LANSING — State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) introduced House Resolution 183 today, which urges Congress to condemn the violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar and pursue policies that will permanently ensure their safety and protect their human rights. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.
The Rohingya people are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from western Myanmar who have been subjected to oppressive treatment by the government of Myanmar for more than a generation. They were stripped of their citizenship in 1982 and have faced restrictions on movement, education, religious practice and labor, in addition to harassment and violence.
“The Rohingya people have long been one of the most persecuted groups on the planet,” Hammoud said. “The United States has a moral obligation to work with the international community to prevent gross violations of human rights. The nations of the world must place consistent pressure on the government of Myanmar to stop the violence against the Rohingya people for good and allow aid to reach them.”
The Rohingya people currently face a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. In August 2017, the police and military began a campaign of disproportionate violence that has killed thousands and forced roughly 500,000 Rohingya people to flee their homes in Myanmar to Bangladesh. Roughly one-third of the entire Rohingya population are refugees because of this violence, which includes executions, beatings, sexual assaults and destruction of Rohingya villages.