‘MISSING: ASIAN WOMEN ON THE INTERNATIONAL BENCH’

 

On 9 April, building on the Asia Justice Coalition's Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability (WIJA) Project, our former intern Anuja Jaiswal examines the gender and regional representation of judges at four international courts and tribunals: the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court, the UN International Residual Mechanism for Courts and Tribunals, and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. The blog post finds that disaggregating the statistics reveals a lack of both intersectional and intra-regional representation and calls for localized work through grassroots-led interventions that encourage long-term social change.

DR. PILLAI JOINS THE STRATEGIC LITIGATION PROJECT

 

Asia Justice Coalition Executive Director Dr. Priya Pillai joined the Atlantic Council's Strategic Litigation Project as the non-resident senior fellow.

 

AJC – CPJ: FEMINIST JUDGMENT PROJECT WORKSHOP

 

On 29 April, the Centre for Peace and Justice, Brac University, held an online workshop as a part of the Feminist Judgment Project (FJP), an intervention under the Asia Justice Coalition’s Women Leaders in International Justice and Accountability (WIJA) project. Dr. Aparna Chandra, Professor of Law at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, and national co-convenor of the Indian Feminist Judgment Project, facilitated the session, sharing insights on the project’s aims, design, methods, and challenges.

HRW: JUNTA ASSAULT ON HEALTH CARE HINDERS QUAKE RESPONSE IN MYANMAR

 

On 28 April, Asia Justice Coalition member Human Rights Watch reported on the Myanmar military junta’s years of unlawful attacks on healthcare facilities and health workers and how it severely hindered the emergency response to the devastating earthquake. According to HRW and Insecurity Insight, “The worst affected regions, Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw, Shan, and Bago, have long been subject to abusive military crackdowns. In just these areas, Myanmar armed forces had carried out at least 125 attacks on hospitals, arrested at least 258 health workers, and killed at least 32 since the coup”. HRW called upon the UN Security Council to hold an open meeting on Myanmar and pass a resolution calling on the junta to immediately facilitate humanitarian relief efforts without obstruction and cease attacks on healthcare facilities, transportation, and health workers.

 

‘BHRN WELCOMES EU EXTENSION OF SANCTIONS ON MYANMAR, URGES STRONGER ACTION ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY’

 

On 28 April, the Burma Human Rights Network welcomed the European Union’s decision to extend targeted sanctions against Myanmar’s military junta and associated entities until April 2026. The EU’s restrictive measures currently target 106 individuals and 22 entities responsible for grave human rights violations. BHRN called on the EU to strengthen enforcement of existing sanctions against Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) and expand targeted measures against all actors involved in the aviation fuel supply chain, which continues to enable junta airstrikes on civilian populations.

‘WHEN PEACE STARTS LOCAL, PREVENTION WORKS: REIMAGINING THE UN’S APPROACH TO ATROCITY PREVENTION AND PEACEBUILDING’

 

On 25 April, to mark the 20th anniversary of R2P and the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and Peace Direct published a policy brief that examines the essential linkages between atrocity prevention and peacebuilding. The brief highlights the shared objectives and overlapping tools of these two fields and emphasizes the central role of locally-led efforts and national ownership when designing and implementing prevention and peacebuilding programs.

 

GCR2P MYANMAR ATROCITY ALERT

 

On 23 April, Asia Justice Coalition member Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect released its Atrocity Alert highlighting the indiscriminate attacks on civilians by the military junta in Myanmar, including airstrikes and bombings. According to GCR2P, “ASEAN must ensure that any engagement with the military junta does not confer legitimacy and must demand clear, measurable progress toward ending violence and restoring democracy – reflecting the will of the people of Myanmar who continue to resist military rule”.

 

‘FORTIFY RIGHTS CEO SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER SANCTIONS AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT’

 

On 11 April, Fortify Rights reported that its Chief Executive Officer Matthew Smith and human rights advocate Akila Radhakrishnan are suing the Trump administration in U.S. court for its executive order imposing sanctions on the lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. According to the lawsuit, the sanctions on the ICC violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting Smith and Radhakrishnan and other Americans like them from speaking with the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor, including by providing legal advice, expert analysis, and evidence.

UNSC STATEMENT ON EARTHQUAKE IN MYANMAR

 

On 4 April, the UN Security Council issued a press statement on the situation in Myanmar and reaffirmed the importance of a safe and conducive environment to ensure the timely and effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all those in need, without disruption or discrimination. The Council also welcomed the ceasefire announcements to create a safe and conducive environment.

 

UN SPECIAL ENVOY VISITS MYANMAR

 

On 10 April, UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Julie Bishop visited earthquake-affected areas in Myanmar. During her visit to earthquake-affected areas in Myanmar, she urgently called for an immediate ceasefire to enable humanitarian operation, de-escalation of violence across the country, and unimpeded access for aid workers to reach all vulnerable populations. She further called on the international community to provid[e] assistance during this particular time of need but to also us[e] their influence to ensure that all of the stakeholders, all of the actors in this conflict put down their arms and focus their efforts on restoring the shattered lives of the people of Myanmar.

 

'UN EXPERT CALLS FOR EMERGENCY SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION TO ADDRESS CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS AFTER DEVASTATING MYANMAR EARTHQUAKE'

 

On 10 April, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called upon the Security Council to convene an urgent session and consider adopting a resolution that “demands that all parties to the conflict in Myanmar cease offensive military operations and that the junta immediately end its human rights violations and obstruction of humanitarian relief efforts”. He further demanded that the Council “should urgently consider a resolution that demands that all parties to the conflict in Myanmar cease offensive military operations and that the junta immediately end its human rights violations and obstruction of humanitarian relief efforts”.

‘SHARP INCREASE IN GRAVE VIOLATIONS AGAINST CHILDREN IN MYANMAR’

 

According to the 2025 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Myanmar covering the period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2023, there is an  over 400% increase in grave violations against children compared to the previous report. According to the report, “Some 5,141 grave violations against 4,089 children were verified during the reporting period, and the Myanmar Armed Forces […], its related forces and affiliated militias were responsible for close to 80% of the verified violations, while 10 % per cent were attributed to armed groups, including the People’s Defence Forces/local defence groups and ethnic armed organizations.” The recruitment and use of almost 2,200 children was the most verified grave violations, accounting for 40% of all grave violations, followed by the killing and maiming of children, accounting for 30% of the total, and abduction. 

 

‘RECENT TRENDS IN ROHINGYA CROSS-BORDER DISPLACEMENT AND OUTLOOK FOR 2025’

 

On 17 April, ACAPS published its thematic report on Myanmar-Bangladesh and noted a significant rise in Rohingya cross-border displacement because of the escalating conflict and humanitarian needs in Rakhine State, Myanmar, in 2024. In total, UNHCR documented a 130% increase (4,400 to 9,200) in Rohingya people making sea or river journeys from both Myanmar and Bangladesh between 2023 and 2024, along with 2,100 people making land journeys. According to the report, “High rates of documented journeys have continued into 2025, with around 1,200 sea or river journeys alone documented until 22 March, representing a 25% increase from the same period in 2024 (970 sea or river journeys).”

 

MYANMAR EARTHQUAKE GENDER SNAPSHOT

 

The UN Women (GiHA Working Group) published a Gender Snapshot presenting a visual overview of the gendered impacts of the March 2025 earthquakes in Myanmar. According to the snapshot, over 17 million people have been affected, including 8.8 million women and girls, and an estimated 4.8 million women and girls were living in the worst-affected areas. Further, “Health services are severely disrupted, putting over 220,000 pregnancies at risk due to damaged facilities, shortages of supplies, and limited access to reproductive health services.”