The United States on Wednesday labelled the Myanmar military operation against the Rohingya population “ethnic cleansing” and said it would consider targeted sanctions against those responsible.
Referring to “horrendous atrocities” against the Rohingya, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement, “After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine State constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.”
‘Abuse by military’
Although a top UN official in September described the military actions as a textbook case of “ethnic cleansing”, Mr. Tillerson left Myanmar after a visit last week without using the label. His statement made clear the U.S. stance has shifted.
“These abuses by some among the Burmese military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes in Burma to seek refuge in Bangladesh,” he said.
The United States supports an independent investigation into what happened in Rakhine State and will pursue actions including possible targeted sanctions, Mr. Tillerson said. “Those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable,” he said.
Human rights monitors have accused Myanmar’s military of atrocities, including mass rape, against the stateless Rohingya during so-called clearance operations following Rohingya militants attacks on 30 police posts and an army base.
More than 6,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine State in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, mostly to neighbouring Bangladesh, since the crackdown, which followed the Aug. 25 insurgent attacks.
Tougher response
Pressure had mounted for a tougher U.S. response to the Rohingya crisis before President Donald Trump’s maiden visit to Asia this month to attend a summit of South-East Asian countries, including Myanmar, in Manila. In early November, U.S. lawmakers proposed targeted sanctions and travel restrictions on military officials in Myanmar.
Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, part of a congressional delegation that visited Rakhine this week, told reporters there on Tuesday, “This has all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing.”
Myanmar’s two-year-old government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has faced heavy international criticism for its response to the crisis.
