To follow the mechanism of international justice capable of suing the authorities can act as the sole way to beat the army in Myanmar and end the season of bloodshed it has launched against the people including the Rohingya Muslim minority.
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It was February 1st when Myanmar army carried out coup d’état to open a new bloodied chapter in history of the country. Since then the military has committed massive crimes and drawn the country to the brink of disintegration.
Currently there seems to be only one way to break the vicious cycle: to follow the mechanism of international justice which can prosecute the authorities.
The past 12 months have brought us much dark news from Myanmar with more than 1,500 people losing their lives as a result of the crackdown or massacres.
On one of the incidents on Christmas Eve, the army massacred 35 people including women, children and two charity staff in Kayah state. Thousands of others have been detained and the military government is torturing those who voice opposition against the government.
Economy has seen severe decline while health and educational system have totally stopped. While the top army commanders are developing illusions on importing new electric cars to expand the public transportation, the rest of the country is suffering from paralyzing daily power cut.
In Rakhine state, the minority Rohingyans are challenged by genocide and is living in an open jail. The military rule detains Rohingyans fleeing for Bangladesh and imposes worse restrictions on all people. A great number of other people are also trapped in the crossfire between Myanmar and Arakan Army.
Rohingyans are doomed to face much abuse when they post about crimes committed by the army on the social media to the point that all people in Myanmar, both Rohingyan and non-Rohingyan recognize the army as their shared enemy.
Tatmadaw, as the Myanmar army is called, has been scaring the people for decades and committed genocide, crime against humanity and war crimes. They have committed the crimes under full impunity because they are certain that the crimes will go unpunished.
For the same reason the international community needs to intervene and fulfill justice.
Luckily developments have been made in recent years as in 2019, the International Criminal Court announced beginning of investigations into crimes committed by Tatmadaw.
Nearly in the same time Gambia filed a case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice and both cases are followed at the moment.
Last year, Argentinian judiciary admitted to open file against military leaders of Myanmar regarding genocide. The case was brought under the legal premise of universal justice when a national court may prosecute individuals for serious crimes against international law- such as crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and torture based on the principle that such crimes harm the international community or international order itself which individual states may act to protect.
This is also encouraging that several non-military leaders in Myanmar, who rejected any effort for prosecution of military criminals, are demanding answers from Tatmadwa.
The unity government formed after coup has vowed to cooperate with the international justice mechanisms.
Back in December an order has leaked to the media where the military leaders had warned their staff against responding to letters from international judiciary institutions or the Supreme Court of Argentina.
The UN Security Council has been in quagmire for years. Its members should end prioritizing politics over lives of people and admit returning Myanmar case to the International Criminal Court.
On the other hand though other countries should follow the example of Canada and the Netherlands who have promised to support Gambia’s case in the International Criminal Court.
It is high time that the world show its solidarity against the crimes by Tatmadaw and that there is no hiding place for its authorities. People in Myanmar have suffered for a long time and deserve justice now.
