Justice for Burma: Confronting the Junta

The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, with the support of the Open Society Foundations, presents an open discussion on the question of war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by Burma’s military junta.

Burma’s military junta, in power since 1988, has been named one of the world’s worst human rights violators, committing widespread murder, torture, rape, destruction of thousands of villages and homes, forced displacement and forced labor.

In May 2009, Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic released an influential report, Crimes in Burma, that concluded there was evidence to "clearly and authoritatively" demonstrate the junta has committed crimes against humanity and crimes of war.

Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, has recently recommended the UN Security Council establish a "commission of inquiry with a specific, fact-finding mandate to address the question of international crimes.".

What are the facts that would support a referral to the International Criminal Court? What would be the significance of this action to the regime – would it have any effect? In the event that the UN Security Council does not take action, what are the alternatives?

Speakers

• David Williams, Professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Burma expert
• Dr. Thaung Htun, The Burma Fund–UN Office
• Tyler Giannini, Clinical Director of the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School and Author of Crimes in Burma
• Judge Patricia Wald, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (1999–2001)
• Priscilla Clapp, Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy in Burma/Myanmar (1999–2002)