By Rachel Fessenden and Lauren Fortgang
A number of members of the Never Again Coalition (NAC) community headed to Washington D.C. in February.
Portland State University professor Amanda Byron and University of Washington student Eva Jacroix joined Never Again Coalition’s Dale Oller and Rachel Fessenden for The Sentry’s Lemkin Summit to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities in February 2020
Three of us had the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Lemkin Summit to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities, presented by the Enough Project and The Sentry. This conference consisted of two days of lectures by experts in the fields of atrocity prevention and government work, and one day of lobbying elected officials on Capitol Hill. This year’s Summit provided us with the exciting opportunity to advocate further on a specific ask we have been working toward for several months—the revival of the Sudan and South Sudan Caucus in Congress. We were thrilled to have it included in this year’s Summit list of lobbying asks, and to join with students and activists from across the nation in appealing to Members of Congress to take action. The legislative staff our group members met with in the Oregon and Washington Senators’ and Representatives’ offices were gracious and receptive to the concerns and requests we presented, including the revival of the Sudan Caucus (for Representatives), support for the Illicit Cash Act to track and prevent money laundering (for Senators), and the support for the continued allocation of dedicated funds within the Appropriations Subcommittee for addressing human rights violations and corruption (for both Representatives and Senators). Another NAC member joined the ONE summit that was also advocating for support for the Illicit Cash Act.
NAC’s director Lauren Fortgang joined Rohingya activists Wai Wai Nu, Tun Khin and members of the Jewish Rohingya Justice Network to advocate for U.S. legislation to address the Rohingya genocide.
NAC’s director, Lauren Fortgang was also in D.C. to meet with Members of Congress to discuss the Rohingya genocide. She joined members of the Jewish Rohingya Justice Network to advocate for Senate support for the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act. The House version of this bill passed last year but the Senate version is stalled by Majority Leader McConnell’s refusal to bring the bill to a vote. His dedication to Burma’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has made it nearly impossible to pass any legislation to address the Rohingya genocide and continued human rights abuses in Burma. The hope with the congressional meetings was to stir up renewed, bipartisan support for the cause.
“The Rohingya will not forget what The Gambia did for us in bringing the case to the ICJ. This is the time that the international community should support The Gambia.” - Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
The day also included two public events on the Rohingya. The Center for Global Policy hosted a discussion on what the implications are of the International Court of Justice ruling on provisional measures in the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar and how the ruling be implemented and enforced in Myanmar.
The Burma Act is recognition that there has to be a price to pay. We will not sit idly by.” - Senator Ben Cardin
Back on the Hill, American Jewish World Service, Refugees International and Amnesty International hosted Justice and Human Rights in Burma: The Way Forward. Panelist included Naomi Kikoler, Director Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, US Holocaust Memorial Museum; Wai Wai Nu, Founder and Director, Women Peace Network Arakan; Eric Schwartz, President, Refugees International; Myra Dahgaypaw, Managing Director, US Campaign for Burma; and Tun Khin, President, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) also spoke. It was a well attended and informative event with reminders of how much work there still is to do. Kikoler, just back from visiting the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh said, “If this was the Holocaust, would we be debating how to do trade with the Nazis? Without any change in behavior from the government? . . . I want to clearly state that the US government has not as yet recognized the condition of genocide against the Rohingya community despite other places including our own institution that have done that. One gentleman said to us, ‘We are genocide survivors but the world does not see us that way because the most powerful country in the world has not said genocide.’”
We’re grateful that so many of us were able to meet with Members of Congress and attend these events. Just weeks later, the coronavirus pandemic brought life as we know it to a stand still. We will use the connections and information we gathered in DC to continue to work to prevent and end human rights abuses in the areas we work, even now, when must all remain home.