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Australia signs UN 1951 convention for refugees seeking asylum
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Birth
JN Joniad was born in a Muslim Rohingya family in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. His family lived in this area for over 50 years before his birth. -
Government denying citizenship to Rohingya
The Myanmar military government continuously denies that JN Joniads people are ethnic Rohingya. While his people are predominantly Muslim in the Buddhist-majority country. The government implies that its people are Bengali, saying they are illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. The government has denied citizenship to the Rohingya people and has rendered them stateless, however, some were given white cards like JN Joniad to denote temporary residency. -
Anti-Rohingya Violence
In 2012, anti-Rohingya violence erupted in JN Joniad's home state. Government forces would raid Rohingya homes and kidnap anyone they found instead. Those that were young and educated were specifically targeted in these raids as they were seen to be a threat to the government's authority. Many of the kidnapped were found dead or are still missing. Many of JN Joniads close friends and relatives were lost during these raids, and Joniad himself hid in. local forests fearing death every second. -
The great escape from Myanmar
JN Joniad gave up his position to study physics at Sittwe University in order to leave Myanmar. The escape was urgent so Joniad was unable to say goodbye to his friends or family, instead being forced onto a small paddleboat with several other Rohingya until they reached Bangladesh. However, in order to avoid becoming a refugee known for lingering in camps, Joniad quickly moved to India, then to China all while under the threat of detainment. -
The great escape from Myanmar PART 2
JN Joniad believed Australia to be a safe haven for refugees like him because they signed the UN convention in 1951, so he risked his life and unfortunately was shot during his border crossing into Thailand, but luckily evaded capture. JN Joniad crossed several more borders in Malaysia in Indonesia, but on his final attempt to Australia, he was captured and forced back to Indonesia. Here, he was locked in a hotel room for 3 months and then sent to a detention centre in South Sulawesi. -
Locked up
JN Joniad after being captured was sent to a hotel room for 3 months before being transferred to a detention centre in South Sulawesi. The detention centre had an eerie similarity to a prison, having tall walls and electrical fences but instead of prisoners, it was filled with asylum seekers like JN Joniad. -
Community Centre
A year and a half later, JN Joniad was transferred to a community shelter in Makassar, Indonesia. Here, he met hundreds of refugees of different ethnic backgrounds that were trapped in the area for various reasons. The shelter had a curfew at 10 PM and refugees were unable to leave the city. While trapped in the shelter, JN Joniad hears stories of refugees who couldn't tolerate the struggles anymore and took their lives. -
Keeping himself busy
To not stress out and be active, JN Joniad studied online courses on Political Science and Journalism. He became an advocate for refugees and human rights, contacting different organizations and lawyers to seek for answers only to never get a response back. JN Joniad also began to write articles for several outlets such as Buzzfeed and BBC. However, JN Joniad was threatned by immigration officers with deportion or detention for life if he did not stop writing, hoping to find a safe, free home. -
Welcome to Canada
Eventually, JN Joniad had his application to Canada accepted in early 2020. In Septermber 2021, JN Joniad finally walked as a free man after 2 weeks of quarantine in Toronto. His sponsors helped JN Joniad open a special bank account for him because this was not allowed in Myanmar. Slowly, JN Joniad was able to learn about services and enrolled in many of them, getting his documents, health card, and much more with the help of his sponsors. -
Permanent resident
After months of waiting, JN Joniad finally recieved his permanent resident card in April. This finally gave him access to live freely in Canada and to access all the services he was forbidden to use in Myanmar such as health care, education, and work. Many of the things he experienced in Canada were his first which he was very thankful for. -
Conclusion
Today, JN Joniad is still happily living in Canada doing what he is passionate about. However, as he puts it; "My happiness is shadowed by the thought of close refugee friends trapped in Indonesia and my beloved family whom I left behind in Myanmar." Although JN Joniad has reached freedom and safety, millions more struggle worldwide with the same situation, with the same hope, but without the same chance as he was given. While he strives happily today, another one has been lost in this world.