Capturing Their Genocide on Their Cellphones

The Rohingya refugees of Myanmar have enough raw footage to make a case at the International Criminal Court.

By Matthew SmithVideo by Taimoor Sobhan
Mr. Smith is the founder of Fortify Rights, a nonprofit human rights organization.

The Rohingya refugees of Myanmar have enough raw footage to make a case at the International Criminal Court.

Aug. 27, 2018. Image by Taimoor Sobhan

On Monday, the United Nations released an explosive report saying top military officials in Myanmar should face trial in an international court for genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

The video op-ed above reveals shocking footage that Rohingya refugees have gathered, documenting the genocide occurring in Myanmar. The only way the international community will end up on the right side of history is if perpetrators are prosecuted for these mass atrocities, and we know Myanmar is unable and unwilling to ensure justice at home. This situation is precisely why the International Criminal Court exists. The United Nations Security Council should waste no time. It should pass a resolution referring the situation in Myanmar to the I.C.C., and once that happens, prosecutors can start to build a case. U.N. member states should also create leverage to persuade China to abstain from blocking such an effort.

Prosecutors will need to work closely with refugees who have evidence of genocide, including raw footage that can help prove crimes or corroborate other evidence of crimes. But that evidence and witnesses are in danger of disappearing as monsoon season and squalid refugee camp conditions threaten phones and lives. U.N. member states should quickly create a new mechanism through the U.N. General Assembly or the U.N. Human Rights Council to collect and preserve this crucial evidence to be used for future prosecutions.

Matthew Smith is the founder of Fortify Rights, a nonprofit human rights organization that investigates and documents human rights abuses.