Myanmar Rohingya violence is genocide, US says
The Biden administration has declared that Myanmar's military has committed genocide against the Rohingya minority.
2022-03-21 20:29:31 - VI News Staff
The US has seen evidence pointing to a clear intent to destroy the Rohingya, with reports of killings, mass rape and arson, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since the military crackdown that began in 2017.
More than 6,000 people were killed in the first month of the onslaught.
Speaking at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, Mr Blinken called the attacks against Rohingya "widespread and systematic".
He said said the administration's determination was based on a review by the US state department that included documents gathered by organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as independent research by the US.
Mr Blinken announced the US would provide $1m (£758,000) in new funding for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which continues to examine atrocities.
A case against Myanmar, also called Burma, was opened at the International Court of Justice in 2019.
"The day will come when those responsible for these appalling acts will have to answer for them," Mr Blinken said.
A civilian government was in charge when the military launched its campaign, but in 2021 the military took power in a coup. Mr Blinken said that since the coup, the military continues to use the same tactics.