New arrivals in Bangladesh’s Ukhiya area right after crossing the border with Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state. Photo: UNHCR/Vivian
The United States, facing criticism over its response to Myanmar’s persecution of Rohingya minority, is considering accountability mechanisms including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions against the Southeast Asian country.
“We express our gravest concern with recent events in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and the violent, traumatic abuses Rohingya and other communities have endured,” the department said.
“It is imperative that any individuals or entities responsible for atrocities, including non-state actors and vigilantes, be held accountable,” a statement, cited by the National Public Radio, said.
“We are exploring accountability mechanisms available under U.S. law, including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions.”
Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, defending Washington’s response to the situation in Myanmar, has said Washington has been “extremely engaged in what has been going on there.”
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Aung San Suu Kyi and the U.S. officials “have had many conversations, not just with our Ambassador Marciel but also one of our DASes, one of our deputy assistant secretaries, Patrick Murphy was recently over there and he was able to tour through parts of the northern Rakhine State and take a look at some of what’s going on.”
So far, the United States has contributed $104 million in humanitarian assistance for displaced people both in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh, which is confronted with a mammoth task of taking care of the huge influx of refugees.
“So the United States Government has been incredibly committed to this. We continue to call upon the government to allow in more humanitarian aid groups and to allow in more reporters so that we can more accurately get information on the ground.”
