Global experts are collecting evidence of atrocities committed in Rakhine and documenting those to bring the perpetrators to justice, says US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat.
These experts had worked in Darfur, in Kosovo, in Syria and some of the worst refugee crises in the world, but they were absolutely astounded at the level of brutality of the violence and completeness of the violence in Rakhine, she said.
She was responding to a question about Rohingya crisis at DCAB Talk held at the National Press Club Thursday.
Everyone recognises that the solution to the problem rests in bringing the military not only to account but getting them to change the very dangerous policy that not only cruel and inhumane but invites extremism to the region and invites instability even elsewhere in Burma, the ambassador said.
She said the people who had committed this horrendous crime need to be identified and brought to justice. “History tells us that may take decades, but it will happen and it should happen.”
Citing Rohingya crisis not new, Marcia said “It is vitally important the crisis be addressed and stopped.”
We have very quickly declared the atrocities be ethnic cleansing faster than anytime in our history and the ongoing investigation further determine whether or not crime against humanity or genocide have taken place, she said.
“All of those have implication in the accountability aspect.”
Assistance to fight drug menace
The US ambassador Bernicat supported the ambition to fight against drug, but expressed concern over the number of extrajudicial killing that have accompanied the campaign.
In responding to a question at the DCAB Talk, she said over 150 were killed in different anti-drug raids.
She admitted that drug traffickers may posses arms and resist being arrested, but there should be proper investigation if the deadly forces are used inappropriately.
“When deadly force is used inappropriately we expect that that the appropriate disciplinary action has been taken to use that deadly force,” she said.
Offering help she said, “I called on officials here and offered our assistance because again like terrorism, like human trafficking, these crime cross borders. We have information that we should share one another about those criminal activities.”
Terming drug dealing a transnational crime, she said, “We have to work together to overcome the fact that they work internationally, so that we do as well.”
She was of the view that it is completely inappropriate to focus on drug dealer at the lowest level.
“Every drug dealer who has been taken off the street, there are three more waiting to take their place or will be created getting someone addicted to drug,” she said.
The only way to effectively fight drug trafficking is to go after the king-pins she said adding, “It is disappointing that the king-pins are not targeted.”
It may be harder to do and it may be the charges that bring those to kingpins to justice are not drug trafficking, but again they are involved in multiple level and kinds of crime, she said.
Concerns over Gazipur polls irregularities 
The US envoy has expressed her concern over the irregularities happened in the Gazipur election.
She said it is troubling that so many opposition parties have been arrested not only in the run up to the election but also during the last couple of years.
“There were irregularities,” she said adding, “There have been reports, in fact Election Commission suspended voting in at least nine centres where irregularities were found.”
The voter turnout in municipal elections is lower than that of previous year, also a reason for concern, she said. “It is a troubling sign and we also hope that it will be reverse in the future.”
She hoped that these core problems be addressed before the remaining election this year.
“The government of Bangladesh is committed to hold free, fair, participatory and credible election that reflects the will of Bangladeshi people. We look to the government to fulfill the commitment,” she said.