Joint Open Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

58 Organizations Support Petition Urging Secretary Pompeo to Publicly Determine that Myanmar has Committed Genocide and Crimes against Humanity against the Rohingya People

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

U.S. Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C St NW

Washington, DC 20520

July 16, 2020

Dear Secretary Pompeo,

We write to urge the U.S. Department of State to publicly determine that the state of Myanmar has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people. The evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity is clear and convincing and has been amply documented. In making such a determination, the United States would help lead the world in holding the state of Myanmar accountable for grave abuses and in preventing further atrocities.

Beyond enhancing international accountability efforts, a U.S. government determination of genocide and crimes against humanity would subject Myanmar and its military to much needed international scrutiny at a time when the military continues to target Rohingya and other civilians in Myanmar. In the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that is the predominant focus of governments around the world, a determination would also help to ensure continued international attention on the plight of the Rohingya, while enabling the United States to mobilize additional diplomatic and economic pressure on Myanmar to shift its behavior. This attention could offer a measure of protection for the Rohingya and others in Myanmar. It would also represent an expression of solidarity with the governments of Bangladesh and other refugee hosting countries, signaling the United States is committed both to accountability and supporting conditions for safe and voluntary return when conditions so permit.

Such a determination would be wholly consistent with findings of the Department of State, which concluded that the attacks on the Rohingya were “well-planned and coordinated” and that they were “extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents.” The law group engaged by the State Department to investigate atrocities against the Rohingya conducted its own legal analysis and found reasonable grounds to believe that genocide was committed. A UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission similarly found “a pattern of conduct that infers genocidal intent on the part of the State to destroy the Rohingya, in whole or in part, as a group.” The Fact Finding Mission has further warned, “The State of Myanmar continues to harbour genocidal intent and the Rohingya remain under serious risk of genocide.”

Now is the time to use the words that fit the crimes. U.S. leadership matters. We call upon you to demonstrate the moral leadership and courage necessary to push global action in the face of genocide.

1. 21Wilberforce
2. Action Corps
3. Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)
4. Americans for Rohingya
5. Arakan Rohingya National Organization
6. Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights
7. Bethany Christian Service
8. Burma Campaign UK
9. Burma Human Rights Network
10. Burma Rohingya Organization UK
11. Burma Task Force
12. Burma Rohingya Association of North America
13. Burmese Rohingya Association of Japan
14. Burmese Rohingya Community in Denmark
15. Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization
16. Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative
17. Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice
18. Christian Solidarity Worldwide
19. Eastern Pennsylvania Karen Community
20. European Rohingya Council
21. Fortify Rights
22. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
23. Global Witness
24. HIAS
25. Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust
26. Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention at Binghamton University
27. International Campaign for the Rohingya
28. International Interfaith Peace Corps
29. International State Crime Initiative, Queen Mary University of London
30. Jewish World Watch
31. Justice4Rohingya UK
32. Justice for All
33. Kaladan Press Network
34. Karen Community of Akron, Inc.
35. Karen Organization of America
36. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
37. Never Again Coalition
38. Partners Relief and Development
39. Progressive Voice
40. Queensland Rohingya Community Inc.
41. Refugees International
42. Restless Beings
43. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
44. Rohingya Action Ireland
45. Rohingya Human Rights Monitoring Network
46. Rohingya Human Rights Network
47. RohingyaKhobor
48. Rohingya Post
49. Rohingya Refugee Network
50. Rohingya Student Network
51. Rohingya Student Union
52. Rohingya Women Education Initiative
53. Rohingya Youth for Legal Action
54. STAND: The student-led movement to end mass atrocities
55. Step Ahead
56. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
57. US Campaign for Burma
58. WITNESS

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