UN Report: Karen Groups Worldwide – “Time for the International Community to Take Action Against Burma’s Military for its War Crimes…”

The Karen Community Worldwide welcomed the UN report calling for the Burma military to be referred to the International Criminal Court to be investigated for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the country’s ethnic people.

The Karen Community Worldwide issued a statement endorsed by 36 Karen organization to support the United Nation’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar’s report that called for ICC over its alleged atrocities.

The UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (IIFFM) named senior military officers including the Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as being responsible for the acts of genocide.

The Karen Community Worldwide said, in its statement, that it see the Senior General Min Aung Hlaing named as “exercising effective control” over the perpetrators of these crime wars. Foreign governments have so far avoided naming General Min Aung Hlaing as having the command responsibility for the war crimes, but targeting his subordinate officers for sanctions.”

Naw Wah Ku Shee, a spokesperson for the Karen Community Worldwide alliance endorsed the statement said the army chief could have prevented these ‘atrocities’ from taking place.

“He is Commander-in-Chief of Burma Army, and has the power over the Burma army. He could have stopped all these atrocities, the war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the Burma Army.”

Naw Wah Ku Shee called for those that committed human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity to be brought to justice, especially those in power.

Naw Wah Ku Shee said the UN Fact Finding Mission report justifies its decades of repeated calls for the international inquiry and investigation over human rights violation and crimes committed by the Burma Army..

Speaking to Karen News, Naw Wah Ku Shee said it is now time for international took action.

“We have had numerous reports about human rights violations committed by the Burma Army against our ethnic people and the crimes they have committed for many decades against ethnic people. But the UN and the international community said they cannot take our information unless they have UN verification and that is why we have been calling for a Commission Inquiry or an International Independent Investigation to investigate these crimes committed by the Burma Army especially in eastern Burma. Now the IIFFM has been established by the UN Human Right’s Council and they have proved and validated our call – now it’s time for the International Community to act.”

The Karen Community Worldwide pointed out in their statement that UN Fact Finding Mission report also validates their repeatedly raised concerns that it is not yet safe for Karen refugees and IDPs to return to their homes, as the Burma Army continues to commit systematic crimes with impunity.

Saw A Ganemy Kunoo, President of International Karen Organization (IKO) also endorsed the statement said, “the FFM report is a wake-up call to the international community that their engagement with Burma’s government and its military has been a complete failure. Business as usual will mean complicity in genocide.”

Meanwhile, local and international media reported that the Burma government denied all the allegations and said that they do not recognized the UN Human Right Council’s IIFFM or its report.