Nine US senators have sent a letter thanking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her ‘strong leadership and compassion’ on the Rohingya crisis. The letter praised Bangladesh’s decision to keep the borders open and provide assistance to more than half a million refugees fleeing the military crackdown in Myanmar.
“Your government’s extraordinary generosity in ensuring their safety and shelter is a beacon of hope as the world watches this crisis unfold,” the letter said. The statement was signed by Sen Benjamin L Cardin of Maryland, Sen Cory Gardner of Colorado, Sen Richard J Durbin of Illinois, Sen Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Sen Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Sen Tim Kaine of Virginia, Sen Christopher A Coons of Delaware and Sen Cory Booker of New Jersey. The signees included seven Democrats and two Republicans.
The statement also welcomed Hasina’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on the Rohingya crisis and her support for the Kofi Annan Commission’s recommendations. It added its voice to the call for a UN fact-finding mission to be given immediate access to Rakhine state to gather evidence of human rights violations.
The senators said they were also aware of the strain the refugees put on Bangladesh’s limited resources, especially considering the refugee population that had been staying in the country prior to the recent influx.
They urged the Bangladesh government to work closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, or UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration, or IOM, and other international agencies and NGOs to deal with the crisis.
