Pompeo:’ Ethnic cleansing’ in Myanmar ‘abhorrent’

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday that the U.S. will hold the perpetrators of the “abhorrent ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar responsible.

“A year ago, following deadly militant attacks, security forces responded by launching abhorrent ethnic cleansing of ethnic #Rohingya in Burma,” Pompeo tweeted Sunday morning.

“The US will continue to hold those responsible accountable,” Pompeo wrote. “The military must respect human rights for #Burma’s democracy to succeed.”

{mosads}

Pompeo’s statement marked the one year anniversary of the conflict in Myanmar that drove more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, Reuters reports.

The Myanmar government has denied the allegations of atrocities being committed.

Reuters reports that refugees, now in Bangladesh, demonstrated on Saturday, donning black ribbons to mark what they say was the beginning of the “Rohingya genocide.”

The Myanmar government said security patrols have been increased in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the site of the conflict, out of fear of commemorative violence.

The largely Buddhist Rakine ethnic group and Hindus from the state said they would put on events to remember the victims of the attacks by Rohingya militants that sparked the turmoil, according to Reuters.

Earlier in August, the U.S. imposed sanctions on various Myanmar military and police commanders along with two army units for perpetrating the “ethnic cleansing” and abuse of Rohingya Muslims.