Trump asked 'Where is that?' when a Rohingya refugee asked him if he was doing anything to stop the genocide in Myanmar

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Donald Trump hosts survivors of religious persecution from 17 countries around the world in the Oval Office at the White House July 17, 2019

• On Wednesday, Trump met with victims of religious persecution from countries including China, Turkey, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.
• In a clip that's circulating online, a Rohingya refugee asked Trump what he planned to do about the genocide in Myanmar.
• Trump responded: "Where is that?"
• A man next to Trump said that it's next to Burma, which is incorrect. Myanmar used to be referred to as Burma.
• Since 2017, over 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar, according to the Human Rights Watch.
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On Wednesday, President Donald Trump met with victims of religious persecution from countries including China, Turkey, North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar.

In a widely circulated clip, a Rohingya refugee asked Trump what his plan was to help the Rohingya refugees in Myanmar.

Trump's response: "Where is that exactly?"

Then, a man next to Trump said that Myanmar is "next to Burma," but that's not true. Myanmar was referred to as Burma until 1989.

Watch it all play out:

Over 730,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from the Rakhine State to Bangladesh since August 2017 to escape ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, according to the Human Rights Watch. The Rohingya have faced displacement and violence in Myanmar since the 1990s, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

Read more: 'The most persecuted minority in the world': Here's what you need to know about the Rohingya crisis

The United Nations has said that Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims has the "hallmarks of genocide."

On Tuesday, Trump handed down sanctions on Myanmar army Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing and three others over the treatment of the Rohingya, Al Jazeera reported. Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, Brigadier General Than Oo, Brigadier General Aung Aung were also named in Mike Pompeo's statement.

"The Department of State is focused on policies that will change behavior and promote accountability. We believe this action is one step toward achieving these goals," Pompeo's statement said. "With this announcement, the United States is the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military. We designated these individuals based on credible information of these commanders' involvement in gross violations of human rights."

It continued: "We remain concerned that the Burmese government has taken no actions to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, and there are continued reports of the Burmese military committing human rights violations and abuses throughout the country."

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