Blinken declares Myanmar's repression of Muslim Rohingya a genocide

Violent repression of the largely Muslim Rohingya population in Myanmar amounts to genocide, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, a declaration intended to both generate international pressure and lay the groundwork for potential legal action.

Authorities made the determination based on confirmed accounts of mass atrocities on civilians by Myanmar's military in a widespread and systematic campaign against the ethnic minority, Blinken announced in a speech at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., Monday. Blinken said evidence showed the "attack against Rohingya was widespread and systematic, which is crucial for reaching a determination of crimes against humanity."

"The day will come when those responsible for these appalling acts will have to answer for them," Blinken said.