The prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is confident that justice will be served despite Myanmar’s non-cooperation. ICC is currently investigating into Myanmar's alleged crimes against the Rohingya. The office of the prosecutor is determined to continue until the end of the procedure no matter how long it takes.
As Myanmar is not a state party to the Rome Statute, it has no obligation to cooperate with the court. So far, Myanmar has refused the prosecutor’s team, which is currently collecting evidence in Bangladesh. Though ICC prosecutors believe Myanmar’s non-cooperation could be a challenge, they are confident they will be able to carry out the due process. However, the refusal will delay the process quite a bit, according to the ICC.
Though ICC prosecutors believe Myanmar’s
non-cooperation could be a challenge, they are
confident they will be able
to carry out the due process
ICC is confident that with time, those who are responsible for the crimes against Rohingyas will be brought to justice. Last year, Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested an investigation be open into the alleged crimes committed since October of 2016, concerning Rohingyas. Her Office’s preliminary examination found “a reasonable basis” to believe that at least 700,000 Rohingya were deported from Myanmar to Bangladesh “through a range of coercive acts causing suffering and serious injury.”
So far, Myanmar is far from expressing their strong will to repatriate the Rohingya. There are fears that Myanmar still harbors genocidal intent, and that harm may befall the returnees as well as those who were left behind in Rakhine state of Myanmar.
The international community must come together to put due pressure on Myanmar to reintegrate the Rohingya back into their homeland. The international community must remain vigilant when it comes to human rights violations against the Rohingya. They must ensure that Myanmar cannot carry out any more atrocities and violent ethnic cleansing against the Rohingyas.
