Suu Kyi decried for war crimes

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's military deserve prosecution at the International Criminal Court for the ongoing persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine. The recommendations for the trial for committing war crimes came from expert witnesses and prosecutors at the mass tribunal that concluded in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday.

Concluding the hearing of the tribunal on the recent genocide in Myanmar, the president of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, an Argentine judge, has fixed the date for announcing the verdict on Suu Kyi and others for Friday at 10 am KL time.

The seven-member panel of judges led by Argentine lawyer Daniel Feierstein has made six specific recommendations.

The first recommendation says the Bangladesh government has to take further steps for Rohingya refugees. It also suggests protests and condemnation against the confinement of ethnic Rohingyas in camps in Bangladesh.

The second recommendation says the Myanmar policy to hold Rohingyas responsible for any occurrences has to be rejected in context of Myanmar's systematic persecution of Rohingya Muslims since 1962. It is impossible to brand Rohingyas as militants and terrorists as Myanmar couldn't show any evidence to this end, so their claim has to be rejected outright, the recommendation suggests.

The third recommendation says sanctions have to be imposed on Myanmar as the international community including UN, OIC, and Commonwealth has done against North Korea for nuclear weapons.

According to the fourth recommendation, ASEAN will corner Myanmar until it accepts Rohingya, Karen and Kachin people as its own.

The fifth recommendation says Suu Kiy will be tried at the ICC, and a safe zone has to be established.

Rohingyas have to be given full ciltizenship, says the last recommendation.

Chief prosecutor Doreen Chen and deputy chief prosecutor Azril Mohd Amin in their concluding speech said allegations of genocide against Myanmar top generals and state counsellor  Aung San Suu Kyi have been clearly proven.

Doreen Chen said offences of a state and a person can be identified and the accountability ensured in perspective of committing international crimes.

Under the international criminal law, the criminal offences of Myanmar military leaders and the political authorities can be taken into account in view of their 'authority and higher responsibility'.

Doreen Chen said, "Myanmar signed the Genocide Convention in 1956 and the Vienna Convention in 1992. I have seen the brutalities against women in the evidence and proofs."

 *This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Khawaza Main Uddin and Rabiul Islam.