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Solutions Series Roundtable: The Rohingya Crisis

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On Monday, January 29th, Partnership for a Secure America held an off-the-record roundtable dinner for alumni of the Congressional Partnership program to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis in Burma through targeted violence and rape against the Rohingya Muslim minority group. The conversation focused on how the U.S. and Congress can respond to help end the crisis without damaging recent political and economic progress in Burma.

Learn more about the Congressional Partnership Program

The Rohingya Crisis

Beginning in August 2017, the Burmese government launched widespread and brutal military operations against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in the country. The operations, which Burma cited as a counter-terrorist response to attacks by Rohingya militants on military and police stations, have created a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Murder, rape, and arson by Burmese military units in conjunction with nationalist Buddhist civilian mobs have forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee resources there.

Key Details

1982 Citizenship Law

  • Under this law, Burma denies citizenship to the Rohingya Muslims, making them one of the largest stateless populations worldwide. The government views them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Relevant Incidents

  • August 2017
    • Rohingya militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) target more than 30 military and police posts, prompting retaliatory operations by Burmese military units and Buddhist civilian vigilantes.
  • September 2017
    • The Burmese government claims that operations against militants ended, contrary to evidence that the military operations continued after this date.
  • November 2017
    • Sec. State Rex Tillerson labels the crisis in Burma “ethnic cleansing.”
    • Bangladesh and Burma sign a deal to return all Rohingya Muslims back to Burma.
  • December 2017
    • The US individually sanctions Burmese general Maung Maung Soe for his role in the military operations.
  • January 2018
    • Bangladesh and Burma finalize details for a repatriation plan and timeframe for the Rohingya refugees. Burma agrees to accept 1,500 Rohingya each week, for a total of 2 years to repatriate all Rohingya.
    • The repatriation of Rohingya Muslims back to Burma is postponed due to fears by refugees that they would be forced to return against their will. The process was slated to begin on January 23, 2018.
    • US diplomat Bill Richardson resigns from an international panel set up by Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi to provide advice on the Rohingya crisis, citing a lack of moral leadership by Ms. Suu Kyi.

Today in Ukraine: Corruption, Riots & Russia at the Gates

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On December 15th, United States Institute of Peace Executive Vice President, Ambassador Bill Taylor and Editor of the Atlantic Council Blog, Ukraine Alert, Melinda Haring discussed the current political and security challenges facing Ukraine.

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The Worldview Series: Baltic States

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Partnership for a Secure America is excited to announce a new partnership with the Embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania for 2017 titled The Worldview Series: Baltic States. This is the third installment of PSA’s program, The Worldview Series which aims to build deeper understanding of the important decisions American policy-makers face regarding U.S. foreign policy. The Embassies and PSA have designed this program to improve congressional insight on the Baltic States to better inform U.S. foreign policy decisions on Capitol Hill.

The series features off-the-record events with leading transatlantic experts from government, think tank, and business arenas. Focusing on a holistic understanding of the Baltic States’ histories, relations with the United States, and security situations, this program aims to build understanding of the important decisions American policy-makers face regarding US-Baltic relations.

The Embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are educational participants in the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act, authorized by the U.S. Department of State.

Why the U.S. Should Care

October 23rd – Ambassador Andris Teikmanis and Mr. Ilja Laurs discussed the diplomatic and business relationships that exist between the Baltic States and the U.S. and European Union. They also discussed the value of this strong relationship to U.S. national interests.

Featuring:

Ambassador Andris Teikmanis – Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America

Mr. Ilja Laurs – Lithuanian Tech Entrepreneur

Security in the Region

October 30th – Mr. Tom Goffus, Mr. Lee Litzenberger  and Ambassador John Heffern discussed the security environment in the Baltic States, Russia’s influence operations in the region, and NATO’s response. They  considered how the U.S., NATO and the Baltic States can work together to ensure security in the region while deterring Russia and other potential foes.

Featuring:

Mr. Tom Goffus – Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO

Mr. Lee Litzenberger – Former Deputy Permanent Representative and Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission to NATO

Ambassador John Heffern – Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs

History and Transformation of the Baltic States

November 6th – Ambassadors Rolandas Krišciūnas and Lauri Lepik along with Mr. Paul Goble discussed the history of the three Baltic States, their transition from Soviet occupation to full members of the European community, and the economic transformation each of the three states experienced.

Featuring:

Ambassador Rolandas Krišciūnas – Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States of America

Ambassador H.E. Lauri Lepik – Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the United States of America

Mr. Paul Goble – Former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of State

 

Delegation to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

November 18th-26th – Participants traveled to the Baltic States for a week-long delegation trip to gain an on-the-ground perspective at issues facing US-Baltic States relations. The delegation visited Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; and Vilnius, Lithuania. The delegation met with government and defense officials, business representatives, U.S. forces stationed in Latvia, and others.

Off-the-Record Dinner with Lisa Curtis

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On November 28th, Partnership for a Secure America held an off-the-record dinner for participants in the Fall 2017 Congressional Partnership Program with Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for South and Central Asia, Lisa Curtis. Ms. Curtis discussed U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

Learn More About the Congressional Partnership Program

Lisa Curtis

Image result for lisa curtisLisa Curtis was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for South and Central Asia on April 24, 2017. She advises the President and the National Security Advisor and guides the U.S. inter-agency policy process on U.S. interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan.

Prior to serving at the National Security Council, Lisa focused on U.S. national security interests and regional geopolitics as senior research fellow on South Asia in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. Her research focused on the U.S.-India strategic and defense partnership, U.S. counterterrorism policies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and trends in Islamist extremism and religious freedom throughout the region. In this role, she regularly testified before Congress and appeared on major media outlets to discuss U.S. policy in South Asia.

Before joining Heritage in August 2006, Curtis worked for the U.S. government on South Asian issues for 16 years. From 2003 to 2006, she was a member of the professional staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she was in charge of the South Asia portfolio for the chairman at the time, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).

From 2001 to 2003, Curtis was the White House-appointed senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, where she advised on political developments and Indo-Pakistani relations. Before that, she worked as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency and, in the mid-1990s, served as a diplomat in the U.S. embassies in Pakistan and India.

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Curtis received a bachelor’s degree in economics at Indiana University.

 

Kurdistan Referendum Crisis: Next Steps for U.S. Policy

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On November 13th, United States Institute of Peace Director for Middle East Programs, Mr. Sarhang Hamasaeed and Former Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the National Security Council, Dr. Kenneth Pollack discussed Iraq’s future after the Kurdistan referendum.

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Prospects for Peace on the Korean Peninsula: U.S. and China

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On October 16th, United States Institute of Peace Director for China Programs, Jennifer Staats and former Deputy Commander, US Forces Korea, Lt. General (Ret.) Jan-Marc Jouas discussed options to address the North Korean crisis and ideas for potential areas of cooperation or coordination between the U.S. and China.

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PSA Launches Series with Baltic States

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Partnership for a Secure America is excited to announce a new partnership with the Embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania for 2017 titled The Worldview Series: Baltic States. This is the third installment of PSA’s program, The Worldview Series which aims to build deeper understanding of the important decisions American policy-makers face regarding U.S. foreign policy. The Embassies and PSA have designed this program to improve congressional insight on the Baltic States to better inform U.S. foreign policy decisions on Capitol Hill.

The series features off-the-record events with leading transatlantic experts from government, think tank, and business arenas. Focusing on a holistic understanding of the Baltic States’ histories, relations with the United States, and security situation, this program aims to build understanding of the important decisions American policy-makers face regarding US-Baltic relations.

The Embassies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are educational participants in the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act, authorized by the U.S. Department of State.

Solutions Series Roundtable: Arctic Security

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On Thursday, August 24th Partnership for a Secure America held an off-the-record roundtable dinner for alumni of the Congressional Partnership Program to discuss development of an American strategy for the Arctic. The discussion focused on strategic competition with Russia, the current state of strategic assets in the region, and the potential costs and benefits of a US pivot to the North Pole.

Learn more about the Congressional Partnership Program

Arctic Security 

The Arctic has been a region fairly devoid of conflict; the small club of Arctic states has proven able to resolve differences through diplomacy. However the physical and political environment of the Arctic is shifting rapidly; increasingly aggressive melt of sea ice has created new access to natural resources and potential shipping lanes. Russia and China have moved quickly to invest in the Arctic – though China’s nearest coast is 900 miles from the Arctic Circle, over half of the total arctic coastline is sovereign Russian territory and nearly half of the region’s human population is Russian administered. Russia has launched an extensive military buildup along its Arctic coast, and has made formal claims to areas of the Arctic seabed under UNCLOS. US activity in the arctic is hampered by a lack of deployed strategic assets (icebreakers, cutters, etc.), a murky command structure, and a lack of overall strategic direction.

Key Details

Actors

  • Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, USA
    • Arctic Council (forum)
    • NATO members: US, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway

Environment

  • Ice melt is opening up new potential shipping lanes through ”Northern Sea Route”
    • Canada, Russia, US experience the most extreme Arctic changes

Resources

  • US extended continental shelf:
    • 13% of world oil reserves
    • 1/3 of gas reserves
    • $1 trillion in rare earth metals
  • Arctic at large:
    • $35 trillion in oil and gas reserves

Strategic Assets

  • US
    • 2 icebreakers (1 under repair)
      • USCG says they need 6 to fulfill current N+S pole requirements
    • 41 ice-capable attack subs
    • 3 combat brigades (airborne, mechanized, recon)
    • 3 fighter squadrons (F-16 & F-22)
  • Russian Arctic buildup
    • New Arctic command
    • 4 new Arctic brigades
    • 14 new operational airfields
    • 16 deep water ports
    • 40 icebreakers (11 in development)
    • 25 ice-capable attack subs

 

Solutions Series Roundtable: North Korea

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On Thursday, June 22nd Partnership for a Secure America held an off-the-record roundtable dinner for alumni of the Congressional Partnership Program to discuss the growing North Korea crisis. The discussion focused on the current state of legislative activity seeking to address the crisis, and potential opportunities for collaboration on new approaches.

Learn more about the Congressional Partnership Program

Issue Background

 

2017 has seen the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) test 24 individual ballistic missiles, including short range, medium range, and submarine launched varieties. This is a continuation of the pattern of aggressive missile testing commenced by Kim Jong-un in 2012. DPRK has conducted 6 nuclear test detonations since 2006; the most recent test (held in September 2017) demonstrated a yield of over 140 kilotons, and is generally agreed to confirm DPRK’s development of thermonuclear capabilities. Current projections indicate that US military assets in Guam, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are within striking distance of DPRK’s missiles, as well as Tokyo and Seoul – which together contain some 23 million citizens. In the months following this event, North Korea has performed several successful missile tests which place American cities from Los Angeles to Chicago within reach of their nuclear weapons.

 

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