Rohingya Crisis Continues in Burma

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of my colleagues a new report about the perilous reality facing the daily lives of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The report, The Rohingya Crisis and the Risk of Atrocities in Myanmar: An ASEAN Challenge and Call to Action, was published by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights and describes the continuing persecution of the Rohingya in Burma. Along with my friend and colleague, Congressman JOE PITTS, in our positions as the Co-Chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, we sent a letter to the Chairman of the ASEAN parliamentarians for Human Rights, the Honorable Malaysian Member of Parliament Charles Santiago, expressing how we share their concerns regarding the continuing human rights abuses perpetrated against the Rohingya people of Burma. Last year, the 113th Congress passed H. Res. 418, ``urging the Government of Burma to end the persecution of the Rohingya people and to respect internationally recognized human rights for all ethnic and religious minority groups within Burma.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the letter to Chairman Santiago, the press release from the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights describing their report, and the Executive Summary and Call to Action of the report.

I urge all my colleagues to review this report and continue to advocate on behalf of the human rights and basic human dignity of the Rohingya people of Burma.

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