Ten Rohingya civil society organisations from Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp have released a statement expressing support for the Rohingya GAP Act that has been introduced into the U.S. Congress.
The Rohingya GAP Act was proposed to the U.S. Congress by U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Michael McCaul (R-TX)
The Rohingya GAP Act was proposed to the U.S. Congress by U.S. Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Michael McCaul (R-TX)
It seeks to provide protection, support, and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and internally displaced people. It also promotes accountability and a path out of genocide and crimes against humanity for the Rohingya.
Below is the 16 July statement from the civil society organisations:
We, the Rohingya Civil Society Organisations from Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp, express our full appreciation for the support and efforts of the United States of America to support the Rohingya. The Department of State’s determination of what happened to the Rohingya in 2016/2017 in Rakhine State as genocide is a clear recognition of the grave nature of the suffering inflicted upon us in Myanmar. We support the U.S.’s pursuit of justice and accountability for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Rohingya survivors.
We also express our heartfelt gratitude and strong support for the recently introduced Rohingya Gap Act Bill H.R 8936, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and co-led by Rep. Michael McCaul, Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Following the U.S. Government’s determination of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya in March 2022, international funding for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has decreased despite growing needs. U.S. support has been limited to humanitarian funding and the opening of a pathway to resettlement for a small number of Rohingya. This support, while welcome, lacks a comprehensive approach to support ethnic Rohingya in overcoming the impact of genocide, crimes against humanity, decades of systemic persecution, marginalization, and military impunity. Now, a second wave of genocide has been triggered in Myanmar’s Arakan State against the remaining Rohingya population, against the backdrop of an ongoing arm conflict between Myanmar Military (Junta) and Arakan Army (AA). As such, the Rohingya crisis and the broader Burma crisis must be addressed simultaneously, and not as separate issues. The bipartisan Rohingya GAP Act H.R. 8936, seeks to accomplish just this by establishing a holistic U.S. policy that will support the Rohingya community and create a pathway out of genocide and other grave human rights violations.
As the Rohingya Civil Society Organizations from Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp we come together to call on the U.S. Government to:
• Authorise the designation of a Special Coordinator for Rohingya Atrocities Prevention and Response at the State Department to coordinate Rohingya policy, as a milestone step to consistently and effectively response to the Rohingya crisis in a timely and effective manner. And calling for a holistic U.S. strategy to support Rohingya that includes protection efforts; engagement with the Rohingya community and stakeholders to facilitate safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation to Burma; developing a comprehensive transitional justice strategy; humanitarian assistance, including basic needs and access to livelihoods; programs to prevent and respond to gender based violence and trafficking; and support for Rohingya civil society organisations to meaningfully implement in accordance Rohingya culture and norms;
• Provide resources for USAID and the Department of State to ensure that Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh receive a ration sufficient to meet the humanitarian minimum standards for food and nutrition that mitigate child labor, sex for cash, human trafficking and other inhumane acts imposes by the inefficiency of Humanitarian response;
• Facilitate higher education scholarships for Rohingya refugees through 2030 that help mitigate the generations lost to conflict, and empower Rohingya youth that they can contribute to rebuild, reinstitute and rehabilitate Rohingya in Myanmar;
• Establish a new Conflict Observatory for Burma to monitor and report on the ongoing violence in Burma, that may help to directly watch human rights situation and take immediate measures to intervene and protect civilians; and
• Authorise USD $10 million per year for 5 years for the Department of State to support atrocity crime investigations, documentation, and casework, transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, witness protection measures, and technical support related to Rohingya may enable an effective pathway to effectively support the efforts to pursuit of justice for the Rohingya people in a timely manner.
Below is the 16 July statement from the civil society organisations:
We, the Rohingya Civil Society Organisations from Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp, express our full appreciation for the support and efforts of the United States of America to support the Rohingya. The Department of State’s determination of what happened to the Rohingya in 2016/2017 in Rakhine State as genocide is a clear recognition of the grave nature of the suffering inflicted upon us in Myanmar. We support the U.S.’s pursuit of justice and accountability for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Rohingya survivors.
We also express our heartfelt gratitude and strong support for the recently introduced Rohingya Gap Act Bill H.R 8936, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and co-led by Rep. Michael McCaul, Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Following the U.S. Government’s determination of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya in March 2022, international funding for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh has decreased despite growing needs. U.S. support has been limited to humanitarian funding and the opening of a pathway to resettlement for a small number of Rohingya. This support, while welcome, lacks a comprehensive approach to support ethnic Rohingya in overcoming the impact of genocide, crimes against humanity, decades of systemic persecution, marginalization, and military impunity. Now, a second wave of genocide has been triggered in Myanmar’s Arakan State against the remaining Rohingya population, against the backdrop of an ongoing arm conflict between Myanmar Military (Junta) and Arakan Army (AA). As such, the Rohingya crisis and the broader Burma crisis must be addressed simultaneously, and not as separate issues. The bipartisan Rohingya GAP Act H.R. 8936, seeks to accomplish just this by establishing a holistic U.S. policy that will support the Rohingya community and create a pathway out of genocide and other grave human rights violations.
As the Rohingya Civil Society Organizations from Cox’s Bazar Rohingya Camp we come together to call on the U.S. Government to:
• Authorise the designation of a Special Coordinator for Rohingya Atrocities Prevention and Response at the State Department to coordinate Rohingya policy, as a milestone step to consistently and effectively response to the Rohingya crisis in a timely and effective manner. And calling for a holistic U.S. strategy to support Rohingya that includes protection efforts; engagement with the Rohingya community and stakeholders to facilitate safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation to Burma; developing a comprehensive transitional justice strategy; humanitarian assistance, including basic needs and access to livelihoods; programs to prevent and respond to gender based violence and trafficking; and support for Rohingya civil society organisations to meaningfully implement in accordance Rohingya culture and norms;
• Provide resources for USAID and the Department of State to ensure that Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh receive a ration sufficient to meet the humanitarian minimum standards for food and nutrition that mitigate child labor, sex for cash, human trafficking and other inhumane acts imposes by the inefficiency of Humanitarian response;
• Facilitate higher education scholarships for Rohingya refugees through 2030 that help mitigate the generations lost to conflict, and empower Rohingya youth that they can contribute to rebuild, reinstitute and rehabilitate Rohingya in Myanmar;
• Establish a new Conflict Observatory for Burma to monitor and report on the ongoing violence in Burma, that may help to directly watch human rights situation and take immediate measures to intervene and protect civilians; and
• Authorise USD $10 million per year for 5 years for the Department of State to support atrocity crime investigations, documentation, and casework, transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, witness protection measures, and technical support related to Rohingya may enable an effective pathway to effectively support the efforts to pursuit of justice for the Rohingya people in a timely manner.
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