Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) and the international community must put justice for atrocity crimes at the centre of all efforts to restore democracy following the military coup, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) has said in a new briefing. BROUK sets out the paths available to pursue international justice for the brutal violence unleashed by the Tatmadaw (military) against people in Myanmar, both in the context of the post-coup protests and in years prior. The briefing urges the NUG to clearly and publicly announce its support for such international justice efforts, including for crimes against the Rohingya.
The international community must not permit the Tatmadaw to reinstate a military dictatorship in Myanmar. The Burmese people have made undeniably clear their wish for Myanmar to return to the path of democracy and the immense sacrifices that they have made since 1 February 2021, in the face of extraordinary brutality and violence, demands the unqualified support of the international community.
However, no democracy can be said to truly exist when it rests on a foundation of discrimination and exclusion. Democracy is more than civilian rule. It must be representative of all of the people. Reinstalling the civilian government, while important, will not address the underlying non-democratic foundational issues facing Myanmar. Neither the Tatmadaw nor the NLD has governed Myanmar in accordance with democratic standards and principles. To support the Burmese people, as opposed to those who only claim the power vested in the people, the international community must insist that the NUG commit to transparent and meaningful reforms and make a clean break from the destructive policies and positions of the past.
Read the full report here: https://www.brouk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/BROUK-Briefing-Paths-to-Justice.pdf