THE prosecution of the International Criminal Court has started an investigation to identify individual criminal responsibility by holding accountable people who were engaged in cross-border atrocity crimes committed against the Rohingya people. The Myanmar government has yet to co-operate with the ICC prosecution in conducting the investigation, though they admitted committing war crimes in Rakhine Province. Rohingya people were forced to cross the border looking for a safe refuge in Bangladesh.
The ICC asked the Myanmar authorities to allow access to the prosecution for reaching a logical conclusion. In November 2019, ICC judges granted prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open a full investigation into the alleged atrocity committed against the Rohingya within the jurisdiction of the international court. Keeping in consideration the need for maintaining confidentiality, Bensouda said confidentiality is crucial not just for the integrity of the investigation, but also for the security of all involved, including the victims and witnesses.
More than 7.40 lakh Rohingyas, mostly women, children and aged people, entered Bangladesh after fleeing unbridled murder, arson and rape during ‘security operations’ by the Myanmar military in Rakhine, what the United Nations denounced as ethnic cleansing and genocide, beginning from August 25, 2017. The ongoing Rohingya influx took the number of undocumented Myanmar nationals and registered refugees in Bangladesh to about 1.2 million.
Together, the world must ensure the execution of the ICC order and full-length neutral investigation of the crimes that committed before the world without strong resistance. And as the neighbouring country, also the prime victim of the planned decade-long atrocity, Bangladesh must bring in the world community for its own sake. An independent and Muslim dominated Rakhine State beside Bangladesh is the best option to ensure the regional balance of power.
But tragedy is that the international role of Bangladesh is too weak to expect any influence for solution. Our diplomacy lies elsewhere, internally the government is too weak. So the world must help Rohingyas to save themselves as victims of genocide by Myanmar’s army.
