AAPP calls on ASEAN to adopt legislation supporting universal jurisdiction over junta

By Admin 23 Mar 2023

DMG Newsroom
23 March 2023, Sittwe

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has called on ASEAN to enact legislation that enables universal jurisdiction over Myanmar’s military regime, which has been perpetrating crimes against humanity since its February 2021 coup.

“If international justice mechanisms cannot take effective action against the crimes committed by Burma’s military, the junta will only continue its commission of blatant criminal acts. Therefore, the international community must facilitate justice for the people of Burma as immediately as possible,” said AAPP secretary U Tate Naing.

In its report “Towards Accountability: The Urgent Need for Renewed International Attention to Sit-Tat’s (Myanmar military) Crimes Against Humanity in Burma (Myanmar)” published early this month, the AAPP provides recommendations on what the international community should do in response to crimes committed by the Myanmar military against its own people.

The report also calls for better coordinated, targeted sanctions by foreign governments on junta officials and for ASEAN member states to adopt legislation necessary to support the exercise of universal jurisdiction to facilitate the prosecution of those responsible for these crimes.

The military killed 1,250 pro-democracy supporters across the country in 145 townships in 2022, according to AAPP. Around 40 percent of them were killed in custody, according to the group’s report.

The Myanmar military arrested 3,783 pro-democracy supporters in 262 townships across the country in 2022. The junta also seized 534 pieces of property including 435 houses across 132 townships, impacting 419 pro-democracy supporters.

According to the AAPP, 3,154 people died at the hands of the Myanmar military from the beginning of the February 2021 coup to March 22, 2023. The junta has detained a total of 16,704 pro-democracy supporters since February 1, 2021, with 13,217 remaining in detention as of December 31, 2022.

U Bo Kyi, AAPP joint-secretary, said: “The junta has committed and is committing crimes against humanity, which are serious international crimes. It is time to take action against this junta through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and all other available mechanisms.”

With the report, the AAPP called on international actors to embrace the responsibility to collaborate to hold the military accountable for its crimes through international justice mechanisms, such as the ICC and universal jurisdiction where available.

AAPP called on the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to look more closely at and draw international attention to the Myanmar military’s use of property seizures against civilians across the country.