IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 591 

Denouncing the ongoing violence against the Rohingya people of Burma. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 26, 2017 

Mr. HASTINGS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Denouncing the ongoing violence against the Rohingya people 

of Burma. 

Whereas Burma recognizes 135 distinct ethnic minorities 

among its residents; 

Whereas Burma refuses to recognize the Rohingya people as 

such a minority; 

Whereas the Burma Citizenship Law of 1982 effectively rendered the Rohingya people stateless; 

Whereas an estimated one million Rohingya reside predominately in the Burmese state of Rakhine and have been 

subjected to human rights abuses by the government and 

military of Burma for more than 50 years; 

Whereas, on August 25, 2017, a Rohingya armed group 

called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked 

Burmese security outposts; 


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•HRES 591 IH 

Whereas the Burmese Army responded by systematically and 

ruthlessly attacking civilians; 

Whereas more than 580,000 people have fled northern 

Rakhine since late August 2017; 

Whereas these refugees have fled to Bangladesh; 

Whereas this most recent crisis has resulted in the total 

Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh reaching 

more than 800,000 people; 

Whereas over 200 villages in northern Rakhine have been totally or partially destroyed, allegedly by the Burmese 

military as part of a ‘‘clearance operation’’; 

Whereas officials at the United Nations have heard reports 

from members of the Rohingya community about the indiscriminate killing of unarmed civilians, the presence of 

landmines along the border with Bangladesh, and genderbased violence directed against the Rohingya, including 

rape and sexual assault; 

Whereas the United Nations High Commissioner for Human 

Rights— 

(1) reported that members of the Rohingya community have suffered extrajudicial killings, forced disappearance, arbitrary detention, looting, and the occupation and 

destruction of property; 

(2) stated that he has seen reports, including satellite images, of Burmese security forces and local militias burning Rohingya villages and shooting civilians who 

were fleeing this violence; and 

(3) called the ongoing crisis in Rakhine a ‘‘textbook 

example of ethnic cleansing’’; 

Whereas witnesses to the ongoing crisis in Rakhine have repeatedly told international aid groups that those commitVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:49 Oct 27, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR591.IH HR591

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•HRES 591 IH 

ting these atrocities were wearing identifying insignia and 

clothing; 

Whereas the insignia and clothing identified by the witnesses 

was consistent with that worn by the 33rd Light Infantry 

Division of the Western Command of the Burmese military; 

Whereas witnesses also testified to atrocities committed by 

individuals in blue-grey uniforms; and 

Whereas the Burmese Border Patrol Guards are known for 

their distinctive blue-grey uniforms and have been seen 

working closely with the Burmese army to surround villages before setting them ablaze: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) denounces, in the strongest terms, the ongo3 ing violence perpetrated by the Burmese government 

4 and military against the Rohingya; 

5 (2) denounces all violent actions taken by the 

6 Arkan Rohingya Salvation Army; 

7 (3) calls on the Burmese government to allow 

8 all members of the media, international aid groups, 

9 and a United Nations fact-finding mission unfet10 tered access into and throughout the state of 

11 Rakhine in Burma; and 

12 (4) calls on the international community to do 

13 everything possible to help Bangladesh continue to 

14 provide life-saving assistance to Rohingya refugees. 

Æ 


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