Canada-China Relations committee  Thailand has a population of about 70 million. Myanmar has a population of about 55 million. Cambodia has a population of about 17 million. These are countries that are within an order of magnitude of the size of Canada's population. We are also an economy that's much larger than countries like that, where we could have an outsized influence.

Canada-China Relations committee  If we look at research from think tanks and other research organizations, what we notice is that over the last decade and a half or the last two decades, there has been democratic backsliding in the region, particularly in Southeast Asia in countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and other countries. My question is simple. What should the Government of Canada be doing in practical, actionable terms to strengthen democracy in those jurisdictions, seeing that they are of a size that Canada could have an influence in?

Education Initiative for War-Displaced Students  To date, 34 students have been sponsored from eight different countries, including Somalia and Myanmar, with a 100% graduation rate. My thanks to Dr. Gavin Brockett for his leadership and support of those incredible students. Let us recognize the powerful impact of initiatives like ISOW and support their work, like a recent proposal that includes supporting women from Gaza, because by helping them, we are helping build a more compassionate future for all.

Canada-China Relations committee  I also want to comment on the standards that my colleague, Mr. Vaillancourt, talked about. In places like Myanmar, there have been human rights violations, forced labour camps and ill-treatment of ethnic groups. There were sanctions, but channels of communication have remained open. The most important thing Canada can do is put its priorities out there, and that's what the Indo-Pacific strategy does.

Foreign Affairs committee  It has also been a leading voice for international accountability, playing a central role in establishing the ICC and more recently supporting efforts to address grave crimes in Syria, Myanmar and Ukraine. The Canadian government's position vis-à-vis the current crisis in Gaza departs significantly from Canada's storied legacy of action. Since the beginning of this conflict, this government has avoided condemning any specific war crimes in Gaza.

Foreign Affairs committee  This study of Canada's diplomatic capacity certainly comes at a crucial time. Harrowing crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Myanmar, a list that goes on, stand as wrenching testaments to the failures of our so-called international rules-based order, with devastating consequences for millions of civilians. Unprincipled use of vetoes at the Security Council blocks decisive international action.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The third theme I want to turn to quickly is why Hong Kong is different from other authoritarian regimes. We hear about those issues I've raised so far in other countries, like Iran, Myanmar, Belarus and Russia. The difference with Hong Kong is that it continues to maintain a fig leaf of rule of law, a facade of due process and business as usual. We've all seen the videos of Hong Kongers weeping in the rain as they kept vigil outside Apple Daily's offices on the last night of its printing, shining smartphone lights as makeshift candles in a poignant image which was then captured on the final cover.

Canada-China Relations committee  First, it is, counterintuitively perhaps, characterized by the general absence of interstate armed conflict with only one major intra-state conflict present at the moment—the civil war in Myanmar. However, there is an arms race under way in Asia. Twenty-six per cent of global arms purchases are made in the Indo-Pacific region, compared to the case in the United States where it is 65% of total arms purchases.

Canada-China Relations committee  A couple of years ago, a senior member of the AIIB, as reported in the Financial Times—a reputable publication—said the bank was open to funding projects under Myanmar's military junta, which is not something the Government of Canada supports. How is the government reconciling its position of having membership in a development bank whose senior members openly muse about funding projects in jurisdictions like Myanmar?

Canada-China Relations committee  Thank you for the question. We're not aware of the AIIB being open to doing projects with the junta in Myanmar. We would have certainly, if it were the case, or if any such project is brought to the board, we would certainly—

Committees of the House  Speaker, it is very important that Canada engage with opposition groups, and not only political opposition groups but also humanitarian groups, various ethnic community groups and the various groups that represent the oppressed people in Afghanistan. It should do so in the same way it engages with groups, say, in Myanmar and other parts of the world. It is also very important that we engage with other international partners, because Canada alone cannot make a major difference in Afghanistan. However, working collaboratively with like-minded countries, especially countries in western democracies, and taking a joint, organized approach in dealing with the Taliban and the issues faced by lots of people in Afghanistan, women and girls particularly, will yield a better result.

Canada-China Relations committee  About nine months before you joined, one of the senior people at the AIIB left the door open to lending money to Myanmar's military junta. Did any communications like that take place while you were at the bank?

Canada-China Relations committee  I don't recall anything dealing with Myanmar. I was asked to meetings to discuss Russian procurement. There was a debate internally about whether or not there should be a meeting with Russian companies to discuss giving them opportunities to bid on AIIB contracts.

Foreign Affairs committee  It has submitted documentation filings at the International Court of Justice in support of a genocide case in relation to the Rohingya in Myanmar. Again, I would say, take those opportunities where they arise. Just as importantly, when Canada feels it cannot do so, at least don't stand in the way of justice and accountability.

Foreign Affairs committee  We have seen such a strategy used by the ICC with regard to ethnic cleansing and, potentially, genocide in Myanmar. Myanmar did not ratify its own statute, but Bangladesh did, so living conditions of refugees living in Bangladesh—Rohingya refugees and others who were displaced—could be assimilated to a crime against humanity committed by the Myanmar government.