Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Michael McCaul; Ami Bera, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific; and Bill Huizenga, Chairman of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, issued the following statement announcing the bipartisan introduction of the ‘‘Burma Genocide Accountability and Protection Act," or the “Burma GAP Act.”
“In March 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken determined that the Burmese military’s widespread campaign of violence against Rohingya in Burma constituted genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. And yet, in 2025, Rohingya and Burma remain in crisis because the military’s brutality has continued. Hundreds of thousands remain internally displaced in Burma, and refugee camps in Bangladesh and the surrounding region are overstretched due to the continued influx of refugees.
“The United States must not shirk its moral leadership in addressing this crisis, which is also destabilizing the region. Today we are introducing the BURMA Genocide Accountability and Protection Act (the Burma GAP Act) to help create a pathway to safety for Rohingya. This legislation calls for the State Department to develop a holistic strategy to address the Rohingya crisis that involves providing humanitarian assistance, supporting refugees, creating protection mechanisms for ethnic minorities, and authorizing accountability and justice programs.”
A previous version of this bill passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the 118th Congress (H.R. 8936). A PDF copy of the bill text can be found here.
BURMA GAP Act Highlights:
- 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;
- Authorizes the designation of a Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma to promote a comprehensive effort to resolve the crisis in ways that returns Burma to civilian rule and protects Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma;
- Authorizes $9 million per year for 5 years for the Department of State to support atrocity crime investigations, transitional justice and accountability mechanisms, as well as witness protection measures for Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma.
- Calls on the Administration to refuse to recognize the Burmese military and State Administrative Council as Burma’s legitimate government.
- Calls on the Administration to ensure that Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh receive a ration sufficient to meet the humanitarian minimum standards for food and nutrition;
Several Rohingya and human rights organizations support the Rohingya GAP Act, including Campaign for a New Myanmar, Global Center for Responsibility to Protect, International Campaign for the Rohingya, Jewish Rohingya Justice Network, Never Again Coalition, No Business with Genocide, Peace Direct, Refugees International, The Sentry, and U.S. Campaign for Burma.