The attacks, allegedly conducted by a relatively new and little known Rohingya nationalist group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and an ensuing "clearance operation" conducted by Burma's security forces have resulted in the rapid displacement of more than 600,000 Rohingya into makeshift camps in eastern Bangladesh, and the internal displacement of an unknown number of people within Rakhine State. Starting in the 1960s under Burma's military juntas and continuing until today under a mixed civilian/military government, Burma's laws and policies have deprived most of the Rohingya of many of their human rights, including their citizenship. Some Rohingya may join the ranks of ARSA or become supporters of other more militant extremist organizations. The initial response from the State Department was to denounce the alleged ARSA attacks, and call upon the Burmese government and military to exercise restraint in responding to the attacks. Repatriation/Resettlement Issues : What are the prospects for safe and voluntary repatriation of the displaced Rohingya? Does the treatment of the Rohingya minority pose a radicalization risk for communities elsewhere in the region? 4223 ) and the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017 ( S. 2060 ) would impose sanctions on selected Burmese military leaders, limit security and military assistance, and place conditions on multilateral assistance until the Burmese government and military meet certain criteria to address the various crises in Rakhine State. In 1982, Burma's military junta promulgated the Citizenship Law that effectively stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship. Tens of thousands are estimated to have been displaced internally. Many of those who have fled their homes and villages are reportedly being hosted by relatives and friends. Overcrowding is a critical problem. On September 20, 2017, the State Department announced that it would provide an additional $32 million in humanitarian assistance for the displaced people in Bangladesh and northern Rakhine State, with approximately $28 million allocated to assistance in Bangladesh and $4 million for Rakhine State. Trump Administration policy on humanitarian assistance to Burma is not known and the amount of humanitarian assistance to be provided in FY2018 has not been determined. It is unlikely that many of the displaced Rohingya possess documents to establish their prior residence in Burma given the circumstances under which they fled to Bangladesh. Allegations of Human Rights Violations

The United Nations, the local and international media, human rights organizations, and international humanitarian organizations have accused Burma's security forces of serious human rights abuses that may constitute ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, or possibly genocide during both "clearance operations" conducted following the October 2016 and August 2017 attacks on security installations. Many of the Rohingya and others who have arrived in Bangladesh following the two "clearance operations" claim that Tatmadaw soldiers entered their villages, and proceeded to kill civilians, rape women and girls, and then burn down the entire village. Senior Burmese government officials have also denied the human rights abuse allegations. In March 2017, the U.N. Human Rights Council approved a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights violations in Rakhine State, but Aung San Suu Kyi has so far refused to permit the mission entry into Burma, stating that their presence "would have created greater hostility between the different communities." Displaced Rakhine may look to groups such as the Arakan Army, a Rakhine-based ethnic armed organization reportedly active in southern Chin State and northern Rakhine State, to defend them from ARSA. Secretary Tillerson also said, "We need to support Aung San Suu Kyi and her leadership but also be very clear to the military that are power-sharing in that government that this [the violence] is unacceptable." It is also their responsibility to investigate the reports of atrocities. The types of sanction imposed in the past included
a prohibition on issuing visas to certain Burmese nationals; a general ban on the import of goods of Burmese origin; a ban on the import of goods produced by certain Burmese companies or containing materials originating in Burma; a prohibition of new U.S. investments in Burma; the suspension of Burma's trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program; the freezing of assets owned by certain Burmese nationals and held by U.S. financial institutions; a prohibition of providing financial services to certain Burmese nationals; a prohibition on the sales of arms to Burma; restrictions on the types of bilateral and multilateral aid that can be given to Burma; and limitations on interaction with the Burmese military, or Tatmadaw. The Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2017 (BURMA Act; H.R. Both bills would impose a visa ban on senior military officers involved in human rights abuses in Burma, place new restrictions on security assistance and military cooperation, reinstate the jadeite and ruby import ban of Section 3A of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act, and require U.S opposition to international financial institution (IFI) loans to Burma if the project involves an enterprise owned or directly or indirectly controlled by the military of Burma. S. 2060 also requires the President to review Burma's eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
A series of interrelated humanitarian crises, stemming from more than 600,000 ethnic Rohingya who have fled Burma into neighboring Bangladesh in less than 10 weeks, pose challenges for the Trump Administration and Congress on how best to respond.
The flight of refugees came following attacks on security outposts in Burma's Rakhine State, reportedly by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), an armed organization claiming it is defending the rights of the region's predominately Muslim Rohingya minority, and an allegedly excessive military response by Burma's military. Some of the displaced Rohingya report that Burmese soldiers systematically killed civilians, sexually assaulted women and girls, and burned down their homes. The Burmese government and military have denied the veracity of these reports. An unknown number of Rohingya, Rakhine, and other ethnic minorities have been forced out of their villages into temporary camps within Rakhine State, while others remain isolated in their home villages under a government-imposed curfew.
In Bangladesh, an estimated 700,000-900,000 Rohingya—including people who fled Burma during earlier instances of violence—require urgent humanitarian assistance. In Burma, tens of thousands are in need of humanitarian assistance, but the Burmese government and military have restricted access to the affected areas. Efforts to facilitate the voluntary and safe return of the displaced Rohingya and other ethnic minorities to their original villages face several problems. Bangladesh and Burma have been unable to agree to terms for repatriation. Many of the villages have been destroyed, raising questions about when the people can return and where they will go. It is also uncertain how many of the displaced Rohingya are willing to return to Burma, given the nation's history of discriminatory policies and practices, including a 1982 law that effectively stripped them of their citizenship.
The crises raise questions about U.S. policy toward Burma, following its transition to a civilian/military government after six decades of military rule. The day before the August 2017 attacks, a special commission established by Burma's de facto leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and headed by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, made a series of recommendations on how to end ethnic tensions in Rakhine State, including calling for the repeal of the anti-Rohingya laws and regulations. While Aung San Suu Kyi accepted most of those recommendations, it is unclear how soon and to what extent they will be implemented.
The human rights allegations have led some observers to say the Burmese military is guilty of crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. The Burmese government and others assert that ARSA is a terrorist organization. The United Nations Human Rights Council has created a special, fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations in Burma, but the Burmese government and military have dismissed the allegations of widespread human rights violations and have refused to allow the fact-finding mission into Burma.
The displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh may also pose a serious radicalization risk. Some Rohingya may be recruited by ARSA or Islamist extremist groups. Some Rakhine may choose to join the Arakan Army, a Rakhine-based ethnic armed organization involved in active resistance against the Burmese government.
The Trump Administration and the State Department have adopted a measured approach to the emerging challenges presented by the crises in Bangladesh and Burma. The initial response was to increase humanitarian assistance to both nations by a total of $32 million, raising the amount of assistance provided since October 2016 to $95 million. New restrictions on relations with senior Burmese military officers have been imposed using existing authority.
Two bills have been introduced in the 115th Congress since the August attacks and the Burmese military's "clearance operations"—the Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2017 (BURMA Act; H.R. 4223) and the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017 (S. 2060). Both bills would impose a visa ban on senior military officers responsible for human rights abuses in Burma, place new restrictions on security assistance and military cooperation, reinstate jadeite and ruby import bans, and require U.S opposition to international financial institution loans to Burma if the project involves an enterprise owned or directly or indirectly controlled by the military. S. 2060 also would provide an additional $104 million in humanitarian assistance, and would require the President to review Burma's eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
This report will be updated as circumstances require.