Joint Statement by Rushanara Ali MP and Jeremy Hunt MP on the International Criminal Court Testimony of Two Myanmar Soldiers on massacres of the Rohingya People

Leading British Parliamentarians are calling on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute two soldiers from the Myanmar military who have admitted on video to carrying out massacres of the Rohingya people.

The fate of the two men is unclear, they are currently not under arrest but are in the custody of the ICC.

The confessions of the soldiers, Private Zaw Naing Tun and Private Myo Win, reported here in the New York Times, marks a clear breakthrough in the campaign to bring justice for the Rohingya. It is the first testimony that comes directly from the perpetrators in Myanmar’s military who have openly confessed to taking part in what United Nations officials say was a genocidal campaign against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority.

The video testimony from the two soldiers reveals clear instructions from commanding officers to perpetrate indiscriminate killings, including that of children.

The Co-chairs of the Rights of Rohingya All-Party Parliamentary Group Rushanara Ali MP and Jeremy Hunt MP said:

"On the basis of information publicly available, including their presence in The Hague, we call on the ICC prosecutor to give the most serious and active consideration to the immediate prosecution of these two soldiers, for crimes against humanity and, if there is jurisdiction, genocide. The fact that they acted on orders, and are not themselves senior figures, would be no reason for the ICC not to exercise such jurisdiction as it has in the pursuit of justice under international criminal law. The act of killing, of dozens or hundreds of members of the Rohingya community, in two villages, is an international crime, and those who participate in such an act must face the full force of the law. That is why the ICC was created."

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    commented on Joint Statement by Rushanara Ali MP and Jeremy Hunt MP on the International Criminal Court Testimony of Two Myanmar Soldiers on massacres of the Rohingya People 2020-09-11 07:13:31 +0100
    I differ with the joint statement. Why make the two foot soldiers scapegoats for the ethnic cleansing and genocide committed by Myanmar military junta on minority Rohingya community. The two soldiers should rather be made witnesses to prosecute the Myanmar junta as well as for imposition of sanctions on Myanmar. The soldiers were merely following the orders of their commanders. Many will find my comment a little prejudiced but the truth is the UN and the world superpowers and so called champions of human rights would have acted long ago if the Rohingyas were Christians by faith!