Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders should also face justice along with the generals who committed crimes against Rohingyas, say experts.
Suu Kyi “needs to be tried for complicity for genocide in the same way Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s whitewasher and propaganda chief,” said Maung Zarni, a Burmese academic and political dissident.
“She controls directly these ministries that are involved in genocidal process: Foreign, Information, Religious Affairs, Immigration and Labour, Justice,” said Zarni, who is also a coordinator of the Free Rohingya Coalition.
The UN Fact-finding Mission made it clear that Suu Kyi is guilty of “crime of omission”.
“In fact, it stated that Suu Kyi as Foreign Minister ‘blocked’ (or refused to cooperate) in the fact finding. They call her ‘culpable’ - but not to the degree Senior General and generals are,” he said.
Zarni said International Tribunal on Myanmar like Yugoslavia and Rwanda is now conceivable.
“Myanmar is unable, incapable, un-equipped and un-willing to give Rohingya justice, the same way Nazi Germany would not have been able to give the Jews, the Roma, and other victims of Nazi Genocide any form of justice,” he said.
Justice will have to be done globally in the form of international tribunal, he added.
Former Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar Mohammad Sufiur Rahman said, Bangladesh authorities have counted over 36,000 orphans and more that 60,000 pregnant women. Even with a normal growth rate of 2% there should not have been more than 22,000 pregnant women.
“Time has come to ask why so many orphans and so many pregnant women. Myanmar generals and also the civilian government owe us answers. We cannot wait forever for these answers, while we expect repatriation immediately,” he said.
Former Bangladesh Defence Attache to Myanmar Md Shahidul Haque subscribing the same view said, Suu Kyi and other members of the civilian government should face trial.
It abetted the military by spreading false news and defending the army, Tatmadaw, he said.
It also blocked several investigations including the UN Fact-finding Mission and have contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes, he added.
The UN fact finding mission report released Monday said the constitutional powers of the civilian authorities afford little scope for controlling the actions of the Tatmadaw. Nor is there any indication that they directly participated in planning or implementing security operations or were part of the command structure.
Nevertheless, nothing indicates that civilian authorities used their limited powers to influence the situation in Rakhine State where crimes were being perpetrated.
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has not used her de facto position as head of government, nor her moral authority, to stem or prevent the unfolding events, or seek alternative avenues to meet a responsibility to protect the civilian population.