Risch, Menendez, Engel, McCaul Statement on Third Anniversary of Rohingya Genocide

BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Representatives Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement on the third anniversary of the Burmese military’s violent crackdown on Rohingya:

“Three years after the Burmese security forces’ genocide against the Rohingya, around a million Rohingya refugees remain in neighboring Bangladesh, and thousands more are internally displaced within Rakhine State, caught in the crosshairs of ongoing conflict and violence.

“We are grateful to the people and government of Bangladesh for generously hosting Rohingya refugees and we look forward to working with international partners to improve support for Bangladesh, along with refugees’ health and human rights, access to information, social services, education, and economic opportunities.

“As we reflect on today’s tragic anniversary, we must remember who is responsible for this man-made suffering and continue to hold the Burmese military accountable for its crimes. The administration should do more in the pursuit of justice for the victims of genocide, including to impose financial sanctions against Burmese military leaders and to work with international partners to continue to pursue justice until it is served.”

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