Rushanara Ali MP and Jeremy Hunt, co-chairs of All-Party Parliamentary Group on the rights of the Rohingya, on behalf of more than hundred UK MPs signed and issued a letter on 17th December 2020 to Dominic Raab MP, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to make an intervention to support the Gambia’s Rohingya Genocide case at International Court of Justice to further halt the genocidal violence against Rohingya.
The Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camp warmly welcomed the call of the UK’s APPG call for the intervention.
One Rohingya woman whose husband was killed by the military said, “This is the only venue of justice we see now and if the UK joins we think the case will be stronger.”
Another youth from Balukhali camp thanked the UK parliamentarian for their support for the Rohingyas and prayed to see more of the UK leadership.
“Ending impunity is essential not only to ensure justice and uphold international law but also to deter further international crimes by the military in Myanmar”, the letter cited.
The Gambia has brought proceedings against Myanmar for breach of the Genocide Convention, in response to Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya, a minority ethnic group who live in Rakhine State in Myanmar.
“We are convinced that if the United Kingdom joins the case, it will bring significant added value, both legally and symbolically”, Rushanara Ali MP and Jeremy Hunt said in the letter.
The letter said, “At the same time, given our leading role, and our status as penholder at the UNSC, our failure to join the case could unintentionally send the wrong signal to the military regarding our commitment to addressing impunity”.
However, with human rights violations against the Rohingya continuing, including the disenfranchisement of Rohingya in the recent election, and no sign of any changes by the government of Myanmar that would create conditions for a safe return for Rohingya refugees, it is clear more still needs to be done.
“With Russia and China blocking a full referral of Burma to the International Criminal Court by the UNSC, joining the case at the ICJ is currently the best available avenue for pursuing justice and ending impunity. It is essential the British government throws it full weight behind this case”
