Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee on Thursday suggested forming an international ad-hoc tribunal, which she thinks, will work as complementary to ongoing efforts on accountability and justice front.

“I’ve been stressing setting up an international ad-hoc tribunal dedicated to the situation in Myanmar,” she said while responding to a UNB question at a press conference at a city hotel noting that more needs to be done despite some significant achievements over the last two years on justice and accountability front.

Prof Lee said she will be providing little more details about setting up tribunal in her report to be submitted to the Human Rights Council session in March next.

Referring to previous such tribunals, Prof Lee said victims can seek justice in another court too which will complement with the other efforts. “It’s going to be complementary; it’s not going to be set up to expedite another process because other processes have their own mandates.”

The UN Special Rapporteur said unfortunately the UN Security Council fails to refer the situation of Myanmar to International Criminal Court (ICC) and efforts “must continue” to put pressure on the UNSC of its failure to do this.

By not referring the situation of Myanmar to the ICC, she said, the UNSC is not really fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities set for the UN charter.

China & Russia

Referring to China and Russia’s role at the Security Council, Prof Lee said she mentioned it many times that it is shameful for those States in the face of credible evidence. 

“That’s not fabricated news. That’s not fake news,” she said adding that she is hoping, especially China which attempts to become one of the top global leaders, will play its role.

“You can’t become a global leader without respecting human rights. By respecting human rights, you’ve to seek justice and accountability for all human rights violations,” Prof Lee added.

Asked whether there is any failure to convince China and Russia on the issue, Prof Lee said it is not a matter of failing to convince them (China and Russia) and change their minds but it is the manner the Security Council is set up.

She said five permanent members of the UNSC have a vital power, and things have changed; and in the Security Council, there has to be reform on how they deal serious human rights violations.

ICJ Verdict

Prof Lee hoped that the Myanmar government will follow the decisions and recommendations that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may make. “And the international community needs to stay seized on this issue and brings this issue in mind so that Myanmar doesn’t evade its own responsibility.”

In a sweeping legal victory for members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, the United Nations' top court on Thursday ordered Myanmar take all measures in its power to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people.

The court's president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said the International Court of Justice "is of the opinion that the Rohingya in Myanmar remain extremely vulnerable."

Prof Lee, before the verdict, said this is going to be a historic day but did not want to speculate on the overall outcome.        

Disappointment over Denial

Despite her last request to visit Myanmar being denied by the government, Lee visited Thailand and Bangladesh to speak to interlocutors and receive information about the situation in Myanmar from both sides of the border.

Prof Lee said she found a "deep desire" among Rohingyas about their return to their place of origin in Rakhine State. 

She expressed frustration over the repeated denial by the Myanmar authorities. "I’m disappointed…I must speak the truth."       

“Myanmar’s denial of access has not dissuaded me from doing everything I can to impartially report to the international community accurate firsthand information that has been provided to me during my visits to the region,” Lee said earlier.

She said her mission and the end of her tenure come at a critical time for human rights in Myanmar and she will continue to strive to ‘do her utmost’ to improve the situation.

Asked about her report without visiting Myanmar, Prof Lee said she is absolutely convinced that the report she will submit in March is based on credible facts. “It’ll be non-biased and impartial,” she said adding that it was Myanmar’s loss not giving her access as there were so many ways to engage with individuals living in Myanmar.

Lee has held the mandate of Special Rapporteur since 2014 and enjoyed biannual visits to the country until she was denied entry from December 2017, according to a message received from Geneva.

Bangladeshi-American Omar Ishrak has been elected chairman of the Intel Corporation board of directors succeeding Andy Bryant who stepped down after serving for seven years.

The California-based chip maker made the announcement on Tuesday and said it would take immediate effect.

Omar has been serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company, with over $27 billion in annual revenue, and operations in more than 160 countries, since June 2011.

According to his bio on Medtronic, Omar grew up in Bangladesh, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of London, King's College.

He is on the board of trustees of the Asia Society, which promotes mutual understanding between Asia and the United States.

Omar Ishrak was elected to Intel’s board of directors in March 2017.

Intel said Bryant, 70, will remain on the board through its 2020 annual stockholders’ meeting in May. The company said Bryant had notified the board in March last year that he did not intend to stand for re-election at this year’s meeting.

In a statement, Bryant said he had “full confidence in Omar leading the board, which is lucky  to have his expertise at leading an innovative, global company”.

Permanent Representative (PR) of Bangladesh to the UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima has called upon the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take urgent measures to cease all illegal settlements and annexation of Palestinian land by Israel.

Ambassador Fatima was speaking at the UNSC open debate on ‘The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question’ on behalf of OIC and Bangladesh, said a media release on Thursday.

The PR said such threats and violations cannot go unchallenged. "It is incumbent upon the international community to take concrete actions to compel Israel’s respect for and compliance with Security Council resolutions, particularly 2334.”

Welcoming the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to open an investigation into Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people, Ambassador Fatima expressed hope that this would be expeditiously pursued. Ensuring accountability and justice for Israel’s atrocities and human rights violations would serve to end the entrenched impunity.

She recalled that Bangladesh’s struggle for independence and the painful experience of enduring the worst form of genocide in 1971 has inspired Bangladesh to always advocate for the oppressed people of the world.

“This has been the very premise of Bangladesh’s unwavering support for the cause of Palestine,” she added.

The PR urged the international community to uphold obligations and engage constructively to establish the State of Palestine on the basis of two-state solution with East Jerusalem as its capital through a multilateral political peace process, based on the relevant UN resolutions and the internationally- agreed terms of reference.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will deliver its order on the request for the indication of provisional measures made by The Gambia in the case concerning the Genocide Convention against Myanmar.

A public sitting will take place at 10am at the Peace Palace in The Hague, during which Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, President of the Court, will read the Court’s order, according to the ICJ.

In its first Genocide Convention case, the ICJ imposed provisional measures against Serbia in 1993 and eventually found that Serbia had violated its duty to prevent and punish genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Canada, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Turkey, and France have asserted that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) encouraged its 57 members to bring Myanmar before the court.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister has also alleged that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya and called for efforts to bring Myanmar before the court, according to the HRW.

On November 11, The Gambia instituted proceedings against Myanmar before the ICJ alleging violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide through “acts adopted, taken and condoned by the Government of Myanmar against members of the Rohingya group”.

Specifically, The Gambia argued that from around October 2016 the Myanmar military and other Myanmar security forces began widespread and systematic ‘clearance operations’ - the term that Myanmar itself uses against the Rohingya group.

The genocidal acts committed during these operations were intended to destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole or in part, by the use of mass murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, as well as the systematic destruction by fire of their villages, often with inhabitants locked inside burning houses, according to an official document.

From August 2017 onwards, such genocidal acts continued with Myanmar’s resumption of ‘clearance operations’ on a more massive and wider geographical scale.”

The Gambia contends that these acts constitute violations of the Genocide Convention and it has made this claim known to Myanmar since September 2018, but that Myanmar has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

The Gambian application also contains a request for the indication of provisional measures, seeking to protect the rights of the Rohingya group.

The Gambia asked the Court to indicate some provisional measures including Myanmar should immediately take all measures within its power to prevent all acts that amount to or contribute to the crime of genocide, including taking all measures within its power to prevent the following acts from being committed against member of the Rohingya group.

Myanmar should not destroy or render inaccessible any evidence related to the events described in the application, including without limitation by destroying or rendering inaccessible the remains of any member of the Rohingya group who is a victim of alleged genocidal acts, or altering the physical locations where such acts are alleged to have occurred in such a manner as to render the evidence of such acts, if any, inaccessible, the document reads.

Yanghee Lee’s Final Mission

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee concludes her final mission on Thursday that she has been carrying out from January 15.

Lee, who visited Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar district this time too, will hold a press conference at 1pm in a city hotel.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas.

Lee will report to the Human Rights Council session in March this year, said an official.

Despite her last request to visit Myanmar being denied by the government, Lee visited Thailand and Bangladesh to speak to interlocutors and receive information about the situation in Myanmar from both sides of the border.

“Myanmar’s denial of access has not dissuaded me from doing everything I can to impartially report to the international community accurate first-hand information that has been provided to me during my visits to the region,” Lee said.

She said her mission and the end of her tenure come at a critical time for human rights in Myanmar. "I’ll continue to strive to do my utmost to improve the situation.”

Lee has held the mandate of Special Rapporteur since 2014 and enjoyed biannual visits to the country until she was denied entry from December 2017, according to a message received from Geneva.

On the other hand, the Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS), Dhaka University (DU) will hold a panel discussion on "ICJ Ruling on the Provisional Measures on Rohingya Genocide” on Thursday evening in the city.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen will attend the discussion as the chief guest. Director, Centre for Genocide Studies and Prof of International Relations, DU Dr Imtiaz Ahmed will also be present.

Brunei Darussalam has sought cooperation from Bangladesh in expanding its agricultural sector, especially hatchery.

The newly-appointed High Commissioner of Brunei Darussalam Haji Haris bin Othman sought the cooperation when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office.
 
PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.

He said both the Prime Minister and the envoy discussed further enhancing the level of cooperation between Bangladesh and Brunei.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh can share its experience with Brunei about its success in producing foodgrains and vegetables.

She invited Brunei to invest in the food and agro-processing industry in 100 economic zones across Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister also said Bangladesh is looking forward to receiving Sultan of Brunei in Bangladesh during the ‘Mujib Borsho’. She recalled her recent visit to Brunei.
 
Sheikh Hasina welcomed the newly-appointed high commissioner and assured him of extending all-out support to him during his tenure in Bangladesh.
 
Haji Haris bin Othman placed the matter of avoidance of double taxation to the Prime Minister.
 
He also mentioned that Brunei wants to expand its trade and commerce with Bangladesh and it has already talked to the FBCCI, proposing formation of Brunei-Bangladesh Business Forum.
 
The envoy highly praised Bangladesh for its remarkable economic growth, especially the GDP growth and poverty reduction.
 
He mentioned that there are about 25,000 Bangladeshis in Brunei and a good number of them are doctors, engineers and teachers.
 
The high commissioner said his country wants to import meat from Bangladesh.
 
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus was present at the meeting.