# data[].attributes.body
After the collapse of Yugoslavia’s communist government, bosnia began to fall  and provinces of  slovenia and croatia began to claim independence, which led to war between serbia which in 1992 serbia set out  to bosnia to “ethnically cleanse” bosnian territory by removing all bosnian muslims

Bosnian muslims were also driven into concentration camps where women and girls were raped and other civlians were tortured, starved, and murdred

# data[].attributes.body
The reason people  were complict by inaction was because of several reasons

Like nato who were able to deploy there nato forces but were unable to protect all of the civlians because they were constrained by rules of engagement that limited there ability to protect more effectively  and some nations were also complicit due to political reasons which allowed the genocide to continue  on longer when it could of been dealt with much earlier

# data[].attributes.body
Many things could of been done to prevent the bosnian genocide, like

If nato intervened earlier they could of deployed troops to protect and prevent  serbian forces from ethnic cleansing bosnian muslims

# data[].attributes.body
What happened was a genocide carried out by Khmer rouge against the Cambodians. The Khmer rouge was a communist political party group!

# data[].attributes.body
the bosnian genocide also known as the srebrenica massacre was in july 1995 where over 8000 bosniak muslims died by the serbian army because they wanted to ethnically cleanse every balkan muslim in the balkan region

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, many countries were complicit by the action like Russia, the UN, Serbia, and the Bosnian serb forces.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1962 in Myanmar (then called Burma) the military seized control during a coup and formed a junta. The junta, known as the Tatmadaw, oppressed anyone who went against their regime, as well as religious minorities. The junta was dissolved in 2011, however the military still holds significant power. Small military group of said minorities have continued to fight against the military, which has resulted in the longest running Civil War in the world.

# data[].attributes.body
There were many consequences for serbia, for example Slobodan milosevic was indicted but he died in 2006 before his trial ended, Ratko mladic a bosnian serb military leader was sent to life in prison and Radovan Karadzic a Bosnian Serb political leader was sent a 40 year sentence. Serbia also had a politcal and social fallout after commiting several war crimes.

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Many groups were complicit while many also fought against the military oppression. For a while Bangladesh admitted Rohingyas, fleeing from the torture, rape and forced labor, however after the numbers reached one million Bangladesh began refusing to allow Rohingyas in. Whether this is an act of complicity, or simply putting ones own population over another is up for discussion. Many protested against the initial rule of the Tatmadaw, and many small scale military groups fought, and still continue to fight against the oppression.

# data[].attributes.body
Despite significant action taken against them the military still holds much power, and Rohingyas continue to face persecution. It is clear that whatever backlash the military faced was not enough. Neighboring countries did not provide adequate aid to assist these people in their struggle, leaving them to continue to live under barbaric conditions even today.

# data[].attributes.body
There is a lot of things that could have been done like for example NATO could have stepped in like they did for Kosova, the Serbian government couldve thought a bit more realistically before committing several war crimes, a stronger UN mandate to allow peacekeepers to use force if necessary.

# data[].attributes.body
The Burmese military has had the Rohingya people in their crosshair because of their religious and ethnic identity. In August of 2017, the military had released a series of attacks on the Rohingya people that included rape, mass killings, and setting the villages aflame. This caused 700,000 people to flee and seek refuge in Bangladesh where they lived inside of overcrowded camps and needed serious care

# data[].attributes.body
The entire situation is a great tragedy, and finding exactly what could have been done to prevent it is difficult. There are conflicting beliefs on other countries and nations meddling in each other's affairs, however I believe it is a human responsibility to protect those undergoing any form of mass killing or suffering. The Rohingya fit this profile. I feel not enough was done by their neighbors to provide them aid, and given the Rohingyas living conditions and access to technology, combating the forces attacking them was a vain cause. Islamophobia was also a big player in this tragedy, and the forced beliefs on the populace that Rohingyas were "illegal immigrants" and "aliens" who seek only to take over and replace didn't help either. Working to ensure propaganda like this isn't spewed is important. I think the main thing is that more aid should've been given to the Rohingya, especially from other Muslim groups and countries, ensuring they have a safe place to seek asylum.

# data[].attributes.body
The Rohingya crisis is when the Myanmar military attacked the Rohingya people in 2017. The Rohingya are a Muslim group who have lived in Myanmar for many years. The military burned their villages, killed many people, and forced over 700,000 to run away to Bangladesh. Those who stayed face unfair treatment and live in poor conditions. Many people around the world say this is a genocide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation. The government transferred to civilian control in 2011, but the military maintains significant power and human rights abuses continue.[2]

Two-thirds of the country's people identify as Myanmar, but there are at least 135 ethnic minority groups among the population.[3] The Myanmar majority controls the government and military. Because of this, many minority groups have been pushed to the outer areas of the country where natural resources are scarce, access to education and social programs is restricted, and the ability to participate in the country's decision-making process is nonexistent.

Many accuse the Myanmar government of "ethnic cleansing" due to major mass atrocities against the Rohingya and Karen people, including summary execution, severe torture and rape, forced labor, extortion, and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that over 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of conflict. [4]

Recent violence directed at the Rohingya has produced the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. In just three months, over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country for safety in neighboring Bangladesh.[5] They joined over 300,000 refugees who fled earlier waves of ethnic violence. Thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh.[6]

Myanmar is the second largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. Over the decades of conflict, more than 2 million Burmese have been forced to seek refuge abroad, particularly in Thailand and Bangladesh.
The Pro-Democracy Movement
In 1962, Myanmar's post-colonial democracy was overthrown in a military coup. Since then, the military has kept tight control over any pro-democracy movements. The military has engaged in a brutal campaign aimed at denying rebels food, funding, information, and recruits. [7]

During widespread pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, security forces arrested thousands of demonstrators, tortured detainees, and reduced political space for opposition.

In May 1990, the government held the first free elections in almost thirty years. The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total of 489 seats. These election results were later annulled by the Burmese government.[8]

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi was placed on house arrest in 2000 and spent the next decade in and out of military confinement. On November 9, 2010, Myanmar's ruling junta stated that they had won the country's first elections in 20 years with 80 percent of the votes. The NLD refused to register for the election without Suu Kyi, who was then released from house arrest four days after the election. Pro-democracy groups allege that the military regime engaged in rampant fraud to achieve its result, and the election is regarded as a sham.[9] President Thein Sein was sworn in the next year, marking the transition from military rule to a façade of civilian democracy.

In 2015, the NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the election and in 2016, the democracy movement took power. [10]
The Karen Ethnic Minority
During World War II, the Karen (pronounced ka-REN) fought alongside the British against the invading Japanese, who were aided by Myanmar. Japan captured Myanmar's capital city and British forces retreated. The Karen were left at the mercy of the Japanese and Myanmar, who began killing them off. The allied forces recaptured Myanmar in 1945. The Karen thought that aiding the British would earn them an independent state, but this never happened, and the Karen have been fighting for independence ever since. [11]

After the Myanmar military took control in 1962, the U.S. and Thai governments began supplying weapons to both the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar government. The Karen movement weakened in the late 1960s after losing assistance from Thailand, but efforts resumed in 1976 after receiving support once again from the Thai government.

In a struggle to maintain power, the ruling military junta tried to negotiate agreements with all ethnic state armed forces. The Karen state did not give in to the junta; in retaliation, the government launched a systematic offensive against the Karen in January 1990.

The Thai government cut off all support to the Karen in 1997, and a million Karen became displaced due to violence during the next decade. Nearly 250 villages were destroyed in 2007.

Reports from February 2010 showed that the Myanmar government was burning Karen villages, and displacing thousands of people. Nine months later, the Myanmar army was still carrying out indiscriminate shelling, abusive sweeps, and forced labor in attempts to terrorize civilians.[12] The government finally signed a ceasefire with Karen rebels in 2012. [13]
The Rohingya Muslims
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group who have historically lived in Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country. There are approximately 1.1 million Rohingya in Myanmar and most of them reside in the western coastal state of Rakhine.[14]

In 1978, the Myanmar military carried out killings, rape, and arson against the Rohingya, forcing 200,000 to flee. Four years later, the Myanmar Citizenship Law officially stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship. The government justified this by claiming that the Rohingya were Bengali, even though the Rohingya had been living in Myanmar for generations. The Rohingya were left stateless, subject to restrictions on freedom of movement and property ownership, denied access to education, and unable to hold public office.[15]

In 1991 and 1992, over 250,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh to escape from forced labor, rape, and religious persecution at the hands of the Myanmar army. The Bangladesh government announced that the Rohingya would have to return to Myanmar and began forced repatriation in 1992, in violation of UN protocols against refoulement. [16]

In 2012, violence in the Rakhine state between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists turned into a targeted campaign to remove or relocate the state's Muslims. Political party officials, senior Buddhist monks, and state security forces carried out mass killings of men, women, and children and destroyed their villages. Nearly 5,000 homes and buildings were demolished. The violence left 150,000 Rohingya homeless and caused over 100,000 to flee to Malaysia by boat.[17]

In August 2017, a small band of Rohingya militants carried out an attack in Myanmar that led to military retaliation against the entire Rohingya population, producing the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. Over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country in just three months, seeking safety in Bangladesh. They joined 300,000 refugees who had fled in earlier waves of ethnic violence, and thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh. [18]

Aung San Suu Kyi has remained largely silent on the issue. She addressed the public in September 2017 but failed to denounce the violence against the Rohingya. Rather, she said the government needed time to find "what the real problems are."[19] She falsely stated that the armed conflict ended on September 5 and that over 60% of Muslim villages remain intact, even though Human Rights Watch has identified 354 villages partially or completely destroyed since August 2017.

Recently, two Burmese journalists were imprisoned for seven years for investigating the killing of Rohingya men whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Rakhine. Their sentences were harsh, and it was common knowledge that the trial was a farce. Suu Kyi has turned a blind eye to the issue and has been quoted as calling the journalists "traitors" in private.[20] Suu Kyi has also denied visas to United Nations human rights teams investigating the crisis and has prevented international organizations from delivering aid.[21]

The Myanmar army targets crops and resources to starve and kill minority groups without drawing the international community's attention. Once it gains control of an area, the military uses forced labor to build bases from which they can attack and burn surrounding villages as well as mining the razed areas to discourage returns. Rohingya and Karen people have been routinely subjected to forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor. Recruiting child soldiers is a method used by the military to strip minorities of their identity. [22]

Rape is commonly used as a weapon of war. Government troops are known to use rape against ethnic minority women as part of a campaign to extinguish minorities in Myanmar through forced pregnancy. Rape has been used extensively against Rohingya women and girls. Gang rapes and mass rapes have been committed prior to and during major attacks. In addition to being subjected to horrible sexual violence, survivors reported witnessing their children, parents, and husbands being brutally killed by the Myanmar military. [23]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008,[24] the Burmese government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.[25]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008, the Myanmar government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.

Despite condemnation from the international community, Myanmar citizens largely support the government's lack of response to the Rohingya crisis. The Myanmar see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and don't even refer to them as Rohingya. They are called Bengali Muslims, insinuating they're from Bangladesh. The population overwhelmingly supports Aung San Suu Kyi, and many believe that the international community is getting false information on the violence in Rakhine state.[26]

The country's foreign relations, particularly with Western nations, are severely strained due to ongoing human rights abuses. The United States and European Union previously placed bans on new investment by U.S and E.U. firms, an import ban, and an arms embargo on the country.[27]

Nevertheless, the Obama Administration rolled back the sanctions in 2016 after Aung San Suu Kyi won the open election, as a good faith gesture recognizing the country's path to democracy.

However, in October 2017, the US announced the withdrawal of military assistance to Myanmar after considering the Rohingya crisis,[28] and the following month Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared that the violence against the Rohingya constitutes ethnic cleansing.[29]

Investment from Western countries has decreased dramatically since the Rohingya crisis, as many businesses fear reputational risks.[30] But despite Western isolation, Asian countries have remained willing to continue investing in Myanmar, particularly in natural resource extraction. The country has close relations with neighboring India and China and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from these two countries. This has resulted in an increase of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, particularly from Asian countries such as China and Singapore. China, a permanent member on the UN Security Council, has used its veto power to defeat any resolution addressing the conflict due to China's political interests in Myanmar.[31]

Several organizations have revoked awards given to Aung San Suu Kyi because of her inaction. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum withdrew the Elie Wiesel Award that was presented to Suu Kyi in 2012, citing her refusal to stop or condemn the mass killings of the Rohingya.[32] Most recently, the Canadian House of Commons unanimously agreed to strip Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship soon after declaring the crisis a genocide.[33] She has also been formally stripped of the Freedom of the City of Oxford Award, Freedom of Dublin Award, and Freedom of Glasgow Award, among others. A global campaign with over 400,000 signatories called on the Nobel Committee to rescind Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize. Despite international criticism, the Chair of the Nobel Committee said it was not possible to retract the award.[34]

Download a one page PDF summary of this information here.

Read Dr. Gregory Stanton's article about the current situation for the Rohingya.
Citations:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12990563

[2] http://scalar.usc.edu/works/current-issues-in-refugee-education/military

[3] http://www.oxfordburmaalliance.org/ethnic-groups.html

[4] https://borgenproject.org/recent-genocides-in-sudan-and-myanmar-highlight-ongoing-issue/

[5] https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya-crisis

[6] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[7] http://time.com/5360637/myanmar-8888-uprising-30-anniversary-democracy/

[8] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977

[9] http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/09/myanmar.elections/index.html

[10] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33547036

[11] http://karennationalunion.net/index.php/burma/about-the-knu/knu-history

[12] https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/burma-army-attacks-displace-hundreds-thousands

[13] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16523691

[14] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/08/rohingya-muslims-170831065142812.html

[15] https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/04/22/all-you-can-do-pray/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims

[16] https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/burma/burm005-01.htm

[17] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-malaysia/malaysia-ready-to-provide-temporary-shelter-for-rohingya-fleeing-violence-idUSKCN1BJ0G7?il=0

[18] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[19] https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-speech-rohingya/index.html

[20] https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/09/08/suu-kyi-keeps-quiet-as-reporters-are-jailed-on-trumped-up-charges

[21] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/what-happened-to-myanmars-human-rights-icon

[22] http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/world/asia/myanmar-burma-child-soldiers/index.html

[23] https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/17/asia/myanmar-rohingya-rape/index.html

[24] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091337.htm

[25] http://burmacampaign.org.uk/attacks-on-burmas-ethnic-karen-continue-despite-cyclone/

[26] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-denial-history.html

[27] https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=544deefc-9e3b-4065-bb32-f324a6266e90

[28] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41731108

[29] https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/22/tillerson-finally-brands-myanmar-crisis-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims-war-crimes-genocide-state-department-asia-refugees/

[30] https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/foreign-investors-jittery-amid-myanmars-rohingya-crisis/

[31] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-un/china-russia-cast-rare-veto-against-u-s-on-myanmar-idUSN1148874520070113

[32] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/aung-san-suu-kyi-holocaust-museum-award

[33] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-house-of-commons-unanimously-passes-motion-to-strip-aung-san-suu-kyis/

[34] https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/29/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-nobel-prize-intl/index.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation.

# data[].attributes.body
During the war the government or the international community did see massacres and didnt do anything to help stop it.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, many people and countries didn't do enough to stop the violence against the Rohingya. Even though there were warnings about the attacks, the United Nations and other countries didn't take strong action to stop it. Some countries even blocked efforts to punish Myanmar's military. Because of this, the violence continued, and many people suffered. This lack of action made the situation worse for the Rohingya.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation. The government transferred to civilian control in 2011, but the military maintains significant power and human rights abuses continue.[2]

Two-thirds of the country's people identify as Myanmar, but there are at least 135 ethnic minority groups among the population.[3] The Myanmar majority controls the government and military. Because of this, many minority groups have been pushed to the outer areas of the country where natural resources are scarce, access to education and social programs is restricted, and the ability to participate in the country's decision-making process is nonexistent.

Many accuse the Myanmar government of "ethnic cleansing" due to major mass atrocities against the Rohingya and Karen people, including summary execution, severe torture and rape, forced labor, extortion, and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that over 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of conflict. [4]

Recent violence directed at the Rohingya has produced the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. In just three months, over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country for safety in neighboring Bangladesh.[5] They joined over 300,000 refugees who fled earlier waves of ethnic violence. Thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh.[6]

Myanmar is the second largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. Over the decades of conflict, more than 2 million Burmese have been forced to seek refuge abroad, particularly in Thailand and Bangladesh.
The Pro-Democracy Movement
In 1962, Myanmar's post-colonial democracy was overthrown in a military coup. Since then, the military has kept tight control over any pro-democracy movements. The military has engaged in a brutal campaign aimed at denying rebels food, funding, information, and recruits. [7]

During widespread pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, security forces arrested thousands of demonstrators, tortured detainees, and reduced political space for opposition.

In May 1990, the government held the first free elections in almost thirty years. The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total of 489 seats. These election results were later annulled by the Burmese government.[8]

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi was placed on house arrest in 2000 and spent the next decade in and out of military confinement. On November 9, 2010, Myanmar's ruling junta stated that they had won the country's first elections in 20 years with 80 percent of the votes. The NLD refused to register for the election without Suu Kyi, who was then released from house arrest four days after the election. Pro-democracy groups allege that the military regime engaged in rampant fraud to achieve its result, and the election is regarded as a sham.[9] President Thein Sein was sworn in the next year, marking the transition from military rule to a façade of civilian democracy.

In 2015, the NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the election and in 2016, the democracy movement took power. [10]
The Karen Ethnic Minority
During World War II, the Karen (pronounced ka-REN) fought alongside the British against the invading Japanese, who were aided by Myanmar. Japan captured Myanmar's capital city and British forces retreated. The Karen were left at the mercy of the Japanese and Myanmar, who began killing them off. The allied forces recaptured Myanmar in 1945. The Karen thought that aiding the British would earn them an independent state, but this never happened, and the Karen have been fighting for independence ever since. [11]

After the Myanmar military took control in 1962, the U.S. and Thai governments began supplying weapons to both the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar government. The Karen movement weakened in the late 1960s after losing assistance from Thailand, but efforts resumed in 1976 after receiving support once again from the Thai government.

In a struggle to maintain power, the ruling military junta tried to negotiate agreements with all ethnic state armed forces. The Karen state did not give in to the junta; in retaliation, the government launched a systematic offensive against the Karen in January 1990.

The Thai government cut off all support to the Karen in 1997, and a million Karen became displaced due to violence during the next decade. Nearly 250 villages were destroyed in 2007.

Reports from February 2010 showed that the Myanmar government was burning Karen villages, and displacing thousands of people. Nine months later, the Myanmar army was still carrying out indiscriminate shelling, abusive sweeps, and forced labor in attempts to terrorize civilians.[12] The government finally signed a ceasefire with Karen rebels in 2012. [13]
The Rohingya Muslims
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group who have historically lived in Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country. There are approximately 1.1 million Rohingya in Myanmar and most of them reside in the western coastal state of Rakhine.[14]

In 1978, the Myanmar military carried out killings, rape, and arson against the Rohingya, forcing 200,000 to flee. Four years later, the Myanmar Citizenship Law officially stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship. The government justified this by claiming that the Rohingya were Bengali, even though the Rohingya had been living in Myanmar for generations. The Rohingya were left stateless, subject to restrictions on freedom of movement and property ownership, denied access to education, and unable to hold public office.[15]

In 1991 and 1992, over 250,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh to escape from forced labor, rape, and religious persecution at the hands of the Myanmar army. The Bangladesh government announced that the Rohingya would have to return to Myanmar and began forced repatriation in 1992, in violation of UN protocols against refoulement. [16]

In 2012, violence in the Rakhine state between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists turned into a targeted campaign to remove or relocate the state's Muslims. Political party officials, senior Buddhist monks, and state security forces carried out mass killings of men, women, and children and destroyed their villages. Nearly 5,000 homes and buildings were demolished. The violence left 150,000 Rohingya homeless and caused over 100,000 to flee to Malaysia by boat.[17]

In August 2017, a small band of Rohingya militants carried out an attack in Myanmar that led to military retaliation against the entire Rohingya population, producing the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. Over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country in just three months, seeking safety in Bangladesh. They joined 300,000 refugees who had fled in earlier waves of ethnic violence, and thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh. [18]

Aung San Suu Kyi has remained largely silent on the issue. She addressed the public in September 2017 but failed to denounce the violence against the Rohingya. Rather, she said the government needed time to find "what the real problems are."[19] She falsely stated that the armed conflict ended on September 5 and that over 60% of Muslim villages remain intact, even though Human Rights Watch has identified 354 villages partially or completely destroyed since August 2017.

Recently, two Burmese journalists were imprisoned for seven years for investigating the killing of Rohingya men whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Rakhine. Their sentences were harsh, and it was common knowledge that the trial was a farce. Suu Kyi has turned a blind eye to the issue and has been quoted as calling the journalists "traitors" in private.[20] Suu Kyi has also denied visas to United Nations human rights teams investigating the crisis and has prevented international organizations from delivering aid.[21]

The Myanmar army targets crops and resources to starve and kill minority groups without drawing the international community's attention. Once it gains control of an area, the military uses forced labor to build bases from which they can attack and burn surrounding villages as well as mining the razed areas to discourage returns. Rohingya and Karen people have been routinely subjected to forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor. Recruiting child soldiers is a method used by the military to strip minorities of their identity. [22]

Rape is commonly used as a weapon of war. Government troops are known to use rape against ethnic minority women as part of a campaign to extinguish minorities in Myanmar through forced pregnancy. Rape has been used extensively against Rohingya women and girls. Gang rapes and mass rapes have been committed prior to and during major attacks. In addition to being subjected to horrible sexual violence, survivors reported witnessing their children, parents, and husbands being brutally killed by the Myanmar military. [23]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008,[24] the Burmese government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.[25]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008, the Myanmar government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.

Despite condemnation from the international community, Myanmar citizens largely support the government's lack of response to the Rohingya crisis. The Myanmar see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and don't even refer to them as Rohingya. They are called Bengali Muslims, insinuating they're from Bangladesh. The population overwhelmingly supports Aung San Suu Kyi, and many believe that the international community is getting false information on the violence in Rakhine state.[26]

The country's foreign relations, particularly with Western nations, are severely strained due to ongoing human rights abuses. The United States and European Union previously placed bans on new investment by U.S and E.U. firms, an import ban, and an arms embargo on the country.[27]

Nevertheless, the Obama Administration rolled back the sanctions in 2016 after Aung San Suu Kyi won the open election, as a good faith gesture recognizing the country's path to democracy.

However, in October 2017, the US announced the withdrawal of military assistance to Myanmar after considering the Rohingya crisis,[28] and the following month Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared that the violence against the Rohingya constitutes ethnic cleansing.[29]

Investment from Western countries has decreased dramatically since the Rohingya crisis, as many businesses fear reputational risks.[30] But despite Western isolation, Asian countries have remained willing to continue investing in Myanmar, particularly in natural resource extraction. The country has close relations with neighboring India and China and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from these two countries. This has resulted in an increase of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, particularly from Asian countries such as China and Singapore. China, a permanent member on the UN Security Council, has used its veto power to defeat any resolution addressing the conflict due to China's political interests in Myanmar.[31]

Several organizations have revoked awards given to Aung San Suu Kyi because of her inaction. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum withdrew the Elie Wiesel Award that was presented to Suu Kyi in 2012, citing her refusal to stop or condemn the mass killings of the Rohingya.[32] Most recently, the Canadian House of Commons unanimously agreed to strip Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship soon after declaring the crisis a genocide.[33] She has also been formally stripped of the Freedom of the City of Oxford Award, Freedom of Dublin Award, and Freedom of Glasgow Award, among others. A global campaign with over 400,000 signatories called on the Nobel Committee to rescind Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize. Despite international criticism, the Chair of the Nobel Committee said it was not possible to retract the award.[34]

Download a one page PDF summary of this information here.

Read Dr. Gregory Stanton's article about the current situation for the Rohingya.
Citations:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12990563

[2] http://scalar.usc.edu/works/current-issues-in-refugee-education/military

[3] http://www.oxfordburmaalliance.org/ethnic-groups.html

[4] https://borgenproject.org/recent-genocides-in-sudan-and-myanmar-highlight-ongoing-issue/

[5] https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya-crisis

[6] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[7] http://time.com/5360637/myanmar-8888-uprising-30-anniversary-democracy/

[8] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977

[9] http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/09/myanmar.elections/index.html

[10] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33547036

[11] http://karennationalunion.net/index.php/burma/about-the-knu/knu-history

[12] https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/burma-army-attacks-displace-hundreds-thousands

[13] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16523691

[14] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/08/rohingya-muslims-170831065142812.html

[15] https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/04/22/all-you-can-do-pray/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims

[16] https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/burma/burm005-01.htm

[17] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-malaysia/malaysia-ready-to-provide-temporary-shelter-for-rohingya-fleeing-violence-idUSKCN1BJ0G7?il=0

[18] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[19] https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-speech-rohingya/index.html

[20] https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/09/08/suu-kyi-keeps-quiet-as-reporters-are-jailed-on-trumped-up-charges

[21] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/what-happened-to-myanmars-human-rights-icon

[22] http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/world/asia/myanmar-burma-child-soldiers/index.html

[23] https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/17/asia/myanmar-rohingya-rape/index.html

[24] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091337.htm

[25] http://burmacampaign.org.uk/attacks-on-burmas-ethnic-karen-continue-despite-cyclone/

[26] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-denial-history.html

[27] https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=544deefc-9e3b-4065-bb32-f324a6266e90

[28] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41731108

[29] https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/22/tillerson-finally-brands-myanmar-crisis-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims-war-crimes-genocide-state-department-asia-refugees/

[30] https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/foreign-investors-jittery-amid-myanmars-rohingya-crisis/

[31] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-un/china-russia-cast-rare-veto-against-u-s-on-myanmar-idUSN1148874520070113

[32] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/aung-san-suu-kyi-holocaust-museum-award

[33] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-house-of-commons-unanimously-passes-motion-to-strip-aung-san-suu-kyis/

[34] https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/29/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-nobel-prize-intl/index.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation.

# data[].attributes.body
The Rohingya crisis had very bad results. In 2017, the Myanmar army attacked the Rohingya people. Many were killed, and almost a million had to run away to Bangladesh. The ones who stayed are still treated badly. They face violence and unfair rules. Most Rohingya still don’t have homes, safety, or basic rights.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation. The government transferred to civilian control in 2011, but the military maintains significant power and human rights abuses continue.[2]

Two-thirds of the country's people identify as Myanmar, but there are at least 135 ethnic minority groups among the population.[3] The Myanmar majority controls the government and military. Because of this, many minority groups have been pushed to the outer areas of the country where natural resources are scarce, access to education and social programs is restricted, and the ability to participate in the country's decision-making process is nonexistent.

Many accuse the Myanmar government of "ethnic cleansing" due to major mass atrocities against the Rohingya and Karen people, including summary execution, severe torture and rape, forced labor, extortion, and displacement. Aid agencies estimate that over 200,000 Karen have been driven from their homes during decades of conflict. [4]

Recent violence directed at the Rohingya has produced the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. In just three months, over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country for safety in neighboring Bangladesh.[5] They joined over 300,000 refugees who fled earlier waves of ethnic violence. Thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh.[6]

Myanmar is the second largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by China, Laos, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. Over the decades of conflict, more than 2 million Burmese have been forced to seek refuge abroad, particularly in Thailand and Bangladesh.
The Pro-Democracy Movement
In 1962, Myanmar's post-colonial democracy was overthrown in a military coup. Since then, the military has kept tight control over any pro-democracy movements. The military has engaged in a brutal campaign aimed at denying rebels food, funding, information, and recruits. [7]

During widespread pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988, security forces arrested thousands of demonstrators, tortured detainees, and reduced political space for opposition.

In May 1990, the government held the first free elections in almost thirty years. The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won 392 out of a total of 489 seats. These election results were later annulled by the Burmese government.[8]

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi was placed on house arrest in 2000 and spent the next decade in and out of military confinement. On November 9, 2010, Myanmar's ruling junta stated that they had won the country's first elections in 20 years with 80 percent of the votes. The NLD refused to register for the election without Suu Kyi, who was then released from house arrest four days after the election. Pro-democracy groups allege that the military regime engaged in rampant fraud to achieve its result, and the election is regarded as a sham.[9] President Thein Sein was sworn in the next year, marking the transition from military rule to a façade of civilian democracy.

In 2015, the NLD, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the election and in 2016, the democracy movement took power. [10]
The Karen Ethnic Minority
During World War II, the Karen (pronounced ka-REN) fought alongside the British against the invading Japanese, who were aided by Myanmar. Japan captured Myanmar's capital city and British forces retreated. The Karen were left at the mercy of the Japanese and Myanmar, who began killing them off. The allied forces recaptured Myanmar in 1945. The Karen thought that aiding the British would earn them an independent state, but this never happened, and the Karen have been fighting for independence ever since. [11]

After the Myanmar military took control in 1962, the U.S. and Thai governments began supplying weapons to both the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Myanmar government. The Karen movement weakened in the late 1960s after losing assistance from Thailand, but efforts resumed in 1976 after receiving support once again from the Thai government.

In a struggle to maintain power, the ruling military junta tried to negotiate agreements with all ethnic state armed forces. The Karen state did not give in to the junta; in retaliation, the government launched a systematic offensive against the Karen in January 1990.

The Thai government cut off all support to the Karen in 1997, and a million Karen became displaced due to violence during the next decade. Nearly 250 villages were destroyed in 2007.

Reports from February 2010 showed that the Myanmar government was burning Karen villages, and displacing thousands of people. Nine months later, the Myanmar army was still carrying out indiscriminate shelling, abusive sweeps, and forced labor in attempts to terrorize civilians.[12] The government finally signed a ceasefire with Karen rebels in 2012. [13]
The Rohingya Muslims
The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group who have historically lived in Myanmar, a mostly Buddhist country. There are approximately 1.1 million Rohingya in Myanmar and most of them reside in the western coastal state of Rakhine.[14]

In 1978, the Myanmar military carried out killings, rape, and arson against the Rohingya, forcing 200,000 to flee. Four years later, the Myanmar Citizenship Law officially stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship. The government justified this by claiming that the Rohingya were Bengali, even though the Rohingya had been living in Myanmar for generations. The Rohingya were left stateless, subject to restrictions on freedom of movement and property ownership, denied access to education, and unable to hold public office.[15]

In 1991 and 1992, over 250,000 Rohingya fled into Bangladesh to escape from forced labor, rape, and religious persecution at the hands of the Myanmar army. The Bangladesh government announced that the Rohingya would have to return to Myanmar and began forced repatriation in 1992, in violation of UN protocols against refoulement. [16]

In 2012, violence in the Rakhine state between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists turned into a targeted campaign to remove or relocate the state's Muslims. Political party officials, senior Buddhist monks, and state security forces carried out mass killings of men, women, and children and destroyed their villages. Nearly 5,000 homes and buildings were demolished. The violence left 150,000 Rohingya homeless and caused over 100,000 to flee to Malaysia by boat.[17]

In August 2017, a small band of Rohingya militants carried out an attack in Myanmar that led to military retaliation against the entire Rohingya population, producing the fastest refugee movement since the Rwandan genocide. Over 675,000 Rohingya fled the country in just three months, seeking safety in Bangladesh. They joined 300,000 refugees who had fled in earlier waves of ethnic violence, and thousands are still crossing the border each day. As of January 2018, over one million Rohingya refugees have been registered in Bangladesh. [18]

Aung San Suu Kyi has remained largely silent on the issue. She addressed the public in September 2017 but failed to denounce the violence against the Rohingya. Rather, she said the government needed time to find "what the real problems are."[19] She falsely stated that the armed conflict ended on September 5 and that over 60% of Muslim villages remain intact, even though Human Rights Watch has identified 354 villages partially or completely destroyed since August 2017.

Recently, two Burmese journalists were imprisoned for seven years for investigating the killing of Rohingya men whose bodies were discovered in a mass grave in Rakhine. Their sentences were harsh, and it was common knowledge that the trial was a farce. Suu Kyi has turned a blind eye to the issue and has been quoted as calling the journalists "traitors" in private.[20] Suu Kyi has also denied visas to United Nations human rights teams investigating the crisis and has prevented international organizations from delivering aid.[21]

The Myanmar army targets crops and resources to starve and kill minority groups without drawing the international community's attention. Once it gains control of an area, the military uses forced labor to build bases from which they can attack and burn surrounding villages as well as mining the razed areas to discourage returns. Rohingya and Karen people have been routinely subjected to forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor. Recruiting child soldiers is a method used by the military to strip minorities of their identity. [22]

Rape is commonly used as a weapon of war. Government troops are known to use rape against ethnic minority women as part of a campaign to extinguish minorities in Myanmar through forced pregnancy. Rape has been used extensively against Rohingya women and girls. Gang rapes and mass rapes have been committed prior to and during major attacks. In addition to being subjected to horrible sexual violence, survivors reported witnessing their children, parents, and husbands being brutally killed by the Myanmar military. [23]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008,[24] the Burmese government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.[25]

After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in 2008, the Myanmar government blocked aid distribution to many of the hardest-hit minority areas. Thousands died as a result. The Karen state was one of the areas denied much-needed aid.

Despite condemnation from the international community, Myanmar citizens largely support the government's lack of response to the Rohingya crisis. The Myanmar see the Rohingya as illegal immigrants and don't even refer to them as Rohingya. They are called Bengali Muslims, insinuating they're from Bangladesh. The population overwhelmingly supports Aung San Suu Kyi, and many believe that the international community is getting false information on the violence in Rakhine state.[26]

The country's foreign relations, particularly with Western nations, are severely strained due to ongoing human rights abuses. The United States and European Union previously placed bans on new investment by U.S and E.U. firms, an import ban, and an arms embargo on the country.[27]

Nevertheless, the Obama Administration rolled back the sanctions in 2016 after Aung San Suu Kyi won the open election, as a good faith gesture recognizing the country's path to democracy.

However, in October 2017, the US announced the withdrawal of military assistance to Myanmar after considering the Rohingya crisis,[28] and the following month Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared that the violence against the Rohingya constitutes ethnic cleansing.[29]

Investment from Western countries has decreased dramatically since the Rohingya crisis, as many businesses fear reputational risks.[30] But despite Western isolation, Asian countries have remained willing to continue investing in Myanmar, particularly in natural resource extraction. The country has close relations with neighboring India and China and has received hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid from these two countries. This has resulted in an increase of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, particularly from Asian countries such as China and Singapore. China, a permanent member on the UN Security Council, has used its veto power to defeat any resolution addressing the conflict due to China's political interests in Myanmar.[31]

Several organizations have revoked awards given to Aung San Suu Kyi because of her inaction. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum withdrew the Elie Wiesel Award that was presented to Suu Kyi in 2012, citing her refusal to stop or condemn the mass killings of the Rohingya.[32] Most recently, the Canadian House of Commons unanimously agreed to strip Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship soon after declaring the crisis a genocide.[33] She has also been formally stripped of the Freedom of the City of Oxford Award, Freedom of Dublin Award, and Freedom of Glasgow Award, among others. A global campaign with over 400,000 signatories called on the Nobel Committee to rescind Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize. Despite international criticism, the Chair of the Nobel Committee said it was not possible to retract the award.[34]

Download a one page PDF summary of this information here.

Read Dr. Gregory Stanton's article about the current situation for the Rohingya.
Citations:
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12990563

[2] http://scalar.usc.edu/works/current-issues-in-refugee-education/military

[3] http://www.oxfordburmaalliance.org/ethnic-groups.html

[4] https://borgenproject.org/recent-genocides-in-sudan-and-myanmar-highlight-ongoing-issue/

[5] https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya-crisis

[6] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[7] http://time.com/5360637/myanmar-8888-uprising-30-anniversary-democracy/

[8] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11685977

[9] http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/09/myanmar.elections/index.html

[10] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33547036

[11] http://karennationalunion.net/index.php/burma/about-the-knu/knu-history

[12] https://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/burma-army-attacks-displace-hundreds-thousands

[13] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16523691

[14] https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/08/rohingya-muslims-170831065142812.html

[15] https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/04/22/all-you-can-do-pray/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims

[16] https://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/burma/burm005-01.htm

[17] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-malaysia/malaysia-ready-to-provide-temporary-shelter-for-rohingya-fleeing-violence-idUSKCN1BJ0G7?il=0

[18] https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/crisis-update-nearly-one-million-rohingya-refugees-are-bangladesh-now

[19] https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/18/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-speech-rohingya/index.html

[20] https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/09/08/suu-kyi-keeps-quiet-as-reporters-are-jailed-on-trumped-up-charges

[21] https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/what-happened-to-myanmars-human-rights-icon

[22] http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/world/asia/myanmar-burma-child-soldiers/index.html

[23] https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/17/asia/myanmar-rohingya-rape/index.html

[24] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080918091337.htm

[25] http://burmacampaign.org.uk/attacks-on-burmas-ethnic-karen-continue-despite-cyclone/

[26] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-denial-history.html

[27] https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=544deefc-9e3b-4065-bb32-f324a6266e90

[28] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41731108

[29] https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/11/22/tillerson-finally-brands-myanmar-crisis-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims-war-crimes-genocide-state-department-asia-refugees/

[30] https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/foreign-investors-jittery-amid-myanmars-rohingya-crisis/

[31] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-un/china-russia-cast-rare-veto-against-u-s-on-myanmar-idUSN1148874520070113

[32] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/aung-san-suu-kyi-holocaust-museum-award

[33] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-house-of-commons-unanimously-passes-motion-to-strip-aung-san-suu-kyis/

[34] https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/29/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-nobel-prize-intl/index.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Myanmar, was under the rule of an oppressive military junta from 1962 until 2011.[1] The regime was responsible for major human rights abuses against ethnic and religious minority groups, including the Rohingya Muslims and the Christian Karen, in this mostly Buddhist nation.

# data[].attributes.body
During Belgian colonial rule the minority Tutsis were favored and given much more power over the majority Hutus. After a Hutu revolt in 1959 the Begians started giving them more power, after independence the Hutus gained full control and started discriminating against the Tutsis, causing half of them to flee the country. In 1990 a Tutsi led rebel group (the RPF) invaded the country from Uganda, starting a civil war. The Hutu goverment started to link all Tutsis to the RPF and assassinated Tutsis and moderate Hutu leaders. A peace argreement was reached in 1993, while it was in effect some Hutus spread anti Tutsis propoganda, calling them subhuman and cockroches. After the president's plane got shot down the RPF was blamed for it and by extension all Tutsis. Hutu militias started massacring Tutsis, killing 500,000 to 1,000,000 of them. The genocide stoped 100 days later when the RPF took control.

# data[].attributes.body
What could have been done to carefully provide for the Rohingya people that are in desperate need is to end the discrimination targeted towards them by banishing the 1982 citizenship law that based the citizenship on someone's ethnicity, meaning that people from ethnic groups face more difficulty and have fewer rights (which included the Rohingya people). Provide sustainable care by protecting the children, take priority in malnutrition, support education, and healthcare. Lastly, have Myanmar take full accountability for the genocide they had inflicted upon the Rohingya people by forming a case against them by the International Court of Justice (ICJ)