Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending the Convention on Myanmar\u2019s Ongoing Genocide, organized by Jewish World Watch\u2019s long-time partner, the Burmese American Muslims Association (BAMA). BAMA asked me to say a few words and when I arrived I was treated not only like a keynote speaker, but as a member of the family. Following my 20-minute speech, I was embraced by the staff and attendees and was even treated to a delicious meal. It was an incredibly moving and memorable night, and I was honored to represent JWW in furthering such a commendable organization and crucial cause. <\/p>\n
In my talk, I discussed JWW\u2019s advocacy work on behalf of the Rohingya Muslim minority of Myanmar; why the Tatmadaw\u2019s crackdown against them constitutes genocide; and our projects on the ground aiming to improve the conditions of some of the near-million Rohingya refugees currently resigned to awaiting their fate in squalid camps in neighboring Bangladesh. I also addressed the jurisdictional basis for the International Criminal Court\u2019s preliminary investigation into the crimes perpetrated against the Rohingya, as well as why the ICC process is a vital counter-impunity and genocide-prevention tool, particularly in light of the Myanmar military\u2019s ongoing persecution of other minority groups within its territory, including the Kachin, Karen and Shan peoples. <\/p>\n
Perhaps most importantly, I called on the United States to identify the atrocities against the Rohingya for what they truly are: a genocide. I promised, on behalf of Jewish World Watch and our devoted constituents to continue working to keep this crisis at the forefront of American foreign policy and to get governments worldwide to step up and take the definitive steps that a genocide designation requires, including filling major aid gaps in the camps at Cox\u2019s Bazar. <\/p>\n
I shared the floor with some incredible activists devoted to upholding the rights of the Rohingya people and ensuring that the perpetrators of genocide and other mass atrocities against this centuries-old ethnic minority group are held to account. The clear message uniting many of the speakers was the need for the safe and secure return of the Rohingya from Bangladesh, as well as a formal acknowledgment of their status as citizens of Myanmar. Most of the Rohingya simply want to go home, despite the fact that the military has burned and bulldozed their villages; despite the fact that many had family members who were brutally slaughtered in front of them; despite the fact that they have been denied citizenship, freedom of movement, basic social services, and fundamental human rights for decades. Home is home, after all.<\/p>\n