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Two-Minute Take: U.S. to Provide $44 million for Vulnerable People in Burma and Bangladesh

The U.S. has provided more than $299 million in humanitarian assistance for people in and from Burma since October 2016. This additional aid aims to help bring relief to more than 9.3 million people who are affected by conflict and lack basic human necessities.

It’s great to see the United States providing humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and people displaced by violence and conflict in Burma. What else can the United States and fellow democracies do to help Burma make a successful democratic transition?

I’m proud to see the United States be the world’s largest humanitarian donor and especially to see our country’s leadership in supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and those who are suffering in Burma’s Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan states. Still, responding to the aftermath of a humanitarian crisis doesn’t end the crisis. We must also respond to the cause of crisis. We need to think about what made these people flee in first place and use our resources to address that problem. Without addressing the root cause, the cycle of human rights abuses and humanitarian crises will continue.

All open, democratic, free societies must share the responsibility of helping Burma realize how to build a pluralistic society that protects its minorities, which is a fundamental principle of democracy. Burma’s successful transition should be important to free nations around the world.

As today’s democratic societies can attest, democratization is difficult process. Even though Burma’s government is worthy of criticism, we must not lose hope in Burma’s democratization. 

How should the Burmese government respond to this assistance?

The Burmese government must allow immediate access to humanitarian aid across all conflict areas including Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan states.

If Burma is serious about moving toward a democratic society, it must stop victimizing its own minority groups. When the Burmese government shows its commitment to protecting minority rights and ending the country’s ongoing crises in a peaceful manner, Burma will gain wide international support in its transition.

Learn more about the plight of the Rohingya.

Read more on the details of the announcement.