{"id":10235,"date":"2018-11-29T15:18:58","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T13:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/?p=10235"},"modified":"2018-11-29T15:18:58","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T13:18:58","slug":"accountability-for-atrocities-in-myanmar-cannot-be-expected-within-its-borders-un-independent-international-fact-finding-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/2018\/11\/accountability-for-atrocities-in-myanmar-cannot-be-expected-within-its-borders-un-independent-international-fact-finding-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Accountability for Atrocities in Myanmar \u2018Cannot Be Expected\u2019 within Its Borders \u2013 UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"
Human Wrongs Watch<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Continued denial of the facts and evidence of gross human rights violations by Myanmar is a clear indication of the country\u2019s \u201clack of interest\u201d in establishing a fully functioning democracy based on individual rights and freedoms, two United Nations independent experts have underscored.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cMyanmar stands at a crossroads,\u201d said Marzuki Darusman, the Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the country, told journalists at the UN Headquarters, in New York, on\u00a024 October 2018<\/span>.<\/p>\n

It can choose to acknowledge the serious human rights violations and honour the call for accountability, or it can continue on its present path of self-destruction, he added.<\/p>\n

In September, the Fact-Finding Mission issued a hard-hitting report concluding that the widespread and systematic violence against Myanmar\u2019s minority Muslim Rohingya community by the\u00a0Tatmadaw<\/em>(Myanmar\u2019s armed forces) and other security forces amounted to \u201cthe gravest crimes under international law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even now, atrocities continue to be committed in Myanmar, and the remaining Rohingya community continues to suffer \u2026 it is an ongoing genocide\u00a0\u2013 Marzuki Darusman<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mr. Darusman also spoke strongly against a \u201chardened position\u201d adopted by the Myanmar Government, its \u201ccontinued denials\u201d and \u201cattempts to shield itself [citing] national sovereignty\u201d as the greatest obstacles to ensuing accountability, rule of law and respect for human rights in the country.<\/p>\n

That response by the Government \u201conly strengthens the case\u201d that the international community needs to act as \u201caccountability cannot be expected from national processes\u201d, he continued.<\/p>\n

In its report, the Fact-Finding Mission also called on the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC), or to an ad hoc tribunal for investigations and prosecutions for the crimes.<\/p>\n

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UNHCR\/Andrew McConnell |\u00a0<\/span>Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River (at the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar) to reach refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
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Time to impose targeted, individual sanctions against top officials<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Mr. Darusman reiterated the call inside\u00a0 the 15-member Council on Wednesday afternoon: \u201cUnless impunity is addressed, violence and its associated atrocity crimes will continue to occur,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The head of the Fact-Finding Mission also called on Council members to impose \u201ctargeted, individual sanctions\u201d against those most responsible for serious crimes under international law, noting that the report identified six of\u00a0Tatmadaw<\/em>\u2019s most senior Generals, with command responsibility for the \u201cclearance operations\u201d in Rakhine state, starting with its Commander-in-Chief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey must cease to benefit from all international support, both intuitionally and personally. This includes an arms embargo on Myanmar and a prohibition of all transactions with\u00a0Tatmadaw<\/em>-affiliated enterprises,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

Discussion over the Mission\u2019s report went ahead after an objection on the subject was defeated by a vote of 9 in favour of the discussion, 3 against and 3 abstentions.<\/p>\n

Continuing harassment of human rights defenders and journalists<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Speaking alongside Mr. Darusman at the press conference, Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, called on the Security Council \u201cto come together\u201d and refer the country to the International Criminal Court (ICC) without any delay.<\/p>\n

She also said that harassment of lawyers, journalists and human rights defenders continues, and voiced concern over prevailing impunity in the country.<\/p>\n

The civilian Government in Myanmar \u201ccan do a lot\u201d to address the situation, said Ms. Lee, adding: \u201cbut they are either tacitly or explicitly choosing not to do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

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UN Photo\/Evan Schneider |\u00a0<\/span>Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar Yanghee Lee (left) speaks to the press at the UN Headquarters in New York. To her left is Marzuki Darusman, the chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the country.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
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Every relevant UN organ and entity \u2018must act\u2019 to end cycles of violence in Myanmar<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

While in New York, the chair of the Fact-Finding Mission also appealed to the General Assembly to support preparations for prosecution during its current session.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome the decision of the Human Rights Council to establish an Independent Mechanism to immediately begin preparing for prosecution and we call on the General Assembly to fully support it,\u201d said Mr. Darusman.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the cycles of violence are to be stopped and if the United Nations Charter is to have any meaning, every relevant [UN] organ and entity must act.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0final report\u00a0<\/a>of the Fact-Finding Mission was presented to the General Assembly on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar\u00a0<\/a>was\u00a0established\u00a0<\/a>by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, in March 2017, to look into the alleged human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State.<\/p>\n

UN Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary, and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.\u00a0(SOURCE:\u00a0UN News<\/a>)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Read also:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Myanmar military leaders must face genocide charges \u2013 UN report<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n
2018 Human Wrongs Watch<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Human Wrongs Watch Continued denial of the facts and evidence of gross human rights violations by Myanmar is a clear indication of the country\u2019s \u201clack of interest\u201d in establishing a fully functioning democracy based on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,90,47,85,43,45,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asia","category-editor-selection","category-ethnic-issues-and-communities","category-human-rights","category-human-rights-online-library","category-minorities","category-world","country-asia"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10236,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10235\/revisions\/10236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openasia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}