USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on Destruction of Cemeteries

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on the destruction of cemeteries of specific religious communities globally:

Destruction of Cemeteries – This factsheet outlines international human rights law that defines the obligations of governments to protect the cultural heritage of religious communities’ cemeteries. Additionally, it describes specific examples of cemetery neglect, vandalism, desecration, and destruction at the hands of non-state actors and state-sponsored entities from 2018 to present. The report provides examples of destruction in Algeria, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey in addition to a section specifically on Jewish cemeteries.

The factsheet covers cemeteries located in countries USCIRF recommended in its 2021 Annual Report that the U.S. Department of State should designate as a “country of particular concern” or place on its “Special Watch List,” as well as sites in one country not included in USCIRF’s Annual Report – South Africa.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].

On August 25, 2017, the Burmese military, known as the Tatmadaw, launched a genocidal campaign in Rakhine State against the largely Muslim Rohingya community. The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has documented instances of Burmese military units involved in indiscriminate killings of civilians, mass rape, and arbitrary detentions. This year, the situation has only further deteriorated. On February 1, the Tatmadaw launched a coup installing the ruling military junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. Six months later, on August 1, General Hlaing declared himself prime minister until at least 2023.

In our 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department again designate Burma as a country of particular concern, or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, particularly against Rohingya Muslims. The U.S. government continues its investigation into whether a genocide and crimes against humanity have been committed by the Burmese military against the Rohingya people. USCIRF has urged a swift determination.

USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza joins us today to discuss the ongoing situation in Burma and to commemorate the somber fourth anniversary of the genocide against the Rohingya community. She led a delegation to Burma most recently in 2019 and also visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands Rohingya people live to this day in refugee camps without knowing when and if they may be able to return to their homeland.

Read all USCIRF policy recommendations regarding Burma in the 2021 Annual Report Burma Chapter.

USCIRF Calls for Justice on Fourth Anniversary of Genocidal Campaign Against Rohingya Muslims

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the fourth anniversary of the Burmese military’s genocidal campaign against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State by calling for accountability of the military junta, known as the Tatmadaw, who perpetuated this violence.

“Four years after the beginning of the genocidal campaign against the Rohingya people, Burma has entered a new period of instability in which its most vulnerable face even greater risk,” USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza stated. “We urge the United States government to support efforts to hold the Tatmadaw accountable and provide justice for Rohingya survivors, which is needed to break the cycle of impunity that emboldened the Tatmadaw to seize control.”

On August 25, 2017, the Tatmadaw launched a genocidal campaign in Rakhine State against the largely Muslim Rohingya community. The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has documented instances of Burmese military units involved in indiscriminate killings of civilians, mass rape, and arbitrary detentions. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, more than 740,000 Rohingya refugees fled to camps in Bangladesh, while another 120,000 are displaced internally.

This past February, the Tatmadaw launched a coup that plunged Burma into unprecedented chaos. Violence and persecution of the Rohingya Muslim community, which existed prior to the coup, has become an even greater threat. On August 1, 2021, Burmese military General Min Aung Hlaing declared himself Prime Minister and extended the military dictatorship until at least 2023.

“The Burmese military committed crimes against humanity and genocide against the Burmese people, including the Rohingya. Yet, General Hlaing pronounced his plans to extend the military coup and his dictatorship for the next couple of years,” added USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava. “USCIRF reiterates its recommendation to the State Department to definitively and publicly conclude if the Tatmadaw’s actions against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State meet the legal definition of crimes against humanity or genocide. Doing so would assist the worldwide efforts at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice to hold Burmese authorities accountable for their crimes.”

Shortly after the coup took place in Burma, USCIRF discussed the implications on religious communities in an episode of the USCIRF Spotlight Podcast.

In its 2021 Annual Report, USCIRF urged the U.S. government to use its authority under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions on Burmese officials responsible for severe religious freedom violations against Rohingya Muslims. Since the February 2021 coup, the U.S. government has issued a series of sanctions, though to date none have cited religious freedom violations.

USCIRF held two hearings in a series titled Ending Genocide in which Burma was a focus. The May 2021 hearing was on the U.S. government’s genocide determinations and next steps and the July 2021 hearing discussed accountability for perpetrators of genocide and mass atrocities.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].