July 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Ahmad Khan, asked this Monday not to forget the Rohingya ethnic group, persecuted by the Burmese Army since 2017 and which has forced millions of people to leave the country.
“The Rohingya must not be forgotten. Together we can realize their legitimate aspirations for justice,” Khan said after a visit to a Rohingya community in Bangladesh, according to a TPI statement.
“The incredible hope that they still have in justice is something that we must protect and vindicate. This is my approach and this must be our common effort,” added the chief prosecutor on his Twitter account.
The prosecutor has met with a group of women and another group of young people in the Kutupalong refugee camp to talk about their experiences and to report on the ICC’s actions in this regard. There are 1.1 million refugees in Bangladesh alone, according to data provided by Khan.
“The Rohingya’s willingness to still believe and continue to seek responsibility, despite their experiences, is something we must reward by redoubling our efforts,” Khan said.
In addition, he has been “deeply shocked” by the fact that the refugees only receive enough food for two rations a day, compared to the three they received on his previous visit.
“This is an issue that has implications not only on a humanitarian level, but also for security, stability and protection in the camps, and requires urgent action,” the prosecutor requested.
Khan ended his statement asking for respect for the law at the national and international level in all regions of the world, and has called for “more work” to improve the situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh, the inhabitants of Darfur (Sudan), the survivors of the violence in Colombia, the Palestinian communities and the Ukrainian people.
“If we are able to achieve effects in all situations, through a true approach, we will strengthen the rule of law at the international level for the benefit of all,” he concluded.
The Rohingya are an ethnic minority of the Muslim faith that is concentrated in the Burmese state of Rakhine (or Arakan, as the Rohingya call it). Burma considers them descendants of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and does not recognize them as citizens, thereby depriving them of basic rights.
The Burmese authorities are being investigated by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this year after the Gambia filed a complaint for alleged genocide against the Rohingya population in the Asian country.
