SEEKING JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE ROHINGYA
On 24 August 2023, the Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) will host a panel discussion with members of the Rohingya community, civil society leaders, legal experts, and the National Unity Government (NUG). The meeting will provide an opportunity for participants to discuss:
- The human rights situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh and post-coup Myanmar.
- Updates on the Gambia v. Myanmar genocide case brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and other ongoing international justice mechanisms.
- Updates from the NUG on the appointment of a Rohingya representative and their plans to address the human rights of the Rohingya.
- Effective measures to end all forms of human rights violations and abuses against Rohingya Muslims as well as other minorities in Myanmar.
Background:
August 25th 2023 will mark six years since the Myanmar military led a campaign of killings, mass rape and arson against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State, killing thousands and forcing over 730,000 to flee to Bangladesh. In the six years since the military’s atrocities, the situation for Rohingya in Myanmar and abroad offers a dismal reflection of justice delayed.
Nearly 600,000 Rohingya remain trapped in Rakhine State under a system of discriminatory laws and policies that amount to crimes against humanity and genocide. Since the attempted military coup on 1 February 2021, Rohingya have been subjected to tightened restrictions on their fundamental freedoms.
Rohingya who have fled Myanmar and managed to reach Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, or India live under the constant threat of arrest, detention, and forced return to military-controlled Myanmar. In Bangladesh, one million Rohingya refugees who were forcibly displaced by the Myanmar military, remain in sprawling refugee camps in southern Bangladesh Cox's Bazar District where government is restricting their rights including education and freedom of movement.
The coup has made clear that the ongoing atrocities in Myanmar are a direct consequence of a military that for decades has faced no consequences for its crimes. Despite the longstanding evidence of widespread and systematic human rights violations, impunity remains nearly absolute. However, efforts are ongoing at the international level to ensure legal accountability are ongoing at the International Court of Justice (brought by the Gambia against Myanmar) and the International Criminal Court. Steps to this end have also been taken at the national level, including in Argentina, Indonesia, Turkey, and a pending case filed in Germany.
DATE & TIME :
Thursday, 24 August 2023: London 1:30 pm, Bangkok 7:30 pm
Please register at https://www.facebook.com/bhrnuk
Opening remarks by Kyaw Win, Founder and Executive Director of the Burma Human Rights Network
Panel Discussion: Updates on Human Rights of Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar
Tun Kin - President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), to provide an update on the human rights situation in Rakhine State and the case brought by BROUK in Argentina on the genocide against the Rohingya.
Lucky Karim- a Rohingya human rights defender, to provide an update on the human rights situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh.
Christopher Gunness - Director of the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), to provide an update on the criminal case filed by MAP in Turkey covering widespread torture since the 2021 Myanmar coup.
Pavani Nagarajabhat - Investigations Associate at Fortify Rights, to provide an update on the criminal complaint filed in Germany against Myanmar Generals for atrocity crimes.
Mr Hussein Thomasi - Solicitor General of The Gambia, to provide an update on the genocide case brought against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Veronica Pedrosa - Moderator : Senior Interview Producer at Al Jazeera
For more information about the meeting, please contact:
Kyaw Win, Executive Director of BHRN, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
