we are not interfering with domestic affairs. This is a humanitarian disaster and we can and should provide help to over a million refugees.

As Deputy Prime Minister Heng said, "As the world builds walls, Singapore must go against the tide and build bridges". The Rohingyas need this bridge now. They need a way out of the huge wall built around them.

I understand there is a need for an independent assessment of the situation in Rakhine state by the Rohingyas themselves before they will consider any repatriation. I hope ASEAN can help facilitate this and Singapore can ensure it is discussed at ASEAN meetings. I am also willing to volunteer to help with any on-site assessments.

Sir, we need to remember that, "There is no us or them. Only us. One human family connected in ways we sometimes forget".

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs): ASEAN also serves as a channel to coordinate collective responses to regional crises. For example, through ASEAN's humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts, we are able to alleviate the situation in the Rakhine State. To reply to Mr Louis Ng's query, Singapore has contributed over S$1 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to Bangladesh and Myanmar. Through ASEAN, we support efforts to create conducive conditions for repatriation. For instance, the ASEAN Secretariat's Ad Hoc Support Team is building infrastructure and providing equipment for reception and transit centres in the Rakhine State. We will be ready to support future comprehensive needs assessments once repatriation commences. In the meantime, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered provisional measures in the case brought by Gambia against Myanmar. As a strong proponent of international law, we hope that all parties will respect the ICJ's decision.

Louis: Sir, a clarification for Senior Minister of State Mohamad Maliki regarding the repatriation of the Rohingas. I understand the camps are ready and the reception area is ready as well. But I think there is an issue of trust here and that is why the Rohingas want to go back themselves to do an independent assessment. I am just wondering whether this can at least be discussed or put up as a topic in the agenda for the upcoming ASEAN Summit so that we can finally resolve this stalemate and move forward on this issue.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: I thank the Member for the question. I fully appreciate his concern for those refugees who are affected. I think the ASEAN Foreign Ministers continue to look at some of these issues and we really want to facilitate the repatriation of the refugees back to where they are. But as Members are well aware of, it is also their concern about their own security and we have to make sure that the security is made available and they feel secure enough to go back. We will continue to work with our ASEAN partners to ensure that the situation is conducive enough for them to return.

Louis: Thank you, Sir. Just to follow up again. I really do appreciate all the work that ASEAN and MFA are doing by providing a lot of assurance to the Rohingyas. But I think it would help if we just allow some of them to go back, do their own assessments and then they can tell the rest of the 1.2 million refugees in Bangladesh now that it is safe to return. Otherwise, it is going to be a stalemate. It would be back and forth and it has been two years since we talked about repatriation and there is still not a single one that is willing to go back.

Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman: I thank the Member again. I think the Member will appreciate that it is not up to ASEAN to allow them to go back. It is up to the Myanmar government to allow them to go back. And really, we want to encourage the stakeholders on the ground to understand such circumstances, especially also NGOs that are working on the ground.

What we do at the ASEAN level, I can assure you, is that at every Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the issue of the Rakhine state will always be discussed. And whatever the decision that is being made, we have to respect that it is a decision that the Myanmar government will have to take as and when they are ready to facilitate the process.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)

Louis asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Singapore will consider sending another consignment of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, since the efforts to repatriate the Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar have stalled.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (MFA): Thank you, Mr Speaker. It has been more than a month since the 1 February 2021 detention of Myanmar's civilian government leaders including President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The situation in Myanmar unfortunately remains fraught with much uncertainty and there remains significant risk of escalation. The United Nations reported that on 3 March alone, 38 people died.

MFA has strongly advised all Singaporeans to defer travel to Myanmar at this time and we have also advised Singaporeans who are currently in Myanmar to consider leaving as soon as they can by commercial means whilst flights are still available.

I have spoken extensively on Singapore's response to these developments in Myanmar, including during my Ministry's Committee of Supply (COS) debate on 1 March. On 2 March, I joined other ASEAN Foreign Ministers via video-conference for an Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM). At that meeting, the representative of Myanmar's military authorities, Mr Wunna Maung Lwin also briefed us on his account. 

Singapore believes that ASEAN should play a constructive role in facilitating a return to normalcy and hopefully, stability in Myanmar, in line with the principles enshrined in the ASEAN Charter. The Chair of ASEAN issued a Statement on 1 February, the very day the NLD government was ousted. The Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (IAMM) I referred to earlier, was convened on 2 March 2021. The meeting reaffirmed the practice for ASEAN to discuss important issues of common concern whenever they arise. This meeting was an opportunity to have frank and open, candid discussions, and to reflect the international community's concerns directly to the representative of the military authorities.  

Members would be aware of the media coverage of that meeting. We also provided a full transcript of my intervention during that meeting.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers urged the Myanmar military authorities to exercise the utmost restraint and to refrain from the use of lethal force against unarmed civilians. I conveyed Singapore's grave concerns over the situation in Myanmar. We are appalled by violence, inflicted by security forces against civilians. It is the height of national shame for the armed forces of any country to turn its arms against its own people.

The use of lethal force against unarmed civilians is inexcusable under any circumstances. The immediate concern is to step back from a rapidly deteriorating situation.

I called on the military authorities to seek a peaceful solution for Myanmar. The alternative is prolonged instability and to quote Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, "an enormous tragic step back" for Myanmar.

The military is an institution in the body politic of Myanmar. In fact, the military authorities in Myanmar played a role in Myanmar’s political journey towards democracy in the past decade. It has to reach a modus vivendi with the other key stakeholders in Myanmar including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. There remain prospects for a peaceful resolution as long as all sides can come together, engage in genuine and direct dialogue, and find a way to return to Myanmar’s democratic transition.

We thus hope that the military authorities will release President Win Myint and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, so that these discussions can commence. We also support a visit by the Special Envoy of the United Nation Secretary General to Myanmar, Ms Christine Burgener, and hope that she will also be given access during her visit to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders.

Mr Speaker, if events continue to escalate, it will become even more challenging for all parties in Myanmar to achieve that essential reconciliation. If tensions do not abate, the longer term stability of our region will also be affected, with potential serious consequences for everyone. There will also be further humanitarian impact given the current severe COVID-19 and economic stresses confronting their people, and do not forget the unresolved resettlement of displaced persons from Rakhine State.

Singapore's assistance to the displaced persons from Rakhine State is on-going. Singapore has contributed over S$1 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to both Bangladesh and Myanmar. We also made contributions through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management.

Reflecting the generosity of Singaporeans, our private sector and community organisations have also stepped up, raising funds to provide for the material needs of those in the refugee camps.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic last year also compromised the delivery of some of this humanitarian assistance.

It is important to resume efforts to ensure the safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of refugees back to Rakhine State. We have lent strong support towards ASEAN's efforts to help improve the ground conditions in Rakhine State, such as through the Preliminary Needs Assessment (PNA) and the ASEAN Secretariat's Ad-Hoc Support Teams, which focused on implementing the recommendations of the PNA teams. These recommendations include priority projects, such as the supply of radio receivers to the local community, in order to strengthen the dissemination of accurate information.

We are prepared to send further consignments of aid and stand ready to support future comprehensive needs assessments once repatriation commences, so that we can be more targeted in helping the displaced persons.

But at the end of the day, the solution to both the political and the humanitarian problems lie within Myanmar itself and in the hands of its people. We hope to see an outcome that reflects the interests and the will of the people of Myanmar.

Singapore and ASEAN hope that Myanmar will succeed in its path towards democratic transition and national reconciliation. We will do what we can to support this. But, ultimately, only the people of Myanmar, including Tatmadaw, the NLD, and the diverse ethnic groups, some of whom have armed militias, only they can find a sustainable political solution that is in the best interest of their people.

We can only hope that wisdom will prevail. And despite all the bloodshed so far, I still think it is not too late.

Louis: I thank the Minister for the reply. I have raised this issue in Parliament quite a number of times. I know the Minister is deeply concerned about the refugees as well.

Like him, I have been to the refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar and it really is suffering at a scale that is unimaginable. I met many of the children there, many of whom have watched both fathers and mothers get killed. So, I really hope and I asked MFA to consider sending another consignment of humanitarian aid this year, and that will really help the refugees that are currently in Cox's Bazaar.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Speaker, as I said earlier, we would certainly consider additional assistance, but there are many obstacles. In fact, the more fundamental political and violent events occurring within Myanmar itself complicate any attempts to address this humanitarian disaster, but we will continue to look out for opportunities.

Source: Hansard (Parliament of Singapore)