AJC BRIEFING NOTE ON PREVENTION OBLIGATIONS IN THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TREATY

 

On 29 April, Asia Justice Coalition published a new briefing note on the International Law Commission's Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. The briefing note offers textual recommendations and explanatory commentary addressing the prevention obligations within the proposed global convention on crimes against humanity. Ahead of the 30 April deadline for states to submit formal amendments to the draft articles, these recommendations are intended to guide States and relevant stakeholders in strengthening provisions on prevention. Additionally, the note provides a comprehensive tabulated and color-coded mapping of the positions of UN Member States regarding prevention obligations under Draft Articles 1, 3, and 4. To learn more about AJC’s work on the CAH treaty, check here.

 

25^th ANNUAL DOCTORAL SEMINAR AT THE IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

 

From 27 – 29 April, Dr. Priya Pillai was invited to serve as the 'Visiting Expert' for the 25th Annual Doctoral Seminar Programme of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. She presented on 'The International Court of Justice and the Adjudication of Mass Atrocity Crimes'.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON ACCOUNTABILITY FOR INTERNATIONAL CRIMES

 

On 22 April, Asia Justice Coalition Executive Director Dr. Priya Pillai participated in a panel entitled 'Authoritarianism Across Regions: Implications for the Rule of Law and Accountability for International Crimes' hosted by the War Crimes Research Office, American University Washington College of Law, and the International Commission of Jurists. The panel included Charles Jalloh, Mona Rishmawi, Claudia Paz y Paz, and Santiago Canton.

 

AJC UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION UPDATES (JANUARY-MARCH 2026)

 

The Asia Justice Coalition released its Universal Jurisdiction updates for the months of January to March 2026. AJC gathers, curates, and consolidates publicly available information and resources on cases and proceedings filed under the principle of universal jurisdiction for atrocity crimes to advance international justice and accountability across the globe, including Asia. This project is in partnership with Associate Professor Dr Emma Palmer and Prasadi Wijesinghe of Griffith University.

BHRN: ‘HATE SPEECH AGAINST MUSLIMS, ROHINGYA, AND WOMEN SURGED IN 2025 AS MILITARY-BACKED NATIONALISTS ESCALATED ONLINE CAMPAIGNS’

 

On 30 April, Burma Human Rights Network published a new report documenting 943 instances of hate speech recorded on Telegram, Facebook, and TikTok over the course of the year, finding no sustained decline in prevalence and a marked escalation in the severity and reach of content targeting ethnic and religious minorities. Online hate speech targeting Muslims, Rohingya, and women intensified across Myanmar's social media landscape in 2025, fueled by military-backed nationalist networks and amplified by platforms with weak enforcement. According to Kyaw Win, “Telegram and TikTok need to act, and governments that claim to care about accountability in Myanmar need to start demanding it.”

 

GJC: SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE VIOLENCE AS GENOCIDE IN THE GAMBIA V. MYANMAR

 

On 21 April, Global Justice Center Legal Fellow Marianne Vitug published a blogpost on sexual and reproductive violence as genocide in the recent merits hearings in The Gambia v. Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.

 

AMNESTY PUBLISHES ANNUAL STATE OF THE WORLD’S HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2026

 

On 21 April, Amnesty International published its 2026 annual report, “The State of the World’s Human Rights”, which assesses national, regional, and global developments across a wide range of human rights themes. On Myanmar (p. 264), the report highlights intensified and protracted armed conflict, unlawful attacks against the civilians, forced labour in scam compounds, increased torture and ill treatment, amongst other issues. Read the full report here.

 

AJAR EVENT ON PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN POST ELECTION SITUATIONS

 

On 21 April, as a part of the Asia HRD Learning Hub Talk Series, Asia Justice and Rights held an event titled “Post Election Situation for Human Rights Defenders in Myanmar, Thailand, and Bangladesh”. Acknowledging the crucial role that human rights defenders play in promoting democracy, protecting freedoms, and ensuring accountability, especially during elections, the event highlighted increased risks they face in the post-election period, amid political tensions and restricted civic space.

‘BROUK WELCOMES UN REPORT: STATES MUST ENFORCE ARREST WARRANTS TO END IMPUNITY FOR ROHINGYA GENOCIDE’

 

On 30 April, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK welcomed a new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. According to Tun Khin, “This new report clearly spells out actions that governments can take which will help prevent continuing atrocities. Now we must challenge governments to explain why they are refusing to act..Justice is not only about holding people to account for their crimes, it is also vital to prevent future crimes. Genocide against the Rohingya continues because those perpetrating it have never faced justice.”

 

ICJ BRIEFING PAPERS ON THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TREATY

 

In April, the International Commission of Jurists published two briefing papers on the International Law Commission’s Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, making recommendations with a view to bolstering its protective objectives. The first paper addresses the Preamble and definitions (Briefing Paper 1), whereas the second paper focuses on the implementation and enforcement of treaty obligations, including a treaty monitoring and enforcement mechanism (Briefing Paper 2). A third briefing paper (forthcoming) will address the rights of victims and survivors, witnesses and others, and accused persons, including the need for independent judicial mechanisms in the administration of justice. 

 

GJC: FEMINIST PATHWAYS TO A CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TREATY

 

On 29 April, Global Justice Center co-sponsored a side event on "Building the Vision: Feminist Pathways to a Crimes Against Humanity Treaty” at Women Deliver 2026 in Narrm (Melbourne). The participatory session invited Women Deliver delegates to co-author an intersectional feminist agenda for the treaty negotiations — moving the process from technical negotiations into the hands of survivors, Indigenous peoples, gender-diverse communities, and feminist advocates.

 

GJC: ‘CODIFYING FORCED MARRIAGE IN THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY CONVENTION’

 

On 9 April, Global Justice Center Executive Director Elise Keppler and Maryanne Koussa published a blog post  about the increasing recognition of forced marriage as a distinct crime against humanity under international law. Ahead of the April 30 deadline, it calls on states to propose amendments codifying forced marriage in order to better advance gender justice in the treaty text. According to authors, “explicitly enumerating forced marriage in the Crimes Against Humanity Convention would ensure that its unique elements are properly captured, rather than subsumed under a residual category, and would more clearly convey the seriousness of the crime itself.”

GJC WEBINAR LAUNCHES SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR PAPER OUTLINING PATHWAYS FOR JUSTICE FOR MYANMAR

 

On 28 April, Global Justice Center and other civil society organsiations held a webinar on “Accountability for Grave Human Rights Violations in Myanmar”, launching the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar’s conference room paper outlining pathways to justice for atrocities in Myanmar. The webinar featured remarks from Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews highlighting key takeaways from the conference room paper. A panel including Wai Wai Nu (Founder, Women's Peace Network), Naw Hser Hser (Political Initiative and Advocacy Delegate, Women's League of Burma), May Sabe Phyu (Director, Gender Equality Network), and Ashita Alag (Legal Advisor, Global Justice Center) offered their perspectives on current and potential efforts to hold the military junta accountable for grave human rights violations and deliver justice to survivors. AJC’s input to the Special Rapporteur was featured in the report, which underscored potential legal avenues in Asia, especially Singapore and Korea, ,to advance justice and accountability for the situation in Myanmar.

 

BROUK, FORTIFY: ‘2025 MARKED DEADLY NEW RECORD FOR ROHINGYA LOST AT SEA’

 

On 17 April, AJC members Tun Khin (President, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK) and Matthew Smith (Founder, Fortify Rights) spoke to The World’s Host, Carolyn Beeler, regarding the UNHCR's alarming update that nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal in 2025, making it the deadliest year on record in South and Southeast Asia.

FORTIFY: ‘EXPAND INVESTIGATION TO INCLUDE ARAKAN ARMY MASSACRE OF ROHINGYA IN HOYYAR SIRI’

 

On 9 April, Fortify Rights called on the International Criminal Court to expand its ongoing investigation in Myanmar to include new evidence of a massacre of Rohingya civilians by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed organization in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. A new Fortify Rights investigation documents the killing of scores of Rohingya civilians by the AA on May 2, 2024, in Hoyyar Siri, also known as Htan Shauk Khan village in Buthidaung Township, Rakhine State. According to Fortify, “U.N. member states should also urgently prioritize targeted sanctions against the AA and its commanders implicated in serious human rights violations”.

 

BROUK: ‘GENERAL MIN AUNG HLAING’S PRESIDENCY DEMANDS NEW INTERNATIONAL APPROACH TO ROHINGYA CRISIS’

 

On 3 April, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK issued a press release warning that General Min Aung Hlaing’s move towards the presidency, alongside ongoing human rights violations by the Arakan Army against the Rohingya, leaves any meaningful solution to the Rohingya crisis out of reach. BROUK called on the international community to drastically shift its approach, including by significantly speeding up international justice processes. According to Tun Khin (President, BROUK), “The lack of legitimacy is already clear -that is not the news here. The real headline is the failure of the international community to act. There have been no new sanctions for more than a year, no enforcement of arrest warrants for General Min Aung Hlaing, and no sustained pressure on the military or the Arakan Army.”

ICC CONFIRMS ALL CHARGES AGAINST DUTERTE AND COMMITS HIM TO TRIAL

 

On 23 April, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court unanimously confirmed all the charges comprised of three counts of crimes against humanity brought by the Prosecutor against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial before a Trial Chamber. The Court concluded that there are substantial grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder, pursuant to article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute. Earlier, on 22 April, the Appeals Chamber confirmed the Court’s jurisdiction and, by majority, rejected the appeal brought by the Defence and confirmed Pre-Trial Chamber I's decision of 23 October 2025.

 

REUTERS: ‘ROHINGYA ACTIVISTS FILE CASE AGAINST MYANMAR JUNTA LEADER BEFORE AN INDONESIAN COURT’

 

On 6 April, Reuters reported that “a criminal case against Myanmar’s newly-elected President Min Aung Hlaing was filed in Indonesia by a group of civil society organisations, accusing the leader of acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group. The complaint to Indonesia's Attorney General's office was filed by Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya who fled Myanmar, and several Indonesian figures. "It is the first time under Indonesia's new penal code that a case has been officially received and I warmly welcome this historic development as a milestone for all Rohingya people on their long march to justice and accountability," Ullah said. The claimants said Indonesia's penal code allows for "universal jurisdiction" when certain crimes are considered so ⁠serious they can be processed regardless of victim nationalities or where the crime was committed.”

 

AP: ‘FORMER PRESIDENT WIN MYINT FREED IN BROAD MYANMAR PRISONER AMNESTY’

 

On 17 April, the Associated Press reported that “Myanmar’s former President Win Myint was freed as part of a broad prisoner amnesty by newly inaugurated President Min Aung Hlaing to mark the traditional New Year…The pardon order applied to more than 4,500 prisoners, but it was not immediately clear how many people imprisoned for opposing military rule were included…U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres took note of the amnesty and underscored “the need for meaningful efforts to ensure the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained” including Suu Kyi”.

UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION ANNUAL REVIEW 2026

 

On 21 April, TRIAL International published its 'Universal Jurisdiction Annual Review’, in collaboration with Civitas Maxima, the Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), and REDRESS. The review compiles developments in 91 extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction cases prosecuted in 20 countries. The 2026 report contains updates on 6 cases related to atrocity crimes committed in Asia, ranging from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, as well as those related to the Rohingya and Uyghurs.

 

UNHCR: ‘RECORD NUMBER OF ROHINGYA REFUGEES DIED AT SEA IN 2025’

 

On 17 April, the UN Refugee Agency reported that in 2025, nearly 900 Rohingya refugees were reported missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, making it the deadliest year on record in South and Southeast Asia. “Some 5,000 Rohingya refugees are believed to have drowned at sea over approximately the last decade. Since 2012, nearly 200,000 Rohingya refugees have risked their lives on dangerous sea journeys to escape misery and persecution.” Earlier, on 8 April, hundreds of Rohingya were reported missing, believed drowned, after a shipwreck in the Andaman Sea.

 

DW: ‘TELENOR FACES LAWSUIT FOR GIVING MYANMAR JUNTA CUSTOMER DATA’

 

On 8 April, DW reported that a Swedish non-profit filed a class action lawsuit for €9,000 against Norway's Telenor over the actions of its subsidiary in Myanmar. “The case alleges that Telenor Myanmar passed phone data of more than 1,200 people to the country's military junta following the 2021 coup…The class action lawsuit, filed by a Swedish non-profit called the Justice and Accountability Initiative, alleges that the company endangered customers by passing information on to the military government. Among other things, it alleges that the data led to the 2022 execution of a prominent government opponent and lawmaker, Phyo Zeya Thaw, and the arrest and jailing of civil society activist Aung Thu.”