[Congressional Bills 118th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8936 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8936 To provide protection, support, and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and internally displaced people as well as promote accountability and a path out of genocide and crimes against humanity for Rohingya. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 5, 2024 Mr. Meeks introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To provide protection, support, and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees and internally displaced people as well as promote accountability and a path out of genocide and crimes against humanity for Rohingya. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Rohingya Genocide Accountability and Protection Act'' or ``Rohingya GAP Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) In its report dated September 17, 2018, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM) found that impunity was a ``root cause of continued human rights violations in Myanmar'' that ``has significantly and demonstrably contributed to the validation of deeply oppressive and discriminatory conduct, enabled recurrence of human rights violations and atrocity crimes, and emboldened perpetrators and silenced victims,'' and concluded that ``ensuring accountability for crimes'' was ``the key to disrupting patterns of oppression and cycles of violence'' as well as a legal obligation for Burma. (2) On December 13, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1091, by an overwhelming majority of 394 to 1, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that atrocities committed against Rohingya by members of the Burma military and security forces since August 2017 constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. (3) On September 16, 2019, the FFM reported that it ``has reasonable grounds to conclude that the evidence that infers genocidal intent on the part of the State, identified in its last report, has strengthened that there is a serious risk that genocidal actions may occur or recur''. (4) On February 1, 2021, the Burma military conducted a coup d'etat, derailing Burma's transition to democracy and disregarding the will of the people of Burma. (5) Since the February 2021 military coup, the Burma military and certain local armed groups have continued to commit crimes and abuses against Rohingya. In Rakhine State, over 600,000 Rohingya, including at least 130,000 confined in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps face heightened risks. The military continues to target Rohingya with laws and policies that criminalize the exercise of human rights, as well as with arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, sexual violence, and murder. (6) On March 21, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Secretary had determined that ``members of the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya''. (7) The United States is the leading contributor of humanitarian assistance in response to the Rohingya crisis. Since 2017, the United States Government has provided nearly $2.4 billion in response to the Rohingya crisis, including $1.9 billion to assist Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. The United Kingdom and Japan, the other leading contributors of humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya crisis, have provided nearly $479 million and $220 million respectively to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. (8) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a June 2023 report that the Burma military's restrictions on aid access by local and international organizations seeking to respond to Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State in May 2023 may amount to gross violations of international human rights law, and serious violations of international humanitarian law. (9) According to the World Food Program, since it was forced to cut food rations in March and May 2023, food insecurity has increased for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, ``with a staggering 90 per cent of the population lacking access to an adequate diet and over 15 percent of young children suffering from malnutrition''. The World Food Program estimates that it needs another $38 million in funding to fully restore a ration to meet the basic minimum nutritional needs of refugees. (10) Funding cuts and rising commodity prices have exacerbated protection concerns for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, especially with respect to gender-based violence and child protection, worsening health outcomes and fueling unsafe and irregular migration throughout the surrounding region. (11) Combined with rising food insecurity, Rohingya are increasingly unsafe in Bangladesh as a result of growing competition between armed and criminal groups in the refugee camps. These factors have driven thousands of Rohingya to flee to maritime Southeast Asia by boat only to face obstacles from regional navies and growing resentment from local populations. (12) The long, systemic denial of the exercise of certain rights, including education, freedoms of expression, movement, and rights related to nationality have had enduring effects on many Rohingya persons' mental and physical well-being and perpetuate the risk of future genocidal violence until these root causes are addressed. SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. It is the policy of the United States-- (1) to uphold Article I of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which the United States is a party, to prevent the crime of genocide and punish its perpetrators; (2) to prevent and end atrocities committed against Rohingya by addressing the root causes of the genocide committed against them, holding the perpetrators of these crimes accountable, supporting solutions to respect the human rights and uphold the dignity of Rohingya, and to ensure Rohingya involvement and representation in decision making and implementation processes to address these needs; (3) to support the empowerment of Rohingya civilian leadership in diaspora communities, refugee camps in Bangladesh, and inside Burma through consultation and collaboration with Rohingya community representatives; (4) to provide holistic support to the Rohingya community to overcome decades of systematic persecution and discrimination and to best support the desires of all communities in Burma to achieve lasting peace and an inclusive, Federal democracy including through credible transitional justice processes; (5) to collaborate with other countries to pursue and implement coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained measures for upholding the dignity and protecting the human rights of Rohingya; and (6) to engage in a coordinated manner with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees other relevant United Nations agencies, governments, and intergovernmental entities to establish protocols and respond to protection concerns and to prevent and protect Rohingya from further atrocities. SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is the sense of Congress that-- (1) the United States has a moral and legal responsibility to prevent and punish genocide, including against Rohingya; (2) the Secretary of State's determination of genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya by members of the Burma military in March 2022 was historic and should serve as a clarion call to support Rohingya to overcome decades of systemic persecution, marginalization, and violence; (3) the Rohingya crisis and the broader Burma crisis must be addressed simultaneously, not in sequence; and (4) the United States should encourage other countries to contribute additional assistance and follow United States leadership in protecting Rohingya through humanitarian assistance, political and economic empowerment, accountability for genocide, crimes against humanity, and any other international crimes committed by the Burma military and other armed groups in Burma, and supporting the voluntary resettlement or eventual safe repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Burma when conditions allow. SEC. 5. UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR ROHINGYA ATROCITIES PREVENTION AND RESPONSE. (a) In General.--The President is authorized to designate an official of the Department of State at the Under Secretary level to serve as the United States Special Coordinator for Rohingya Atrocities Prevention and Response for a two-year period that may be renewed by the President. The official so appointed may continue to serve in the official's capacity at the Under Secretary level. (b) Duties.--The Special Coordinator shall assist in-- (1) coordinating the policies of the United States regarding Rohingya with relevant bureaus and offices within the Department of State and other relevant United States Government agencies; and (2) diplomatically engaging with foreign governments and international organizations to advance international coordination and cooperation to support Rohingya. SEC. 6. SUPPORT FOR PROTECTION EFFORTS AND DURABLE SOLUTIONS WITH RESPECT TO ROHINGYA. (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development should, in consultation with the Special Coordinator (if so designated), support efforts to protect Rohingya and prevent further atrocities against Rohingya. (b) Protection Efforts.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary and Administrator should seek to engage in crisis response efforts and efforts to maximize the safety, security, and well-being of Rohingya in Burma and throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia, by-- (1) supporting Rohingya refugees' access to international protection as well as international asylum and refugee mechanisms, and preventing indefinite detention and non- refoulement; (2) ensuring Rohingya facing ongoing abuse, including human trafficking and gender-based violence, have access to a range of legal support services, including protection case management and legal and health support; (3) supporting a monitoring mechanism, rapid response team, legal assistance, and communication mechanisms to overcome military-imposed internet and telecommunication restrictions for Rohingya living in Burma; (4) working with governments in the region to strengthen regional mechanisms and overall coordination on lifesaving search and rescue, safe disembarkation, effective receiving and comprehensive assistance for Rohingya refugees; (5) supporting host communities to facilitate a safer, more supportive, and welcoming environment for Rohingya refugees through the provision of technical assistance and cooperation with local organizations and governments; (6) engaging the Government of Bangladesh to establish the necessary mechanisms for Rohingya refugees to file protection claims, and seek accountability by-- (A) improving Rohingya refugees' ability to access justice within Bangladesh through legal aid, simplifying the process for filing cases, facilitating the access of lawyers involved in international legal proceedings involving Rohingya, and enabling Rohingya to travel abroad to participate in legal proceedings in other courts; (B) supporting enhanced coordination among Bangladesh security forces on investigations and accountability; (C) supporting training for Bangladesh's Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and any other units providing security for Rohingya refugee camps on humanitarian protection principles and community safety; and (D) encouraging the Government of Bangladesh and other host governments to allow safe houses for Rohingya human rights defenders, as well as defectors, insider witnesses to atrocities against Rohingya and other refugees facing imminent threats; (c) Promoting Durable Solutions.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary and Administrator should seek to promote durable solutions with respect to Rohingya by-- (1) supporting the inclusion of Rohingya across various sectors in Burma and facilitating training and capacity building on atrocity prevention for the National Unity Government (NUG), the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), ethnic armed organizations, and other political stakeholders; (2) in consultation with Rohingya community representatives, including women and civil society leaders, collaborating with and supporting key non-military stakeholders to take preparatory steps for-- (A) ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Rohingya, which should include those individuals displaced in the 1990s or born as internally displaced persons or refugees to their places of origin in Burma; (B) restoring and protecting Rohingyas' rights and providing them full and equal citizenship; (C) recognizing Rohingya as an official ethnic group in Burma, and securing equal social and political power-sharing under a Federal democratic constitution; (D) promoting convenings and engagement among Rohingya, non-state actors, civil society groups, and other key stakeholders in Rakhine State to promote trust-building and reconciliation; (E) including Rohingya across administration and governance mechanisms of Burma, including Rakhine State; and (F) developing a comprehensive transitional justice strategy; (3) working with United States allies and partners to broaden resettlement programs and supporting the voluntary resettlement of the most vulnerable individuals within Rohingya populations, as well as defectors, deserters, and insider witnesses participating in justice processes; and (4) supporting repatriation of Rohingya refugees only when conditions are conducive for a safe, voluntary, and sustainable return with full rights restored. SEC. 7. HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS. (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in consultation with the Special Coordinator (if so designated) and other relevant United States Government agencies, should continue to provide assistance to Rohingya refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities receiving such refugees and persons. (b) Activities Supported.--Assistance provided under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) Protection programming, including interventions focused on Rohingya civil society leaders, human rights defenders, and others threatened by armed groups. (2) Support-- (A) to Rohingya civil society and community-based organizations so they can represent themselves. (B) and diplomatic engagement to encourage the Government of Bangladesh to allow the operation of Rohingya-led civil society and community-based organizations in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. (3) Programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, trafficking, forced marriage, as well as specialized training programs for vulnerable groups. (4) Support for education, including higher education, for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. (5) Support for displaced Rohingya to access livelihoods through vocational training and volunteer programs organized by international organizations and nongovernmental organizations. (6) Support for meeting basic needs, including food, nutrition, healthcare, protection, shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene support; (7) Support to Rohingya in Burma, refugee camps in Bangladesh, and the diaspora to preserve Rohingya culture, history, and memory. SEC. 8. PROMOTING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY COMMITTED AGAINST ROHINGYA IN BURMA. (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in consultation with the Special Coordinator (if so designated) and other relevant United States Government agencies, should take the actions described in subsection (b) to promote accountability for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Rohingya in Burma. (b) Actions Described.--The actions described in this subsection are the following: (1) Support comprehensive justice and accountability for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Rohingya, including through consultation with and participation by the Rohingya community. (2) Support for the efforts of entities, including the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, in their work to safely collect and preserve evidence of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Rohingya, including through open-source research and by cultivating inside