A People Adrift - Mass Graves, Human Trafficking, and Combatting Warning Signs of Genocide in Burma

Announcement

Please join Reps. Joe Crowley, Trent Franks, and Jim McGovern, members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, and Rep. Steve Chabot, for a briefing on the growing risk of genocide against the Rohingya people in Burma.

The discovery of mass graves in Thailand and the human trafficking crisis of thousands trapped on boats in Southeast Asia both have their source in the campaign of hatred against the Rohingya minority in western Burma. Tens of thousands of people have taken to sea to escape conditions.

Recently, staff members from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide traveled to Burma to hear firsthand the situation of the Rohingya minority. The Center’s staff released a report documenting the suffering of the Rohingya people, pointing out how the population suffers “rampant discrimination, targeted and indiscriminate acts of violence, and explicit policies of persecution.”

Meanwhile, the current Burmese government is advancing laws to institutionalize hatred and discrimination against the Rohingya, putting the weight of the government behind hate even as the international community warns of early signs of genocide. United to End Genocide recently met with several families of Rohingya refugees just arrived in Malaysia, recording the stories of their journeys and the high risk of atrocities they are escaping in Burma.

Representatives of the two organizations will share their findings and recommendations.

For any questions, please contact Jeremy Woodrum (for Mr. Crowley) at 202-225-3965, Kimberly Stanton (for Mr. McGovern) at 202-225-3599 or Carson Middleton (for Mr. Pitts) at 202-225-2411.

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