Tribunal on Myanmar In KL Next Week Timely

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- The Permanent Peoples Tribunal’s (PPT) concluding session on Myanmar to be held at the University of Malaya here from Sept 18 to Sept 22 comes at the most significant time following the United Nations Security Council’s unanimous call to the Myanmar government to end its military campaign against the Rohingyas this week. PPT Malaysian Organising Committee Chairman Dr Chandra Muzaffar said victims, not only Muslim Rohingyas, but also Christian Kachins and the Buddhist Ta’ang minority would give their testimonies on the nature of the military campaign that would present serious allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and crime of genocide against them. "An important dimension to the persecution of the Rohingyas - how it has impacted upon Bangladesh and its people - will be highlighted through the participation of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh in the proceedings," he said in a statement, on behalf of the internationally recognised public opinion tribunal based in Rome. The first session was held at the Queen Mary University of London on March 6 and 7. The Malaysian Organising Committee comprised the International Movement for a Just World (JUST); the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (CENTHRA) and the International Forum on Buddhist-Muslim Relations (BMF). Chandra said besides victims, others who would testify include renowned expert witnesses such as Greg Stanton, Research Professor in Genocide Studies and Prevention at George Mason University from the US, widely regarded internationally as one of the most authoritative voices on the crime of genocide. The prosecution will be led by Doreen Chen from Australia, a human rights lawyer who is the co-founder and director of Destination Justice through which she supports persecuted human rights defenders, particularly in Southeast Asia, he added. The PPT had also invited Myanmar State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, Vice-President Myint Swe and Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing to appear before the Tribunal or to make a representation. "They did not reply," he said. Meanwhile, Kofi Annan, the Chair of the Rakhine Commission, did respond to the invitation but he is not able to attend. Chandra said during the five-day session, judges would analyse arguments by the prosecution, views of the expert witnesses and victims testimonies, before their findings were to be communicated to various UN Human Rights bodies including its Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Office of the Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide in New York will also receive the findings, he noted. The panel of eight judges are former President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Daniel Feierstein from Argentina, Gandhi International Peace Award Laureate, Denis Halliday (Ireland); Trustee of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, Zulaiha Ismal (Malaysia); PPT Vice-President, Helen Jarvis (Cambodia-Australia). Former Head of Law School at Macquarie University of Australia, Gill H. Boehringer (Australia); National Coordinator of Indonesian Association of Legal Aid Societies for Women, Nursyahbani Katjasungkana (Indonesia); Justice for Iran founder and human rights lawyer Shadi Sadr (Iran); Solicitor General at Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation, Nello Rossi (Italy); and President of leading rights organisation Odhikar (Rights) of Bangladesh, Chowhury R Abrar. According to reports, some 379,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since new violence erupted last month in the Rakhine State. The UN Security Council on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over the situation in the Rakhine State of Myanmar and called for an end to violence against the Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority group. -- BERNAMA