Argentina investigates Myanmar's military alleged atrocities against Rohingyas

A representative of Myanmar's Rohingya minority population testified before a court in Argentina, on December 16, as part of an investigation into the Asian country's military authorities' alleged atrocities against humanity, The Guardian reported. The court consented to look into the charges based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which states that some crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity, are so heinous that they are not limited to a single country and can be prosecuted anywhere.

An army crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar in 2017, which the United Nation warns may amount to genocide, has resulted in the departure of over 740,000 Rohingya Muslims, mostly to Bangladesh. At the International Criminal Court and the United Nations' International Court of Justice, further actions against Myanmar and its leaders are also underway. It is not the first time that the Argentina courts have taken up universal jurisdiction matters, as they did in the cases of ex-dictator Francisco Franco's regime in Spain and the Falun Gong movement in China.

'Situation may get worse so it is important that we push intl. community seeking justice'

According to The Guardian, President of the British-based Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Tun Khin, told reporters outside the Buenos Aires court ahead of the hearing, "recently they announced new orders of restrictions for the Rohingya people. We worry that the situation may get worse so that is very important that we push the international community seeking justice, not only this court, but other cases for the international community to support."

Six women spoke to the court from refugee camps in Bangladesh in August, claiming to have been victims of sexual abuse and losing family members as a result of the crackdown. Tun Khin's testimony focused on his personal past, which in many ways parallels the tragic modern history of the Rohingya people, the UK Rohingya organisation stated in a statement.

Khin's parents were exiled to Bangladesh in 1978, and he left Myanmar in the 1990s after being denied admission to university just because he was a Rohingya, according to the statement. Khin stated on Thursday that while he appreciates the humanitarian relief given to the Rohingya, he wants more support for court lawsuits and stronger action, to restore the Rohingyas' rights and halt this genocide. Myanmar denies genocide and defends its 2017 operations as a method of eradicating Rohingya insurgents.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP