The US on Wednesday declared the ongoing violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar to be “ethnic cleansing,” threatening penalties for military officials engaged in a brutal crackdown that has sent more than 620,000 refugees flooding over the border to Bangladesh.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson blamed Burmese security forces and “local vigilantes” for what he called “intolerable suffering” by the Rohingya.
Although the military has accused Rohingya insurgents of triggering the crisis, Tillerson said that “no provocation can justify the horrendous atrocities that have ensued.”
“After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine State constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya,” Tillerson said in a statement.
Although the designation carries no legal obligations for the US to act, Tillerson said those who perpetrated the atrocities “must be held accountable.”
He added that the US wanted a full investigation and was considering “targeted sanctions” against those responsible — but not broader sanctions against the nation.
Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine State have been fleeing to Bangladesh, seeking refuge from what the Burmese military has called “clearance operations.”
The crisis started in August, when Rohingya insurgents attacked Burmese security forces, leading to a brutal crackdown in which soldiers and Buddhist mobs have killed men, raped women and girls and burned homes and property to force the Rohingya to leave.
The declaration followed a lengthy review process by US President Donald Trump’s administration to determine whether the violence met the threshold to be considered ethnic cleansing.
The UN came to that conclusion in September, but the US had held off, with Tillerson saying that he needed more information, even as he expressed deep concern about the crisis.
Last week, Tillerson traveled to Myanmar in the highest level visit by a US official since Trump took office.
US officials dangled the possibility of an “ethnic cleansing” designation ahead of Tillerson’s trip, potentially giving him more leverage as he met with officials in Myanmar.
In the capital, Naypyidaw, Tillerson met with the Burmese State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is in charge of operations in Rakhine State, home to Myanmar’s Rohingya population.
Senior US Department of State officials said the determination was intended to ramp up pressure on the military and others in Myanmar to resolve the conflict and repatriate refugees who have fled to Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, a US House of Representatives committee passed a nonbinding resolution condemning “murderous ethnic cleansing and atrocities” and calling on Trump to impose sanctions on those responsible for abuses.
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