Rohingya refugees welcome US calling repression genocide

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s sprawling camps have welcomed an announcement by the U.S. calling the repression on the minority group in Myanmar a genocide

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh on Monday welcomed the announcement by the United States that it considers the violent repression of their largely Muslim ethnic group in Myanmar a genocide.

As news of the announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spread across the sprawling camps in Cox’s Bazar district that are now home to about 1 million Rohingya, many residents expressed their enthusiasm.

“We are very happy on the declaration of the genocide; many many thanks,” said 60-year-old Sala Uddin, who lives at Kutupalong camp.

“It has been 60 years starting from 1962 that the Myanmar government has been torturing us and many other communities including Rohingya,” he said. “I think a path to take action by the international community against Myanmar has opened up because of the declaration.”