8/27/2021 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) – The 2021 coup executed by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, follows a history of brutal atrocities such as the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population and violations of their human rights. Their actions seized the international community’s attention, provoking stern condemnation from the international community. This week, the U.S. State Department marks the fourth anniversary of the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State of the Rohingya population, just months after the Tatmadaw seized control of the country.

According to Ned Price, a U.S. Department of State spokesperson, some of the  military officials who led the attack on Rohingya in 2017 are continuing to violate the Rohingya people’s human rights and commit violent, discriminatory, and intolerant abuses against ethnic, religious, and pro-democracy communities. According to Human Rights Watch, the Tatmadaw employs the 1982 Citizenship Law and Election Law to restrict the Rohingya people from obtaining citizenship and running for office.

While the majority of the Rohingya population is Muslim, within the Rohingya minority resides another minority–Rohingya Christians–that suffer not only violence, imprisonment, and oppression from the Tatmadaw but also from their neighboring Rohingya Muslims on account of their faith.

In June 2021, ICC released a report analyzing the Tatmadaw takeover its implications on the religious freedom for Christians residing in Myanmar. The Rohingya Christian community is targeted violently by both Tatmadaw and Rohingya Muslims. They are viewed as traitors to their community, especially when they profess their faith, an action that exposes them to the threat of “abduction, harassment, sexual abuse, and the removal of their children from the limited educational opportunities available to other Rohingya,” according to the report. This danger is exacerbated by a militant group–the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA)–which purposefully targets Rohingya Christians.

The international community has spoken out against the ethnic genocide of the Myanmar military, demanding justice for the Rohingya people. The United States, a significant actor in the international stage, has advocated for the Rohingya people and expressed concern about the violent oppression inflicted by the Myanmar military.  It redesignated Burma as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act and reimposed an arms embargo. The United States also initiated a 2021 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis, allocating $155 million to internally displaced Rohingya persons in Myanmar, according to a State Department spokesperson.

For interviews, please contact Addison Parker: [email protected].