UN investigators pointed out on Tuesday that the February 2021 military coup escalated crimes against humanity in Burma (Myanmar), after three million pieces of evidence have been collected over the past three years.
Crimes against humanity and war crimes, violence and sexual assault against women and children, and deaths in detention are some of the crimes committed by the army and other armed groups investigated by the Independent Investigative Mechanism Burma (IIMM), which released its annual report today.
“Crimes against women and children are among the most serious international crimes, but historically they have received little investigation,” said Nicholas Kumjian, Head of the Mechanism UNthis is a statement.
IIMM, established in September 2018 by the Human Rights Council UNcollected evidence from nearly 200 sources such as interviews, videos, photographs, satellite imagery and social media.
The aim was to collect, preserve and analyze evidence of possible crimes against humanity committed in Burma since 2011, including the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority, but the military coup has increased the burden on the mechanism due to increased repression and conflict.
“This has created a major challenge given the limited resources of the mechanism. The specific events following the military uprising in February 2021 (…) are now the focus of the investigation of the mechanism,” the report says.
Apartheid in Burma
In the statement, the researchers highlight the execution of four opponents by the board of directors on July 25 after a non-transparent, no-warranty trial that occurred before the completion of the annual report.
The Rohingya live under “apartheid” in Burma and more than 720,000 people were forced to flee the country to neighboring Bangladesh following military operations in 2016 and 2017 that are being investigated in international courts for alleged crimes against humanity and genocide.
Last year, the military seized power in a coup that plunged the country into a serious spiral of repression and violence, escalating conflict with guerrillas and new armed groups.
“The ongoing plight of the Rohingya and the ongoing violence in Burma illustrates the important role of the Mechanism in promoting justice and accountability, and helping to stop further atrocities,” Kumjian concluded.
(As reported by EFE)
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