By AFP - Agence France Presse
June 7, 2023
Members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority testified in person for
the first time on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, as part of an Argentinian
judicial investigation into alleged crimes by the Myanmar military, an
activist told AFP.
The hearing, behind closed doors, was "a
historic day for everyone in Burma," as Myanmar is also known, said
Maung Tun Khin, president of the British-based Burmese Rohingya
Organisation UK.
"Finally in-person hearings are taking place and strong evidence" is being produced in a court of law, he said.
He
did not specify the identity nor the number of "survivors" who had
testified, nor the facts concerned, for "security reasons."
The hearings of half a dozen people were expected to continue until June 13, according to a source familiar with the case.
In
2021, Argentina's justice system, responding to a complaint, announced
it was opening an investigation into alleged crimes by Myanmar soldiers
against the Rohingya, under the principle of universal jurisiction
enshrined in the constitution.
That same year, six Rohingya
women, living as refugees in Bangladesh, had participated in a virtual
hearing before an Argentinian court, citing sexual assaults and the
death of relatives as a result of regime repression.
"In-person hearings of survivors continue, very important evidence is being produced," said Maung Tun Khin.
Argentina's
courts have in the past agreed to examine overseas cases under the
principle of universal jurisdiction, in particular crimes committed
under the fascist regime of Francisco Franco in Spain.
The
principle makes it possible to prosecute the alleged perpetrators of
some of the most serious crimes, regardless of their nationality or
where the crimes were committed.
About 750,000 members of the
Rohingya community fled to Bangladesh in 2017 from a crackdown by the
Myanmar military, which is now the subject of separate proceedings
before the International Criminal Court and for "acts of genocide"
before the International Court of Justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment