BSS–54 US reiterates call for justice, accountability in Myanmar

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BSS–54

US-ROHINGYA-MYANMAR

US reiterates call for justice, accountability in Myanmar

DHAKA, Aug 26, 2020 (BSS) – The USA has reiterated its call for justice for Rohingya victims and accountability for those responsible for launching brutal attacks against Myanmar’s minor community on August 2017.

“Three years after Burma’s (Myanmar’s) security forces launched brutal attacks against hundreds of thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children, the United States reiterates its call for justice for victims and accountability for those responsible,” said US Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus in a statement on Tuesday, US Embassy here said today.

It said the USA has taken strong actions to promote justice for victims and accountability for those responsible for atrocities including imposing financial sanctions and visa restrictions on top military leaders and units linked to serious human rights abuses.

The USA is also supporting UN investigation mechanisms and encouraging Myanmar to participate fully in International Court of Justice (ICJ) proceedings and comply with court orders, said the statement.

“We appreciate the sustained commitment of the international community to hold the perpetrators of these atrocities to account. Much more remains to be done,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

It said the USA urges authorities in Myanmar to establish conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and to deepen efforts to implement recommendations from the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

The USA remains concerned over the killing local communities members and displacement of thousands, which undermines prospects for the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons and erodes prospects for peace, it added.

“In the face of escalating fighting in Rakhine State, we urge a cessation of violence, dialogue, renewed efforts to protect local communities, and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance,” Ortagus said.

In last three years, the United States has provided more than $951 million to ease the humanitarian suffering of all affected by the crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

“We deeply appreciate Bangladesh’s continued generosity in hosting more than 860,000 Rohingya. We call on other nations to ensure continued humanitarian support to Rohingya and to deepen efforts to resolve the crisis,” the statement read.

The United States will continue to partner with the people of Burma as they work to overcome the legacy of authoritarian rule, expand democracy, and achieve peace, said the spokesperson.

Since August 25 in 2017, Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and other rights groups dubbed as “genocide”.

Even after putting all efforts from Bangladesh, not a single Rohingya went back in last three years.

BSS/PR/TA/RY/21:28hrs