On March 21, 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally announced that the United States government determined that members of the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya people.

Speaking at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Blinken stated that the violence in 2016 and 2017 in Rakhine State was “widespread and systematic” and that evidence showed a “clear intent to destroy the Rohingya, in whole or in part”.

Key Aspects of Blinken’s Statements and Actions:

Evidence of Intent: Blinken cited testimony from refugees, defected soldiers, and independent investigations showing mass killings, rapes, torture, and the burning of villages.

Widespread Violence: The attacks were not isolated cases, but rather a “clear intent” to destroy the community, with more than 6,000 people killed in the first month of the 2017 onslaught.

Accountability Measures: Blinken announced an additional $1 million in funding for the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) to gather evidence for future prosecutions. He also affirmed support for the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The Post-2021 Coup Situation: Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, Blinken warned that the military continued to use similar tactics, noting that “no one in Burma will be safe from atrocities so long as it is in power”.

Continuing Support (2024): In August 2024, on the seventh anniversary of the violence, Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to justice and accountability, noting that the U.S. has provided nearly $2.4 billion in humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya.

This determination made the Rohingya situation the eighth time the U.S. has officially concluded that genocide was committed, following cases such as Rwanda, Bosnia, and the Uyghurs in Chin