Marking Fourth Anniversary of Ethnic Cleansing in Rakhine State

Four years ago, Burma’s military carried out a terrible ethnic cleansing against Rohingya in the northern state of Rakhine. The brutality of the military’s atrocities that day shocked the conscience of the international community – but we recognize that the Rohingya had suffered grave human rights abuses for decades, and that much of this abuse continues to this day. The United States commemorates the victims and reaffirms responsibility for those responsible for these atrocities and other human rights abuses, and to seek justice for the victims. We recognize the need to address the root causes of this violence and hold perpetrators accountable in order to prevent such atrocities from recurring.

Today the same military leaders who committed the February 1 coup are perpetrating human rights abuses against democracy activists and members of ethnic and religious communities across the country, and we have seen the same light infantry brigades that terrorized Rohingya communities in 2017 brutally Violence against them has been used by pro-democracy demonstrators since the coup. The coup and the brutality of the subsequent military raid have exacerbated the already precarious situation for vulnerable people across Burma, including the Rohingya. The United States continues to emphasize the need for unimpeded humanitarian access to all people in need in Burma.

At the launch of the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis Response Plan in May 2021, the United States announced nearly $ 155 million in new assistance to meet critical efforts in support of Rohingya refugees and host community members in Bangladesh and of internally displaced persons. and other affected people in Burma. Our aid will help meet the immediate needs of nearly 900,000 refugees in Bangladesh, including women and children. This new funding, which includes life-saving COVID aid, increased our total humanitarian aid to those affected by the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh and elsewhere in the region to more than $ 1.3 billion – of which more than $ 1.1 Billions of US dollars in Bangladesh and more than 238 million US dollars in Burma as of August 2017. We encourage other members of the international community to also support peacebuilding and social cohesion work in Rakhine State and to contribute to the Joint Response Plan.

The United States will continue to advocate the justice of victims and accountability for those responsible for atrocities and other human rights abuses. To that end, we have imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions on senior military leaders and units, including those linked to serious human rights violations against Rohingya, and have suppressed peaceful protests since the February 1 coup. We have also supported the UN fact-finding and investigation mechanisms with a focus on Burma; and urged Burma to implement the interim measures of the International Court of Justice.

The United States also welcomes the inclusive path pursued by the NUG and other pro-democracy groups in Burma and their commitment to reform the Citizenship Act of 1982, among other measures to protect the rights of Rohingya and members of other ethnic minorities. These steps will be necessary to protect the human rights and dignity of all people in Burma, including the Rohingya.

The United States will continue to work with the Burmese people to support peace and justice, critical humanitarian aid, a return to democracy, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

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