On March 13,  the United Nations (UN) officially determined that Myanmar’s government committed “horrifying” acts of genocide against the Rohingya Muslims. The Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic and religious minority in a primarily Buddhist country, and they have been targets of extreme persecution since the 1970’s when discriminatory laws were enacted. The violence against the people has reached a boiling point with rape, killings, and arson. The Rohingya have been declared, “the world’s most persecuted minority.”

To rectify the injustices against the Rohingya, the UN has made steps to punish the Myanmar government, preparing a criminal case against government officials who allowed the murders to continue and increase. Over 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled the country, while around 7,000 have died in the month of March. The Myanmar government has gone to great lengths to cover up the ethnic cleansing, claiming those killed are terrorists and the total number killed is under 200. However, the UN’s findings contrast this and photos reveal the destruction is wide spread.

The ethnic cleansing hasn’t been reported on by major news outlets and many activists are criticizing the United States government and the UN for not taking more direct action against Myanmar’s government.