Secretary of State Rex Tillerson deserves credit for using his visit to Myanmar to condemn that nation’s treatment of the Rohingya people.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya civilians, mostly Muslims, have fled to Bangladesh to escape an ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmar’s military.
At a press conference, Wednesday, with the head of Myanmar’s civilian government, Aung San Suu Kyi, Tillerson rebuked his hosts for perpetrating or at least tolerating this. “We’re deeply concerned by credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by Myanmar’s security forces and by vigilantes who are unrestrained by the security forces during the recent violence in Rakhine State,” Tillerson continued, “We’re also distressed by the fact that hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children have been forced to flee to Bangladesh.”
Pledging that the U.S. would allocate another $47 million to support Rohingya relief efforts, Tillerson declared that “the humanitarian scale of this crisis is staggering. Over 600,000 Rohingya … have fled to Bangladesh, and an unknown number from multiple ethnic groups remain internally displaced with limited access to food, water, and shelter.”
Tillerson wasn’t afraid to cast the blame where it belongs.
Describing Myanmar’s response to the Rohingya crisis as a “critical” test of its “transition to a more democratic society,” Tillerson added a warning. “While we wait for the findings of a credible, independent investigation to provide an accurate assessment of the events that have occurred, and to ensure accountability,” he said, “the United States will continue to work with our partners to assure there are consequences for individuals confirmed to have been responsible for atrocities using all available mechanisms, including those available under U.S. law.”
Later, Tillerson added that the “horrific” situation carries a “number of characteristics of certainly crimes against humanity.”
Still, it wasn’t all good. For one, the secretary wrongly pushed back at the idea of imposing sanctions on Myanmar’s government. While sanctions should not be the preference, the exigent need to save lives demands the U.S. to consider all options short of military force.
Nevertheless, all in all, this was a strong performance by the Secretary of State. While President Trump has taken bold action to defend human rights (in Syria, for example), the plight of the Rohingya also demands priority attention.
