London: The Kachin National Organisation has received a second reply from the International Criminal Court (ICC) case reference OTP-CR-293/16 on Tuesday, 15 August 2017, regarding war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by war criminals in Burma military. Burma is not under the jurisdiction of the ICC and, therefore the ICC cannot proceed with this case as it stands was the conclusion of the case.

We urged countries under the jurisdiction of the ICC to pressure Burma to ratify the Rome Statute, singing this would result in Burma falling under the jurisdiction of the ICC. We see and strongly believe that the protection of all citizens from war crimes and crimes against humanity is a moral obligation of the international community, especially the countries that have currently ratified the Rome Statute.

1. In line with the case submitted to the ICC, Kachin organisations are to submit the evidences to the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal from 18th to 22nd Sept 2017 in Malaysia.

2. Kachin organisations are calling for the assistance of legal experts or prosecutors in the war crimes who can make effective prosecutions against war criminals in the Burma military.

3. We are calling the United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and other veto countries to take the lead in bringing these horrendous war crimes and crime against humanity committed against the ethnic nationalities by Burma military for decades to the UNSC and the ICC.

4. We urged the international community to pressure the NLD lead government to ratify the Rome Statute to become under the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Mr. Hkanhpa Tu Sadan, General Secretary of Kachin National Council said “Regardless of what governing systems has changed in Burma, we must strengthen to end impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity for a genuine change in Burma. I also would like to call all the States Parties to the Rome Statute to pressure the Myanmar government to ratify the Rome Statute immediately.”

Media contact:

Mr. Hkanhpa Tu Sadan, General Secretary of Kachin National Council, A Members of Steering Committee for Permanent People’s Tribunal on Myanmar’s State Crimes,

Mobile: 00 44 7944 240 774

Download this press release HERE.