ICC Begins Probe Into Myanmar Rohingya Atrocities

Rohingya Muslim. Source: The Guardian

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced plan to begin a preliminary investigation into the deportations of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar into Bangladesh.

The chief prosecutor of ICC, Fatou Bensouda, said this in a written statement and video message on Tuesday.

Bensouda said she had begun an inquiry to establish whether there was enough evidence to merit a full investigation.

She said she would look at reports of “a number of alleged coercive acts having resulted in the forced displacement of the Rohingya people, including deprivation of fundamental rights, killing, sexual violence, enforced disappearance, destruction and looting”.

Bensouda’s announcement came less than two weeks after ICC judges gave her authorisation to investigate the deportations despite Myanmar not being a member state of the court.

Myanmar’s military has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya villages – leading about 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh since August last year.

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