Tillerson Calls Violence Against Rohingya in Myanmar 'Ethnic Cleansing'

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is calling the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state that triggered a mass relocation of Muslim Rohingya to neighboring Bangladesh ethnic cleansing.

"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," Tillerson said in a written statement Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department had been considering whether to officially make such a designation. During a visit last week to Myanmar, Tillerson said events in the west coast state of Rakhine had the "characteristics of crimes against humanity" but stopped short of describing them as ethnic cleansing.

Tillerson also said Wednesday the United States will continue to work with the United Nations to seek resolution to the crisis in Myanmar and "will also pursue accountability through U.S. law, including possible targeted sanctions."

Myanmar's government has repeatedly rejected claims that atrocities, including rape and extrajudicial killings, are occurring in northern Rakhine, the epicenter of the violence that the U.N. has qualified as "textbook ethnic cleansing."

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya and denies them citizenship, referring to them as "Bengali" to imply origins in Bangladesh.

Tillerson's statement Wednesday comes a day after a U.S. Senate delegation to Myanmar said the crisis in the Rakhine state "has all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing."

"Many refugees have suffered direct attacks including loved ones, children and husbands being killed in front of them, wives and daughters being raped, burns and other horrific injuries," Senator Jeff Merkley told a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Yangon.

Merkley said the U.S. Congressional delegation has urged Myanmar's government to implement the recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine Advisory Commission, and to allow the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations access to the troubled region to provide humanitarian assistance.

Hope from Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed hope Tuesday for reaching an agreement with Bangladesh on the return of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh in the past three months.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Myanmar's Rakhine state since August 25, after insurgents attacked security forces and prompted a brutal military crackdown that the U.N. has described as ethnic cleansing.

Aung San Suu Kyi said the neighboring countries are working on a memorandum of understanding for the "safe and voluntary return" for those who fled.

"Nothing can be done overnight, but we believe that we will be able to make steady progress," she said.

Report from Amnesty International

Also Tuesday, the human rights group Amnesty International issued a new report saying the government in Myanmar discriminates and segregates Rohingya and other Muslims communities.

"In the case of the Rohingya, this is so severe that it amounts to a widespread and systemic attack on a civilian population, which is clearly linked to their ethnic (or racial) identity, and therefore legally constitutes apartheid, a crime against humanity under international law," Amnesty said.

The group called on Myanmar to institute an action plan to combat discrimination, reform discriminatory laws and policies, and make sure that those responsible for crimes against humanity are held accountable.

"We're calling for an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against officials responsible for this system. But we're also insisting that any development aid provided by the international community must be conditioned on the principle of non-discrimination because otherwise it risks perpetuating this already atrocious situation," said Amnesty International research director Anna Neistat.

In his written statement Wednesday, Secretary of State Tillerson said the situation is "difficult and complex" and called for accountability.

"Those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable. The United States continues to support a credible, independent investigation to further determine all facts on the ground to aid in these processes of accountability."

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