The head of the UN agency responsible for investigating Myanmar’s most serious crimes stated that preliminary evidence collected since the military seizure of power on February 1 shows that widespread and systematic attacks on civilians are “equivalent to crimes against humanity”.
Nicholas Koumjian told UN reporters on Friday that his independent investigation mechanism in Myanmar has received more than 200,000 letters since the army took over, and collected more than 1.5 million pieces of evidence under analysis, “so that one day Those who are most responsible for the incident will be held accountable for serious international crimes committed in Myanmar.”
In determining that crimes against civilians appeared to be widespread and systemic, he said that investigators saw patterns of violence-security forces responded cautiously to demonstrations in the first six weeks or so after the military takeover, and then “violence increased.” Many methods of suppressing demonstrators have become more violent.”
According to the report, more than 160 Burmese houses caught fire after government shelling
Koumjian said: “This is happening in different places at the same time, which shows that we can draw conclusions. This is a conclusion from the central policy.” “Moreover, we also see specific groups being targeted, especially those who seem to have no due legal process. Arrests and detentions. This of course includes journalists, medical workers and political opponents.”
For fifty years, Myanmar has been languishing under strict military rule that has led to international isolation and sanctions. As the generals relaxed their control, and finally Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi rose to leadership in the 2015 elections, the international community responded by lifting most of the sanctions and investing heavily in the country.
The military takeover on February 1 was carried out after Aung San Suu Kyi’s National Democratic League won an overwhelming advantage in the November election. The military rejected it on the grounds of fraud. Since the takeover, Myanmar has been in turmoil. After the use of lethal force by security forces, peaceful demonstrations against ruling generals in many urban areas first evolved into low-level rebellions, and then into more serious fighting minority militias in rural areas, especially border areas. There were fierce clashes with government forces.
Christine Schraner Burgener told the Associated Press shortly before the end of her 3 1/2-year term as the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar on October 31 that the “civil war” had spread across the country.
The UN investigative agency was established by the Human Rights Council in Geneva in September 2018. Its mission is to collect, integrate, preserve and analyze the most serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since January 1, 2011. evidence.
Koumjian is an American lawyer who has served as an international prosecutor for serious crimes committed in Cambodia, East Timor, and Bosnia. National, regional or international courts prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The woman said that living in Myanmar during the military coup was like a “dystopian world order”
Koumjian said that his team has been collecting evidence from various sources, including individuals, organizations, companies, and governments. The evidence includes photos, videos, testimonies, and social media posts. “These may be related to indicating that crimes occurred and who is responsible for those crimes.”
The investigating agency received information from social media companies, except for Facebook, he would not disclose this information because it has cooperated publicly.
“We have been working with Facebook since our establishment in 2019, and they have been meeting with us regularly,” Koumjian said. “We received some, but certainly not all we asked for. We continue to negotiate with them, in fact I hope we can receive more information.”
He said that the Human Rights Council specifically instructed investigators to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in investigating crimes committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar and the Gambia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in the International Court of Justice against Myanmar’s genocide. Against the Rohingya.
“So we are sharing files with these proceedings,” Koumjian said.
The court proceedings originated from a severe counter-insurgency operation launched by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya in August 2017 in response to insurgent attacks. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh to escape the so-called ethnic cleansing campaign, which involved mass rape, killing and burning of houses.
Koumjian said: “What we have done is only collecting evidence of the most serious violent incidents, hoping to send a message to the perpetrators:’If you do this, you will be at risk of being held accountable.”
© 2021 Canadian Press
