Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Dear [Representative],

I write you to urge the administration to apply the full weight of its diplomatic influence to help resolve the Rohingya crisis in Burma and Bangladesh, and to provide additional humanitarian aid to those who have fled their homes and are struggling to survive.

The world is witnessing a massive humanitarian catastrophe, in which nearly 1,000,000 Rohingya have fled their homes in Burma in search of safety in Bangladesh. The International Organization for Migration reported that 10,000 to 20,000 refugees were arriving to Bangladesh daily.

At least 288 villages were partially or totally destroyed by fire in northern Rakhine state after August 2017, according to analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch. The imagery shows many areas where Rohingya villages were reduced to smoldering rubble, while nearby ethnic Rakhine villages were left intact. At least 6,700 Rohingya, including at least 730 children under the age of five, were killed in the month after the violence broke out, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Amnesty International says the Myanmar military also raped and abused Rohingya women and girls. The actions of Burmese authorities against civilians has been condemned by the United Nations Security Council. The U.N. Human High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein has stated that the pattern of atrocities against the Rohingya, including extrajudicial killings, rape and the burning of villages “seems to be textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

Despite international condemnation, the Burmese authorities continue to deny the atrocities. The Commander-in Chief of the Burmese Military, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has even made public statements that the Rohingya do not exist, describing them as the “Bengali problem,” and defending the recent violence as “unfinished business” from World War II.

The need for aid is overwhelming. With the threat of monsoons, the refugee camps are at risk of flooding and landslides. Bangladesh cannot and should not shoulder all of the burden of caring for these refugees. The international community needs to come together to pressure Burma with sanctions, end this diaspora, and re-locate those with nothing left to return to in Burma.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Address]

[Phone Number]

[Email]