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 ren-
dered the Rohingya people stateless; 
Whereas an estimated one million Rohingya reside predomi-
nately 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; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:49 Oct 27, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR591.IH
HR591
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•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 to-
tally 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 in-
discriminate killing of unarmed civilians, the presence of 
landmines along the border with Bangladesh, and gender- 
based 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 commu-
nity have suffered extrajudicial killings, forced disappear-
ance, arbitrary detention, looting, and the occupation and 
destruction of property; 
(2) stated that he has seen reports, including sat-
ellite images, of Burmese security forces and local mili-
tias 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 re-
peatedly told international aid groups that those commit-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:49 Oct 27, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR591.IH
HR591
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
•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 mili-
tary; 
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 vil-
lages before setting them ablaze: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) denounces, in the strongest terms, the ongo-
ing violence perpetrated by the Burmese government 
and military against the Rohingya; 
(2) denounces all violent actions taken by the 
Arkan Rohingya Salvation Army; 
(3) calls on the Burmese government to allow 
all members of the media, international aid groups, 
and a United Nations fact-finding mission unfet-
tered access into and throughout the state of 
Rakhine in Burma; and 
(4) calls on the international community to do 
everything possible to help Bangladesh continue to 
provide life-saving assistance to Rohingya refugees. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:49 Oct 27, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR591.IH
HR591
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS