The United States has expressed concern over the plight of the Rohingya community in Myanmar. The Gambia has taken the plight of the community to the International Court of Justice accusing the Myanmar of a genocide against them.
“We stand ready to support a holistic transitional justice process to address the long history of atrocities once such a process becomes viable to respect the demands of victims and survivors for truth, reparation, justice, and non-recurrence,” US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya, said.
Acknowledging the genocide as the first step, not the last, she said, all must take the next steps together to bring an end to the violence and prevent the recurrence of atrocities.
Zeya who was speaking on the occasion of six years since the start of the horrific genocide against Rohingyas, said the US Department of State.
She thanked members of the Rohingya diaspora who joined in. “I applaud your resilience in the face of ongoing persecution,” she said.
“Over the course of 2016 and 2017, Myanmar’s military brutally attacked Rohingya communities.
Systematic acts of violence, including torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and mass killings led to largescale displacement and loss of thousands of innocent lives.
The Myanmar military targeted one of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations in the country, forcing over 740,000 Rohingyas to seek refuge in Bangladesh.
The rippling impact of those attacks continues today, six years later.
Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingya refugees, with significant numbers seeking refuge in nearby countries.
Many more remain internally displaced in Myanmar’s Rakhine State,” she added.
Zeya said during her visit to Bangladesh in July, she met with Rohingya refugees, who shared personal stories of the horrific violence they and their families endured in Burma and the fear of continued persecution that prevents their return.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to provide assistance to survivors and victims, seek accountability for those responsible, and pursue justice for the survivors and victims,” Zeya said.
