354 Rohingyan villages burned to the ground.
52 percent of Rohingyan refugees raped.
60 meetings with elected officials.
100 delegates lobbying for the voiceless.
10 Rohingya leaders sharing their people's genocide.
In a powerful interfaith effort, the Burma Task Force and allies advocated Congress for the passage of the The Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act (S.2060) and The Burma Unified Through Rigorous Military Accountability Act (H.R.4223).
Thousands of phone calls, letters, emails and many meetings later, in late October 2017, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced legislation in both houses of Congress that would impose sanctions targeting certain members of Myanmar’s military. The Unites States government is the only elected government
“The scale of human rights abuses against the Rohingya people and other minority communities in Burma has been staggering,” said Senator McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who coauthored the bill.
Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Todd Young (R-IN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Marco Rubio, (R-FL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Bob Casey (D-PA) also cosponsored the legislation. Senator Markey added the amendment recognizing rape and gender based violence as a weapon of genocide.
The Burma Act of 2017 imposes restrictions on U.S. persons’ dealings with — and provision of support for — members of the Burmese military. These include prohibition against the provision of security assistance or engagement in military-to-military programs with the armed forces or security forces of Burma; and by extension, the Burmese economy more broadly. Reinstatement of import restrictions on jadeite and rubies from Burma.Designation of — and imposition of visa bans targeting — senior officials of the Burmese military or security forces who (1) played a direct and substantial role in the commission of human rightsabuses; or (2) failed to investigate human rights abuses committed by subordinate.
Karim Yaqub, a Rohingya resettled former refugee, shared his story of escaping in a boat and leaving behind his family with staffers and Congresspeople, such a Rep Ro Khanna of California.
"I would like to thank 100 plus people who came all across America and met 60 plus senators and representatives to support Rohingyas by passing Senate Bill 2060 and House bill 4223. Thank you all of you who called or wrote to their Senators and Representatives,” said Imam Malik Mujahid.
The Friend’s Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker organization, gave the training to the delegates in the Congressional hearing. Jewish interfaith partners concerned about another genocide, such as HIAS, a Jewish refugee settlement organization and American Jewish World Service dedicated efforts with the task force,
Representative Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), former Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, and Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced the act to re-impose sanctions on the Burmese military in response to the ongoing genocide of the Rohingya people. The Burma United Through Rigorous Military Accountability Act would: prohibit American military assistance to Burma until the perpetrators of this violence are held accountable; impose trade, visa and financial restrictions on those responsible for these crimes; require reporting on the ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and genocide taking place; support investigations into eventual prosecution of war criminals; and promote economic development in Burma.
“The United States will not stand idle as the crisis in Burma escalates,” said Rep. Chabot. “Increased sanctions on the Burmese military—responsible for the displacement of over 600,000 Rohingya, mostly women and children—signals that the international community is prepared to increase pressure on senior military officials engaged in this ethnic cleansing and will hold accountable those responsible to the maximum extent possible. I hope that the united and concerted effort of my colleagues in Congress encourages the civilian leaders in Burma to take action.”
“The Burmese military and security forces are carrying out ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people while the military-drafted constitution constrains elected civilian leaders in Burma from stopping these abuses. It’s time to reimpose targeted sanctions against the senior military officials responsible for this brutality to send a clear message: this violence must stop, perpetrators must be held accountable, and there must be meaningful civilian control over Burma’s military and security forces.” said Rep. Engel.
The BTF delegations received bipartisan support in both House and Senate. They now wait for Majority Leader Senator McConnell of Kentucky to move it to the floor for a vote. "All Members and staffers we met agree that action on genocide must be taken immediately, to prevent any other considerations or interests from ending the most dire humanitarian crisis of our times,” stated Robert Marro, Director of Outreach for BTF Washington.
BTF has reporters on the ground in Bangladesh and Burma and closely monitors the situation. According to recent news from the border between the two countries, the Burmese military is threatening the thousands of Rohingya stranded there and trying to force them deeper into Rakhine State, where they are at risk of extermination.
Burmese forces patrolled the zero line area, coercing Rohingyans, where they sought shelter after fleeing the genocidal operation in 2017. At noon on March 1, 2018, a large number of military Border Guard Police (BGP) and police arrived at the zero line and started heavy interrogations looking for members of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a rebel unit.
Random firing by the military ensued.
In panic Rohingyans started to scream which were heard by the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB), which forced a ceasefire.
Following the extreme situation, the Rohingya trapped in this no man land are extremely terrified of their fate and fear further attacks from brutal Burmese forces.
The writer is a delegate of the Burma Task Force Rohingya Advocacy Day.
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