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Suu Kyi’s beginning of the ultimate nightmare.The news of the arrival in The Hague of the Netherlands of two army officers who confessed to the brutal persecution and genocide of the Rohingya by the Myanmar army has caused a commotion all over the world. Analysts see the incident as the beginning of a nightmare for Myanmar’s military, government and especially State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to various sources, the two soldiers, Myo Win Tun, 33, and Zaw Naing Tun, 30, left the Myanmar army and surrendered to the Arakan Army, which is fighting for autonomy in the Rakhine state. They then made a confessional statement. Later, the two army officers came to the Bangladesh border. They recently arrived in The Hague.
The Hague in the Netherlands is home to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Gambia is suing Myanmar for violating the ICJ’s anti-genocide charter and the Rohingya genocide. On the other hand, under the direction of the ICC, its prosecutor’s office is investigating serious crimes including Rohingya genocide, mass displacement.
It is known that the two armies of Myanmar are within the reach of both the courts. In the coming days, their possible testimonies, confessions and data could be a turning point in ensuring accountability for the Rohingya genocide. There were also questions in various quarters about how successfully the investigation could be conducted against Myanmar, which has denied allegations of persecution, including the Rohingya genocide. But the confessional statements of two members of Myanmar’s military could change the whole situation.
One of Former deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch in New York, tweeted that the presence of Myanmar military officials at the ICC as witnesses to the Rohingya genocide was a nightmare for Aung San Suu Kyi. Because her government has been following the policy of denying and ignoring the ICC.
A chief executive of the human rights group Fortify Rights, said the confession of two Myanmar soldiers for the first time about atrocities against the Rohingya would be a major blow to the country’s military’s impunity. “This is a historic moment for the people of Rohingya and Myanmar for justice,” he tweeted.
Chief executive said Fortify Rights had analyzed the matter after it was confirmed that no forced confessions had been obtained from the two Myanmar soldiers. He said, “If it seemed that the confession had been forced, Bangladesh would not contact the ICC or the ICC would take anyone to The Hague.That is not how the court (ICC) works.
Meanwhile,Bob Rae, Canada’s former special envoy to Myanmar and now Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, said the confession of two Myanmar soldiers to genocide against Rohingya Muslims would have a major impact on the country’s military-led international criminal investigation into the atrocities.
Ambassador Bob Rae said Canada would help take the next step, although that person could face serious consequences. But the most important thing is that they(soldiers) are aware of the extent of their criminal activities and they did not commit that crime alone.
Mong Journey, an exiled Myanmar-based human rights activist based in London, also highlighted the role of Arakan Army allies in the Rakhine state in ensuring accountability for Myanmar’s atrocities against the Rohingya.
The Arakan Army detained the two members of Myanmar’s military. They were the first to describe the persecution of the Rohingyas. Khaing Thu Kha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army, said: “The two armies have fled from the Myanmar army. We interviewed them about their experiences.”
Authur: Mehedi Hasan, September 10,2020
