The ICJ today called on UN Member States, before the Human Rights Council, to support the work of the International Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar and to actively identify possible fora for legal proceedings which could rely on evidence collected by the IIMM to help facilitate justice for the people of Myanmar.
The statement reads as follows:
“Madam President,
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) welcomes the third annual report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) and commends it for reaching “critical functionality” in the face of difficult challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events of this year have further underscored the importance of ensuring the IIMM’s mandate remains “ongoing.”
Since the military seized power unlawfully on 1 February, the ICJ and others have documented widespread and systematic serious human rights violations, including enforced disappearances, torture and extra-judicial killings.
Many of these violations should be investigated as possibly reaching the threshold of crimes against humanity.
Second, on 7 September, the National Unity Government (NUG) declared a “defensive war” against the military raising the prospect of further violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law throughout the country.
As the IIMM’s investigations continue to expand and recalling that it is not a prosecutorial body or a court, UN Member States must actively identify possible fora for legal proceedings which could rely on evidence collected by the IIMM to help facilitate justice for the people of Myanmar.
The ICJ would like to ask: What can UN Member States and other international actors do to make sure that that the IIMM serves as an effective accountability mechanism?”
Contact:
Massimo Frigo, ICJ UN Representative, e: massimo.frigo(a)icj.org, t: +41797499949