On the sixth anniversary of the genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma (Myanmar), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed America's pledge to seek justice for the victims and survivors.
"Today marks the sixth anniversary of the genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Burma’s military against Rohingya," Blinken said in an Aug. 24 post on X, formerly Twitter. "The United States stands with the victims and survivors, and we remain committed to advancing justice and accountability for these atrocities."
The Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim minority estimated at 3.5 million globally, mainly resided in Myanmar's Rakhine State before 2017, according to the Council of Foreign Relations.
In August of that year, violent clashes erupted following attacks on police and army posts by a militant group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, the Council on Foreign Relations said. The Myanmar military responded with a campaign that led to the destruction of hundreds of Rohingya villages and forced nearly 700,000 people to flee, primarily to Bangladesh.
According to Doctors Without Borders, at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the first month following the initial attacks, which occurred Aug. 25-Sept. 24, 2017. Myanmar’s security forces have also been accused of opening fire on fleeing civilians and planting land mines near border crossings used by the Rohingya.
Blinken expressed gratitude to Bangladesh for providing refuge to nearly one million Rohingya, according to an Aug. 24 State Department news release.
"We are deeply grateful to the government and the people of Bangladesh, as well as other countries in the region hosting Rohingya refugees," he said in the release.
The U.S. contributed more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian aid since 2017 to assist those affected by the crisis, making it the largest single donor, the release reported. It was noted the increase in violence negatively impacted the "dire humanitarian situation" especially for religious and ethnic minorities, including Rohingya.
"The United States remains committed to advancing justice and accountability for all the people of Burma and will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Burma in their aspirations for a democratic, inclusive and peaceful future," Blinken said in the State Department news release.
