UN investigator briefs Security Council on genocide in Myanmar

UN investigator briefs Security Council on genocide in Myanmar (Burma)

On 24 October the Chair of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM), Marzuki Darusman, briefed the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the Mission’s recent report. Darusman described the situation in Rakhine State as a “human rights catastrophe that was foreseeable and planned” and said that violations described in the report “undoubtedly amount to the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, threatening the peace, security and well-being of the world.” The FFM report found that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine states and that operations against the Rohingya population in Rakhine had “genocidal intent.”

Due to the opposition of some UNSC members to the briefing, it was necessary for a procedural vote to be held in order for it to proceed. Nine UNSC members – Côte d’Ivoire, France, Kuwait, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States – voted in favor of holding the briefing. Three members opposed the briefing (Bolivia, China, Russia), and another three abstained from the vote (Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan).

Held on the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the UN, Darusman’s briefing marked the first time that a UN Human Rights Council-mandated investigative mechanism directly briefed the UNSC on a country-specific situation and highlighted mass atrocity crimes that demand urgent action.

Acting on recommendations provided by the FFM, the Security Council should now refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court and impose targeted sanctions on those generals with command responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. An international arms embargo should also be imposed on Myanmar’s military.Inline image
Photo Source: VOA News
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        Photo Source: Reuters

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