,,iii #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #cgf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #bc1 #bjah ,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,young1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,mc,cain1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,coons1 and ,ms4 ,smith7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,urging the ,governments of ,burma and ,bangladesh to ensure the safe1 dignified1 voluntary1 and sustainable return of the ,rohingya refugees who have been displaced by the campaign of ethnic cleansing conducted by the ,burmese military4 ,whereas1 on ,august #be1 #bjag1 attacks on security posts in ,burma by the military group ,arakan ,rohingya ,salvation ,army resulted in a brutal1 systematic1 and disproportionate reprisal by the ,burmese military and security forces on ,rohingya villages in ,rakhine ,state2 ,whereas more than #fej1jjj ,rohingya refugees have fled to ,bangladesh since the ,burmese military commenced its scorched-earth campaign1 with the burning of villages and local monuments1 and reports of widespread gang rape1 starvation1 killing1 and forcible deportation2 ,whereas the ,government of ,burma has consistently denied access to the ,united ,nations ,fact-,finding ,mission on ,myanmar established to investigate human rights violations around the country2 ,whereas ,bangladesh ,prime ,minister ,sheikh ,hasina proposed that safe zones be created inside ,burma to protect all civilians irrespective of religion and ethnicity under ,united ,nations 7,u4,n47 supervision2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,high ,commissioner for ,refugees 7,,unhcr7's mandate is to provide1 in collaboration with other actors1 international protection to refugees and to assist them in finding durable solutions through voluntary repatriation1 local integration1 or resettlement2 ,whereas the ,u4,n4 ,general ,assembly has repeatedly affirmed ,,unhcr's function of facilitating the voluntary repatriation of refugees and1 in recognition of the importance of sustainable return1 has widened its mandate to include providing assistance for their rehabilitation and dealing with the consequences of their return2 ,whereas the fundamental operational principles of voluntary repatriation are safety1 to include legal and physical safety1 and dignity1 to include treatment with respect and full acceptance by their national authorities1 including the full restoration of refugees' rights2 ,whereas1 on ,november #bc1 #bjag1 the ,government of ,burma and the ,government of ,bangladesh signed an agreement1 known as the ,arrangement1 on the return of displaced persons from ,rakhine ,state1 which is modeled after the #aiib repatriation agreement between ,burma and ,bangladesh2 ,whereas the ,arrangement includes references to restoring normalcy and human rights in ,rakhine ,state1 for refugee returns to comply with international standards of safety1 dignity1 and voluntariness1 and to commencing a process to address root causes in line with the ,rakhine ,advisory ,commission recommendations2 ,whereas approximately #bcf1jjj ,rohingya refugees returned to ,burma under the terms of the #aiib agreement1 only to continue to be denied citizenship1 face prejudice1 violence1 and persecution1 and in many instances be forced to live in internally displaced persons 7,,idp7 camps with their freedom of movement restricted2 ,whereas ,burma's #aihb citizenship law stripped ,rohingya of their ,burmese citizenship1 rendering them stateless2 ,whereas the ,government of ,burma continues to systematically discriminate against the ,rohingya people1 including by continuing to restrict registration of ,rohingya births and to deny them freedom of movement1 access to healthcare1 land1 education1 marriage1 voting rights1 and political participation2 ,whereas the ,government of ,burma has repeatedly abused land use laws to unjustly seize land from ,rohingya refugees2 ,whereas ,,unhcr is working closely with the ,government of ,bangladesh and partners to provide protection and assistance to the ,rohingya refugees and to support the host populations affected by the influx2 ,whereas the ,government of ,burma has not reached an agreement with ,,unhcr on its role in the safe1 dignified1 and voluntary return of ,rakhine ,state refugees2 ,whereas ,myanmar ,minister of ,social ,welfare1 ,relief and ,resettlement ,dr4 ,win ,myat ,aye1 on ,december #bh1 #bjag1 announced that the repatriation process will begin on ,january #bb1 #bjah2 ,whereas there is concern that up to #ajj1jjj ,rohingya could be at risk of forced return into two model villages or supported by #a1bjj tents provided by the ,government of ,burma1 without assurances of their safety or details regarding long-term solutions to address root causes of ,rohingya disenfranchisement2 ,whereas model villages and similar tactics in ,burma dating back to colonial rule have been used to strategically shift population groups and deepen religious and cultural divides2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ab1 #bjag1 ,wa ,lone and ,kyaw ,soe ,oo1 two journalists reporting and documenting atrocities against the ,rohingya1 were arrested and on ,january #aj1 #bjah1 formally prosecuted with violating the ,official ,secrets ,act1 further risking ,burma's democratic transition2 ,whereas ,,unhcr1 as of ,december #ag1 #bjag1 reports that conditions in ,burma's ,rakhine ,state are not yet conducive to enable safe and sustainable return1 as refugees continue to flee ,rakhine ,state into neighboring ,bangladesh2 ,whereas ,,unhcr reports that those who arrive have suffered immense violence and trauma in ,burma1 with some having witnessed the deaths of family members and friends and most having little or nothing to return to1 with their homes and villages destroyed2 and ,whereas there is concern that deep divisions between communities remain unaddressed and humanitarian access is inadequate3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns the violence and displacement inflicted on ,burma's ,rohingya and other ethnic minorities2 7#b7 calls for an immediate halt to all hostilities by ,burmese authorities2 7#c7 condemns the attacks by the ,arakan ,rohingya ,salvation ,army militant group2 7#d7 calls on the ,government of ,burma to allow full access to ,rakhine ,state and ensure the full participation of ,,unhcr1 the internationally endorsed organization tasked with ensuring that refugee returns are voluntary1 safe1 dignified1 and meet international refugee and human rights standards1 and that the voices of refugees are represented in order to ensure the sustainability of such returns and to prevent further waves of displacement2 7#e7 commends the positive role of the ,government of ,bangladesh in receiving ,rohingya refugees to date and urges the ,government of ,bangladesh to continue allowing the full participation of ,,unhcr and human rights organization in accessing refugee camps2 7#f7 calls on ,,unhcr and international nongovernmental organizations to play a role in monitoring repatriation efforts by the ,governments of ,bangladesh and ,burma to ensure a process that meets international norms for voluntary1 safe1 and dignified repatriation2 7#g7 calls on the ,u4,n4 to consider the feasibility of ,bangladesh's proposal for a safe zone or for a peacekeeping mission to protect and defend vulnerable communities under international supervision2 7#h7 agrees that any return of ,rohingya should include guarantees that any returns of refugees will be voluntary and dignified1 that there will be no threats to protection or security upon return1 that refugees will be able to return to their places of origin or other locations as desired1 and be able to enjoy equal rights with others in ,burma1 including the restoration or granting of full citizenship1 freedom of movement1 and access to basic services2 7#i7 recognizes that any forced relocation of ,rohingya refugees into temporary settlements1 ,,idp camps1 model villages1 or other areas not of refugees' choosing is unacceptable2 7#aj7 calls on the ,government of ,burma to allow for a flexible and practical approach to dealing with evidence of ,rohingya residence in ,burma1 recognizing that the ,rohingya refugees in ,bangladesh possess a wide range of documents and that some refugees have no documents and will need to establish their residence by other means2 7#aa7 calls on the ,government of ,burma to address root causes consistent with the ,rakhine ,advisory ,commission recommendations and fully implement all of the recommendations of the ,commission1 including providing equal access to full restoration or granting of full citizenship for the ,rohingya population2 7#ab7 calls on the ,government of ,burma to acknowledge and address the issue of statelessness for the ,rohingya1 the deprivation of rights1 and institutionalized and pervasive discrimination of the ,rohingya population in order to bring about any sustainable solutions2 7#ac7 commends the ,government and the people of ,bangladesh for their extraordinary generosity and efforts to provide shelter and relief for nearly #a1jjj1jjj ,rohingya refugees forced to flee their homes in ,burma2 7#ad7 calls on the ,government of ,bangladesh to ensure all refugees have freedom of movement and under no circumstances are subject to unsafe1 involuntary1 precipitous1 or uninformed returns to ,burma2 and 7#ae7 calls on the ,government of ,burma to immediately release journalists ,wa ,lone and ,kyaw ,soe ,oo4