Oregon’s Rohingya Community Calls on the International Community to Stand Up Against Ongoing Genocide
Three years ago today the Burmese military unleashed a campaign against us in our homeland, killing and brutalizing thousands and forcing hundreds of thousands of us to become displaced. On this anniversary of these vicious and violent attacks, we stand with our Rohingya brothers and sisters around the world to say that we will not allow the government of Burma to erase our identity, our heritage, our community or our dignity.
Our future remains uncertain. While close to a million Rohingya are currently living in camps in Bangladesh, thousands of Rohingya remain in Rakhine State. The conditions are not conducive for those in Bangladesh to return home and lack of opportunities for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have pushed some people to try to escape by boat. For Rohingya still in Rakhine, the reality on the ground is bleak. Armed conflict, killings, sexual and gender based violence, forced displacement, severe movement restrictions and a lack of basic services are all a part of daily life. We call on the Burmese government to immediately halt these actions and restore our citizenship. We acknowledge that the Rohingya are not alone and other ethnic minority communities in Burma also face extreme violence and persecution. We must unite in our attempts to bring accountability and justice to all people in Burma. In particular we ask the Burmese government to:
Fully address the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State and create conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return. This cannot be done without restoration of Rohingya citizenship, giving us access to fundamental rights and freedoms, allowing for access to education, healthcare, livelihood opportunities, and inclusion in civic life including the ability to run for office in the November elections.
Cooperate and support accountability and justice mechanisms including, but not limited to, the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
Address the escalation in fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army which has significantly impacted civilians in Rakhine and Chin States and resulted in grave human rights violations including new displacement of thousands.
Lift internet restrictions that have been in place since June 2019, hindering humanitarian access and the ability to effectively disseminate accurate and lifesaving information on Covid-19.
End the use of hate speech on social media and elsewhere that continues to fuel the violent attacks on ethnic minorities and human rights activists.
We are grateful to the government of Bangladesh for creating a safe haven for close to a million Rohingya who have fled atrocities. Although it is Burma’s responsibility to address the root causes of these atrocities, it is clear that the conditions are still not in place for voluntary return. Therefore we ask Bangladesh to lift restrictions on refugees and create an environment that will provide opportunities and access for Rohingya to live with safety, health and dignity. This includes, but is not limited to, allowing formal education, lifting internet restrictions in place since August 25, 2019 and including Rohingya civil society in the decision making process. Any relocations to the island of Bhasan Char must be voluntary and should not take place until an international assessment determines the island to be safe.
On this day we ask the international community to join with us and stand against these injustices. Genocide does not happen overnight. The third anniversary of the brutal and violent attack on our villages in Rakhine is far from the beginning of the persecution that we have faced. Our community has witnessed and experienced the systematic attempts to erase us from the earth for decades and continue to see our rights stripped. To honor all of those who have died or been victim to this vicious campaign, the international community must take concrete steps to create viable pathways for sustainable solutions to take place. Keeping the conversation going is not enough. We must see action. The following actions will help to achieve this:
The United States must join the the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the UN Fact Finding Mission in Myanmar and others in making a genocide determination in regard to the crimes against us.
Regional governments must honor the principle of non-refoulement and end blanket policies to push boats carrying Rohingya refugees back to sea. Boats carrying refugees must be allowed to dock and refugees permitted to disembark and apply for asylum in accordance with international law.
Current sanctions are largely symbolic and ineffective. Targeted sanctions need to be imposed on Tatmadaw owned and controlled businesses to be impactful.
More States need to come forward in supporting The Gambia’s case at the International Court of Justice.
The international community must work to protect security and fundamental rights as well as ensure accountability for rights violations for the Rohingya and other affected ethnic minority communities.
For everyone that is working to achieve these goals, we say thank you. In our own Oregon community, we are grateful for the congressional leadership in Senators Merkley and Wyden who have continued to be strong advocates and supporters of our community. While we are here in the US we hold in our hearts our loved ones that remain in Burma, in camps in Bangladesh, in Malaysia and elsewhere. We will never forget you and pledge to do all that we can to bring about an end to these horrific acts.
The perpetrators of these crimes - the Tatmadaw and Burma’s civilian government - must not be allowed to continue to act with impunity. We believe that with a united effort, the genocide against our people can end. Stand with us.