US House of Representatives passes a resolution condemning ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning "ethnic cleansing" of Rohingyas and urging immediate restoration of humanitarian access to the Rakhine state. The unrest there has forced over 600,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

The US House of Representatives called on Myanmar's leadership to end attacks on minorities in the northern Rakhine state. In a statement, House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said, Burmese leaders' commitment for restoring democracy will be judged by their respect for the individual rights and freedom of all people irrespective of their faith or ethnicity.

Introduced by Congressmen Joe Crowley and Eliot Engel, the resolution condemns the "horrific actions" of the military and security forces and calls for an immediate cessation of violence. It also urges Aung San Suu Kyi to exercise moral leadership. In his remarks on the House floor yesterday, Engel said that US rejects the Army's claims that what's taking place in Burma is a so-called counter terrorism measure.