Alleged war crimes by Myanmar

Myanmar must be called to account for what it has been and is still doing to the Rohingyas. There are ample grounds for the International Criminal Court to start investigation into allegations of war crimes against the Rohingyas by the Myanmar military in connivance of the government of that country. Since last April, there have been series of investigations by the Special ICC prosecutor into atrocities against the Rohingyas. And the prosecutor in her latest move in this regard has requested the judges to authorise such an investigation. Such a request follows a preliminary examination by the office of the prosecutor which has definitively concluded that all the requirements under the Rome Statute that merit an investigation have been met. Myanmar's position, that the writ of the Statute does not apply to it, it not being a signatory to the agreement, is untenable since its acts of persecution against the Rohingya has affected and involved a third party—Bangladesh—too.   

Holding the military rulers in Naypyidaw accountable is essential if Myanmar's action in the Rakhine, particularly the atrocities against the minorities, is to be stopped. Fresh round of violence by the Myanmar military in the western state, ostensibly to fight the insurgents, is a deceitful ploy to continue the persecution of the locals in the region. Regrettably, Myanmar has so far gotten away with ethnic cleansing and expelling nearly the entire population of the Rohingya community. In fact there are more Rohingyas in Bangladesh than there are at the moment in Myanmar. It is behaving with a sense of blatant impunity, and unless the authorities in Myanmar are called to account, there is very little prospect for either the Rohingyas returning to their own country or them being accorded all the rights and privileges due to a citizen of Myanmar, which the Rohingyas are.