U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum accuses Myanmar of genocide

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum says there is compelling evidence that the Myanmar military committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims last year.

"Our analysis concludes there is compelling evidence that Myanmar authorities have intentionally sought to destroy the Rohingya people because of their ethnic and religious identity," said Naomi Kikoler, deputy director of the museum's Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide.

"The world has turned a blind eye to their persecution - just as it did for victims of the Holocaust," she said.

In August, a UN fact-finding mission accused Myanmar's military of perpetrating mass killing, rape, torture and arson against Rohingya civilians with "genocidal intent" and driving more than 720,000 refugees into Bangladesh.

The Myanmar government maintains that the violence has been a legitimate response to attacks on security installations by Rohingya insurgents.

The museum, however, said it had been expressing concern over "mounting evidence of genocide against the Rohingya" since November 2017, when it released a report on Myanmar military violence in partnership with Fortify Rights.

"Rohingya have been calling for the United States government to do all in its power to push for the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court... These are genocide survivors," said John Quinley, a rights specialist with Fortify Rights.    (dpa)