[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 90 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 90

 Condemning ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and calling for an end to 
 the attacks in and an immediate restoration of humanitarian access to 
                     the state of Rakhine in Burma.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 2017

   Mr. Crowley (for himself and Mr. Chabot) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya and calling for an end to 
 the attacks in and an immediate restoration of humanitarian access to 
                     the state of Rakhine in Burma.

Whereas, on August 25, 2017, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army carried out 
        attacks on Government positions in the state of Rakhine in Burma 
        (``Rakhine State'');
Whereas in recent decades the Rohingya people have lost, with the support of the 
        Burmese Government, a range of civil and political rights, including 
        citizenship, and face barriers today such that they are mostly stateless 
        peoples;
Whereas since the August 25 attacks, Burma's military and security forces, as 
        well as private mobs, have carried out attacks resulting in over 600,000 
        Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh;
Whereas Amnesty International described the attacks by stating that ``Myanmar 
        security forces are setting northern Rakhine State ablaze in a targeted 
        campaign to push the Rohingya people out of Myanmar.'';
Whereas the United Nations Security Council has called for an end to the 
        violence and attacks;
Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights has said that the 
        response by the military is ``grossly disproportionate'' and a 
        ``textbook example of ethnic cleansing'';
Whereas Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said, ``This violence must stop, 
        this persecution must stop'';
Whereas under Burma's military-drafted constitution, the country's military and 
        security services are not subject to civilian rule and only Burma's 
        Commander-in-Chief, Min Aung Hlaing, can command troops to cease attacks 
        impacting civilians in Rakhine State;
Whereas Burma's civilian Government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has not taken 
        necessary steps to address the violence and should take further 
        measures;
Whereas the international community had high hopes for Burma's elected 
        Government and expected that elected officials take action to prevent 
        violence and secure rights;
Whereas the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State (``Rakhine Commission'') 
        examined, beginning in 2016, the underlying tensions in Rakhine State 
        and made a series of recommendations including a wide range of 
        suggestions and policy changes dealing with humanitarian aid, 
        citizenship, reconciliation, and peace;
Whereas the Rakhine Commission stated, ``While Myanmar has every right to defend 
        its own territory, a highly militarised response is unlikely to bring 
        peace to the area. What is needed is a calibrated approach--one that 
        combines political, developmental, security and human rights responses 
        to ensure that violence does not escalate and inter-communal tensions 
        are kept under control.''; and
Whereas the United States is providing an initial $32,000,000 in humanitarian 
        assistance to address the urgent needs of Rohingya fleeing violence from 
        Rakhine State into Bangladesh, as well as the needs of internally 
        displaced persons in Rakhine State and host communities in Bangladesh: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) condemns the attacks against civilians by Burma's 
        security services and calls on Burma's Commander-in-Chief, Min 
        Aung Hlaing, to immediately end all attacks against civilians 
        in the state of Rakhine in Burma;
            (2) expresses deepest appreciation to the Government of 
        Bangladesh for providing refuge to those fleeing violence and 
        attacks;
            (3) condemns the attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation 
        Army, but warns that these attacks do not justify the 
        unrestrained response that has resulted in severe human rights 
        violations, murderous ethnic cleansing, and atrocities against 
        civilians;
            (4) calls on Burma's Government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, 
        and the Burmese military and security forces to work 
        constructively to implement the recommendations of the Advisory 
        Commission on Rakhine State, including those relating to 
        justice, reconciliation, humanitarian aid, and citizenship;
            (5) calls on Burma's Government and its military and 
        security services to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to 
        refugees and internally displaced persons;
            (6) urges support and access for the United Nations Fact 
        Finding Mission to Burma;
            (7) calls on Burma's military and Government to allow 
        refugees to voluntarily return to Burma without undue 
        restriction and to change laws and policies that have 
        contributed to insecurity in the state of Rakhine; and
            (8) calls on the President to impose sanctions on those 
        responsible for human rights abuses, including members of 
        Burma's military and security services.
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