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	ASEAN must take a stronger stance on addressing the Myanmar crisis by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, agencies   June 2023   Myanmar: Dire humanitarian and human rights situation compounded by military’s restrictions on aid. (OHCHR)   Myanmar’s overall humanitarian and human rights situation has deteriorated to alarming levels, exacerbated by the military’s strategy to prevent life-saving humanitarian aid from reaching those who desperately need it, a report published by the UN Human Rights Office shows.   Since 1 February 2021, UN Human Rights has documented how the military continues to prioritize its aims over all other considerations, including the urgent need of conflict-affected communities to receive life-saving assistance. Even when humanitarian workers have been permitted access, their ability to deliver aid has been strictly limited and controlled.   The military has operated as if those providing aid are helping those opposed to their rule, rather than respecting their need for protection and facilitating their access and assistance to the civilian population in a time of crisis.   The already dire situation on the ground has been compounded by the military’s restrictions on aid imposed in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in May, bringing further suffering and misery to wide swathes of the population in the west and northwest of the country.   As the report makes clear, intentional obstruction or denial of humanitarian assistance may amount to gross violations of international human rights law, and serious violations of international humanitarian law.   Aiming in part at cutting off support for its opponents, the military has employed its four-cuts strategy to kill and injure thousands of civilians while destroying goods and infrastructure necessary for survival, including food, shelter, and medical centres, the report says.   Myanmar’s human rights and humanitarian crisis is massive. An estimated 1.5 million people have been internally displaced, and approximately 60,000 civilian structures have reportedly been burnt or destroyed. Over 17.6 million people, or one-third of the overall population, require some form of humanitarian assistance.   Between February 2021 and April 2023, credible sources verified that at least 3,452 people had died at the hands of the military and its affiliates, and 21,807 individuals had been arrested.   Notably, our report says the security situation has dramatically worsened for humanitarian workers since the coup. Aid providers are consistently exposed to risks of arrest, harassment or other mistreatment, or even death.   Under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, populations-in-need are entitled to receive assistance to ensure the respect of their rights to food, shelter, and health. All parties must allow and facilitate unimpeded passage of life-saving relief to all those in need".   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2023/06/myanmar-dire-humanitarian-and-human-rights-situation-compounded http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/myanmar-un-expert-urges-member-states-strengthen-growing-trend-coordinated   24 Apr. 2023   ASEAN must take a stronger stance on addressing the Myanmar crisis. (APHR)   On the two-year anniversary of the Five-Point Consensus, lawmakers from Southeast Asia call on ASEAN to acknowledge that the Consensus signed in April 2021 has failed miserably and that the Myanmar junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing should not to be trusted to fulfill the obligations outlined in the proposed agreement.   “The recent airstrikes in the Sagaing region, which killed hundreds of civilians, including children, are further evidence that the Myanmar junta is completely unwilling and incapable of adhering to the Five-Point Consensus,” ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Chair and member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Mercy Barends said today. “If ASEAN insists on sticking to an agreement that has proven to be utterly ineffective then it is complicit in the ongoing crimes and atrocities of the junta.”   On April 24, 2021, the leaders of nine ASEAN member states and Myanmar junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, agreed to the following five points: an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.   The International Parliamentary Inquiry into the global response to the Myanmar coup (IPI), which was organized by APHR, indicated in its final report in November 2022, “it is clear that the FIve-Point Consensus has failed, and a new mode of engagement is needed in its place.” As one witness noted in their testimony to the IPI, from the start, it was “thoroughly clear that Min Aung Hlaing was insincere in signing it and had no intention of following it.”   The Consensus’ first point on the cessation of violence has been blatantly ignored by the junta, as evidenced by the ongoing airstrikes and malicious attacks against unarmed civilians. Meanwhile, ASEAN’s intention to provide humanitarian aid, as noted in the IPI report, has been “stymied by a lack of resources and genuine commitment.” The ASEAN Special Envoy position has also proven to be ineffective, especially since it changes along with the ASEAN chair.   “ASEAN’s weak-willed approach toward the junta is a complete disgrace. Even after it finally criticized the junta’s airstrikes in Sagaing, the ASEAN Secretary-General still met with the junta’s permanent representative to ASEAN, making any statement of condemnation little more than lip service,” said APHR Co-chair and former Malaysian member of parliament Charles Santiago. “Indonesia’s ‘soft-diplomacy’ approach as ASEAN chair has also yet to yield results and must be urgently re-evaluated. Indonesia must take a stronger stance and be transparent on how they are addressing the Myanmar crisis, especially given the limited amount of time left in their chairmanship.”   In a roundtable discussion at the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on March 3, dozens of parliamentarians from several Southeast Asian countries urged ASEAN and the international community at large to take swift and concrete action against the illegal military junta led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and provide real assistance to the pro-democracy forces in Myanmar, including by recognizing the National Unity Government (NUG) and having open and public negotiations that include the NUG, ethnic groups, and other pro-democracy forces.   “ASEAN needs to live up to its role as a regional mediator and it needs to do so immediately, starting with Indonesia as chair. Closed-door and informal meetings are no longer enough,” said Santiago. “It is clear that ASEAN needs to negotiate a new agreement that includes the National Unity Government and the representatives of ethnic minorities while providing clear enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the agreement is upheld.”   http://aseanmp.org/2023/04/24/asean-must-take-stronger-stance-beyond-five-point-consensus-southeast-asian-mps-say/ http://aseanmp.org/publications/   30 Mar. 2023   'Can't afford rice' quote lands journalist in jail. (BBC News)   A journalist at a leading Bangladeshi newspaper has been jailed on charges of publishing "false" news after his report on high food prices went viral.   Samsuzzaman Shams of Prothom Alo daily appeared in court and was denied bail, a day after he was arrested.   His story - which ran on 26 March, the country's Independence Day - is alleged to have "smeared the government".   Reporters Without Borders (RSF):   "All Shams did was interview members of the poorest sectors of the population about the effects of the past year’s soaring food prices for a story published in the newspaper on 26 March. It was also posted on Prothom Alo’s Facebook page, with one of the quotes highlighted alongside the photo of someone who had provided one of the other quotes for the story".   Rights activists have denounced the arrest and accused the government of stifling press freedom. The government denies the allegation but media rights groups have warned of a steady erosion in freedoms under the governing Awami League, in power since 2009.   Reporters Without Borders ranked Bangladesh 162 out of 180 countries in last year's World Press Freedom Index, below Russia and Afghanistan.   The paper Mr Shams works for is Bangladesh's largest and most influential daily. It was not immediately clear how long he would stay in jail. The reporter was picked up at his home outside Dhaka early on Wednesday morning by plain-clothes officers.   The report for which Mr Shams was detained featured ordinary Bangladeshis talking about their lives on Independence Day.   One quotation was from a labourer who asked: "What is the use of this freedom if we can't afford rice?"   The comment was seen to reflect growing worries about escalating food prices, which have soared around the world since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.   The Prothom Alo article was shared by large numbers of people. When the paper posted the report on Facebook, it used a wrong photo of a person.   "Once we realised the error, we immediately pulled it down and issued a clarification under the (amended) report," Sajjad Sharif, the paper's executive editor, told the BBC.   "But we stand by the original report. The quote of the labourer on the food price was genuine," he said.   But supporters of the governing Awami League accused the daily of fabricating quotes and tarnishing the image of the country.   Police have also launched an investigation against its editor, Matiur Rahman, as well as a video journalist from the newspaper and several other people under the controversial Digital Security Act (DSA).   Law Minister Anisul Haq claimed Mr Shams had "misrepresented facts with the mala fide intention of creating discontent".. "The case was filed by an individual not by the government. Due process will follow," Mr Haq told the BBC.   He said the editor and the publisher of the daily also had responsibility for the report - and that's why police were investigating them.   The latest developments come amid concerns over the alleged harassment of human rights defenders and media personnel in the build-up to elections later this year.   The Media Freedom Coalition, comprising 50 member states from six continents, supported by UNESCO has expressed concern over recent reports of violence and intimidation of journalists, including the detention in the Prothom Alo case.   Bangladeshi journalists say there are increasingly under pressure for reporting that is critical of the government of Sheikh Hasina. They say the DSA has created a culture of fear. According to media rights groups, cases have been filed against around 280 journalists under the DSA since it was enacted in 2018.   http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65121831 http://rsf.org/en/bangladeshi-reporter-arrested-and-publisher-sued-growing-crackdown-government-s-critics http://cpj.org/2023/03/cpj-calls-on-bangladesh-authorities-to-cease-harassing-staff-of-prothom-alo-newspaper/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/11/un-experts-urge-bangladesh-seize-human-rights-council-review-opportunity http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2023/09/bangladesh-legal-harassment-hrds-and-civil-society-leaders http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/03/bangladesh-turk-urges-immediate-suspension-digital-security-act-media
	Armed conflict leaves devastation in its wake by Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect   Mar. 2023   Atrocity Alert is a weekly publication by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect highlighting situations where populations are at risk of, or are enduring, mass atrocity crimes.   International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for atrocities in Ukraine   On Friday, 17 March, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued two arrest warrants for Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, President of Russia, and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of Russia, for their alleged responsibility for the war crimes of unlawful deportation and transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. The incidents identified by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) include the deportation of hundreds of children taken from orphanages and care homes, then given up for adoption in Russia.   According to the OTP, these incidents demonstrate an intention to permanently remove these children from their own country. Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, said that, “the law must provide shelter to the most vulnerable… we must put the experiences of children in conflict at the centre of our work.”   Last week’s historic arrest warrants came a day after the UN Human Rights Council-mandated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Ukraine reported on violations of international law committed by Russian authorities that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Building upon its first report, the CoI documented further evidence of war crimes, including killings, torture, inhumane treatment, unlawful confinement, rape and unlawful transfers and deportations of children.   According to the CoI, the wave of attacks by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy-related infrastructure since October, as well as the systematic use of torture in Russian-occupied areas, may amount to crimes against humanity. The CoI’s findings may be important for current and future accountability efforts.   While the arrest warrants are of important symbolic value to the victims and survivors of crimes committed in Ukraine, the practical implications of the warrants are likely limited. Russia has not recognized the ICC’s jurisdiction, and the Court has no powers to enforce its own arrest warrants.   However, all 123 countries that are States Parties to the Rome Statute are now under the legal obligation to arrest President Putin or Lvova-Belova if they were to travel to their country.   The overwhelming support from states for the ICC’s investigation into Ukraine, including through financial and human resources, underscores the international community’s strong commitment to bringing those responsible for the commission of atrocity crimes to justice.   In a statement on 15 March, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, of which the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect is a member, said that the support for the Ukraine investigation is a stark reminder that “more is needed to effectively deliver justice for victims of Rome Statute crimes around the world” and provides an opportunity “to make a global commitment that independent and universal justice be the norm, wherever Rome Statute crimes are committed.”   United Nations news: http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134732 http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iicihr-ukraine/index   * The Russian Government rejects the charges.   UN expert says likely crimes against humanity committed by Iranian authorities   In his latest report presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 20 March, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, concluded that the scale and gravity of violations committed by Iranian authorities in recent months pointed to the possible commission of the crimes against humanity of murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual violence and persecution.   The Special Rapporteur emphasized in his briefing that “the most serious human rights violations in the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past four decades” have been committed since the death of Jina Mahsa Amini on 16 September, who was arrested by the so-called “morality police” for allegedly violating Iran’s strict requirements on women’s dress.   Reports suggest that her death was due to alleged torture and ill-treatment. The Special Rapporteur stressed that Amini’s death was not an isolated event, but instead one incident in a long series of extreme violence committed against women and girls by Iranian authorities.   Iranian authorities have refused to conduct an impartial or transparent inquiry into the death of Amini. Mass peaceful protests have erupted since September, with the focus of the demonstrations expanding from accountability for Amini’s death to broader grievances, including demands for fundamental political and social change, as well as the protection and fulfillment of all human rights.   Iranian security forces have violently cracked down against the protesters. The Special Rapporteur’s report documented the use of unlawful lethal force against those demonstrating, including evidence of unarmed protesters struck by live ammunition or beaten to death. More than 520 people, including 71 children, have been killed, and hundreds of protesters severely injured.   The report emphasized that ethnic and religious minorities have been disproportionately affected by the recent wave of repression and killings. Iranian authorities have also carried out mass arbitrary arrests and detentions of protesters, with over 22,000 people arrested, as well as attempted to shut down all avenues of freedom of expression with internet disruptions and social media censorship.   In addition to these likely crimes against humanity, the Special Rapporteur reported on “exponentially increasing” human rights violations in the country. In 2022 Iranian authorities carried out the highest number of executions in the past five years. The death penalty was used disproportionately against persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities.   The international community must support all efforts towards accountability with respect to possible international crimes committed by Iranian authorities since the start of the protests. Member states should ensure full support for the newly mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran.   “Increasingly brutal” conflict threatens millions of children in the Central Sahel   On 17 March the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that spiraling conflict is putting the lives and futures of millions of children in the Central Sahel – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – at risk. Children across the region are facing rising violations that may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.   “The conflict may not have clear boundaries, there may not be headline-grabbing battles, but slowly and surely things have been getting worse for children, and millions of them are now caught up in the centre of this crisis,” said UNICEF spokesperson John James.   According to UNICEF, 2022 was likely the deadliest for children in the Central Sahel since the crisis began in northern Mali over a decade ago. Children have increasingly become victims of intensifying military clashes or directly targeted by armed Islamist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State.   In Burkina Faso, three times more children were killed during the first nine months of 2022 than in the same period in 2021, according to UN-verified data, with most dying from gunshot wounds or due to improvised explosive devices or explosive remnants of war.   Armed Islamist groups are also recruiting children and forcing them to fight or work in support roles. In Niger, the UN documented over 200 grave violations against children between July and September 2022 in the tri-border area, most of them involving the forced recruitment and use of children. In Mali, there were more than 480 verified cases of recruitment and use of children during the first half of 2022 alone, a threefold increase compared to the same period in 2021.   Meanwhile, some armed Islamist groups are systematically using blockades against entire towns and sabotaging water networks as deliberate tactics to forcibly displace communities. UNICEF noted that these tactics are inflicting collective suffering and making survival increasingly difficult, as communities in these areas already face severe food and water scarcity.   The situation in Djibo, Burkina Faso, is particularly dire, as the town has been blockaded since February 2022 – effectively imprisoning the approximately 350,000 residents – and has endured a significant increase in attacks on water facilities.   All armed actors in the Central Sahel must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including ceasing their attacks on children and critical civilian infrastructure. Authorities should engage with the UN on concrete action plans to end grave violations against children. The governments across the Central Sahel, along with technical and financial partners, must expand access to vital social services and protection.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-alert-no-339/   Mar. 2023   Crisis Group’s President Comfort Ero and Richard Gowan, UN Director offer their viewpoints on global politics in the Shadow of Ukraine:   http://www.crisisgroup.org/global-ukraine/global-south-and-ukraine-war-un http://www.crisisgroup.org/global-ukraine/global-politics-shadow-ukraine http://www.socialeurope.eu/winning-in-ukraine-losing-the-global-south   Mar. 2023   The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute marks the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war, releasing a collection of materials looking back over the months leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom and developments over the two decades since. Shivan Fazil and Dr Alaa Tartir of the SIPRI Middle East and North Africa (MENA) programme offer their viewpoints on the political and security challenges for Iraq 20 years after the invasion:   http://www.sipri.org/news/2023/new-materials-mark-20th-anniversary-invasion-iraq http://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2023/iraq-2023-challenges-and-prospects-peace-and-human-security http://www.sipri.org/commentary/blog/2023/war-breadbasket-one-year http://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2023/poorly-understood-environmental-trends-could-become-tomorrows-security-threats http://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2022/world-stumbling-new-era-risk-concludes-sipri-report   Mar. 2023   Estimated U.S. cost of war in Iraq and Syria. (Brown University, agencies)   This paper examines the total costs of the war in Iraq and Syria, which are expected to exceed half a million human lives and $2.89 trillion. This budgetary figure includes costs to date, estimated at about $1.79 trillion, and the costs of veterans’ care through 2050.   Since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, between 550,000-580,000 people have been killed in Iraq and Syria — the current locations of the United States’ Operation Inherent Resolve — and several times as many may have died due to indirect causes such as preventable diseases. More than 7 million people from Iraq and Syria are currently refugees, and nearly 8 million people are internally displaced in the two countries.   This report also estimates that 98 to 122 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2e) were emitted from U.S. military operations between 2003 and 2021 in the war zone, calculated as 12 to 15 percent of the DOD’s total operational greenhouse gas emissions.   The U.S. war in Iraq began on March 19-20, 2003. Most allied and U.S. forces left Iraq in 2011, but the U.S. returned to significant military operations in Iraq and Syria in late 2014 in fighting that was undertaken to remove Islamic State from territory it had seized in those two countries. The war continues, with a nearly $400 million budget request from the Biden Administration this month to counter ISIS.   http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2023/IraqSyria20 http://ips-dc.org/20-years-ago-the-world-said-no-to-war/ http://ips-dc.org/report-state-of-insecurity-cost-militarization-since-9-11/ http://tomdispatch.com/the-american-war-from-hell-20-years-later/ Visit the related web page
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