Our Joint Statement on the Determination by the US Govt of Genocide & Crimes Against Humanity Against Rohingya. March 25, 2022 We, Rohingya civil society organizations based in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh warmly welcome the United States Government’s determination that the Myanmar military’s attack against us in 2016 and 2017 in Rakhine State amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity. Rohingya victims and the survivors had hoped and expected this declaration for a long time. This long-held expectation takes nothing away, however, from the historic nature of this declaration. This remarkable milestone is the result of the efforts of the Rohingya community in Bangladesh and globally, as well as the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, non-governmental organizations, and many others. Our hope and call now is for the Myanmar military leadership to be prosecuted for genocide and crimes against humanity. The military junta continues to commit crimes against Rohingya and other ethnic groups throughout the country. Our people in Rakhine State are facing ongoing persecution and restrictions including on their rights to freedom of movement, livelihoods, and nationality. Rohingya refugees long to return to their original homeland in Rakhine State. We will return to Myanmar once there is accountability, full citizenship and rights for our people. Rohingya refugees in the camps believe that declaring what happened to us as a genocide should help push efforts to hold the Myanmar military accountable for their crimes. We also believe the United States should formally support the ongoing case brought by The Gambia at the International Court of Justice, and push for the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.
Rohingya Students Network
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