Rohingya refugees shout slogans as they take part in a protest at the Kutupalong refugee camp to mark the one year anniversary of their exodus in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh August 25, 2018.
Myanmar's military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted for the gravest crimes under international law, U.N. investigators said.
In a report, they called for the U.N. Security Council to set up an ad hoc tribunal to try suspects or refer them to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The Security Council should also impose an arms embargo on Myanmar and targeted sanctions against individuals most responsible for crimes.
They blamed the country's de facto civilian leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for failing to use her "moral authority" to protect civilians. Her government "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes" by letting hate speech thrive, destroying documents and failing to shield minorities from crimes against humanity and war crimes.
A Myanmar court on Monday postponed the verdict on two Reuters journalists who documented a massacre of Rohingya Muslims in the western Rakhine state. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, have been detained since December for allegedly collecting secret documents from police as they investigated violence against Rohingya.Yangon’s northern district judge Khin Maung Maung said Monday that the postponement was because the judge, Ye Lwin, was sick.Solidarity groups mark first year of Rakhine massacreRohingya in US mark first year of Rakhine massacre
Verdict on Myanmar’s Reuters journalists postponed
The report also criticised Facebook for allowing the world's biggest social media network to be used to incite violence and hatred. Facebook responded on Monday by announcing that it was blocking 20 Myanmar officials and organisations found by the U.N. panel to have "committed or enabled serious human rights abuses".
Contacted by phone, Myanmar military spokesman Major General Tun Tun Nyi said he could not immediately comment. The Myanmar government was sent an advance copy of the U.N. report in line with standard practice.
Zaw Htay, spokesman for Suu Kyi's government, could not immediately be reached for comment. Reuters was also unable to contact the six generals named in the report.
A year ago, government troops led a brutal crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state in response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on 30 Myanmar police posts and a military base. Some 700,000 Rohingya fled the crackdown and most are now living in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The United States will continue to hold accountable those responsible for what he described as the "abhorrent ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday.Pompeo's statement came on the one year anniversary of the conflict in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state that drove more than 700,000 Rohingya from their homes into neighboring Bangladesh."A year ago, following deadly militant attacks, security forces responded by launching abhorrent ethnic cleansing of ethnic #Rohingya in Burma," Pompeo said on Twitter, using an alternative name for Myanmar."The U.S. will continue to hold those responsible accountable. The military must respect human rights for #Burma’s democracy to succeed."The military ruled Myanmar for nearly 50 years after seizing power in a 1962 coup and retains considerable powers under a 2008 constitution.Myanmar government spokesmen Zaw Htay was unavailable for comment on Sunday.The government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has denied refugees' allegations of atrocities, saying security forces lawfully suppressed Muslim militants in Rakhine.Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh held demonstrations and prayers on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict.Thousands of refugees marched prayed and chanted slogans in events across the sprawling camps in southern Bangladesh. Many wore black ribbons to commemorate what they said was the start of the “Rohingya genocide”.Across the border in Myanmar, the government said security patrols had been increased in the conflict area ahead of the anniversary for fear of further violence. Members of the mostly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic group and Hindus from Rakhine state said they would hold events to remember those killed by Rohingya militants in attacks that triggered the crisis.Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on four Myanmar military and police commanders and two army units, accusing them of "ethnic cleansing" against Rohingya Muslims and widespread human rights abuses across the Southeast Asian nation.International pressure on Myanmar has been growing as U.N.-mandated investigators are set to publish a report on the crisis on Monday and the United Nations Security Council will hold a briefing on Myanmar on Tuesday. 
Pompeo decries 'abhorrent ethnic cleansing' in Myanmar on anniversary
The U.N. report said the military action, which included the torching of villages, was "grossly disproportionate to actual security threats".
"The crimes in Rakhine State, and the manner in which they were perpetrated, are similar in nature, gravity and scope to those that have allowed genocidal intent to be established in other contexts," said the U.N. panel, known as the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.
Suu Kyi's government has rejected most allegations of atrocities made against the security forces by refugees. It has built transit centres for refugees to return, but U.N. aid agencies say it is not yet safe for them to do so.
Solidarity groups worldwide marked on Saturday the Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, calling for international protection for their return to western Myanmar.In a joint declaration, the solidarity groups, including the European Rohingya Council (ERC) and Free Rohingya Coalition, voiced support for the “inalienable right of Myanmar’s Rohingya ethnic minority group to self-identify as Rohingya”.Acknowledging the verifiable, pre-colonial presence, history, identity and culture of the Rohingya in northern Rakhine, the groups recognized Myanmar’s decades-long persecution of Rohingya as genocide.Also signed by the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra) in Malaysia, the declaration “supports the existential needs of several million Rohingya violently deported by Myanmar government in periodic waves of exodus since 1978 to secure protected return to their birthplace and ancestral homeland in Northern Rakhine".It called for international protection “until such a time as Myanmar is ready to accept them as full and equal citizens”.South Africa-based Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Media Review Network, Colors of Hope and Protect the Rohingya; Bangladesh Centre of Governance and Human Rights, Cambridge University, and Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia were among the co-signatories of the declaration.Rohingya in US mark first year of Rakhine massacreProtestsIn Bangladesh, the Rohingya staged demonstrations in refugee camps demanding justice.In Australia, Burmese Rohingya Community held a rally at Lakemba Memorial Park, southwestern Sydney, in solidarity with the Rohingya.In Sweden, a group of people gathered in Sergels Torg Square to commemorate those who lost their lives in the massacre, upon the call of Swedish Rohingya Association.The protesters urged the revocation of the Nobel Peace Prize of Myanmar’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.They also held banners which said “Stop deceiving the world about crimes against Rohingya, Kachin, Palaung, Kokant and other minorities”.In Canada, it is hoped hundreds of thousands will attend solidarity events to bring attention to the plight of the Rohingya.In the U.K., a solidarity rally is expected to be held at Manor Park Community Centre, London.On Friday, South Korean activists also marked the day by gathering in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul to express solidarity with refugees.In a written statement, the Korean Civil Society said it organized the protest “to honor victims killed by Myanmar government last year and to band together with the most persecuted people who have been denied the right to call themselves Rohingya".Saturday, Aug. 25, marks a year since more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.More than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces since then, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.One year since exodus, Rohingya in Bangladesh on the edgeTurkish aid group offers education to Rohingya childrenUNICEF urges to invest in Rohingya children's education
Solidarity groups mark first year of Rakhine massacre
MORAL AUTHORITY
Suu Kyi "has not used her de facto position as Head of Government, nor her moral authority, to stem or prevent the unfolding events, or seek alternative avenues to meet a responsibility to protect the civilian population", the report said.
The United Nations defines genocide as acts meant to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group in whole or in part. Such a designation is rare, but has been used in countries including Bosnia, Rwanda and Sudan.
In the final 20-page report, the panel said: "There is sufficient information to warrant the investigation and prosecution of senior officials in the Tatmadaw (army) chain of command, so that a competent court can determine their liability for genocide in relation to the situation in Rakhine state."
Marzuki Darusman, chair of the panel, said commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing should step down pending investigation.
Almost one million Rohingya people have led their lives on the brink in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh since Aug. 25, 2017, when forces in neighboring Myanmar launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community.Conditions for the Rohingya refugees have worsened dramatically since the early days of the influx one year ago, when thousands of people were crossing the border each day, sleeping exposed under open skies, with many in desperate need of medical help and on the brink of starvation.Hafizur Rahman, 34, has memorized the Quran. He used to teach at a religious school at Mangdu, Myanmar called Tahfizul Quran. Now he is teaching at a religious school in the camp called Furkania. He fled Myanmar persecution and took shelter in Kutupalong Rohingya camp.Video: Will the Rohingyas ever go back home?Rahman told Anadolu Agency that he has three children but right now he is not thinking about their future. He is satisfied with the tiny shelter he was given in Bangladesh, saying that it is better than things in Myanmar. From experience he says he doubts Myanmar will give the Rohingya citizenship status. For the time being he is satisfied with his life at the camp.About the future, he says he prays to Allah and does not want to think about anything further.All refugees at the camp have access to shelter, food, and medical care, including from a Turkish-run clinic. But malnutrition, health problems, and food insecurity are at crisis levels, and overcrowding is a major problem that limits access and mobility, thereby increasing safety risks.Asked about his life at Kutupalong Refugee camp in Bangladesh, Md Anis, a former Bypchan primary school teacher in Myanmar, says they sell some of the supplies given to them by aid groups to fulfill their other needs. He told Anadolu Agency that their main needs are a gas stove and cash.Suu Kyi is most polished mouthpiece of Myanmar militaryRohingya languish as repatriation process lingerAnis, 54, had a job for 10 years before deciding to flee Myanmar last September, after seeing his neighbors being brutally tortured by Myanmar’s army.Like other Rohingya, he warns of dire consequences if their basic rights are not met.“If the world doesn’t see us and our basic rights aren’t met, and doesn’t put pressure [on Myanmar] to take us back, then we shall commit suicide if necessary. We don’t want to be victims of the Myanmar military again.”He says if the world fails to give them back their rights they should be given permission to fight for themselves.According to humanitarian community’s 2018 Joint Response Plan (JRP), an estimated 16 percent of the Rohingya are single mothers. Many lost their husbands to violence in Myanmar or to migration in search of livelihoods for survival. A majority of the population are women and children (52 percent are women and girls; 55 percent are children under 18).Arefa Begum, 45, came from Mongdu, Myanmar. She has 10 children, eight of whom are with her in Bangladesh, with her sons Md Alam (20) and Robi Alam (19) still in Myanmar.On the problems women face in camp, Arefa says they don’t find work to earn money. Their small room has little ventilation and it’s hot all the time. They don’t get enough firewood for cooking. The garbage scattered around their room often makes their children sick.The burden of all these problems make Arefa look like an old woman. She says she has six daughters, all unmarried, the eldest 18. They have neither education nor work, and she doesn’t know how to marry them off. She can hardly think of the type of future awaiting them.-Threat of environmental disasterAs of last October, approximately 2,500 acres of forest had been cut for firewood and building shelters. Of this, at least 1,500 acres was cut from social forestry projects, impacting local Bangladeshi communities. The demand for firewood from forests is likely higher than the environment can supply. This could also exacerbate the effects of flooding and cyclones, as low-lying, degraded land will become more exposed.The camps and settlements are also encroaching on Asian elephant territory, which poses a risk to both people (12 Rohingya people have been killed in elephant incursions) and the elephants, whose habitat is being compromised. The endangered Indian elephant, along with deer and two species of Indian civet, is a flagship species in the area that is vulnerable. Out of the total 1,156 wildlife species that inhabit this threatened forest -- including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals -- 65 are critically endangered, 94 are endangered, and 56 are vulnerable.In the refugee camps and settlements, with weak shelters and little infrastructure in place, the settlements are particularly vulnerable to this environmental impact. So there is an urgent need to upgrade shelters and to pre-position shelter materials and essential household items for emergency response.-Lack of educationThe refugees are not permitted to enroll in formal education facilities and even when allowed informal access to education, they are denied certification.In particular, recently arrived refugees lack access to safe and protective learning facilities in new campsites and makeshift settlement areas. This gap is partly due to limited space in these areas as well as the time needed to set up educational activities. Cox’s Bazar is among the lowest-performing districts in the country in terms of education access, retention and achievement.UNICEF is providing education in learning centers for 92,000 Rohingya children aged 4-14, teaching them basic literacy, numeracy and life-saving messages in English and Burmese. However, over 50 percent of children in the refugee camps are currently out of reach of education services.UNICEF operates 150 Child-Friendly Spaces where children are enabled to heal following their traumatic exodus from Myanmar. Children receive psycho-social support and case management from trained social workers. Children are encouraged to participate in recreational activities such as games, art, music, and drama. They also learn critical life skills to equip them to understand and deal with the real risks they face in their daily lives, including child labor, child marriage, and human trafficking.Absence of ID documents and recognized legal status impedes refugees’ freedom of movement, as well as access to justice, legal opportunities, accredited education, and other public services.Children also face serious risks such as psychosocial distress, neglect, abuse, separation from caregivers, child marriage, child labor, and trafficking.And conditions in the camps are far from ideal. Many refugee families live on the edge of dangerous hills, with little protection from heavy monsoon rains. The upcoming cyclone season could potentially be devastating for the refugee camps.Children living in the refugee camps face increased risk of waterborne diseases such as acute watery diarrhea.One year on from the start of this crisis, the situation of the Rohingya remains extremely perilous.- A persecuted peopleMore than 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s state forces, according to the Ontario International Development Agency (OIDA).In its recent report, Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold Experience, the OIDA increased the estimated number of murdered Rohingya to 23,962 (±881) from an earlier Doctors Without Borders figure of 9,400.More than 34,000 Rohingya were also thrown into fires, while over 114,000 others were beaten, the OIDA report said, adding that 17,718 (±780) Rohingya women and girls were raped by the Myanmar army and police. More than 115,000 Rohingya houses were burned and 113,000 others were vandalized, it added.According to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community.The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by Myanmar state forces. In its report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.
One year since exodus, Rohingya in Bangladesh on the edge
"Accountability can only take place both from the point of view of the international community but also from the people of Myanmar if the single most significant factor is addressed. And that is the role of the commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing."
The list of generals also included Brigadier-General Aung Aung, commander of the 33rd Light Infantry Division, which oversaw operations in the coastal village of Inn Din where 10 Rohingya captive boys and men were killed.
That massacre was uncovered by two Reuters journalists - Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28 - who were arrested last December and are being tried on charges of violating Myanmar's Official Secrets Act. The court had been due to deliver a verdict on Monday, but at a brief hearing postponed the hearings until Sept. 3.
In April, seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison for participating in the Inn Din killings.
Members of Sadakataşı Foundation, a Turkish aid agency, distribute meat from sacrificed animals to Rohingya Muslims at a refugee camp on the second day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) on Wednesday in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
Turkish foundation distributes meat to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Other generals named in the report included army deputy commander-in-chief Vice Senior-General Soe Win; the commander of the Bureau of Special Operations-3, Lieutenant-General Aung Kyaw Zaw; the commander of Western Regional Military Command, Major-General Maung Maung Soe; and the commander of 99th Light Infantry Division, Brigadier-General Than Oo.
Panel member Christopher Sidoti said "the clarity of the chain of command in Myanmar" meant the six generals must be prosecuted, even in the absence of a "smoking gun" piece of evidence to prove who had ordered the crimes.
"We do not have a copy of a direct order that says 'undertake genocide tomorrow please'. But that is the case almost universally when cases of genocide have gone before the courts," Sidoti said.
Darusman said a wider confidential list of suspects included civilians and insurgents as well as members of the military.
The plight of the Rohingya Muslims who fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh to escape persecution has become even direr. Floods after heavy monsoon rains have submerged refugee camps in Bangladesh in water.
Rohingya sufferings know no end as flooded camps add to misery
"OPPRESSION FROM BIRTH TO DEATH"
The U.N. panel, set up last year, interviewed 875 victims and witnesses in Bangladesh and other countries, and analysed documents, videos, photographs and satellite images.
Decades of state-sponsored stigmatisation against Rohingya had resulted in "institutionalised oppression from birth to death", the report said.
The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.
"The Tatmadaw acts with complete impunity and has never been held accountable. Its standard response is to deny, dismiss and obstruct," the U.N. report said.
The European Union's executive in Brussels will hold a meeting this week with the authors of the U.N. report on Myanmar, which said on Monday that the southeast Asian state's military had "genocidal intent" in action against the Rohingya."Those responsible for alleged serious and systemic human rights violation must be held to account," said a spokeswoman for the European Commission. "Any further EU steps is something that would have to be discussed with the member states."The spokeswoman said the U.N. report was timely as the situation in Myanmar was still "extremely serious".Facebook removes top Myanmar military official, others from websiteThe EU has sanctions on Myanmar but has shied away from targeting the commander-in-chief so far. The U.N. investigators said in their report the commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted for orchestrating the gravest crimes under law.The Myanmar government, which was sent an advance copy of the U.N. report in line with standard practice, has not commented.Myanmar generals had 'genocidal intent' against Rohingya, must face justice: UN
EU executive to hold meeting this week on UN Myanmar report
Members of the panel had accused Facebook in March of allowing its platform to be used to incite violence. The report said the social media company should have acted quicker.
"Although improved in recent months, Facebook's response has been slow and ineffective. The extent to which Facebook posts and messages have led to real-world discrimination and violence must be independently and thoroughly examined," it said.
In a statement announcing its action on Monday, Facebook said it was removing 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 Facebook pages.
"The ethnic violence in Myanmar has been truly horrific. Earlier this month, we shared an update on the steps we’re taking to prevent the spread of hate and misinformation on Facebook. While we were too slow to act, we’re now making progress – with better technology to identify hate speech, improved reporting tools, and more people to review content."
Facebook had acknowledged in a statement issued 10 days ago following a Reuters investigative report into its failure to combat hate speech against the Rohingya and other Muslims in Myanmar that it had been "too slow" to address the problem.
Facebook said on Monday it was removing several Myanmar military officials from the social media website and an Instagram account to prevent the spread of "hate and misinformation" after reviewing the content.Facebook's action means an essential blackout of the military's main channel of public communication, with pages followed by millions of people in a country where the social media giant is virtually synonymous with the internet.The move places further pressure on the generals, coming hours after United Nations investigators said the army carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with "genocidal intent". Their report said the commander-in-chief of Myanmar's armed forces and five generals should be prosecuted for orchestrating the gravest crimes under law."Specifically, we are banning 20 Burmese individuals and organizations from Facebook — including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the military's Myawady television network," Facebook said in a blog post.Myanmar generals had 'genocidal intent' against Rohingya, must face justice: UN"We're removing a total of 18 Facebook accounts, one Instagram account and 52 Facebook Pages, followed by almost 12 million people," the Menlo Park, California-based company added.It is the first time Facebook has imposed such a ban on a country's military or political leaders, the company later said it response to a query from Reuters.Facebook spokeswoman Clare Wareing said by email that the social media site took this step, "since international experts, including a UN-commissioned report, have found evidence that many of these officials committed serious human rights abuses in the country."Colonel Zaw Min Tun, an official in the military's public information unit, told Reuters he was not aware the pages had been removed. He declined to comment further. Government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment.EU executive to hold meeting this week on UN Myanmar reportA preview of Min Aung Hlaing's Facebook page was still accessible immediately after the announcement and showed it had been "liked" by 1.3 million people. When Reuters attempted to return to it later it had been removed.HATE SPEECHEarlier this month, Reuters published an investigative report about how Facebook had failed to combat a campaign of hate speech against the Rohingya and other Muslims.The piece, which found more than 1,000 posts, comments and images attacking Muslims on the platform, demonstrated that Facebook, despite repeated warnings, had devoted scant resources to controlling the problem in Myanmar, where it is the dominant social media force. (For the Reuters investigation on 'Why Facebook is losing the war on hate speech in Myanmar' click, https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-facebook-hate/)Facebook said a day after publication of the investigation it had been "too slow" to address hate speech in the Southeast Asian country and it was acting to remedy the problem by hiring more Burmese speakers and investing in technology to identify problematic content.The U.N. investigators highlighted the role of social media in Myanmar in Monday's report. "Facebook has been a useful instrument for those seeking to spread hate, in a context where for most users Facebook is the Internet," said the report.Min Aung Hlaing has built a substantial social media profile in Myanmar, with the commander-in-chief's page sometimes updated several times a day.Some of the military's Facebook posts from last year included detailed accounts of clashes with Rohingya militants, often accompanied by pictures.A year ago, government troops led a crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on 30 police posts and a military base.As a result, some 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to U.N. agencies, bringing stories of rape, arson and arbitrary killings.Myanmar has denied allegations made by refugees, saying its troops engaged in lawful counterinsurgency operations against Muslim militants. 
Facebook removes top Myanmar military official, others from website