Rohingya genocide: Argentinian judiciary decides to open court case against Myanmar military
The Argentinian judiciary has decided to open a court case against the Myanmar military -- including Min Aung Hlaing and much of the current junta's senior leadership -- over the genocide against the Rohingya.
On November 26, the Second Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court in Buenos Aires confirmed of the step under the principle of universal jurisdiction, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said today.
Such universal jurisdiction holds that some crimes are so horrific that they can be tried anywhere.
BROUK first petitioned the Argentinian judiciary to open such a case in November 2019, two years after some 750,000 Rohingyas fled a military crackdown in 2017. The UN said it is the hallmark of genocide and a classic example of ethnic cleansing.
The International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court are separately investigating the genocide case.
"This is a day of hope not just for us but for oppressed people everywhere. The decision in Argentina shows that there is nowhere to hide for those who commit genocide –- the world stands firmly united against these abhorrent crimes," said Tun Khin, president of BROUK.
The Second Chamber of the Appeal Court reaffirmed in its resolution that "the gravity of the facts and the violation of ius cogens (compelling law) norms permit that those facts are investigated in our country".
"We applaud the Argentinian judiciary for showing the courage and moral leadership to take up this case. Justice for decades of dehumanising and killings of Rohingya in Myanmar is now within reach," Tun Khin said.
"This is not just about accountability for Rohingya, however, but for everyone who has suffered under the Myanmar military's brutal reign. This includes the thousands killed, injured, tortured or disappeared since the coup in February this year."
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