Aung San Suu Kyi’s silence complicates Western response to Rohingya crisis – CSM
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government has not spoken out for the Rohingya nor used its powers to release the two Reuters journalists imprisoned for reporting on their plight, says the Christian Science Monitor.
The military are responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Rakhine State. “They have all the levers of power,” says Mark Farmaner, Burma Campaign UK’s director. And the International Criminal court has ruled that it does have jurisdiction to investigate. But Western governments are not pushing for this. “The military got the message that for the so-called greater good of reforms taking place, the international community considers the Rohingya expendable,” Mark Farmaner says.
Catherine West MP and Mark Farmaner join roundtable discussion – AA
Catherine West, Labour MP and member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on International Trade, joined Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK and others on the panel at a roundtable discussion in London on Monday organised by the Justice For Rohingya Minority, reports Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
“The UK can play a leading role in ending the crisis and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this awful crime,” Catherine West said. “As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK should push for a solution, whether it be sanctions or prosecution by the ICC, to bring an end to the genocide”.
Mark Farmaner and Catherine West MP join roundtable discussion – Albawaba News
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, joined the panel at a roundtable discussion held in London on Monday by the Justice For Rohingya Minority on the genocide against the Rohingya.
Also on the panel was Catherine West MP, who said that Britain should use its influence at the United Nations Security Council and table a motion to bring Burmese government and military officials before the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
“The UK can play a leading role in ending the crisis and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this awful crime,” Catherine West said. “As a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK should push for a solution, whether it be sanctions or prosecution by the ICC, to bring an end to the genocide”.
New Foreign Secretary to raise case of jailed journalists – Parliament
The new Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, promised during today’s debate in the House of Commons said he would raise the case of the imprisoned Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, when he visits Burma.
“The two journalists were doing what is in the very best traditions of all journalism: exposing evil and bad things that Governments do not want exposed. We are very concerned, and I want to visit Burma/Myanmar to talk about all these issues and will certainly raise the issue with the Burmese authorities”, the Foreign Secretary said.
What will the UN Fact-Finding Mission’s report mean for Rohingya? – the Diplomat
The UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar calls for the Burmese military to face the International Criminal Court for genocide as well as for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Yet, as Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK told the Diplomat, no world power has come forward to state their acceptance of the Fact-Finding Mission’s recommendations and seek their immediate implementation.
Read the UN report
Karen Community Worldwide welcomes call for ICC investigation
The Karen Community Worldwide welcomed the UN report calling for the Burma military to be referred to the International Criminal Court to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the country’s ethnic people.
The Karen Community Worldwide pointed out in their statement, endorsed by 36 Karen organisations, that the UN report also validates their repeatedly raised concerns that it is not yet safe for Karen refugees and IDPs to return to their homes, as the Burma Army continues to commit systematic crimes with impunity.
Time for the international community to take action – Karen News
International human rights groups support the UN report call for the Burma military to be investigated by the International Criminal Court, reports Karen News. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Save the Children, Fortify Rights and Burma Campaign UK called for the ICC to investigate.
Burma Campaign UK director, Mark Farmaner, said “It is simply not credible for the British government to claim it supports justice and accountability and then refuse to support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court, which was specifically set up for cases like this.”
Facebook bans Burmese military – Myanmar Times
Facebook’s ban of Tatmadaw (military) officials and organisations coincided with the release of a scathing report of Burma’s military leaders by the UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission. This is the first time Facebook has blocked members of the military in any country.
The company has taken down 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 Facebook pages belonging to Min Aung Hlaing and 19 other individuals and organisations, which were followed by almost 12 million people. It said this was to “prevent them from using our service to further inflame ethnic and religious tensions”.
“Given the weakness of international sanctions in response to the crisis, which have avoided targeting Min Aung Hlaing, Facebook shutting down his Facebook page is probably the strongest sanction he has faced so far,” said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK.
Burma generals must face genocide trial, says UN
Mark Farmaner, of the Burma Campaign UK, told The Times: “The [report] specifically stated it is up to the international community to act. It is disturbing that, even with a finding of genocide, the Foreign Office have not accepted the recommendations and come out in support of an ICC referral.”
UN tells of genocide but are world powers listening? – Guardian
The UN report on violence inflicted on the Rohingya and other minorities is damning, but whether the guilty will ever face justice is open to serious question, says the Guardian. Much now depends on the willingness of the UK and other UN security council members to forcefully pursue the allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity.
“It is simply not credible for the British government to claim it supports justice and accountability and then refuse to support referring Burma to the ICC, which was specifically set up for cases like this,” said Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK. “It doesn’t get worse than genocide.”