‘All we see is a rise in violence’ — Radio Free Asia

Nicholas Koumjian is the chief of the United Nations Impartial Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, or IIMM, which earlier this month mentioned that it had collected “sturdy proof” that the junta and its affiliate militias are committing “more and more frequent and brazen warfare crimes” within the nation. Among the many crimes talked about within the company’s annual report had been what it referred to as “indiscriminate or disproportionate assaults on civilians from aerial bombing,” in addition to a rise within the “mass executions of civilians and detained combatants, and the large-scale and intentional burning of civilian houses and buildings.”

RFA Burmese’s Ye Kaung Myint Maung not too long ago spoke with Koumjian concerning the report’s findings and ongoing efforts to carry junta perpetrators of the crimes it paperwork to justice.

The next interview has been edited for size and readability.

RFA: IIMM has launched its newest report on the atrocities and rights violations dedicated by the navy this 12 months. What do you suppose are probably the most vital findings within the report?

Koumjian: I believe for me, probably the most vital findings are that the variety of crimes and the seriousness of the crimes solely continues to develop … We have seen the variety of victims within the violence because the coup rising annually, every month. And the report significantly factors to proof of crimes involving aerial bombardment of areas the place civilians are current. That resulted in lots of casualties, together with casualties amongst kids. [The report] additionally talks concerning the rising numbers of people underneath arrest or detention, crimes of torture in detention, sexual violence in detention. And we have seen incidents the place the navy has gone into captured areas and executed these captured, who embody combatants, but additionally civilians.

RFA: So primarily based in your findings and the proof, what do you suppose the longer term holds for the regime and the conflicts in Myanmar?

Koumjian: Sadly, all we see is a rise within the violence. And sadly, we additionally see a rising pattern to disobey the fundamental ideas of worldwide legislation. That’s, in conflicts, the armed forces are required to solely goal different combatants and never civilians. However we have seen rising numbers of civilians focused. And that is of nice concern to us, and we’re amassing that proof.

Holding leaders accountable

RFA: Has the IIMM discovered any vital proof that reveals the highest navy leaders giving orders to commit these atrocities?

Koumjian: At all times probably the most tough a part of an investigation is displaying the linkage to indicate who’s answerable for crimes, significantly high leaders, as a result of they’re usually not current the place the crimes happen, however nonetheless they might be held accountable. And the proof that previously, in different circumstances, has led to convictions is just not at all times restricted to orders given or written orders given, as a result of it is very uncommon that you just really discover these written orders given. However typically the proof could be clear from the truth that crimes proceed to occur with no change within the forces that it’s the commanders who’re perpetrating these crimes, the forces which might be despatched on assignments … Commanders will also be held answerable for failing to forestall crimes and failing to punish crimes. So we’ll additionally take a look at proof concerning whether or not or not, when crimes occurred, did the commanders correctly examine these crimes and did they correctly take all affordable steps to forestall them from taking place once more.

RFA: As an skilled on this space, do you suppose you may have discovered something to implicate the highest chief’s involvement in these atrocities?

Koumjian: In fact, in the end it will likely be as much as a courtroom that may, we hope, sometime hear any costs which might be filed … However we’re amassing very severe proof.

Crimes by different teams

RFA: Did you additionally discover any proof with regard to the crimes dedicated by teams aside from the navy, such because the anti-junta [People’s Defense Force] resistance teams and ethnic armies?

Koumjian: Our mandate is to analyze crimes dedicated in Myanmar that rise to a sure stage. And it is no matter what ethnicity or faith or the politics or the perpetrators or the victims. So we do take a look at crimes dedicated by different teams. And we’re amassing proof of that.

We’re additionally very involved with among the studies of assassinations by PDFs and different teams of people who seem like noncombatants. It is a primary precept of the legal guidelines of warfare. You can not goal somebody except they’re combatants. Civilians can’t be focused. So there are points about whether or not these crimes fall into our mandate, whether or not they fall into the class of worldwide crimes. However we’re that and we’re watching rigorously.