The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has launched their 2024 Annual Report. This year the Commission has recommended several countries as “Countries of Particular Concern” and among them is Burma.
The report emphasizes that international religious freedom remains a key priority in U.S. foreign policy. Under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), the United States condemns violations of religious freedom and assists foreign governments in safeguarding this fundamental right.
The Key Findings of the report highlighted the plight of the Rohingya and that in Burma at the end of 2023, “Rohingya refugees from Burma located in Bangladesh continued to face an uncertain future.”
USCRIF noted the continuation of The Gambia v. Myanmar case and called attention to the US designation that “Burmese authorities committed genocide against Rohingya” and has provided evidence to support The Gambia in the ICJ matter.
Key recommendations to the US Government by USCRIF include “working with the governments of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to assist Rohingya and other refugee communities from Burma, including by identifying solutions within Cox’s Bazar to fully scale up livelihood and skills training programs for adults and youth and providing curriculum to ensure a quality education for all children within Cox’s Bazar.”
In addition, “hold hearings on implementation of the BURMA Act, including justice and accountability mechanisms for Rohingya and other persecuted religious minorities.”
Burma has been re-designated in the report as a CPC, which means that the government “engages in or tolerates ‘particularly severe’ violations of religious freedom. Severe violations of religious freedom mean “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations…” which includes torture, enforced disappearances, and prolongs detentions.
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