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JN Joniad was born
JN Joniad was born into a Muslim Rohingya family in Myanmar. Though he was born in Myanmar, the government denied that he was a citizen of the country and believed that he was an illegal immigrant because he identified as a Muslim in a Buddhist-majority country. Being Muslim put him in a very slim minorty in this country. -
Anti-Rohingya violence
In 20012 many security forces constantly raided Rohingya homes and abducted as well as killed whoever was found inside. These security forces would often target those who were younger and educated as the security forces viewed them as a threat to their authority and power. JN said that he would often hide in forests when these raids took place and that he often feared his death day. -
Left Myanmar for Bangladesh
Things in Myanmar had gotten very bad. At the time JN was studying at Sittway Universty when he decided that he needed to leave the country immediately for safety reasons. His decision was so abrupt that he didn't even get time to say bye to his family. He travelled to Bangledesh on a small terrifying paddle boat with others also fleeing the country -
Moved to India then China
JN moved to India and then China in 2012 in order to avoid being put into another refugee languishing in a camp. -
Attempt to move to Australia
In 2013 JN wanted to move to Australia in order to rebuild his life there as they had a convention for refugees and asylum seekers. As he was crossing the border into Thailand as part of his journey to Australia he was shot. From Thailand, he made his way to Malaysia and then to Indonesia. As he was getting on a boat to go from Indonesia to Australia he had gotten caught and was deported back to Indonesia. -
Time in a detention center
After being deported back to Indonesia JN was put into a detention center along with many other asylum seekers and was caged in by electric fences. A year and a half later he was transferred to a community shelter in Makassar, Indonesia where he kept himself busy by taking online university courses in courses in political science and journalism. -
Application to come to Canada was approved
JN was desperately looking to find a county where he could live freely as at the detention center he was being threatened if he did not stop writing. In 2020 JN's application to come to Canada as a refugee was approved. He was sponsored by five people and was kindly welcomed into the country. His sponsors even took him the next morning to open his first bank account. This was the first time he had legal documentation that recognized him as a person.