TRIBUNAL ON MYANMAR IN KUALA LUMPUR

Media Advisory

4 July 2017

The Rome-based Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) will hold the Concluding Session of its
proceedings on the Rohingyas, the Kachins and other groups in Myanmar in Kuala Lumpur
from the 18th to the 22nd of September 2017.

The Inaugural Session was held at the International State Crime Initiative, Queen Mary
University of London on the 6th and 7th of March 2017. The Tribunal urged the UN and
ASEAN to take swift and effective measures to stop international state crimes against the
Rohingyas and Kachins, specifically. Though neither the UN nor ASEAN has responded
effectively, the importance of addressing the issues confronting the two communities
remains as urgent as ever.

In the session of the UN Human Rights Council held in Geneva this March a resolution was
adopted to send an official Fact Finding Mission to Myanmar, and subsequently establish a
3-member FFM made up of internationally recognized human rights scholars and
practitioners from Sri Lanka, India and Australia. To the deep dismay of human rights
communities around the world, Myanmars de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner
Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly and publicly rejected UN attempts to uncover widespread
and credible allegations of crimes against humanity and other international human rights
crimes in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine regions.

Independent of the UN-run global justice and governance mechanisms, the KL Peoples
Tribunal will continue to listen to the testimonies of the victims from the Rohingya and
Kachin communities. Professional opinions and assessments on the subject by seasoned
country and human rights experts will also be presented to the Tribunal. The Tribunal will
further inform public opinion within ASEAN region and beyond, while cataloguing concrete
measures which UN, ASEAN, OIC, as well as concerned governments can still adopt in order
to alleviate the sufferings of the Rohingyas and the Kachins and effectively put a stop to
Myanmars international human rights and state crimes.

At the end of the Tribunals Concluding Session, a panel of jurors comprising outstanding
public figures with relevant expertise, experience and record in advancing human rights and
the peoples well-being will present its findings to the public. The PPT Myanmar will forward
its judgement and recommendations and evidence received, to the Fact Finding Mission. The
media, it is hoped, will provide accurate, fair and in-depth coverage to the Tribunals
findings. It is the Tribunals greatest hope that the findings will spur governments, citizens
groups and individuals into actions so that peace and safety may be restored to Myanmars
persecuted Rohingyas, Kachins and other groups subjected to decades of government
atrocities.

From now till the commencement of the Tribunals Session in mid-September, the host
committee in KL will be organizing talks and forums in Malaysia and other ASEAN countries
designed to educate civil society organizations, journalists, academics, politicians,
government officials and public at large about the worsening situation of the Rohingyas,
Kachins and other ethnic and religious communities in Myanmar. The Tribunal would like to
make an urgent appeal to citizens and civil society organizations and networks in the ASEAN
region and elsewhere to help end the persecution and crimes against Rohingyas, Kachins and
other ethnic and religious Myanmar groups.

If there are any queries please contact hassanal@just-international.org

On behalf of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal.

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar

Chair, Malaysian Organising Committee of the Tribunal on the Rohingyas, Kachins and other
Ethnic Minorities

..

Maung Zarni

Representative of the Steering Committee of the Tribunal on the Rohingyas, Kachins and
other Ethnic Minorities

NOTE ON THE PERMANENT PEOPLES TRIBUNAL

The Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) is an internationally recognised public opinion

tribunal functioning independently of state authorities. It was established in 1979 in Italy by
Italian lawyer and senator, Lelio Basso. Over the years it has held hearings on collective
human rights violations in various parts of the world.

Proceedings of the Inaugural Session of Myanmar Tribunal held in London may be accessed
here: http://tribunalonmyanmar.org/