46 Groups Call Legislation
‘Imperative’ to Address Atrocities
Human Rights Watch
“More than 400 members of
Congress on both sides of the aisle have agreed tougher measures are needed now
to address the Burmese military’s crimes,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy
director at Human Rights Watch. “Congress needs to send strong sanctions
legislation to the White House as soon as possible.”
(Washington, DC) – The US
Congress should adopt legislation to enhance targeted sanctions against Burmese
military commanders who are implicated in serious human rights abuses, Human
Rights Watch said today in a letter to congressional leaders with 45 other
nongovernmental and faith-based organizations.
The groups said it is
“imperative” Congress address the human rights crisis in Burma. The United
Nations, Human Rights Watch, and other rights groups have found that the
atrocities against the Rohinyga amount to crimes against humanity. Important
new measures to toughen targeted sanctions are pending with key congressional
leaders. The legislation is needed to address the Burmese military’s campaign
of ethnic cleansing against the ethnic Rohingya and the country’s sharply
deteriorating human rights situation.
Joint Letter to Senate and House Armed Services
Committees https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/supporting_resources/180706_burma_ndaa_letter_final_1.pdf
The House of Representatives
recently and overwhelmingly approved provisions for the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) that strengthen targeted sanctions on Burmese military
officials who are implicated in serious human rights abuses. Similar language,
supported by 22 Senators from both parties, was approved with unanimous
bipartisan support by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Technical and
procedural hurdles prevented the language from being included in the NDAA when
approved by the full Senate.
Leaders in the House and
Senate armed services committees, responsible for reconciling the two versions
of the bill in “conference,” should now include the key provisions, the groups
said.
The pending legislation
would authorize targeted, appropriate measures against key individuals who bear
responsibility for atrocities. It provides clear incentives for reforms to
professionalize Burma’s military and reduce corruption, conflict, and abuses.
It will also bolster Burma’s civilian leadership and help encourage it, the US
administration, and concerned governments more broadly, to take additional
steps to bring perpetrators of grave abuses to account.