After the UN had probed against Myanmar’s army chief and other ‘generals’ and asked for an investigation and eventual prosecution for a ‘genocide’ against the Rohingya minority in the region. In retaliation to the probes of the global body, the army chief of Myanmar said that the UN was meddling with the sovereignty of the country and that the body has no right to do so. The UN had undertaken a fact-finding mission which urged the Security Council to refer the nation to the ICC.
“As countries set different standards and norms, any country, organization and group have no right to interfere in and make decision(s) over sovereignty of a country,” Min Aung Hlaing said.
Min Aung Hlaing also shrugged off demands from the UN for the army to get out of political life in Myanmar, where it remains hugely influential despite a nominal transition to civilian rule in 2011. a report was compiled by the international organisation which was around 444 paged long and it was undertaken for over 18 months outlining the atrocities and the wrongdoings being committed in the region on the people.
Myanmar denied entry to the U.N. mission’s investigators and rejected their findings, insisting that security forces conducted a legitimate operation to root out “terrorists”.
In his remarks, Min Aung Hlaing referred to the Rohingya as ‘Bengalis’, suggesting they belong in Bangladesh and said they must “accept scrutiny” under the country’s 1982 Citizenship Law. It is this law which limits citizenship for those, like the Rohingya, who are not members of officially decreed ethnic groups.
Myanmar’s government is led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who had already rejected the report’s finding as “one-sided” and “flawed” and dismissed a separate decision at the criminal court that had found it had a jurisdiction over the crisis which is taking place currently.
Suu Kyi’s government shares power with the army which has retained a major chunk of power as it has retained control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries since 2011 in the nation.