Over 500,000 people, most of whom are women, children, and the elderly,
have fled to Bangladesh since August 25. The Government of Bangladesh
has accepted these people and worked to provide for them within the
limits of their abilities, while supporting international efforts to
address the root causes of the crisis. Bangladesh, a country not much larger than Iowa, with a population of
more than 150 million, faces significant challenges in taking care of
this refugee population. The 500,000 Rohingya join hundreds of
thousands who have arrived in Bangladesh during previous such forced
migrations. Bangladesh has done an admirable job, but the limits on the
Bangladeshi Government to provide for these refugee populations are
real, and the nation requires international assistance. This includes
assistance from the United States, the United Nations, Europe, and
Japan. Countries in the region must also step up and provide support
for the refugee populations in Bangladesh, especially China and India,
which maintain close relationships with both Bangladesh and Burma. As I mentioned previously, we are in an age of accelerated news, and
with social media, we are in an age of knowing. Things that were once
far away that were hardly seen or known directly or firsthand can now
be seen over the internet, on Facebook, on Twitter, on other social
media.