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Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul delivered remarks at a full committee markup in support of a bill he co-led, H.R. 8936, the Rohingya GAP Act. During his remarks, Chairman McCaul highlighted how this bipartisan legislation will address the Burmese military’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people as violent crimes against the Rohingya, including mass-killings and torture, have escalated after the ceasefire between the Burmese military and Arakan Army broke down. The bill passed out of committee today with overwhelming bipartisan support.

— Remarks as delivered —

I strongly support this. I’m proud to be the lead co-sponsor on my side of the aisle.

Six years ago, Burma’s military launched a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya people, razing villages, raping, torturing, [and] killing thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children.

As a result, over a million Rohingya have fled across South and Southeast Asia.

The February 2021 military coup in Burma only exacerbated the situation, destroying a budding democracy, while doubling down on ethnic cleansing.

That is why Ranking Member Meeks and I introduced the BURMA Act during the previous Congress.

It placed sanctions on the Burmese military, authorized humanitarian aid, and pushed for a genocidal determination.

In March 2022, after our bill was signed into law, Secretary Blinken determined that the Burmese military had indeed committed genocide and crimes against humanity on the Rohingya people.

Three years later, Burma remains embroiled in a bloody civil war, with escalating violence and continued genocide against the Rohingya people.

And, more than a million displaced people over the past 6 months, including over 500,000 [Rohingyas].

Today I’m proud to lead the Rohingya GAP Act with Ranking Member Meeks.

This resolution continues our bipartisan support in addressing the crisis in Burma and the Rohingya genocide.

This bill is consistent with the BURMA Act and addresses issues that remain over two years after its passage. It will provide humanitarian assistance and hold those accountable for crimes against humanity.

This bill also authorizes the President to appoint a special coordinator to concentrate all relevant resources in the State Department and USAID to more effectively address this ongoing crisis.

So, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure and show the world the United States Congress will not let genocide go unanswered.

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