Team set up to collect evidence

UN rights body to document alleged crimes against Rohingya

GENEVA: The UN’s top human rights body agreed to set up a team to collect evidence of alleged crimes committed in Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims and others since 2011, information that one day could be used to prosecute suspected perpetrators.

The 47-member Human Rights Council voted 35-3 to create an “independent mechanism” – in essence, an accountability body – to complement a fact-finding mission the council previously authorised to help document alleged rights violations in Myanmar.

Unlike the fact-finding mission, the mechanism has securing evidence that could be used in pursuing criminal indictments as its main purpose.

The resolution establishing the new team was presented jointly by the European Union, led by Austria, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, led by Pakistan. China, Burundi and the Philippines opposed the measure. Seven countries abstained from the vote.

The accountability body’s work, which could begin in coming months, is expected to cover a mas- sive security crackdown that began in August 2017.

Human rights group say it left at least 10,000 people dead and caused hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh.

Myanmar’s ambassador in Geneva, Kyaw Moe Tun, criticised the resolution, saying it was based on a report issued by the fact-finding mission that was “replete with unverified information”.

Thursday’s move paves the way for millions of dollars in UN funds to go toward collecting evidence of alleged wrongdoing in Myanmar that UN-backed investigators said could amount to genocide and other war crimes.

Passage of the resolution is likely to raise pressure on military chiefs and others who might come under investigation for alleged war crimes – making them think twice before contemplating travel outside Myanmar and their possible arrest.

While the Human Rights Council’s decision raises the level of scrutiny faced by security forces and other perpetrators, its potential effect on war crime prosecutions is uncertain.