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AJC – OPINIO JURIS ONLINE MYANMAR SYMPOSIUM
From 24 August – 2 September 2022, Asia Justice Coalition and OpinioJuris curated a virtual symposium titled: ‘Myanmar and International Indifference: Rethinking Accountability’. This joint event was a follow-up to the 2020 and 2021 online symposium and marked the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya Remembrance Day and the 10th anniversary of the Rohingya exodus from Myanmar. The symposium witnessed 10 posts by 12 contributors – including, AJC’s secretariat staff Jennifer Keene-McCann and Aakash Chandran as well as representatives from AJC members such as Savita Pawnday (GCR2P), Kingsley Abbott and Raquel Saavedra (ICJ), Antonia Mulvey (LAW), Matthew Smith and Zaw Win (Fortify Rights), Laetitia van den Assum, Dr. Melanie O’Brien, Caroline Stover and Michael Altman-Lupu.
AMNESTY: ‘CALL ON META TO PROVIDE REPARATION TO THE ROHINGYA’
On 29 September, Amnesty International released a new report calling on Meta (formerly Facebook) to provide reparations for promoting violence against the Rohingya and contributing to the 2017 atrocities in Myanmar.
BHRN: ‘THE EU MUST CONTINUE ACTION AGAINST BURMESE MILITARY’
On 20 September, the Burma Human Rights Network called on the European Union especially France and Germany, to push for further sanctions to undermine the junta’s access to funds, weapons, and legitimacy. to continue action against the Burmese military.
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ICJ: REPORT ON A STANDING INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIVE MECHANISM (SIIM)
On 26 September, the International Commission of Jurists released a new report at the UN Human Rights Council on a ‘Standing Independent Investigative Mechanism’. The proposed mechanism would support and complement the existing human rights and international justice architecture, including the work of the International Criminal Court. If established, it would likely allow the UN and States to tackle impunity around the world in a more effective, expansive, and coherent manner.
HRW: ‘MYANMAR: DEATH OF ACTIVISTS IN CUSTODY’
On 13 September, Human Rights Watch released its new report documenting the deaths of six detained activists, between May and July, remotely interviewing 10 witnesses and others. that involved apparent torture or the denial of adequate medical care. According to HRW, the junta’s widespread and systematic abuses since the coup amount to crimes against humanity, which include murder, torture, and wrongful imprisonment.
LAW WEBINAR ON ‘ROHINGYA CRISIS: PROSPECTS FOR REPATRIATION’
On 9 September, Legal Action Worldwide hosted an online panel discussion on ‘Rohingya Crisis: Prospects on Repatriation’. AJC secretariat head Dr. Priya Pillai, Nicholas Koumjian (Head, IIMM), Ambassador Shahidul Haque (Former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh), Yasmin Ullah (Rohingya activists), and Antonia Mulvey (Executive Director, LAW) participated in the panel.
GJC WEBINAR ON ‘IMPUNITY IN MYANMAR, FIVE YEARS AFTER GENOCIDE’
On 28 September, Global Justice Center hosted a panel discussion on 'Impunity in Myanmar, Five Years After Genocide'. The panel included Akila Radhakrishnan (President, GJC), Robert Rae (Ambassador, Canadian Mission to the United Nations), Nicholas Koumjian (Head, Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar), Naomi Kikoler (Director, US Holocaust Memorial Museum), Yasmin Ullah (Rohingya human rights activist), and Naw Hser Hser (General Secretary, Women's League of Burma).
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BROUK PETITIONS FACEBOOK FOR EVIDENCE AS PART OF GENOCIDE CASE IN ARGENTINA
On 22 September, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK once again petitioned Facebook to share information relevant to the universal jurisdiction genocide case it is pursuing in an Argentinian court. A federal court in Buenos Aires has, through the US State Department, asked the social media giant to submit any evidence concerning the use of the platform to spread hatred and misinformation against the Rohingya.
GJC & GCR2P RELEASE A SHORT VIDEO MARKING THE 5th ROHINGYA ANNIVERSARY
Global Justice Center and the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect released a short video to mark the fifth year of Rohingya genocide and called for the referral of the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, end arms transfer to the military, targeted sanctions on oil and gas industry, and criminal accountability for the perpetrators of mass atrocities.
HRW: ‘JAPAN TO SUSPEND MYANMAR MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAM’
On 23 September, Human Rights Watch reported that Japan’s Defense Ministry announced that as of 2023 it would no longer accept new military personnel from the Myanmar military for training in Japan. The ministry cited the junta’s execution of four pro-democracy activists in July as a major factor in its decision. |
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HRW: ‘UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE MYANMAR MILITARY’
On 22 September, Human Rights Watch delivered its oral statement at the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar. The statement called upon the ASEAN states to support strengthening the implementation and enforcement of sanctions, targeting the junta’s profits from the oil and gas sector, as well as a UN Security Council resolution to impose an arms embargo and sanctions.
LAW WEBINAR ON ‘ROHINGYA CRISIS: PROSPECTS FOR REPATRIATION’
On 9 September, Legal Action Worldwide hosted an online panel discussion on ‘Rohingya Crisis: Prospects on Repatriation’. AJC secretariat head Dr. Priya Pillai, Nicholas Koumjian (Head, IIMM), Ambassador Shahidul Haque (Former Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh), Yasmin Ullah (Rohingya activists), and Antonia Mulvey (Executive Director, LAW) participated in the panel.
ICJ CALLS ON STATES TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE IIMM
On 12 September, the International Commission of Jurists called on States to support the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanisms for Myanmar by ensuring sufficient funding, cooperating, facilitating a secure access to victims and witnesses and to securing a jurisdictional venture to crime under international law.
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MILITARY COURT CONVICTS AUNG SAN SUU KYI FOR 3 YEARS
On 29 September, the Myanmar military court convicted and sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi and her Australian economist advisor Sean Turnell to three years for the alleged violation of the State Secrets Act.
‘UN ENVOY WARNS OF ‘MULTIDIMENSIONAL CATASTROPHE’ IN MYANMAR'
On 5th September, the Irrawaddy reported that the UN Secretary-General’s Myanmar Envoy warned of a multidimensional catastrophe unless ‘the ASEAN and the international community come together to seriously find new ways to support this Myanmar-led process towards an inclusive society and democratic future’. She further declared that she will not visit Myanmar unless the military junta permits her to visit Aung San Suu Kyi.
UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF ON THE SITUATION IN MYANMAR
On 26 September, the acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif delivered an oral update on the human rights situation in Myanmar at the Human Rights Council. According to her. ‘urgent action is needed to reverse this catastrophic situation and to restore peace, democracy, and sustainable development.’
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UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR PRESENTS HIS ORAL UPDATE AT THE HRC
On 21 September, the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tom Andrews shared the disappointment of the people of Myanmar to the response of the international community to the crisis. According to him, ‘conditions have, indeed, gone from bad to worse, to horrific for untold numbers of innocent people in Myanmar’.
‘UN EXPERTS URGE MORE HELP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN PUSH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY’
On 16 September, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and the situation of human rights defenders called on the international community to end apparent indifference to the violence targeting the country's population. According to them, ‘human rights defenders documenting and responding to atrocities by Myanmar's military junta urgently need comprehensive support, including financial’.
MALAYSIAN PM CALLS ON SECURITY COUNCIL TO ACT ON MYANMAR
On 24 September, Al Jazeera reported that the Malaysian Prime Minister expressed his disappointment with the UN Security Council because of its reluctance and inaction on Myanmar. He informed the General Assembly about the no progress by the military junta on the ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.
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NEW CASE AGAINST MYANMAR JUNTA IN INDONESIA
On 6 September, the South China Morning Post reported that a group of rights activists and organizations in Indonesia petitioned its Constitutional Court to amend a 2020 law to allow the prosecution of not just its own nationals but foreigners including the military junta who commit gross human rights violations.
IIMM SUBMITS ITS REPORT TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
On 12 September, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar submitted its fourth annual report and informed the Human Rights Council that it has prepared 67 evidential and analytical packages to share with judicial authorities at the ICJ and ICC including evidence of gender-based violence and crimes against children. Further, Facebook has shared millions of information on social media content and its relation to the mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya.
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IIMM: ‘SCHOOL ATTACK IN LET YET KONE VILLAGE MAY BE CONSIDERED A WAR CRIME’
On 27 September, in a press release, the IIMM declared that it is collecting evidence to assess criminal responsibility concerning the 16 September attack on a school (12 people reported dead) by the Myanmar military in Sagaing Region. The Mechanism reaffirmed the fact that armed attacks that target civilians are prohibited by international laws of war and can be punished as war crimes or crimes against humanity. Earlier, on 19 September, UNICEF issued a statement calling for schools to remain a safe place and for attacks against children to be stopped.
FORMER BBC PRESENTER HTET HTET KHINE SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS
On 15 September, Radio Free Asia reported that the former BBC presenter Htet Htet Khine was sentenced to 3 years with hard labour by Myanmar military court for ‘incitement and illegal association’.
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