The United States is deeply troubled by the reports of increased violence and intercommunal tension in Rakhine State, including reports of towns being burned and residents, including Rohingya, being displaced. These developments follow concerning reports of forced conscription of Rohingya, as well as the spread of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech.

The military’s previous acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity targeting Rohingya, in addition to its history of stoking intercommunal tensions in Rakhine State and elsewhere across the country, underscore the grave dangers to civilians. The current increased violence and intercommunal tensions also raise the risks of further atrocities occurring.

FILE — Buddhists and Muslims in a market in the village of Sin Tet Maw in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, Sept. 10, 2018. With ethnic conflict spreading in Rakhine State in Myanmar, a government-led online shutdown could hide human rights abuses and leave vulnerable populations in the dark. (Minzayar Oo/The New York Times)

We call on Burma’s military, as well as all armed actors, to protect civilian populations and allow for unhindered humanitarian access. We encourage international partners to condemn this increased violence, take action to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable, and provide protection to those fleeing violence to prevent future atrocities.

The United States remains committed to promoting justice for victims and survivors, as well as to holding accountable those responsible for atrocities, and will impose costs on the military and other armed actors who commit abuses.