Chief Prosecutor: Nobody in Rohingya camps being targeted for ICC case

Dhaka Tribune

Tribune Report
Published: July 7, 2023 

He promises to expedite the process of the investigation to ensure justice for the alleged crimes against humanity by the Myanmar authority

International Criminal Court's (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has said that they do not have any information that Rohingya individuals were targeted in the camps because of their investigation.

“Since 2019 when the investigation was opened, there has been no incident that has come to our attention that any individual being targeted because of the ICC. Nobody wants us security ”, he said, while replying to a question at a press briefing in Dhaka on Friday.

He termed it as “good news” and promised to expedite the process of the investigation to ensure justice for the alleged crimes against humanity by the Myanmar authority.

Karim Khan, in his second trip to Bangladesh, visited Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar to hear testimony from survivors of alleged genocide by Myanmar's military against its Rohingya population.

During his visit, a Rohingya man was killed inside the camp, triggering speculation that those who are talking to the prosecutor are being targeted.

But it is not his mandate to ensure security of the Rohingya population. The UN, Bangladesh authorities and other agencies are working on that, he said.

Karim Khan met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and extolled her generosity to give Rohingyas shelter.

“The prime minister has given exemplary support,” he said, adding that it's because of her leadership Rohingyas have been given shelter and international law is now supporting them.

“This is something Bangladesh should be proud of,” he said.

While promising to expedite the process of investigation, he lamented that they could not have access to Myanmar. But that will not stand in the way of completing the investigation, he said, adding that there are other ways to do things.

Referring to his interview with CNN, he said the big difference between the Ukrainian case and the Rohingya is the “access”.

“We have access to Ukraine, we don't have access to Myanmar,” he said, adding that his presence here in Bangladesh twice in as many years and his team's almost constant presence here over the last year was the evidence that they have not been forgotten.

“I'll come again next year,” he said.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia within a year. The Rohingya have been waiting six years and no such action has been taken against the Myanmar military leaders who ordered the attacks.

He also called upon the international community to increase their funding so that Rohingyas can eat thrice a day.

“It's very sad to see upto March Rohingyas and children were given thrice a day meal. And after March, they eat twice or even less. They are given Tk9. I was told one egg is Tk12. So, we should think. Our hearts should melt. This is an area the world should support,” he said, adding that Rohingya is not the responsibility of Bangladesh alone.

“It should be something of concern to the whole world,” he said, adding that the government of Bangladesh needs support.

Over 1.1 million people have been living in the overcrowded Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar. Most of them fled the attacks in Myanmar's Rakhine state that began in August 2017.

In 2019, judges at the ICC approved a full investigation into alleged crimes against humanity targeting the Rohingya people.

Those include systematic acts of violence, forced deportation and ethnic and religious persecution.

Those who fled the military crackdown have detailed murders, rape, torture and arson, among other atrocities.

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