“Tools of Genocide”

National Verification Cards and the Denial of Citizenship of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

States often use legal and administrative tools to facilitate the destruction of a targeted group “in whole or in part.”

Based on more than 600 interviews from 2014 to 2019, “Tools of Genocide”: National Verification Cards and the Denial of Citizenship of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar exposes how the Government of Myanmar tortured or otherwise forced or coerced Rohingya to accept National Verification Cards (NVCs) that effectively deny their right to nationality and contribute to the erasure of their ethnic identity.

Coming in the wake of Myanmar Army-led attacks against Rohingya in Rakhine State, this report raises important questions about how NVCs and the denial of citizenship may have contributed to the commission of genocide and crimes against humanity. Through 24 detailed recommendations, it provides a pathway for the international community and the Government of Myanmar to address the root cause of the crisis: the restoration of equal access to full citizenship rights for Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.