BROUK welcomes the British government joining the Rohingya ICJ genocide case

August 25, 2022

Today, the British government has finally announced that they are joining the genocide case at the International Court of Justice brought by the Gambia.

“This is a significant step for justice and accountability for the genocide against our people, and we welcome this announcement by the British government,” said Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK). 

The announcement comes the day before the five-year anniversary of the Burmese military’s increased genocidal attacks on the Rohingya people in 2017, which led to over 700,000 Rohingya fleeing their homeland and thousands killed. Fighting for justice and accountability for the genocide is also a fight for the decades-long impunity enjoyed by the Burmese military, which is also accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in other parts of the country.

BROUK has campaigned for almost three years for the British government to join the Rohingya genocide case, as have other human rights organisations and British MPs. 

“We would now like to see the British government, as penholder on Burma at the UN Security Council, bring the issue forward there to increase their efforts to protect the Rohingya people. The genocide against the Rohingya is ongoing and the provisional measures laid down by the ICJ needs to be implemented,” Tun Khin said. “We need to see British support for all efforts for justice and accountability for the Rohingya genocide.”

The case at the ICJ is one of the avenues where justice and accountability for the Rohingya genocide is being pursued. BROUK has also brought a historic legal case to the Argentinian courts under the auspices of Universal Jurisdiction against the Burmese military and the then civilian government. This case is ongoing. “The British government should support Rohingya community-led efforts to secure justice including Argentina case led by BROUK”, said Tun Khin.

BROUK is calling on the British government to couple the announcement with more humanitarian support for Rohingya genocide survivors in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. 

“Aid for the camps has been slashed, including by the British government. Genocide survivors need to be supported until it is safe for them to return to Burma, as full citizens”, said Tun Khin, who also asked for support to empower Rohingya youth in the camps. 

For more information, contact Tun Khin on +44 7888714866