Article Op-Ed

What Next: 500 Georgians March Against Ethnic Cleansing in Burma

What Next: 500 Georgians March Against Ethnic Cleansing in Burma


Author Edward Mitchell by

Responsive image

The author's views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of AtlantaMuslim.com. Also, the comments posted on this Website are solely the opinions of the posters.

On Sep. 16th, over 500 Georgians joined an Atlanta march against the Burmese government's ongoing ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

PHOTOS: 500 People Join Atlanta March Against Burmese Violence

During the march from Centennial Olympic Park to the CNN Center, demonstrators condemned the violence, expressed solidarity with Georgia's Rohingya residents, and called on U.S. Senators David Perdue and Johnny Isakson to support Senate Resolution 250, which would condemn the Burmese government's violence.

"Georgia can also play in stopping Myanmar's campaign of ethnic cleansing," event organizers said in a statement. "We ask every Georgian to call Senator Johnny Isakson at 202-224-3643, as well as Senator David Perdue at 202-224-3521, and ask them to join Senator John McCain in co-sponsoring Senate Resolution 250."

The Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia, Inc. (BRCG) and CAIR Georgia also released an electronic file documenting some of the violence the Burmese government has allegedly committed against its Rohingya Muslim population in recent weeks, including acts of torture, arson and murder.

Over the past several weeks, Burmese soldiers and mobs have traveled through Rohingya villages in Myanmar, burning down homes and displacing 300,00 people along the way. CAIR Georgia and the Burmese Rohingya Community have sifted through online photos and footage of the violence to identify, verify, and compile evidence of it, which is being released to the public.

VIDEO & PHOTOS: Alleged Attacks On Rohingya Muslims (Warning - Very Graphic)

"The world failed to intervene in Rwanda. The world failed to intervene in Srbrenica. The world still has a chance to act in Myanmar," said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of CAIR Georgia.

In a Sep. 12th letters sent to Senators Isakson and Perdue, the Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia, Inc. encouraged them to support John McCain's Senate Resolution 250. So far, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to bring the resolution to the Senate floor for a vote.

READ: Letter to Senator David Perdue & Senator Johnny Isakson

The Obama Administration eased financial sanctions in Myanmar in 2012, after its authoritarian government freed some political prisoners and allowed elections. However, Burma has since escalated its ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, who the government does not recognize as citizens.

"Although the United States cannot and should not intervene in every global humanitarian crisis, our nation has a unique opportunity and obligation to stop the Burmese regime before this violence escalates from ethnic cleansing into an outright genocide," Mitchell said.

The Atlanta march was organized and co-sponsored by numerous Georgia organizations and mosques, including CAIR Georgia, the Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia, Roswell Community Masjid, Hamzah Islamic Center, Al-Farooq Masjid, ICNA Atlanta, AtlantaMuslim.com, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Masjid Al-Furqan (West Cobb Islamic Center), among others.


Tweet this article out



Like AtlantaMuslim.com on Facebook

Free Weekly Emails

Sponsored by:

Responsive image

Comments