The Myanmar Times :
The European Union called on the Myanmar government on Monday to act on the report by a government-established international panel that found war crimes and grave human rights abuses had been committed in Rakhine State in 2017.
The 28-member EU urged the government to conduct “adequate follow-up investigations, in line with international standards” of the abuses in Rakhine reported by the Independent Commission of Enquiry.
“Credible action must be taken to bring to justice those responsible for these serious violations, especially by Myanmar’s security forces,” the EU said in a statement.
“We also welcome the recommendations for institutional reforms within Myanmar’s defence forces to prevent the recurrence of human rights violations,” it added.
The commission, headed by senior Philippine diplomat Rosario Manalo, said in its 461-page report that war crimes had been committed during the massive military campaign against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) between August 25 and September 5, 2017.
The commission said three mass killings were committed during the crackdown, which was launched in the wake of deadly ARSA attacks on 30 government security outposts in northern Rakhine on August 25.
The crackdown forced more than 740,000 Muslim to flee northern Rakhine to Bangladesh in the weeks that followed and prompted accusations of genocide by the international community.
The commission said that up to 600 people were killed during fighting between the Tatmadaw and ARSA in Min Gyi village in Maungdaw township on August 29, 2017; at least 100 people were killed when the Tatmadaw attacked Chut Pyin in Rathedaung township, where it suspected ARSA fighters were hiding, on August 27, 2017; and witnesses said that up to 200 unarmed civilians were killed in Maung Nu in Buthidaung township.
The EU urged the government to comply with the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice on Thursday, which ordered the Myanmar government to halt violence in Rakhine, to prevent all acts of genocide against the Muslim minority, and to report back to the court on the progress in its efforts.
“We expect the government of Myanmar to fully comply with the ICJ order in the interests of justice,” the EU said.
“The EU stands ready to support the Government of
Myanmar in its efforts to address the root causes of the multi-faceted conflict in Rakhine, to implement in a comprehensive manner the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission and to achieve peace within Myanmar’s borders,” it added.
On Thursday, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote in the Financial Times that the country needs more time to bring to justice those who committed war crimes in Rakhine, and insisted that they be prosecuted in the country’s judicial system.
“War crimes that may have been committed by members of the Defence Services will be prosecuted through our military justice system,” she said. “We need to respect the integrity of these proceedings and to refrain from unreasonable demands that Myanmar’s criminal justice system complete investigations in a third of the time routinely granted to international processes.”
The European Union called on the Myanmar government on Monday to act on the report by a government-established international panel that found war crimes and grave human rights abuses had been committed in Rakhine State in 2017.
The 28-member EU urged the government to conduct “adequate follow-up investigations, in line with international standards” of the abuses in Rakhine reported by the Independent Commission of Enquiry.
“Credible action must be taken to bring to justice those responsible for these serious violations, especially by Myanmar’s security forces,” the EU said in a statement.
“We also welcome the recommendations for institutional reforms within Myanmar’s defence forces to prevent the recurrence of human rights violations,” it added.
The commission, headed by senior Philippine diplomat Rosario Manalo, said in its 461-page report that war crimes had been committed during the massive military campaign against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) between August 25 and September 5, 2017.
The commission said three mass killings were committed during the crackdown, which was launched in the wake of deadly ARSA attacks on 30 government security outposts in northern Rakhine on August 25.
The crackdown forced more than 740,000 Muslim to flee northern Rakhine to Bangladesh in the weeks that followed and prompted accusations of genocide by the international community.
The commission said that up to 600 people were killed during fighting between the Tatmadaw and ARSA in Min Gyi village in Maungdaw township on August 29, 2017; at least 100 people were killed when the Tatmadaw attacked Chut Pyin in Rathedaung township, where it suspected ARSA fighters were hiding, on August 27, 2017; and witnesses said that up to 200 unarmed civilians were killed in Maung Nu in Buthidaung township.
The EU urged the government to comply with the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice on Thursday, which ordered the Myanmar government to halt violence in Rakhine, to prevent all acts of genocide against the Muslim minority, and to report back to the court on the progress in its efforts.
“We expect the government of Myanmar to fully comply with the ICJ order in the interests of justice,” the EU said.
“The EU stands ready to support the Government of
Myanmar in its efforts to address the root causes of the multi-faceted conflict in Rakhine, to implement in a comprehensive manner the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission and to achieve peace within Myanmar’s borders,” it added.
On Thursday, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote in the Financial Times that the country needs more time to bring to justice those who committed war crimes in Rakhine, and insisted that they be prosecuted in the country’s judicial system.
“War crimes that may have been committed by members of the Defence Services will be prosecuted through our military justice system,” she said. “We need to respect the integrity of these proceedings and to refrain from unreasonable demands that Myanmar’s criminal justice system complete investigations in a third of the time routinely granted to international processes.”
