The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed a statement by the British government that it would support the United Nations Security Council referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.
The statement was made on 24th March by H.E. Mr. Mark Lyall Grant, UK Representative to the United Nations, after a meeting of the United Nations Security Council about the situation in Burma. In response to a question on a recent recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma that Burma’s dictatorship be investigated for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, he stated: “Because Burma is not a state party to the ICC it would require the Security Council to make a reference, and I don’t think the Security Council is sufficiently unanimous in its view to allow such a reference to happen. We of course would support such a reference.”
The Burma Campaign UK has been campaigning for the British government to support a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, with the aim of referring Burma to the International Criminal Court. Almost 200 MPs have backed the campaign.
“Once again the British government is taking the lead in defending human rights and supporting the people of Burma,” said Anna Roberts, Executive Director of Burma Campaign UK. “The generals in Burma will never allow justice and democracy in Burma. They slaughter their own people, they torture their own people, and rape against ethnic women is government policy. Rather than engaging with the fake elections the generals are holding later this year, the international community should focus on putting the generals in jail where they belong.”
Burma’s dictatorship has been deliberately targeting civilians in its war against ethnic minorities in Burma. More than 3,500 villages have been destroyed by the Burmese Army in the past 15 years, and the use of rape is widespread and systematic, even against girls as young five.
You can view the UK government’s statement here:http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2010/so100324pm1.rm
For more information contact Anna Roberts on 020 7324 4710