Three years ago, after losing a national election by a landslide, Burma's military imposed a state of emergency on the country and staged a coup d’état. They arrested the country’s elected civilian leaders and cracked down on the peaceful protests that followed.
Numerous reports, including several by the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, have concluded that Burma’s military regime continues to target civilians through air strikes and the razing of populated areas.
“Following a rigorous factual and legal analysis, the United States Secretary of State determined that members of Burma’s military have committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya in 2017,” said Beth Van Schaack, [Skak] the State Department’s Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice. “Since the coup three years ago, the military regime has escalated its brutality against those who hope for democracy in Burma.”
“The regime has carried out executions of pro-democracy activists, political leaders, and peaceful protestors. It has killed thousands of men, women, and children, destroying schools and places of worship. It has also suspended most civil liberties and detained and tortured political prisoners.”
“The crisis in Burma has generated an unprecedented mix of accountability responses,” said Ambassador Van Schaack. “The Gambia, with the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, initiated a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, accusing Burma of violating its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“In January 2020, the International Court of Justice ruled that Burma must take measures within its power to prevent genocide against Rohingya and to preserve evidence. The United States has shared information with The Gambia’s lawyers as they prepare their submissions to court,” she said.
An end to the violence and repositioning of Burma on a path to democracy are a top priority for the United States.
“The United States has ramped up economic and political pressure on the military regime, including by restricting U.S. dollar transactions with state-owned enterprises that enable the military to kill and harm civilians,” said Ambassador Van Schaack.
“The U.S. Government has also provided nearly $4.2 billion in assistance to assist refugees in Bangladesh and also for other needs,” she said.
“Going forward, the United States will continue to conduct extensive documentation of the atrocities … and to call for accountability for human rights abuses and for corruption,” said Ambassador Van Schaack. “We will continue to support the people of Burma in their own efforts to seek truth, justice, and accountability.”
