Rohingya Crisis

LAW seeks to ensure meaningful Rohingya participation in the ongoing international justice processes pertaining to their treatment in Myanmar. LAW undertakes innovative strategic litigation on behalf of more than 500 Rohingya clients and ensures Rohingya voices are prioritised throughout its advocacy.

New:

Overview

LAW’s ground-breaking Rohingya Crisis programme seeks to ensure meaningful Rohingya participation in the ongoing international justice processes pertaining to their treatment in Myanmar. Nearly a million Rohingya live in the camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, the majority of whom were forcibly displaced from their homes in Myanmar during the 2017 “clearance operations” by the Myanmar military. At least ten thousand Rohingya were killed; brutal and large-scale sexual violence, and destruction of nearly four hundred Rohingya villages took place during the “clearance operations.”

Since 2018, LAW has worked closely with the Rohingya community living in Cox’s Bazar to secure their meaningful participation in the ongoing international justice proceedings seeking accountability for the serious crimes committed against them inside Myanmar. LAW provides legal representation and assistance to over 500 Rohingya survivors and witnesses including in: the case between The Gambia and Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) pertaining to Myanmar’s violation of the Genocide Convention, the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation, and more recently, before an Argentinian federal court which is investigating into the serious international crimes committed against the Rohingya in Myanmar under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

LAW maintains an ongoing dialogue for information-sharing with the Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar (IIMM), and constantly pursues legal interventions and strategies to address the crimes against Rohingya in Myanmar. For instance, in December 2020, LAW filed the first ever complaint with the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission on behalf of a Rohingya widow whose husband was one of 10 men killed during the ‘Inn Din Massacre.’  

Ongoing Projects - Survivor Advocate Network

LAW has adopted a survivor-centred and trauma-informed approach across all aspects of its work in Cox’s Bazar – including legal representation, research, awareness raising and advocacy. LAW has a field office located next to the camps where its network of 62 Rohingya community volunteers – the “Survivor Advocates” – attend trainings, discuss their advocacy priorities in a safe space, and engage in art therapy and wellbeing activities. Equipped with the skills to share up-to-date and accurate legal information, the Survivor Advocates in turn hold awareness sessions on international justice in the camps for their communities. In 2023 alone, they reached over 13,000 individuals in the camps through their information sessions. LAW’s Survivor Advocates serve as a reliable and valuable peer support network for survivors participating in legal proceedings and play a critical role in ensuring that victims and survivors, including survivors of gender-based violence and Hijra survivors (third gender, transgender, intersex) remain at the heart of the ongoing accountability efforts. All of LAW’s 45 female survivor advocates are part of a wider network, Shanti Mohila (Peace Women) founded in 2018. LAW has worked hand-in-hand with Shanti Mohila over the years, who have emerged as key women-centric voice in the community – recently acknowledged by the UN Office of the Special Advisor for Prevention of Genocide as the “Raphael Lemkin Champion of Prevention.”  

Ongoing Projects - International Justice Mechanism

LAW’s field office also serves as a critical safe space for the Rohingya clients especially GBV survivors whom we represent and assist. In 2020, LAW gathered more than 330 pages of witness testimony for The Gambia’s legal team (Foley Hoag LLP) to use in its memorial for the case against Myanmar at the ICJ. LAW contributed to the body of publicly available analytical evidence by undertaking complex, multi-disciplinary research that links the long-term physical and psychosocial impact of GBV against Rohingya with the crime of genocide. Five victim submissions have been made to the ICC and the ICC Prosecutor on behalf of LAW’s Rohingya clients across all key stages – from supporting Prosecutor’s request for jurisdiction in the Bangladesh/Myanmar situation in 2018, to submitting a communication to the ICC Prosecutor in support of the Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) declaration of acceptance of ICC jurisdiction, which can expand the scope of the Court’s investigation. 

In June 2023, marking a historical step for Rohingya community, LAW led the mission to support seven Rohingya survivors to travel from the camps in Cox’s Bazar to Argentina to testify before a federal court investigating the role of Myanmar authorities into the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Rohingya. This was the very first time that any Rohingya survivors of the “clearance operations” testified before a court of law. 

Research Projects

LAW as a legal organisation believes that evidencebased advocacy should be the basis for policy influencing and advocacy.

Statistics

  1. In 2023 only, Survivor Advocates have reached more than 20,000 members from their community, providing update on the international legal procedures, and awareness on gender equality. 
  2. LAW’s Rohingya Crisis team surveyed 440 Rohingyas to understand their perceptions on justice and international courts. Research to be published. 

Latest in The Rohingya Crisis

View all
  1. News

    Shanti Mohila honored as one of the ten Raphael Lemkin “Champions of Prevention”

    Transformative Justice - Rohingya Crisis - Advocacy - Legal Aid & Empowerment

  2. Report

    Research Report: “Every Day, I Remember They Destroyed My Life” 

    Accountability & Rule of Law - Gender Equality & GBV - Myanmar - Rohingya Crisis - Advocacy

  3. Brief

    Human Rights Council: On the HC Report on Myanmar, LAW Statement

    Accountability & Rule of Law - Myanmar - Rohingya Crisis - Advocacy

Accept Cookies

We use cookies to personalise content, provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. By using this website, you agree to the use of cookies as stipulated in our privacy policy.

Accept Cookies