This declaration was intended to generate international pressure and lay the foundation for possible legal action.
According to Blinken, in a speech at The U.S., authorities made this determination based upon confirmed accounts of massacres on civilians in Myanmar’s military during a systematic campaign against ethnic minorities. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The eighth time that the U.S. has declared a genocide occurred since the Holocaust is 8. The secretary of state pointed out the importance of bringing attention to human suffering, even when horrific attacks are occurring elsewhere in the world, such as Ukraine.
He said, “Yes, we stand by the people of Ukraine.” “And we must also stand by people who are subject to atrocities elsewhere.”
Since a military coup in February 2021, the government of Myanmar (also known as Burma) is under multiple layers U.S. sanctions. As part of the ongoing repression against anyone who opposes the ruling junta, thousands of civilians have been killed or imprisoned throughout the country.
The conviction that genocide occurred could cause other countries to put more pressure on the government. The government is already being accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
Blinken stated, “As the foundation for future accountability is laid, we’re also working towards stopping the military’s continuing atrocities and supporting the people of Burma in their efforts to put the country on the path back to democracy.”
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, stated that Blinken’s announcement “emphasizes” to victims and survivors that the United States recognizes their gravity.
She stated that shedding light on the crimes committed by Burma’s military would increase international pressure and make it more difficult for them to continue their abuses.
Rohingya, from Muslim Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, faced systematic persecution at the hands of the Buddhist majority for decades under both the military junta that ruled the nation for decades as well as the democratically-elected government.
Since August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar (a Buddhist-majority country) to Bangladesh refugee camps. The military launched an operation to expel them after rebel groups attacked the country.
U.S. government legal professionals had been reviewing the status of Rohingya’s plight since Trump’s administration. This was due to potential legal implications. Both inside and outside of the government were critical of the delay in determining the issue.
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley stated that while this decision is overdue, it is a powerful and crucial step to hold this brutal regime accountable.
Human rights groups welcomed the decision, which is similar in nature to other countries’ findings, such as France, Canada, and Turkey.
Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, stated that “The U.S. determination on the crime of genocide versus us is a momentous occasion and must lead to concrete actions to hold the Burmese army accountable for their crimes.”
Human Rights Watch stated that the U.S. government and other governments should pursue justice for military crimes and impose more sanctions on its leaders.
John Sifton (the group’s Asia advocacy Director), stated that the U.S. government should combine its condemnations against Myanmar’s military with actions. “For too long, the U.S. has allowed Myanmar’s generals commit atrocities without any real consequences.”
According to a 2018 State Department report, Myanmar’s military has been razing villages and torturing civilians. This was in addition to rapes, tortures, and mass killings. Blinken stated that evidence proved the violence was not isolated but part of a larger program that amounts to crimes Against humanity.
He stated that there was evidence of a clear intention behind the mass atrocities and the intent to kill Rohingya in whole or part through killings, torture, and rape.
The U.S. has previously declared genocide against Uyghurs, and other largely Muslim minority groups in China, as well as in Bosnia and Rwanda, Iraq, Darfur, and Iraq.
A related development is that a report, released Mondayshared only with The Associated Press, showed that Global Witness submitted eight paid advertisements for approval to Facebook. Each ad included different hate speech against Rohingya.
Facebook approved all eight ads for publication. Although the ads were not published by Facebook, the results showed that Facebook does not prevent hate speech from its platforms despite its promises.
