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US condemns ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, stresses need for accountability and threatens sanctions

The United States has condemned the Myanmar’s military actions against the Rohingya communtiy and labelled the crimes committed as ethnic cleansing.

A press release made by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after returning from Myanmar, read,

“These abuses by some among the Burmese military, security forces, and local vigilantes have caused tremendous suffering and forced hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children to flee their homes in Burma to seek refuge in Bangladesh. 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.”

Stressing the need to ensure accountability for the ongoing atrocities and introducing the possibility of targeted sanctions, the statement added,

“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. We have supported constructive action on the Rakhine crisis at the UN Security Council and in the UN General Assembly’s Third committee. The united States will also pursue accountability through US law, including possible targeted sanctions.”

See full statement here.

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