Biden Administration Determines Myanmar Military Action is Genocide [1]
On March 21, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken gave remarks [3] at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in which he stated that he has "determined that members of the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya." According to Blinken, this is the eighth instance of genocide committed since the Holocaust. Secretary Blinken's decision was "based on reviewing a factual assessment and legal analysis prepared by the State Department, which included detailed documentation by a range of independent, impartial sources, including . . . Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch." He also placed great weight on a joint report [4] published in 2017 by the Museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide [5] and Fortify Rights [6], which was based on a survey of over one thousand Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. According to Blinken, the results of the survey demonstrated that the abuses experienced by the Rohingya "were not isolated cases" and that "[t]he attack against Rohingya was widespread and systematic, which is crucial for reaching a determination of crimes against humanity." In addition, he stated that "[t]he evidence also points to a clear intent behind these mass atrocities - the intent to destroy Rohingya, in whole or in part." He then outlined a number of actions the U.S. has taken to punish those responsible for the genocide against the Rohingya, and concluded by stating that "the United States reaffirms its broader commitment to accompany Rohingya on this path out of genocide - toward truth, toward accountability, toward a home that will welcome them as equal members, that will respect their human rights and dignity, alongside that of all people in Burma."