UN Secretary-General: Report on Rohingya Massacre Deserves Serious Attention

The UN Secretary-General says the organization's report indicating that the mass killing of Rohingya Muslims was carried out 'with intent to commit genocide' deserves serious attention. According to Reuters, Antonio Guterres stated on Tuesday, September 6, one day after the release of the organization's investigative report, that independent experts had witnessed unpleasant instances of human rights violations by security forces, which he claimed 'could undoubtedly be considered serious crimes under international law.' Speaking at a Security Council meeting, he emphasized that accountability is essential for establishing genuine reconciliation among all ethnic groups. The UN investigative team announced on September 5 that the Myanmar military had employed methods such as mass killings and gang rapes against Rohingya Muslims 'with intent to commit genocide.' The report states that the commander of the country's army and five generals should be prosecuted for committing the gravest crimes under international law. The report also holds Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and civilian leader of the country, responsible for failing to use her 'moral authority' to protect civilians. On Tuesday, Guterres stressed the need for 'credible, transparent, impartial, independent accountability that aligns with Myanmar's obligations under international law,' stating that achieving this goal requires international cooperation. These remarks were made on the same day that the U.S. State Department emphasized that it has not yet decided whether the Rohingya massacre was carried out 'with intent to commit genocide.' Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the State Department, said, 'This is a very special legal designation. It is not something that can be decided easily. Naturally, for an ordinary person, these matters are extremely horrific, and [therefore] it seems we should just label things. Well, they are complex legal terms that have meaning and legal weight in courts around the world.' About a year ago, the Myanmar military launched a widespread crackdown in Rakhine State in response to armed attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on 30 police outposts and a military base. Approximately 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled the military's attacks, and most of them now live in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The civilian government of Myanmar, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has denied all allegations of violence against Rohingya Muslims by the military.