,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #cei  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december 
#ac1 #bjag ,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself1   
,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4   
,markey1 and ,mr4 ,van ,hollen7         
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,,resolution       
,commending the ,government of          
,bangladesh for its compassion during   
the ,rohingya humanitarian crisis and   
commending ,pope ,francis for his       
message of peace4  ,whereas ,bangladesh 
has taken in ,rohingya refugees fleeing 
persecution in ,burma since the #aigjs2 
,whereas at least #cjj1jjj ,rohingya    
refugees were still in ,bangladesh prior
 to ,august #be1 #bjag2 ,whereas an     
,august #be1 #bjag1 attack on security  
posts in ,burma by the military group   
,arakan ,rohingya ,salvation ,army      
resulted in a brutal and methodical     
reprisal by the ,burmese military on    
,rohingya villages2 ,whereas more than  

#fbd1jjj ,rohingya refugees have fled to
 ,bangladesh since ,august #be1 #bjag1  
alone1 most located in or near the      
coastal city of ,cox's ,bazar2 ,whereas 
the ,rohingya refugee crisis is the     
fast-growing refugee crisis in the      
world2 ,whereas the ,government of      
,bangladesh has accepted nearly         
#a1jjj1jjj ,rohingya refugees in total  
despite facing their own domestic       
challenges2 ,whereas the ,government of 
,bangladesh has notably allowed full    
access for international relief         
organizations2 ,whereas1 on ,september  
#bb1 #bjag1 ,bangladeshi ,prime         
,minister ,sheikh ,hasina urged before  
the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly 
an end to the violence against the      
,rohingya and full implementation in    
,burma of the recommendations made by   
,kofi ,annan's ,advisory ,commission on 
the ,rakhine ,state2 ,whereas1 on       
,november #bc1 #bjag1 the ,government of
 ,bangladesh and the ,government of     
,burma signed a ,memorandum of          

,understating on a repatriation         
agreement2 ,whereas the ,memorandum of  
,understanding on a repatriation        
agreement is modeled after a flawed     
#aiib-aiic repatriation pact between    
,bangladesh and ,burma1 and does not    
resolve critical questions on the       
potential repatriation process for      
,rohingya refugees1 including           
verification of residency1 where        
refugees would be permitted to return1  
and whether they would enjoy equal      
access and rights2 ,whereas1 on         
,november #be1 #bjag1 the ,bangladeshi  
,foreign ,minister ,abdul ,hassan       
,mahmood ,ali said that ,bangladesh     
would support the ,united ,nations ,high
 ,commissioner for ,refugees being      
involved in any process to repatriate   
,rohingya refugees to ,burma2 ,whereas  
,pope ,francis1 who has been recognized 
for his humility1 dedication to the     
poor1 and commitment to dialogue and    
reconciliation1 has previously denounced
 the persecution of our ,rohingya       

brothers who were being tortured and    
killed1 simply because they uphold their
 ,muslim faith2 ,whereas ,pope ,francis 
traveled to ,burma on ,november #bg1    
#bjag1 and urged a peace based on       
respect for the dignity and rights of   
each member of society1 respect for each
 ethnic group and its identity2 ,whereas
 ,pope ,francis1 in a visit to          
,bangladesh on ,november #cj1 #bjag1    
recognized the generosity of            
,bangladeshis in caring for ,rohingya   
refugees and called on the international
 community to take decisive measures to 
address this grave crisis1 not only by  
working to resolve the political issues 
that have led to the mass displacement  
of people1 but also by offering         
immediate material assistance to        
,bangladesh in its effort to respond    
effectively to urgent human needs2 and  
,whereas the ,united ,nations has       
estimated a need of #dcd1jjj1jjj to     
respond to the ,rohingya refugee crisis3
 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the      

,senate-- 7#a7 commends the ,government 
of ,bangladesh for its admirable        
compassion and tolerance in accepting   
,rohingya refugees2  7#b7 commends the  
,united ,nations agencies1              
nongovernmental organization 7,,ngo7    
partners1 and all aid workers providing 
relief to ,rohingya refugees in         
,bangladesh1 and urges the ,government  
of ,bangladesh to continue to help      
coordinate critical humanitarian work   
and ensure ease of access for those     
carrying out such efforts2  7#c7 urges  
the ,government of ,bangladesh and the  
,government of ,burma to consult and    
coordinate with the ,united ,nations    
,high ,commissioner for ,refugees1 the  
,international ,organization for        
,migration1 and ,,ngo partners on any   
and all safe and voluntary repatriation 
efforts2  7#d7 urges the ,government of 
,bangladesh and the ,government of      
,burma to address the flaws of the      
,november #bc1 #bjag1 ,memorandum of    
,understanding on repatriation through  

consultation and agreement with the     
,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for
 ,refugees2  7#e7 urges all parties     
involved in the repatriation process to 
reject any actions which could continue 
or worsen the harsh conditions faced by 
,rohingya refugees1 including the       
confinement of the ,rohingya in camps1  
contained ghettos1 or villages were     
movement is restricted in ,burma1 or on 
the flood-prone ,bhashan ,char island in
 the ,bay of ,bengal in ,bangladesh1 or 
any other location that would result in 
further isolation2 and  7#f7 commends   
,pope ,francis for his thoughtful       
remarks about the future of ,burma that 
respects rule of law1 the democratic    
order1 and the dignity and rights of all
 of its people4