Museum Statement on 2nd Anniversary of Atrocities Against Rohingya

WASHINGTON, DC – On August 25, we mark the second anniversary of the Burmese military’s attacks against the Rohingya, a religious and ethnic minority in Burma. Those attacks are part of a broader genocidal campaign by the military against the Rohingya community. We stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors, many of whom face an ongoing threat of genocide and other atrocities, and who are fighting for justice and accountability in their country. 

The horrific accounts of mass killings, rape, and torture of Rohingya men, women, and children have been well documented. After a thorough review of that documentation, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a determination in December 2018 that there was compelling evidence of genocide perpetrated by the military against the Rohingya.  

Shocking in scale, the mass atrocities against the Rohingya were predictable and preventable, following decades of escalating persecution, including the revocation of citizenship and restrictions on basic freedoms. The Burmese government as well as the international community failed to respond to the early warning signs and prevent the genocide.

We remain deeply concerned that the military will commit further mass atrocities against Rohingya civilians as well as other ethnic groups in Burma, including the Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, and others.

“In the two years since the unconscionable attacks on the Rohingya community, there has been no meaningful improvement to the conditions facing the Rohingya in Burma,” said Naomi Kikoler, acting director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide. “Impunity for perpetrators of mass atrocities leaves the Rohingya as well as other ethnic groups in the country vulnerable to future attack.”

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit ushmm.org.

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