In a call on the ASEAN bloc to help end the violence and support efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, the head of Human Rights Council– Appoints Myanmar emergency investigator Nicholas Koumjian describes an increasingly “desperate” military government Their brutal military tactics were carried out by opposing fighters with complete impunity.
“Aerial bombing raids have increased significantly in the last year.”, Mr. Koumjian told journalists in Geneva. “In Kayah state in February this year, four children were killed and about 10 were injured when fighter jets dropped bombs and deployed machine gun fire on a school.”
Mr Koumjian added that his investigators had also seen a video “showing the beheading of two captured soldiers by the resistance in Loikaw in Kayah state in November and December last year”, along with another video posted on social media of two young men being burned to death in the Magway area. “So this kind of unbelievable brutality is going on,” he said.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) was established by the Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect evidence of the most serious international crimes committed in Myanmar since 2011. The body has released its latest report Annual report on Tuesday.
Civilians are frequently targeted
“Unfortunately, our report conveys that the number of these crimes is only increasing and Armed conflicts are increasing in intensity and brutality, and crimes are occurring more frequently.“, Mr. Koumjian noted.
Nicholas Koumjian, Head of IIMM
The veteran human rights expert and former international criminal justice prosecutor has expressed his view that the military junta that took power in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, is becoming “more desperate” during the period covered by the report from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 – a time when armed conflict is expected to intensify across Myanmar as challenges to the military regime intensify.
“The targets of these bombings are often civilian targets.”, Mr. Koumjian said. “Schools, churches and hospitals are often the only structures in the area and those are the structures… that are being bombed.”
ASEAN influence
In a direct appeal to ASEAN, Mr Koumjian urged the bloc to respond to “substantial evidence” that Myanmar’s military is committing war crimes and crimes against humanity “at an alarming rate” by putting pressure on the junta to end the conflict.
ASEAN – “a very important player in Myanmar”, according to the human rights investigator – has drawn up a five-point consensus to end the fighting that has been signed by the “military government”.
“But instead we see increased violence and increased violence against civilians,” he said. “So I think it is certainly time for ASEAN to come up with some measures to reach consensus. It is not enough to just say that we support an end to violence.” Steps must be taken to ensure that, in fact, the violence has ended.“ .
Wide range
The head of Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) noted that the panel’s report was based on information and evidence gathered from more than 900 sources, including more than 400 witness testimonies, along with additional evidence such as photographs, videos, audio recordings, documents, maps, geospatial imagery, social media posts and forensic evidence.
Combating lawlessness remains a core objective of IIMM, which has shared its findings and evidence with authorities in International Criminal Courtthe International Court of Justice and in Argentina, Mr. Koumjian said.
