Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide

Today marks six years since genocide was committed against the Rohingya—an ethnic and religious minority group in Burma. We solemnly remember those who were killed and recognize the enduring trauma that continues to plague victims and survivors.

During the genocide, the Burmese military massacred men, women, and children. They destroyed homes, schools, and mosques. The following testimonies are from some of those who managed to escape. Their eyewitness accounts share what happened in the moments leading up to the horrific violence, and the atrocities they will never forget. They also reflect on what life was like before the attacks, and how decades of persecution took away their rights little by little, paving the way for genocide.

Personal Stories - Burma’s Path to Genocide - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum These stories show what Rohingya lives were once like and how decades of persecution culminated in genocide.

ENGLISH Session - Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day

🗓️ August 25, 2023
🕣 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm (Myanmar Standard Time)
🕙 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)

🎙️ Government officials and diplomats will speak.

🔗 Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QGqRYuBRS0qy262AlTgbZQ

Civilians in have again been the victims of mass atrocities and remain at risk of further crimes.

Today, we hosted Ambassador John Godfrey and experts from the US government and civil society to discuss efforts to document these crimes and protect civilians—an important step toward accountability.

Honored to meet today at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with experts and activists documenting and confronting atrocities in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan, with the aim of promoting accountability and preventing further atrocities and affronts to human dignity. The fighting must stop.

Today we commemorate the 9 year anniversary of the genocide against the Yezidi people in Iraq by ISIS. Amid these horrific atrocities, Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel worked to safeguard human life and preserve centuries of culture.

Just before the arrival of ISIS in August 2014, Archbishop Michaeel demonstrated remarkable courage and resourcefulness. Recognizing the immense cultural and historical value at stake, he rescued over a thousand rare manuscripts spanning from the 13th to 19th centuries. With quick thinking, he loaded these precious texts into his car, ensuring their preservation.

He meticulously created digital copies of thousands of manuscripts. Among the rescued manuscripts were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish texts written in various languages such as Aramaic, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, and Hebrew.

Then, as ISIS descended on Iraq, he helped evacuate targeted religious and ethnic communities to safety.

Archbishop Michaeel's efforts are a testament to the power of human resilience and determination in the face of violence and destruction.

📷 : Archbishop Michaeel shows the rescued manuscripts to Simon-Skjodt Center director Naomi Kikoler on a recent trip to Iraq.

"The commission of these mass atrocity crimes, and the failure to prevent them or protect civilians thus far, is a stain on our human conscience.” Read our statement on threats of genocide and other mass atrocities against civilians in . https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-warns-of-heightened-risk-of-genocide-mass-atrocities-in-ethiopia

Museum Concerned about Risk of Genocide in Ethiopia Early Warning Project has consistently ranked Ethiopia as one of the highest-risk countries in the world for a new onset of mass killing.

"On this anniversary, the US and other governments must redouble their efforts to support Rohingya, hold perpetrators of the genocide accountable, and make sure Rohingya and others can forge a peaceful future in Burma.” Read our statement on the 5th anniversary of the genocide against the Rohingya people. https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-statement-on-the-fifth-anniversary-of-the-genocide-of-the-rohingya

Museum Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Genocide of the Rohingya We stand with Rohingya victims and survivors and reaffirm our support of their efforts to pursue justice and a safe future in their rightful home.

Indonesia is currently experiencing an increase in political tensions, extremism, and violent conflict in its two easternmost provinces, Papua and Papua Barat. There are early warning signs of large-scale violence against civilians. Immediate action is needed to prevent violence and help save lives. Our new report, “‘Don’t Abandon Us’: Preventing Mass Atrocities in Papua, Indonesia,” by Simon-Skjodt Fellow Made Supriatma explains the risk factors that could lead to mass killings in the next 12–18 months, and what can be done to reduce these risks. https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/indonesia/preventing-mass-atrocities-in-papua-indonesia

“Don’t Abandon Us”: Preventing Mass Atrocities in Papua, Indonesia This report analyzes the risk of violence and identifies potential triggering events that could lead to violence against civilians in Papua, Indonesia, in the next 12–18 months.

History shows that victims and survivors of mass atrocities are the most compelling champions for justice. Our Pursuing Justice handbook is a practical tool to guide them through documenting atrocity crimes, seeking justice, and holding perpetrators to account. The handbook is now available in Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Ukrainian. https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/reports-and-resources/pursuing-justice-for-mass-atrocities

Pursuing Justice for Mass Atrocities: A Handbook for Victim Groups The Handbook, a groundbreaking educational resource by practitioner Sarah McIntosh, offers guidance on what victim groups can do to advance justice efforts during and in the aftermath of genocide and related crimes against humanity.

Remembering Stephen Tyrone Johns (1969–2009) The Museum will never forget Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, who died heroically in the line of duty on June 10, 2009, while protecting Museum visitors and staff from a brutal attack by an avowed racist and antisemite.

Read the remarkable story of how three Rohingya mothers unknowingly rescued each other’s babies and survived the genocide in Burma that would destroy their homes and take the lives of their beloved family members. https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/burmas-path-to-genocide/safeguarding-life

Safeguarding Life - Burma’s Path to Genocide - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Sumida, Rabiya, and Harsa are three Rohingya women who saved the most vulnerable.

"I have never been able to forget what I saw; the countless bodies I buried. It keeps me up at night, and I will never sleep soundly carrying this burden. No one should, because these massacres are still happening."

This powerful eyewitness testimony shares the harrowing details of what it was like to bear witness to mass atrocities in Syria, and the Gravedigger's plea to our humanity to stop these crimes.
https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/a-message-to-america-from-a-gravedigger-in-syria

A Message to America from a Gravedigger in Syria A gravedigger from Syria who witnessed mass atrocities pleads with Americans to prevent further crimes and suffering.

We mourn and honor Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a longtime partner of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide and a co-chair of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Genocide Prevention Task Force. Her words and deeds inspired countless people to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.

“Our challenge is to match words to deeds to stop allowing the unacceptable.”

We mourn and remember Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who held a personal connection to our Museum and was dedicated to genocide prevention.

In 1997, she visited Prague, where she was born in 1937. There, she toured the historic Pinkas Synagogue, where on the walls are listed the names of more than 77,000 Jews from the Czech lands who were killed in the Holocaust. Albright found the names of her grandparents, Arnost and Olga Korbel.

“I had always known that the Holocaust had existed. … I just didn’t know that it applied to my family personally.”

Albright and her family fled N**i-occupied Prague when she was almost two years old. She was raised Catholic and learned of her Jewish ancestry just months before that visit to Prague.

“It's one thing to find out you're Jewish. It’s another thing to find out that your grandparents had died in the Holocaust.”

Albright spent much of her career advocating for human rights, including helping to develop a blueprint for governments around the world to prevent genocide as co-chair of the Museum's Genocide Prevention Task Force.

She spent her career in foreign service and was sworn in as the United States’ first female Secretary of State in 1997.

Tomorrow at 9:30 am ET United States Holocaust Memorial Museum will host Secretary of State Antony Blinken to tour the Museum’s “Burma’s Path to Genocide” exhibition after which he’ll deliver formal remarks about Burma. You can watch live at: https://youtube.com/statedept

U.S. Department of State - YouTube Welcome to the official U.S. Department of State YouTube channel. The Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and ass...

Today is the 11th anniversary of the start of the deadly conflict in Syria. We spoke with Fadel Abdul Ghany, the CEO of Syrian Network for Human Rights - SNHR, about the Syrian regime's crimes. The regime has arbitrarily arrested civilians and detained them in horrific conditions, where they are subjected to torture and other crimes. The portraits here share the stories of men and women who have been disappeared. These are just a few of the more than 100,000 who have been detained—their fates unknown. https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/portraits-of-the-disappeared-interview-fadel-abdul-ghany

Portraits of the Disappeared: An Interview with Fadel Abdul Ghany Interview with Fadel Abdul Ghany, founder and CEO of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, about the ongoing crimes the Syrian government is committing against civilians.

Today is Ben Ferencz's 102 birthday. At age 27, Ben prosecuted 22 N**i defendants in what has been called “the biggest murder trial in history.” Learn more about his incredible life and work to create a more peaceful and just world through "Law not war." https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/simon-skjodt-center/work/ferencz-international-justice-initiative/benjamin-ferencz

About Benjamin Ferencz As a former Nuremberg investigator and prosecutor, Mr. Ferencz is one of the most iconic voices in the field of international justice and one of the most effective change-makers for justice.

Museum Condemns Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Putin has misrepresented and misappropriated Holocaust history

What Uyghur Americans Want You to Know about the Olympic Games And why what is happening in China may be genocide

Young musicians, photographers, fashion designers, filmmakers and other artists are working for peace in South Sudan and seeking to create a new generation of activists through an artist collective called AnaTaban. We spoke with co-founder Jacob Bul Bior to learn how. https://medium.com/memory-action/its-all-on-us-young-artists-work-for-peace-in-south-sudan-5b56e0427b56

“It’s All on Us”: Young Artists Work for Peace in South Sudan Jacob Bul Bior was a young boy when he joined a club that defended children’s rights in the refugee camp where he lived, in Kenya. Now 33…

Opinion | We can’t fail the Uyghurs as the world failed us After 1945, we would have expected that a potentially genocidal state would not be allowed to host the Olympics. But they are.

One year after the ​Burmese ​military seized power in a coup​,​ we take a look at ​Burma's new era of violence and terror. Since last year’s coup, the military has violently suppressed widespread protests, killing approximately 1,500 civilians, including nearly 100 children. ​With the perpetrators of genocide ​now ​in charge of the country​,​​ ​​the Rohingya​ people​ and other religious and ethnic minorities​ face increased risks ​of ​mass atrocit​ies​. ​https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/blog/perpetrators-in-power

Perpetrators in Power One year after Burma’s military leaders seized power in a coup, the risk of further mass atrocities against the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities across the country is growing.