AJC STATEMENT ON MYANMAR’S SECOND COUP ANNIVERSARY

On 1 February, the Asia Justice Coalition released a statement marking the second anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar and called for effective coordinated international action. Amongst others, it called on the ASEAN to overhaul the Five-Point Consensus and set a concrete and time-bound action plan, block Myanmar from all its meetings and support UN member states in enforcing sanctions and a global arms embargo.

GCR2P, GJC, AJC: ‘OUTCOMES FROM STRATEGIZING A NEW RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS IN MYANMAR’

On 1 February, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect released the outcomes of a roundtable discussion it co-hosted with the Global Justice Center, with the support of the Asia Justice Coalition. The roundtable discussion with international and Myanmar civil society representatives sought to strategize a new, multidimensional response to the crisis in Myanmar and to inform advocacy and legal strategies on a range of issues, including (1) elections; (2) creating an inclusive Myanmar; (3) justice and accountability; and (4) sanctions and arms.

FORTIFY RIGHTS: NEW CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST MYANMAR GENERALS IN GERMANY

On 25 January, Fortify Rights announced that it has filed a criminal complaint along with 16 individual complainants from Myanmar, with the Federal Public Prosecutor General of Germany under the principle of universal jurisdiction against senior Myanmar military generals and others for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

HRW: ‘ABUSES MOUNT SINCE MILITARY COUP IN MYANMAR’

On 12 January, Human Rights Watch released its World Report 2023 and condemned the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Myanmar since the military coup in February 2021. It called on Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which Indonesia will chair in 2023, to coordinate to support targeted sanctions on the Myanmar military’s major revenue streams.

AJC MEMBERS ON MYANMAR COUP ANNIVERSARY

AJC members Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Global Justice Center, Burma Human Rights Network, International Commission of Jurists, and Asia Justice and Rights released statements to mark the third year of the Myanmar military coup. They called for the UN Security Council to impose a binding global arms embargo, including suspension of supply of aviation fuel, impose targeted sanctions on junta leaders and military-owned companies, and refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

GJC, BROUK: NEW FILING IN ARGENTINA UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION CASE

On 3 January, the Global Justice Center and Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK submitted recommendations to the Second Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court, Argentina. The submission seeks to prepare the court for testimony from victims of sexual violence. It presents internationally-recognized principles for interviewing and engaging with victims. The submission also sets out standards for how the court should assess evidence of sexual violence.

HRW: ‘RAMPANT POLICE ABUSE OF ROHINGYA REFUGEES IN BANGLADESH’ 

On 17 January, Human Rights Watch called on donor governments to press the Bangladesh authorities to investigate alleged abuses against Rohingya living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, ensure that victims have effective remedies, and develop measures to better protect refugees. According to HRW, Bangladesh’s Armed Police Battalion is committing extortion, arbitrary arrests, and harassment of Rohingya refugees already facing violence from criminal gangs and armed groups.

AMNESTY WELCOMES CANADIAN & UK SANCTIONS ON THE AVIATION FUEL INDUSTRY

On 31 January, Amnesty International welcomed the new measures announced by the British and Canadian governments to prevent aviation fuel reaching the Myanmar military that has devastated families and terrorized civilians. It called on other states to follow Canada in suspending the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer – including transit, trans-shipment and brokering – of aviation fuel to Myanmar.

FORTIFY RIGHTS: ‘INDIA: CLOSE AIRSPACE TO MYANMAR JUNTA AIR FORCE’

On 12 January, Fortify Rights called on the Indian government to prevent Myanmar-junta fighter jets from accessing Indian airspace and take measures to protect ethnic-Chin and Indian civilians in border areas. On 10 January, the Myanmar junta air force dropped bombs on both sides of the Myanmar-India border, killing five ethnic-Chin opposition soldiers and destroying civilian structures.

HRW: JAPAN CONSTRUCTION AID BENEFITS MYANMAR JUNTA

On 23 January, Human Rights Watch reported that Japan’s Yokogawa Bridge Corp. apparently transferred over US$1 million in 2022 to Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), which is owned by Myanmar’s abusive military, for a Japanese government development aid project. It called on the Japanese government to suspend all ongoing non-humanitarian aid benefitting Myanmar’s junta.

FORTIFY RIGHTS: SHORT-FILM ON PUSH BACKS OF REFUGEE CHILDREN AS THAI COMMISSION ANNOUNCES INVESTIGATION

On 2 February, Fortify Rights released a short-film on the forced return of refugee children to Myanmar by the Government of Thailand. In response to evidence of potential violations shared by Fortify Rights, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT) announced it would investigate the government’s treatment of refugees.

GCR2P: ‘HOW INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INTERVENTIONS CAN HELP PRESSURE MYANMAR’S MILITARY’

On 30 January, AJC member Liam Scott (GCR2P) wrote for The Diplomat and called on states including the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, and Canada to make formal interventions in The Gambia v. Myanmar Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice as a show of support.

AJC SECRETARIAT ACTIVITIES

On 1 February, the secretariat head Dr. Priya Pillai wrote a blog post marking two years since the military coup in Myanmar. According to her, ‘it is time to reassess what is working, what is not, and to recommit to finding solutions that work for the people of Myanmar, and that provide accountability for all that has been lost.’

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ON MYANMAR

On 30 January, ahead of the Myanmar coup anniversary, the UN Secretary-General expressed his concern about the military’s stated intention to hold elections amid intensifying aerial bombardment and burning of civilian houses, along with ongoing arrests, intimidation and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists. According to him, ‘without conditions that permit the people of Myanmar to freely exercise their political rights, the proposed polls risk exacerbating instability’.

UN HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF CALLS FOR MILITARY TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT

On 27 January, Volker Türk noted that despite clear legal obligations for the military to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities, there has been a consistent disregard for the related rules of international law. According to him, “The military needs to be brought under real, effective civilian oversight. This will be difficult to achieve, but these elements are critical to restoring any semblance of democratic rule, security and stability to the country.”

UNHCR SEEKS COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL RESPONSE FOR ROHINGYA

On 17 January, UNHCR reported that more than 3,500 desperate Rohingya attempted deadly sea crossings in 39 boats in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 2022, representing a 360 per cent increase on the year before. The UNHCR called for prompt search and rescue and timely disembarkation in a place of safety, and for support to countries where Rohingya refugees are disembarked.

BBC: ‘GLOBAL FIRMS HELP MYANMAR’S MILITARY MAKE WEAPON’

On 16 January, BBC reported that the Special Advisory Council on Myanmar's report notes that several UN member states including the US, France, India, Japan etc, continue to sell weapons to the military. The firms named supply Myanmar's military with raw materials, training and machines, the report says, and the weapons produced as a result are not used to defend its borders.

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR REPORT ON JUNTA’S FRAUDULENT CLAIM TO LEGITIMACY

On 31 January, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar released a new conference room paper entitled ‘Illegal and Illegitimate: Examining the Myanmar Military’s Claim as the Government of Myanmar and the International Response’, He called for the international community to deny the SAC legitimacy, create a coalition of member states to enforce strong, coordinated sanctions against the SAC, and support the National Unity Government which has a stronger claim to legitimacy.

UN SPECIAL ENVOY CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL UNITY ON HUMANITARIAN AID

On 31 January, the Special Envoy of the United NationsSecretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer called for greater unity and commitment among the international community in humanitarian aid without discrimination and through all available channels, the military’s plan for elections which will fuel greater violence, and protection of civilians including both people inside Myanmar and refugees.

AL JAZEERA: ‘MYANMAR MILITARY ANNOUNCES STRICT NEW ELECTION LAW AHEAD OF POLLS’

On 27 January, Al Jazeera reported that the military junta has announced a strict new law on political parties in Myanmar. The Amendment requires that all political parties have at least 100,00 members, maintain a presence in at least half of the country’s townships, and hold k100 million ($45,500 USD).

OHCHR: ‘POLITICAL DETAINEES IN MYANMAR’

On 6 January, the UN Human Rights Chief called for the release of the thousands who remain in detention for opposing military rule in Myanmar. According to him, detentions are not only intended to silence the junta’s critics but are also designed to instil fear.