By Ardya Syafhana and Makaela Fehlhaber / GICJ

Allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Tatmadaw have once again been presented to the international community; decisive action needs to be taken to end this crisis. On 29th June 2022, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar,  Thomas H. Andrews, delivered his oral update on the situation of Myanmar. The Special Rapporteur stressed that the conflict has led to thousands of civilian deaths, substantial growth in the number of internally displaced persons, and the widespread use of arbitrary detention since last March. An emphasis was placed on the need to protect child victims of hostilities. The Special Rapporteur ended the report by calling on UN Member States to reassess and rectify their current policies, in particular the ASEAN 5-Points Consensus.

During the interactive dialogue, delegates reiterated their concern regarding continuous attacks aimed at civilians by Tatmadaw, and several representatives discussed alarming atrocities committed against children in Myanmar. A discussion on international sanctions was noted as being critical amidst the blocking of humanitarian aid within the country. Despite the deficiency in the 5-Points Consensus implementation, ASEAN must continue its effort as a key actor in resolving the Myanmar crisis. 

Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) strongly condemns the military Junta’s use of violence against civilians and calls for UN Member States to effectively pressure them to cease this human rights catastrophe. We call on all parties to the conflict to guarantee special protections for the children, as dictated by international law. 

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