WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today released the following statement in response to the United State Holocaust Memorial Museum designating the violence against the Rohingya as genocide:

“I applaud the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s announcement yesterday, putting a name to the atrocities carried out against the Rohingya people in Burma: genocide. The museum’s experts do not make such announcements lightly, but have reached this conclusion after a sober analysis of facts on the ground, expert consultation, and digesting detailed reports, including the United Nations Fact Finding Mission and the Department of State documentation reports.

“Naming these crimes is a critical step toward justice for the victims, and it should prompt action. It is shameful that over a year after this tragedy, the Trump Administration has failed to do the same, even when the Secretary of State has ample evidence of what occurred. I urge the Trump Administration to heed the example of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, make a public determination of genocide in the case of the Rohingya, and lead the charge at the United Nations Security Council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court.

“Lastly, the human suffering is far from over: Bangladesh continues to host more than 700,000 refugees and the situation in the camps is worsening. Burma’s leaders continue to deny what happened; perpetrators continue to operate with impunity; and the government of Burma has failed to lay the groundwork for safe, dignified, and voluntary returns. The humanitarian crisis will escalate further unless the Rohingya can return home. For that process to begin, the government of Burma must acknowledge and address the hatred and systemic discrimination that contributed to these horrific crimes.”