Can a Lawsuit Stop a Genocide?

COMMONWEAL

By Paul C. Saunders

October 13, 2020

 

The case against Myanmar 

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh (Alamy/Mahady Hasan Riad)

On January 23, 2020, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, informally known as the World Court, rendered a historic judgment. The decree ordered the government of Myanmar to comply with several directives: to take measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people; to ensure that its military refrain from acts prohibited by the Genocide Convention; and to preserve evidence and submit a report to the court within four months, detailing compliance with the court’s order. The unanimous decision by the fifteen-judge court represented only the third time that the Genocide Convention has been invoked before the World Court in a contentious case—and the first case ever to consider the claims, under the convention, of non-contiguous, non-warring countries.

Bangladesh: Teen injured in Rohingya clashes dies

AA

SM Najmus Sakib 

DHAKA, Bangladesh 

13.10.2020 

File Photo

A 14-year-old boy became the latest victim of days of violence inside Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district, officials said on Saturday.

The victim was identified as Ziabur Rahman, son of Mohammad Arif Ullah, and a resident of the Kutupalong refugee camp.

“The boy died on Saturday morning. His parents say he was abducted after a clash on Oct. 3 and was released after a few days in injured condition. He died today at a hospital in Cox’s Bazar,” Khalilur Rahman Khan, the camp manager, told Anadolu Agency.

Ethnic Rakhine in Bangladesh Protest against Myanmar’s ‘Military Aggression’

RADIO FREE ASIA

Sharif Khiam
Dhaka
2020-10-12

Members of the ethnic Rakhine community in Bangladesh hold banners as they protest in Dhaka against what they say is Myanmar’s military aggression in Rakhine state, Oct. 11, 2020.
Sharif Khiam/BenarNews

Hundreds of Bangladeshis from the mainly Buddhist, ethnic Rakhine minority group staged a rare, if not unprecedented, protest over the weekend against Myanmar’s alleged military aggression in Rakhine state, saying their community there faces operations aimed at ethnic cleansing, much like the stateless Rohingya.

An armed conflict between Myanmar government forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine rebel group fighting for greater autonomy for the Rakhine people, intensified in early 2019. This past March, Myanmar declared it a terrorist organization.

OP-ED: Bangladesh is being held hostage

Dhaka Tribune  

Anis Alamgir

October 12th, 2020

Abandoned by all BIGSTOCK

With little support from the international arena, what is the future of the Rohingya in Bangladesh?

On October 5, Vikram Doraiswami, the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to the country, arrived in Bangladesh. He told reporters at the land port in Akhaura: “Bangladesh is one of India’s closest friends, and thus we are eager to continue and enhance our bilateral relationship with this neighbouring country.”

Beijing is now more interested in keeping Bangladesh as a development partner through the continuous effort of distancing Dhaka from Delhi. Recently, Sino-Indian relations with Bangladesh are looking great, but the reality is different.

China concerned at delay in repatriation of Rohingyas

UNB 

UNB News
Dhaka
October 11, 2020

Killers of Chinese national to be brought to justice, says FM 

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Sunday expressed concern as the repatriation of Rohingyas to their place of origin in Rakhine State has not started yet.

He shared his concern during his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday in the city.

Dr Momen sought Chinese government's support for the quick and sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.

New Rohingya population figure in Bangladesh is accurate: official

bdnews24.com

Hassan Bipul, bdnews24.com

09 Oct 2020

The latest estimate of roughly 850,000 Rohingya refugees living currently in Bangladesh is ‘accurate’, not the initial calculation released two years ago that put the figure at nearly 950,000, says Mohammad Shamsu Douza, the government’s additional commissioner of refugee, relief and repatriation.

The official spoke about the problems currently facing the refugees sheltered in Bangladesh and the plans to resolve the crisis in an interview with bdnews24.com.

New Rohingya population figure in Bangladesh is accurate: official

bdnews24.com

Hassan Bipul,
bdnews24.com
Published: 09 Oct 2020

The latest estimate of roughly 850,000 Rohingya refugees living currently in Bangladesh is ‘accurate’, not the initial calculation released two years ago that put the figure at nearly 950,000, says Mohammad Shamsu Douza, the government’s additional commissioner of refugee, relief and repatriation.
 

The official spoke about the problems currently facing the refugees sheltered in Bangladesh and the plans to resolve the crisis in an interview with bdnews24.com.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya had already fled decades of persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar to take shelter in Bangladesh before the exodus, the fastest-growing refugee crisis, began in August 2017 following a military crackdown in Rakhine.

Cox’s Bazar, the southeast coastal district, now has the world’s largest refugee camp. The government is trying to meet their urgent needs under emergency response plan with the help of international organisations led by the United Nations.

Saudi Arabia pressures Bangladesh to issue passports to Rohingya

DW

2020.10.10

Saudi Arabia wants Bangladesh to give passports to 54,000 stateless Rohingya refugees who have lived in the kingdom for decades. But many of them have never stepped foot in Bangladesh.  

Almost 40 years ago, Saudi Arabia took in tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who were facing persecution in Myanmar. Now, Riyadh wants Muslim-majority Bangladesh to issue passports to some 54,000 Rohingya.

Saudis Giving Bangladesh A Cause For Worry – Analysis

eurasiareview
By Syed Badrul Ahsan
October 3, 2020

In these past many months since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, as many as 140,000 Bangladeshi expatriate workers, mostly from the Middle East, have returned home. And now that conditions have eased a little, they are ready to return to their workplaces, especially in Saudi Arabia. But that does not appear to be easy, given that most of these workers have yet to come by air tickets to fly back to Riyadh. Compounding matters for them has been the inability of the Saudia airlines office in Dhaka as well as Biman Bangladesh Airlines to facilitate their departure for their places of work.

Bangladeshi officers beat Rohingya over hunger strike, claims rights group

The Telegraph 

By Nicola Smith,  

Asia Correspondent  

2 October 2020 

Human Rights Watch alleges the beatings occurred on the remote island of Bhasan Char last month 

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have been displaced since 2017 Credit: Zik Maulana/AP 

 

Bangladeshi naval officers beat Rohingya refugees, including children, with sticks and tree branches after they protested against their detention on the desolate island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal, Human Rights Watch has alleged.

According to reports received by the human rights organisation, the refugees were punished for going on hunger strike last month to demand reunification with their families in the sprawling refugee camps near the Bangladeshi coastal town of Cox’s Bazar. The authorities have denied the accusations.

Burma and Bangladesh - Regional Crisis Response Fact Sheet #5, Fiscal Year (FY) 2020

‘Safe zones’ plan shows Bangladesh is accepting Rohingya reality

ARAB NEWS

DR. AZEEM IBRAHIM
September 29, 2020

Rohingya refugees stretch their hands to receive aid at Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Sept. 14, 2017. (Reuters)

 

The government of Bangladesh this week called on the international community to establish “safe zones” within Myanmar to allow for the Rohingya to safely return to the country of their birth. This is not likely to happen, but it does signal a welcome evolution on the part of the government of Bangladesh on the Rohingya situation.

Bangladesh experts urge government not to issue passports for Rohingya in Saudi Arabia

FINANCIAL EXPRESS

September 28, 2020

 

Bangladesh's decision to issue national passports to Rohingya living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will be harmful to the country's interest, opined foreign affairs experts.

Recently, Saudi Arabia, the largest employer of Bangladeshi workers - numbering 2.2 million, asked Bangladesh to issue passports to around 54,000 Rohingya living there.

Apparently under pressure from the Saudi government, Bangladesh has, in principle, agreed to issue national passports to Saudi Rohingyas on conditions.

PM Hasina to address UN General Assembly on Saturday

Dhaka Tribune
26 September, 2020

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina virtually addresses the high-level roundtable event held on the sidelines of the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, September 24, 2020 

Focus Bangla

For the first time in the UN’s history, global leaders are joining virtually the annual high-level session

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually address the 75th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Saturday.

“The prime minister is scheduled to deliver her pre-recorded country statement at the UNGA general debate in the UN Headquarters approximately at 10 am New York time (Bangladesh time 8 pm) tomorrow,” PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS today.

Rohingya Genocide: ICC considers holding hearings in Bangladesh

theindepedent

26 September, 2020
UNB, Dhaka

Rohingya refugees want the hearings to be held away from ICC headquarters in The Hague. Photo: UNB/Wikicommons 

 

The Registry of the International Criminal Court has filed its observations on a joint request by the victims to hold the hearings in the Rohingya genocide case within reasonable proximity of the affected populations, instead of The Hague.  

In its filing submitted on September 21, which is available on the ICC’s website, the Registry outlines five possible scenarios whereby all or some part of the hearings may be held in Bangladesh, and details the pros and cons of each.

Bangladesh should host ICC’s proceedings in Cox’s Bazar

The Daily Star
Farhaan Uddin Ahmed
September 25, 2020 

File photo of Rohingya refugees praying at a gathering organised to mark the second anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar, at the Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar, August 25, 2019. Photo: Reuters/Rafiqur Rahman

On August 4, 2020, the legal representatives of three specific groups of Rohingya victims submitted a joint request to the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC), requesting it to direct the Registry of the Court to prepare an assessment of potential venues for holding the Court's proceedings in a state other than the host state (i.e. the Netherlands) so that proceedings can be held in a location which is physically closer to the victims of the alleged atrocities, who are currently residing in various refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. In brief, the victims requested the Court to direct the Registry to explore whether the proceedings could be held in a location physically closer to Cox's Bazar, where the victims are currently residing.

Dhaka suggests engaging foreign civilian observers for Rohingya repatriation

Dhaka Tribune
September 12th, 2020

Photo: SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN

Bangladesh foreign minister is seeking support from ARF partners

Dhaka on Saturday suggested Myanmar to engage non-military civilian observers from its friendly countries in Rohingya repatriation process to reduce trust deficit among the forcibly displaced people for returning to their land of origin in Rakhine with safety and security.

“In order to decline trust deficit and build confidence, we suggested Myanmar to engage non-military civilian observers from their friendly country like ASEAN, China, Russia, India or other friends of their choice,” said Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Rohingyas lack confidence in Myanmar govt, FM tells ASEAN

Prothum Alo------  

 Prothom Alo English Desk

Published: 12 September 2020, 

Weary Rohingya trudging from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Ukhia, Bangladesh.Prothom Alo file photo

Bangladesh has once again conveyed to the international community that the displaced Rohingyas are not returning to their homeland primarily because they do not trust their government on the issues of safety and security, reports UNB.

In order to reduce trust deficit and confidence building, Bangladesh suggested Myanmar to engage non-military civilian observers from their friendly countries like ASEAN, China, Russia, India or other friends of their choice. 

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen conveyed it to the foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) on Saturday adding such initiative may reduce trust deficit for a sustainable return.

For the Last Three Years, More Than a Million Rohingya Muslims Have Been Stuck in Bangladesh

Vice 
by Faisal Mahmud

Refugees say that they are trapped on a bare hillside in a foreign country with no hope 

Rohingya refugees stand in the waters of a canal at a refugee camp near Ukhia, Bangladesh. August 25 marked three years since around a million Rohingyas escaped from Myanmar. Photo courtesy of Munir Uz zaman / AFP

It’s been three years, but the memory still haunts Yasmin in her dreams.

The 22-year-old Rohingya woman now resides in the sprawling Kutupalong refugee camp in Southern Bangladesh. Making her way there in 2017 was an arduous journey; she had slogged through the monsoon-drenched jungles and paddy fields of Western Myanmar in the dark for four days. She was fleeing a pogrom.

Bangladesh's Rohingya refugees lobby ICC to sit in Asia during war crimes investigation

ABC Net
By Angelique Lu

01.09.2020

Muhammed Nowkhim is one of hundreds of Rohingya refugees hoping to testify before the ICC.(Supplied. Muhammed Nowkhim.)

Two Australian lawyers acting on behalf of hundreds of Rohingya refugees are pushing to have the International Criminal Court (ICC) sit in Asia for the first time.

The ICC is investigating allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Myanmar Government and military officials in 2017.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya — a stateless, mostly Muslim minority group — fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during the unrest.