The US government has formally classified the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar as genocide.
Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said in a speech at the Holocaust Museum in Washington on Monday that he had come to the conclusion that members of the military in Myanmar had "committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya."
"I made this decision on the basis of a factual assessment and legal analysis prepared by the State Department." This included documentation from human rights organizations and the government's own findings.
Till Fähnders
Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.
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Majid Sattar
Political correspondent for North America based in Washington.
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Blinken stressed that the attack on the Rohingya was "widespread and systematic," which is key to establishing crimes against humanity.
"The evidence also points to a clear intent behind these mass atrocities, namely to annihilate all or part of the Rohingya," he said.
“No one is safe from atrocities”
Speaking of the military who seized power in 2021, he said: “Under their rule, no one is safe from atrocities.
And so more and more people in Burma (Myanmar) are realizing that ending this crisis and restoring the road to democracy starts with guaranteeing the human rights of all people in the country, including the Rohingya.” To those who committed the atrocities, Blinken said: "The day will come when those responsible for these terrible acts will have to answer."
Human rights organizations have long called for the systematic and brutal persecution of the Rohingya to be officially recognized as genocide.
In 2017, soldiers allegedly killed thousands of Rohingya, raped women and burned entire villages.
UN investigators had accused the military of "textbook ethnic cleansing" and "genocidal intent."
Some spoke of an "ongoing genocide".
More than 700,000 Rohingya fled the violence to Bangladesh, where they have been living in overcrowded refugee camps ever since.
According to estimates, around 600,000 Rohingya still live in Myanmar itself.
They continue to be persecuted there.
Matthew Smith of the organization "Fortify Rights", which has been documenting the crimes against the Rohingya for years, spoke of a "moment of critical importance" in view of the American decision.
Should facilitate procedures in The Hague
Rohingya organizations abroad hope the US government's classification will facilitate steps to hold military leaders accountable for the crimes.
A case is pending before the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ), which the African state of Gambia initiated as a plaintiff with the support of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation.
In addition, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the expulsion of the Rohingya to Bangladesh.
In a first partial decision, the ICJ obliged the government to protect the Rohingya from further violence.
At that time, State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi personally defended her country in The Hague.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner was overthrown in a military coup more than a year ago and put on trial.
Since then, defense in The Hague has been taken over by the military government.
The court has been criticized for giving legitimacy to a government that came to power illegally.
Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also accused the military of systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity since the coup in Myanmar.
The military bombed residential areas, shot people in the head, burned them to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured and used them as human shields.
According to the UN report, at least 1,600 people have been killed and more than 12,500 arrested so far.
440,000 are on the run and around 14 million are dependent on humanitarian aid.
High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet urged the international community to take constructive action: "The appalling level of violations of international law suffered by the people of Myanmar must result in a tough, unified and resolute international response."