Jakarta, Indonesia

A group of parliamentarians from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Friday urged the International Criminal Court to try those responsible for alleged crimes against the ethnic Rohingya community in Myanmar.

Advertisment

A statement by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), which was signed by at least 130 of its members, called on the United Nations Security Council to begin the process, given that the ICC does not have jurisdiction in Myanmar and would need an initiative by the UN.

"One year has passed since the Myanmar military launched its murderous operation in Rakhine State, yet we are no closer to seeing those responsible brought to justice," said APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament.

"As Myanmar is clearly both unwilling and unable to investigate itself, we are now at a stage where the international community must step in to ensure accountability," he added.

Advertisment

Saturday marks one year since Myanmar's security forces cracked down after Rohingya rebels attacked government outposts in Rakhine state, triggering an exodus of at least 700,000 members of the mostly-Muslim community to neighboring Bangladesh.

The UN and human rights organizations have reported numerous times that there is clear evidence of abuse with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights describing it as "ethnic cleansing", bearing all the “hallmarks of genocide.” 

Santiago said the security forces "killed thousands of Rohingya, burned villages to the ground, and committed widespread sexual violence."

Advertisment

Following her visit to the Buddhist majority nation in July, the United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, called for bringing the perpetrators of the crimes against the Rohingya to justice.

Myanmar's de facto ruler, Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has either played down or denied most of the accusations by international organizations and rights groups.

In November 2017, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement to repatriate the Rohingya refugees within two years, but the process, which was supposed to have started in January this year, has yet to start.

Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens, considering them Bangladeshi immigrants, and subjects them to various forms of discrimination, including restrictions on their freedom of movement.