Pompeo decries ‘abhorrent ethnic cleansing’ in Myanmar

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his country will continue to hold accountable those responsible for the “abhorrent ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, Voice of America reported Sunday.

Pompeo’s statement came on the one year anniversary of the conflict in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state that drove more than 700,000 Rohingya from their homes into neighboring Bangladesh.

“A year ago, following deadly militant attacks, security forces responded by launching abhorrent ethnic cleansing of ethnic Rohingya in Burma,” Pompeo said on Twitter. “The US will continue to hold those responsible accountable. The military must respect human rights for Burma’s democracy to succeed.”