The report documents ASEAN’s and the Member States’ approaches to the freedom of religion or belief, underscores the religious freedom-related challenges in the region that transcend country borders, and emphasizes the strategic importance of robust U.S…
Oct 9, 2018
This op-ed originally appeared in The Christian Post on September 18, 2018.
By Tenzin Dorjee and Nadine Maenza
It has been more than a year since Burmese authorities began a brutal campaign…
Dec 3, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2018
USCIRF Presses for Targeted Sanctions for Atrocities Committed Against Burma’s Rohingya Muslims and Other Religious and Ethnic Communities
Call comes days before…
Aug 23, 2019
This op-ed was originally published by Inter Press Service, on August 26, 2019.
By Nadine Maenza and Anurima Bhargava
Monsoon season is currently wreaking havoc on the more than 911,000 Rohingya refugees displaced…
Apr 17, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2020
USCIRF Welcomes Release of Hundreds of Imprisoned Rohingya in Burma, Calls for More to be Released
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Jul 28, 2020
This op-ed originally appeared in The Diplomat, on July 28, 2020.
By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner James W. Carr
Several airlines offer direct flights from Burma to Malaysia, but many Rohingya…
Click here to view the Rohingya Refugees Factsheet.
This factsheet highlights the conditions of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia. While the majority of Rohingya refugees have fled from Burma to Bangladesh, a significant number have escaped to…
Oct 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USCIRF Releases Factsheet on Rohingya Refugees in Southeast Asia
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on…
Dec 28, 2020
USCIRF Troubled with the Relocation of Rohingya Refugees to Bhasan Char Island
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports that…
Feb 2, 2021
USCIRF Worried about Violence against Rohingya and other Religious Communities Following Military Coup in Burma
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned about the…
Feb 4, 2021
As the Biden administration begins to formulate its broader human rights policy, USCIRF highlights several priority countries when it comes to international religious freedom. Condemning and preventing…
Feb 25, 2021
On February 1, 2021, the Burmese military declared the results of the November 2020 democratic elections to be invalid, enacted a one-year state of emergency, and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and…
Apr 21, 2021
USCIRF Releases 2021 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy
No Longer Recommends Three Countries for Special Watch List
Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…
Apr 30, 2021
The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into…
Feb 1, 2022
USCIRF Calls for Accountability of Tatmadaw at One Year Anniversary of Coup in Burma
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the first anniversary of the…
This factsheet highlights the global scale of religious persecution by providing an overview of contexts where large populations have been displaced due to persecution or violence based on religion or belief, including in Afghanistan, Burma, the Central…
May 12, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Refugees Fleeing Religious Persecution
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Global…
Pursuing Justice and Accountability: Next Steps for the Rohingya Community of Burma – On March 21, 2022, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced the Biden Administration had determined that the atrocities committed by the Burmese military, known…
May 12, 2022
USCIRF Releases New Report on Burma
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report:
Pursuing Justice and Accountability: Next Steps…
Dec 9, 2022
In November 2022, USCIRF visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, to assess the current conditions and issues that Burmese Rohingya refugees are facing. The Rohingya community, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from Burma, have long fled…
In 2024, the situation in Burma continues to deteriorate as the military junta loses control while ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) are consolidating territory and establishing parallel government structures. These escalating conflicts negatively…
Oct 31, 2024
USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom in Burma
Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report:
Burma Country Update - In 2024, the situation in…
Sep 4, 2025
India Expels Rohingya Refugees and Muslim Citizens Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned by the Indian government’s expulsion of Rohingya refugees back to Burma. This effort to…
As the refugee population increases, including those fleeing religious persecution, more than two-thirds remain in neighboring countries. Cases in South and Southeast Asia, such as Uyghurs in Thailand, Afghans in Pakistan, and the Rohingya in Bangladesh…
Oct 1, 2025
USCIRF Releases Report on Refugees Fleeing Religious PersecutionWashington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on refugees fleeing religious persecution:The Responsibility of…