Refugee Congress Applauds the Official U.S. Recognition of the Genocide in Burma
Refugee Congress Applauds the Official U.S. Recognition of the Genocide in Burma
For Immediate Release: March 28, 2022
WASHINGTON–Last week, the U.S. declared that the atrocities and ethnic violence that Burma’s military has committed against the country’s Rohingya minority are genocide. Refugee Congress applauds this long-overdue recognition that the crimes committed against the Rohingya people are genocide.
The Rohingya are a mostly Muslim ethnic group and represent about 1 million of the country’s total 55 million population. Most live in Rakhine state. Last year, Refugee Congress joined other organizations in a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling for declaration of genocide. We applaud this action and call for further actions by the U.S. to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent future atrocities.
“While I cautiously welcome the long-awaited Rohingya genocide determination, which is a historical and vital first step to humanize the Rohingya, I would like to urge the Biden administration that they still need to take the necessary tangible actions to appropriately hold the Burmese accountable for the atrocity crimes of genocide against Rohingya but also for war crimes and crimes against humanity against all other ethnic and religious minorities, including their own ethnic Burman. Forceful action must be taken to release the people of Burma from the cycle of violence, beginning with holding the Burmese military accountable for all genocidal acts and crimes against humanity of all the people of Burma. Otherwise, this determination means nothing for the people of Burma,” said Myra Dahgaypaw, Refugee Congress Delegate for Virginia.
"Being a Rohingya, I sincerely welcomed the decision made by the government of the United States and recognizing the crimes committed by the Myanmar military against Rohingya people as genocide,” said Abdul Hamid, Refugee Congress Delegate for Wisconsin. “I strongly hope that the U.S. government will undertake effective measures to bring the genocidal perpetrators to justice and take action against the ruling Myanmar regime, while ensuring safe repatriation of Rohingya people to their original villages and guaranteeing their citizenship, ethnic identity, civil and socioeconomic rights."
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Refugee Congress is a nonpartisan advocacy organization built and led by former refugees, asylum-seekers and other vulnerable migrants to promote the well-being, integration and dignity of all vulnerable migrants. With delegates across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we use our voices and experiences to inform and influence decision-makers on critical domestic and international issues that affect our communities.
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