UN report details continued abuses against Rohingyas
Geneva, Sep 18 : A UN fact-finding mission published on Tuesday the most extensive report till date on the continued persecution of the Muslim minority Rohingyas in Myanmar since 2011 in the states of Kachin, Shan and Rakhine.
The 44-page report was based on more than 800 interviews of survivors and videos, photos as well as satellite images that detailed the atrocities and rights abuses against the community, Efe news reported.
"During their operations the Tatmadaw (military) has systematically targeted civilians, including women and children, committed sexual violence, voiced and promoted exclusionary and discriminatory rhetoric against minorities as well as established a climate of impunity for its soldiers," said the chair of the mission, Marzuki Darusman.
The report said that Myanmar's policy of destruction in Rakhine might have destroyed evidence that could have helped in future investigations of the crimes, including those of genocide.
The report examined various episodes of violence over the years, especially the one that erupted in August 2017 in Rakhine that led to the exodus of more than 800,000 people, currently living in neighbouring Bangladesh in overcrowded refugee camps.
An earlier and more concise version of the report on August 27 had concluded that there were elements of intentional genocide by the country's armed forces in the 2017 offensive, that was launched following a series of attacks on government posts by Rohingya rebels.
"The crimes themselves and the manner in which they were perpetrated, were found to be similar in nature, gravity and scope to those that have allowed for genocidal intent to be established in other contexts," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, another member of the mission.
The mission considered that by conservative estimates at least 10,000 people were killed during the 2017 Army offensive, globally condemned as "ethnic cleansing".
"These policies and practices violate Myanmar's obligations under international law and amount to criminal conduct. They are also unwarranted. Military necessity would never justify killing indiscriminately, gangraping women, assaulting children and burning entire villages," the report stated.
The experts blamed the military leaders for the crimes committed during the military campaign and also condemned Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to use her position to prevent the atrocities in Rakhine state.
The mission also gathered proof of war crimes and crimes against humanity in all the three states.
The experts asked the UN Security Council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court or create an ad hoc international court to try these crimes.
It also recommended individual sanctions against those identified as allegedly responsible for these crimes and an arms embargo on the country.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
