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Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM)
Message from the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, Bulletin Issue 1, May 2020
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (hereafter, “the Mechanism”) is up and running and working to fulfil its mandate to collect, consolidate, preserve and analyse evidence of serious international crimes and violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011. Since I took up my mandate on 1 July 2019, the Mechanism has recruited over half of its approved positions, with more staff arriving every month. We have received the materials collected by the International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM) and initiated discussions with governments, non-governmental organisations, academics, other United Nations entities, businesses and technical experts who we believe may have evidence and information that can shed light on the crimes within our mandate. The Mechanism has also been building the necessary cooperative frameworks with key actors, including information providers, establishing internal protocols necessary for conducting fair and independent investigations in a complex environment and devising investigative strategies. The Mechanism aims to use the latest expertise and technologies that will assist in carrying out complex investigations.
As the Mechanism continues to gather evidence, it is simultaneously analysing the information now in its possession, including materials received from the FFM The analysis will help the Mechanism formulate its strategies for fulfilling its mandate “to prepare files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal proceedings, in accordance with international law standards, in national, regional or international courts or tribunals that have or may in the future have jurisdiction over these crimes.”
The Mechanism continues to seek all relevant information that can fill in gaps in the evidence now in its possession or that can validate or challenge that evidence. The Mechanism will continue to seek access to crime sites and witnesses inside Myanmar and regularly reach out to the Government of Myanmar to seek its cooperation.
Equally important, the Mechanism is working to establish a regular interactive dialogue with victims, civil society and the public in Myanmar, in the region and beyond. While much of what the Mechanism is doing cannot be discussed publicly due to the need to respect the confidentiality of independent criminal investigations, the Mechanism will seek to provide information on the purpose and direction of its work. This first triannual Bulletin is one of the ways we are trying to honour this commitment.
