By Namrata Hazarika / GICJ

The genocide against the Rohingya has been consistently justified by Myanmar’s military junta. “Victims,” said Ms Thyn Zar Oo, Co-Founder of the Public Legal Aid Network, when asked during a panel discussion on the root causes of human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims. She continued, “Perpetrators of genocide think of themselves as victims. They tend to use this to justify their actions.”

Ms Oo served as one of the panellists during the 5th meeting of the 50th HRC Session held on the 15th July. The panel defined the underlying root cause to be institutional racism produced through residual colonial fears that breeds political anxieties. This threatens the ultra-nationalist attitudes held by the Junta and fuels the consistent denial of the Rohingya’s citizenship. Notions of the government scapegoating the Rohingyas to cover their failures along with the state financially benefiting from the ongoing humanitarian crisis were highlighted. Lastly, the setback suffered due to the 2021 coup d'état and the spread of disinformation it ensued which widened the gap between intent and implementation of reforms, was addressed.

Country delegations and NGOs unanimously enquired how they can aid the Rakhine state. Sustainable solutions in the form of political and economic sanctions, investing in civil entities to engage with the Rohingya diaspora and facilitating regional coordination through dialogues that give the Rohingya representation, were shared by the panellists.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐉) supports the notion to award Rohingyas representation in international deliberations and reaffirms that the ones responsible for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingyas should be brought immediately to justice and held accountable.