Following the landmark order issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning Myanmar, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) releases a series of learning materials on international accountability mechanisms for Myanmar.

Topics include:

1. The International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM)
2. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM)
3. The International Criminal Court (ICC) & Myanmar
4. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) & Myanmar
5. Universal Jurisdiction (UJ), Argentina & Myanmar
6. International Accountability Mechanisms for Myanmar at a Glance

The materials can be downloaded from AJAR’s website here.

AJAR welcomes the ICJ order of 23 January 2020 on provisional measures against Myanmar. The order requires Myanmar to take all measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya, preserve evidence, and report regularly to the ICJ. The order is an important first step toward accountability.

The international community must also ensure that crimes that have been committed, and continue to be committed today, in other ethnic areas of Myanmar are addressed. The UN Security Council must refer the full situation of Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and take measures to restore peace and security.

In this historical moment, it is also important to reaffirm the importance of taking a transitional justice approach to the Myanmar context. Transitional justice is a holistic framework that is equally concerned with revealing and sharing the truth about what has taken place, providing reparations and rehabilitation to victims, undertaking the reforms necessary to guarantee that the violations are not repeated, and prosecuting and punishing perpetrators. The failure to take a transitional justice approach to the Myanmar context so far has contributed to an ongoing culture of impunity and denial, accompanied by a failure to recognize and address the suffering and rights of victims.

A number of Myanmar civil society organizations have already developed significant expertise relating to transitional justice, including on documentation of violations, commemoration, trauma healing, and emergency assistance for victims. International donor agencies should recognize the importance of moving a transitional justice agenda forward in Myanmar and demonstrate this recognition through increased support to local organizations doing this work.

Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR)

27 January 2020

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