United States officials stated on March 20th that the Biden administration will declare Myanmar’s repression of its Rohingya Muslim population a “genocide.”
The decision is “long overdue,” Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon publicly said, but “it is nevertheless a powerful and critically important step in holding this brutal regime to account. Such processes must always be carried out objectively, consistently, and in a way that transcends geopolitical considerations.”
The new term does not inherently mean that the U.S. will take new measures against Myanmar’s military government, which it has already hit with multiple sanctions since the military began their campaign against the Rohingya in 2017. But it is still a meaningful step. “Genocide” is the mass killing of people from a specific nation or ethnic group with the goal of destroying that people. Determining that Myanmar’s actions toward the Rohingya are, in fact, genocide is inherently valuable because it recognizes that these actions are not acceptable and should outrage the international community. The designation of genocide creates a historical record and acknowledges the victims – the extent to which they suffer and the truth behind their claims. Public designation of genocide can also promote effective atrocity prevention. It is critical that states and involved actors make clear that they will never leave genocide unnoticed, no matter where it occurs.
Rohingya people have suffered discrimination and repression for decades. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority living in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, but are not recognized as Myanma citizens; they are stateless. The government subjects them to violence and persecution. Rohingya are denied freedom of movement and access to adequate food, healthcare, education, and work. 900,000 Rohingya have fled the country since the Rohingya crisis began in 2017. That August 25th, Rohingya insurgents launched a deadly attack on police posts. Troops and local Buddhist mobs responded by burning down Rohingya villages and killing civilians. Within the first month, 6,700 Rohingya had been killed, including 730 children under the age of five.
Amnesty International confirms that the Myanma military raped and abused Rohingya women and girls. In 2018, a United Nations report accused the military of carrying out mass killings and rapes with a “genocidal intent.”
The Rohingya are currently living in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. It is estimated that only 600,000 Rohingya remain in the Rakhine State.
Acts of genocide are not a thing of the past. It is important to recognize the increasing number of victims who are still suffering today, no matter how far away they live from our homes. The Rohingya have faced mass killings, rape, and abuse for five years now, all while being denied the right to a livelihood. We must recognize this for the atrocity it is and rightly designate it genocide.