"We express our gravest concern with recent events
in Rakhine state and the violent, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other
communities have endured," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said
in announcing the punitive measures.
"It is imperative that any individuals or entities
responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held
accountable."
Last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US
holds Myanmar's military leadership "accountable" for the Rohingya
refugee crisis, drawing a distinction with Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian
government.
The world won't stand and "be witness to the
atrocities that have been reported," he warned, adding that the military
must be disciplined and "restrained."
More than 600,000 members of the minority Muslim group
have fled across the border into Bangladesh in an intensifying crisis that
began in late August.
Militant attacks on Myanmar security forces in Rakhine
sparked a major army crackdown on the community likened to ethnic cleansing by
the UN.
Washington already had existing restrictions on its
limited engagement with Burma's armed forces, as well as a long-running embargo
on all military sales, so the withdrawal of military aid served to reinforce
that position.
In addition, the State Department said it has halted its
consideration of travel waivers for senior Myanmar military leaders, and is
weighing targeted economic measures against individuals linked to the
"atrocities," along with targeted sanctions.
*
The US has also rescinded invitations to senior members
of Myanmar's security forces to US-sponsored events and is pressing for
"unhindered access" to the affected areas for a United Nations
fact-finding mission, international organizations and the media.
"The government of Burma, including its armed
forces, must take immediate action to ensure peace and security; implement
commitments to ensure humanitarian access to communities in desperate need;
facilitate the safe and voluntary return of those who have fled or been
displaced in Rakhine state; and address the root causes of systematic
discrimination against the Rohingya," Nauert said.
Rohingyas have been systematically deprived of basic
rights over decades in majority Buddhist Myanmar.
In the latest crackdown, Myanmar's security forces have
fired indiscriminately on unarmed civilians, including children, and committed
widespread sexual violence, according to UN investigators.
Source: AFP - SBS Wires
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