This is quite a surprise. It is not the United States, Great Britain and other western powers, but Gambia, a small poor country in Africa, has brought Myanmar to the International Court of Justice. The West African country Gambia is the smallest country on the African continent and is one of the least developed countries in the world. The Gambians have a famous saying that makes the world ashamed-"It is not only Myanmar but our collective humanity that is being tried here."
That cold Wednesday morning, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi appeared at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to defend her country against allegations of genocide. This is a powerful reminder that in the eyes of the West, the former human rights icon has faded away its former glory.
As the de facto leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi made an unusual decision to appear before the International Court of Justice in response to an allegation that Myanmar is trying to destroy Rohing, the majority Muslim minority in the country's westernmost Rakhine State Asian. A large number of UN documents documented the military's crackdown in 2017, which forced more than 740,000 Rohingya to cross the border and flee to Bangladesh, most of whom remain in dirty refugee camps.
Myanmar has long denied allegations of atrocities and claims that the military is fighting Muslim terrorists. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's opening remarks at the International Court of Justice are also the same. "The applicant has filed a lawsuit under the Genocide Convention. However, we are dealing with an internal armed conflict triggered by a thorough and comprehensive attack," she said in a speech.
She also said that "impatient international actors" are trying to undermine Myanmar's domestic criminal justice system because they are "eager to externalize responsibility."
"The situation in Rakhine State is complicated," she insisted, "which cannot be conceived as genocide."
Outside the gate of the peace palace where the court is located, supporters and critics are holding photos of Aung San Suu Kyi. A placard on one side reads "We support you," while another calls for an end to the genocide.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has not been tried, and in any case, the International Court of Justice cannot punish individuals. Before the 74-year-old leader appeared in The Hague, however, her global image had changed significantly. In the past, Aung San Suu Kyi was an internationally acclaimed political prisoner and was placed under house arrest for 15 years by a hostile military regime. Now, she is defending the junta against the allegations of repression faced by the same army.
"There was a time when Aung San Suu Kyi had a moral authority, her words would be heard all over the world, but those days are gone," said Mark Farmaner, the head of the British "Myanmar Movement". Say.
Just seven years ago, when Aung San Suu Kyi, who was just released, accepted the long-awaited 1991 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, she said that whenever "tribulation is ignored, the seeds of conflict are planted." But this week, the court heard hearings from witnesses again, including a statement from a Rohingya woman who said a soldier had raped her and punctured her belly, killing a 28-day-old baby. Aung San Suu Kyi sat quietly in the front row without any reaction.
Why is Myanmar accused?
This important three-day hearing is the first time Myanmar has faced international justice trials on charges that the Rohingya were systematically gang raped, mutilated and murdered in 2017. The lawsuit was initiated by Gambia, a small country dominated by a Muslim population in West Africa. This is the fourth time in the history of the judges of the International Court of Justice that a country has violated the 1948 Genocide Convention. The court only issued a genocide ruling on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia.
The Gambia has filed a lawsuit on behalf of 57 member states of the Islamic Cooperation Organization to prevent further atrocities against Rohingya. The country has charged Myanmar with genocide, and the case is expected to continue for several years.
Gambia's Attorney General and Attorney General Abu Bakar Mary Tambadu quoted EdmundBurke as he opened the trial: "The only necessary condition for an evil victory is to stand by the good guys" "here It's not just Myanmar, but our collective humanity. "
Rohingya refugees flee to Bangladesh to escape persecution
Halo fade
Before Aung San Suu Kyi appeared before the International Court of Justice, it was widely believed that she would remain silent about the Rohingya crisis. But this week, she chose to defend the government's persecution of the Muslim minority in the highest tone, breaking any illusion that she was just a bystander.
"Aung San Suu Kyi confirms her role as a key conspirator in (Myanmar military) anti-human crimes and genocide against Rohingya," Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch Asia Say.
This is an amazing reversal of her role as a human rights icon. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Burma ’s independent hero General Aung San, was placed under house arrest for 15 years until his release in 2010. Various honours rushed to her, international humanitarian organizations praised her, Bono wrote a song for her, and US President Barack Obama called her "a beacon of hope" for "people who long for justice."
Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in 2010, and a large number of people pay tribute to her
Bama government lifts sanctions on Myanmar, encourages democratic reforms in Myanmar
The 2015 election put Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on top of state affairs, which was seen as the pinnacle of success in Washington-supported democratic struggles. But the country's first civilian administration in more than 50 years was quickly annexed by prolonged ethnic clashes and violence in western Rakhine State. The Lady, as people call her affectionately, has also received some less compliments, including "defenders" of ethnic cleansing and "accomplices of genocide."
After investigation, a United Nations investigative mission concluded in August 2019 that the Myanmar military had carried out "extensive, systematic killings" and rapes of Rohingya women and girls, with a severity sufficient to justify "genocide intent". Aung San Suu Kyi, who had worked at United Nations headquarters, opposed the investigation.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar has accused Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of being "a complicity" in these crimes. Although photos and videos document the long queues fleeing the burned village-many bleeding, bandaging casually or being carried on temporary stretchers-the country's elected leader (Aung San Suu Kyi) insists she and the military stand together.
However, many officials in Washington and other countries still sympathize with Aung San Suu Kyi, believing that she has been forced to share power with unelected generals beyond her control. Former U.S. senior East Asian diplomat Daniel Russel said in 2017 that isolating Aung San Suu Kyi ’s government “will make the difficult situation worse.”
Since then, the United States has sanctioned several Burmese military figures. The latest sanctions are at the start of the Hague hearing on Tuesday, targeting the commander-in-chief and three other military leaders.
Aung San Suu Kyi was not sanctioned, but her portrait no longer hangs from her alma mater, Oxford University, and Amnesty International last year revoked the highest honor awarded to her because she "shamefully betrayed the values she once held to."
Although Aung San Suu Kyi's international reputation has been damaged, she is still popular domestically. Myanmar youth activist Thinzar said the Myanmar people "believe and love her". Daw Aung San Suu Kyi ’s trip to the Netherlands and her decision to serve as a military defender won applause at home. In Myanmar, Rohingya are considered illegal “Bangladesh” intruders who have been deprived of citizenship.
Before the International Court of Justice hearing, a huge billboard appeared in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, with Aung San Suu Kyi and smiling generals on it. Hundreds of supporters held a rally to wish Aung San Suu Kyi's European trip smoothly.
Some Burmese people hold rally in support of Aung San Suu Kyi to defend Myanmar's military
Many Burmese believe that the international community's criticism of Rohingya displacement is just a misunderstanding, and their eloquent leaders can correct this misunderstanding. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also blamed this on "a huge iceberg of misinformation".
Official arguments in defence of Myanmar could also boost support in due course before the 2020 election, when nationalists aligned with the military are expected to make a comeback.
Happening under her eyelids
While defending her country in Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the UN Myanmar investigation warned that "the risk of another genocide is high." In October, he mentioned apartheid, discrimination and action against the Rohingya. Restrictions are getting worse, and the international community is called on to support the advancement of legal accountability.
In addition to the International Court of Justice hearing, Argentina has also filed a lawsuit against Aung San Suu Kyi, and the International Criminal Court (a separate war crimes court in The Hague) has launched an investigation.
"It is time for Rohingya refugee children and their families to go to court for justice," said Michael McGrath, head of Save the Children in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, in a statement.
Before Daw Aung San Suu Kyi came to The Hague, seven Nobel Peace Prize winners called on her to “join her military commander and take criminal responsibility for the crimes committed”.
"We also urge her to fulfill her personal and moral responsibility towards the Rohingya," they said, "recognizing and condemning the genocide committed during her tenure."
Ps:
There are no creatures in this world that are immutable, anything that is hard will be broken, all idols will perish, especially political idols.
When the great powers fell into disarray, small countries such as the Gambia suddenly flashed a moral light that could not be underestimated, even if it had left some stereotypes.
Borrowing from Edmund Burke: "The only necessary condition for an evil victory is to stand on the sidelines of good people."