Washington, DC — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement upon the passage through Committee of the bipartisan ‘‘Rohingya Genocide Accountability and Protection Act’’, or the “Rohingya GAP Act”.
“As the Burmese military continues its violence against ethnic minorities in Burma and the refugee camps in Bangladesh strain to keep up with the influx of refugees, the House Foreign Affairs Committee took action by passing my bipartisan bill, the ‘Rohingya Genocide Accountability and Protection Act’. This legislation lays out a holistic approach to addressing the Rohingya crisis, bolstering U.S. humanitarian assistance and support for refugees and authorizing critical funding for accountability and justice programs so we may start to create a pathway out of genocide and crimes against humanity for the nearly million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and the nearly six hundred thousand still located in Burma.”
“The State Department’s determination two years ago that the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya was not only a critical recognition of the atrocities they have suffered, but also a call to action. The Rohingya GAP Act is a key step towards protecting and supporting Rohingya and ensuring history does not repeat itself. I look forward to this legislation’s swift passage on the House Floor.”
Rohingya GAP Act Highlights:
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Authorizes the designation of a Special Coordinator for Rohingya Atrocities Prevention and Response at the State Department to coordinate Rohingya policy;
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Calls for a holistic U.S. strategy to support Rohingya that includes protection efforts; engagement with the Rohingya community and stakeholders to facilitate safe, voluntary, and sustainable repatriation to Burma; developing a comprehensive transitional justice strategy; humanitarian assistance, including basic needs and access to livelihoods; programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and trafficking; and support for Rohingya civil society organizations;
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Calls on USAID and the Department of State to ensure that Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh receive a ration sufficient to meet the humanitarian minimum standards for food and nutrition;
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Authorizes higher education scholarships for Rohingya refugees through 2030;
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Establishes a new Conflict Observatory for Burma to monitor and report on the ongoing violence in Burma; and
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Authorizes $10 million per year for 5 years for the Department of State to support atrocity crime investigations, documentation, and casework, transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, witness protection measures, and technical support related to Rohingya.