Comments about trying the Myanmar Government at the International Criminal Court

Asian Tribune, 24 Aug

By Habib Siddiqui

Myanmar government wants to hide its despicable record of racism and bigotry against non-Buddhist minorities inside the country by saying that there was no religious discrimination. As we say here, when a duck flies like a duck, swims like a duck and sounds like a duck it is a duck; it is not chicken.

As once again noted from the declarations of and papers presented at the recently concluded Bangkok Conference, held on August 15 at the Thammasat University, Myanmar government is guilty of practicing Apartheid policy of neo-Nazi Fascism. It can't skip from being labeled as such.

If we cannot protect the endangered Rohingya community from their elimination campaign, then the world community would have no alternative but to proceed with actions that lead to issue of an arrest warrant against the regime and their provocateurs that are at the root of the suffering. Of course, for that to happen, we shall need funding from international agencies to prepare and prosecute the case in the ICC, The Hague.

As you know it is not an easy matter. The regime can refuse to comply to hand over their war criminals, much like what happened with Slobodan Milosevic until he was voted out and the new regime, hungry for western recognition and bettering economy complied with the directives to hand over the criminal.

But the reality inside Myanmar is even worse than those prevailing in Serbia. The bulk of the Buddhist community inside Myanmar is racist and bigotry ridden except a few noble souls living outside (like e.g., Dr. Maung Zarni). The tragedy is that they are not even aware of their racism. They think what they are doing is fine, patriotic, and unless they continue to do so, they won't be able to protect their race from being overwhelmed by 'foreign' elements. What chance is there that if they are voted out (which I strongly doubt) in 2015 that Suu Kyi's NLD (supposing that it got majority and formed a new government) would hand over the war criminals? She has proven to be an ignoble soul, a politician and not a moral voice on suffering humanity. She talks about Buddhist sympathy and not what are human rights that continue to be violated by the regime. She is an opportunist.

We also need international partners to push the matter against the criminal regime. I don't think we have been able to make the case for the real 'powers' (e.g., USA and veto-wielding UNSC member states) to see the Rohingya problem our way. Without them, no international action would be taken. Sadly, as I have noted, the powerful western nations are also bankrupt when it comes to moral issues. Many of the governments in the West are mortgaged to big companies or lobby groups that care more about making money from trade and commerce with Myanmar than anything humane and moral. That is the reality of our time!

Still, we should not feel frustrated. The world is waking up to the hideous reality inside Myanmar. Who would have thought of so much support pouring into when not too long ago what we heard were only one-sided xenophobia against the Rohingya, even from some aid agencies because of their ignorance? But that has changed, by the grace of God.

Let's try our best in our individual and group levels to educate people and relieve the pains suffered by the Rohingya and other persecuted peoples.

- Asian Tribune -