JFRM CALLS ON UK GOVERNMENT TO CANCEL MYANMAR TRADE CONFERENCE IN LONDON, BRING THE PERPETRATORS OF GENOCIDE TO JUSTICE

Given the damning report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission into massive human rights violations in Myanmar, particularly against the Rohingya in Rakhine State, we are shocked to see that the UK Department of Trade co-hosting a Myanmar trade and investment conference in London in March.

The human rights abuses suffered by the Rohingya are well documented and led Marzuki Darusman, Chair of the UN Fact-Finding Mission to state: ‘I have never been confronted by crimes as horrendous and on such a scale as these.’ His team called for an investigation and prosecution of Myanmar’s Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and his top military leaders for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The UK’s own Mission to the United Nations in Geneva urged the UN to ‘advance accountability for appalling violations in Burma’ stating ‘there can be no equivocation on the part of this Council when it comes to responding to the possible commission of atrocity crimes.’

It is well-known that military-owned companies Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited (UMEHL) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) are the key stakeholders of Myanmar economy. The military, the family members and relatives of generals and cronies who owned these companies are complicit of the Rohingya genocide.

It is therefore a mark of shame that our government is prepared to ignore the calls of its own mission, and the overwhelming evidence of atrocities, and seek to sponsor trade with the regime that is culpable.

We call on the government to cancel its sponsorship of this conference and to work with the UN to bring the perpetrators of the atrocities against the Rohingya to justice.

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Notes to editors:
1. The conference, Myanmar Trade and Investment Conference 2019, is due to take place on 18th March, London. According to the advertisement, “the Conference will be attended by an impressive delegation to the UK from the Myanmar government and a business delegation of nearly 40 Myanmar companies. Senior figures from the government and captains of industry will be attending the conference and they will be available to network with throughout the day.”
2. Established in late 2017, JFRM is an independent organisation, which comprises a diverse group of lawyers, jurists, academics, campaigners, professionals, and community leaders joining forces in a legal campaign for the prosecution of those responsible for crimes against humanity in Myanmar. JFRM is the trading name for Justice for the Rohingya, company registration no. 11168200
3. Forthcoming roundtable by JFRM, The Future of the Rohingya After the Stalled “Repatriation”
Plan, 28 February 2019, 6:30pm-8:30pm, National Education Union, Hamilton
House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD. Register:
http://jfrmseminar3.eventbrite.co.uk?s=91600203
4. For interviews and further details, please email:
info@jfrm.org.uk
www.jfrm.org.uk