The United States is declaring that the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Burma constitutes ethnic cleansing. More than 600,000 Rohingya from Burma’s Rakhine State have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh amid the violence, seeking refuge from what the military called "clearance operations." US lawmakers and rights groups have been urging the Trump administration to call the violence ethnic cleansing. Secretary Tillerson today on #Burma: 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. Earlier this year the US restored restrictions on granting visas to members of Burma’s military, and the State Department has deemed units and officers involved in operations in Rakhine state illegible for US assistance.

Source: Evening echo November 22, 2017 16:41 UTC