We Hold These Truths
We Hold These Truths
We Hold These Truths
| 1.23.20

One Big Thing: Rohinga Crisis

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One Big Thing: Rohinga Crisis

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.” -MLK

What you need to know about the Rohinga crisis: 

  • Since 2017, the government of Burma (also known as Myanmar) has engaged itself in the ethnic cleansing of a minority ethnic group known as the Rohinga, forcing them to flee to neighboring Bangladesh and creating the world’s largest refugee camp.  
  • The international response to this human tragedy, which many call a genocide, has been stymied due Burma’s denials and other international crises. However, today, the International Court of Justice ruled that the Myanmar government must adhere to the Genocide Convention and prevent further killings and displacement of the Rohinga. Although the government of Myanmar must report on progress within four months of the ruling, the ICC does not have an enforcement mechanism.   

So, why should Americans care about the situation of a group of people who don’t live in or near the United States?

  • Dr. King’s quote speaks to the fact that when we as a country turn a blind eye to the oppressed anywhere in the world, then we will turn a blind eye to oppression in our own backyard.
  • In early 2018, Senator McCain, along with actress Angelina Jolie, called for America to lead in the effort to save the Rohinga.

What can you do:



Photo: UNHCR/Andrew McConnell