Senator Collins, Bipartisan Colleagues Call on Administration to Condemn Rohingya Genocide, Provide Additional Support

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a bipartisan group of eight colleagues yesterday—the third anniversary of the brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing conducted by the Burmese military against the Rohingya Muslim minority—in urging U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to take additional action to support the Rohingya community, to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities, and to refer to these crimes by their proper term: genocide.

“Since August 25, 2017, close to 800,000 Rohingya have fled violence in Burma by escaping into neighboring Bangladesh.  Most of them are living in refugee camps in horrific conditions, joining hundreds of thousands of other Rohingya forced to flee from Burma due to decades of government-sanctioned violence,” the Senators wrote.  “Throughout this time, the systemic campaign of violence against the Rohingya has been well-documented by the State Department and many others.  The Burmese military has murdered thousands of Rohingya, committed widespread rape and sexual violence, destroyed hundreds of villages, thrown children and babies into fires, and used mass graves to attempt to conceal their reprehensible crimes.

“We urge you and President Trump to speak out forcefully and publicly about these atrocities, acknowledging the gravity of the crimes with a determination of crimes against humanity and genocide,” the Senators continued.  “The Rohingya people continue to face real and imminent risk, and the United States should act today to demonstrate global leadership and stand boldly against these genocidal tactics that have no place in civilized society.”

In addition to Senator Collins, the letter was signed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Edward Markey (D-MA), Todd Young (R-IN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Click HERE to read the full letter.

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