KUALA LUMPUR: The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) will present its findings to the United Nations and Asean after finding the Myanmar government guilty of war crimes and genocide.
In saying this, social activist Dr Chandra Muzaffar today also said the UN and Asean must stop the violence against Myanmar’s minority ethnic groups, mainly the Rohingya.
He also urged UN and Asean to act against the Myanmar government after the PPT found it guilty of crimes against humanity.
“The tribunal has called evil by its name by using terms such as crimes against humanity and genocide,” said Muzaffar, who is the tribunal’s organising committee chairman.
Today, the tribunal found the Myanmar government guilty of international violence, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and human rights violations against the country’s Muslim population, including the Kachin and Rohingya.
The tribunal made the judgment after reviewing evidence and hearing testimonies from more than 200 victims.
More than 100 people attended the tribunal, which was held at Universiti Malaya law faculty’s moot court.
The seven-man panel of judges was chaired by Daniel Feierstein, who is the founder of the Centre For Genocide Studies of the National University of Tres de Febrero.
The tribunal made a total of 17 recommendations to end the humanitarian crisis and restore peace in Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state.
Among others, the tribunal called on Myanmar to allow the UN Human Rights Council to conduct a fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights violations against its Muslim population, including the Rohingya.
It also called for a ceasefire between the armed rebel groups and the Myanmar army, as well as the setting up of a de-militarised zone along the border in Rakhine state.
It said all discriminatory laws and policies should be repealed to extend full citizenship to the Rohingya and other ethnic groups.
The tribunal also urged Bangladesh and Asean nations to permit Rohingya refugees to settle in those countries until they are granted full citizenship rights in Myanmar.