{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-sounds-the-alarm-over-forced-removal-of-rohingya-refugees-from-mainland-bangladesh-to-remote-island-2020", "Merkley Sounds the Alarm Over Forced Removal of Rohingya Refugees from Mainland Bangladesh to Remote Island", "2020-12-03", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Merkley Sounds the Alarm Over Forced Removal of Rohingya Refugees from Mainland Bangladesh to Remote Island \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 3, 2020\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkleya member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committeeissued the following statement today regarding reports that the government of Bangladesh has set plans in motion to forcibly move thousands of vulnerable Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char, an uninhabited and potentially unsafe island in the Bay of Bengal:\r\n \r\nFor years, the Rohingya have suffered horrendous atrocities and scores of human rights violations in their native Burma. Now, we're receiving disturbing and unacceptable reports that Bangladesh will forcibly removethousands ofthese refugeeswho are fleeing genocideto a potentially dangerous, isolated detention center. Not only is Bashan Char flood-prone and smack in the middle of the path of intense cyclones, it isalso ina remote location that will further complicate internationalefforts toprovide much-needed humanitarian assistance tothe refugees.\r\nThe Rohingya have experienced unspeakable violence and displacement already, and the international community will be better able to meet theircompellinghumanitarian needs if they remain on Bangladesh's mainland rather than on a remote island. Wemust join withthe United Nations andotherpartners around the world to provide this persecuted group withmuch-needed assistance and support and todemand, together, the immediate halt ofthe dangerous relocation of these refugees.\r\n \r\nSenator Merkley has long advocated for the Rohingyaand led the first congressional fact-finding mission to Burma to meet refugees and investigate the roots of the crisis in 2017. Merkley has also called forthe safe repatriation of refugees to Burma, and hasdemanded that the Trump administration condemn the Rohingya genocide and provide much-needed support to the Rohingya community, among other steps.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/merkley-sounds-the-alarm-over-forced-removal-of-rohingya-refugees-from-mainland-bangladesh-to-remote-island-2020"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6727068684995174, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}