For Immediate Release
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) joins the voices calling on the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to carry out an independent, transparent, and swift investigation into atrocities committed against the Rohingya people, in order to prosecute and bring those accountable to justice.
PHR’s director of programs, Homer Venters, who has documented evidence of violence against the Rohingya, says securing justice is not negotiable.
“PHR has interviewed and examined Rohingya survivors who fled Myanmar and who are seeking refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. During our numerous visits, PHR medical experts carried out forensic evaluations of injuries sustained by those fleeing the violence and bloodshed and documented crucial medical and scientific evidence to corroborate individual accounts of attacks. Based on these testimonies, and those of eyewitnesses, our findings point to widespread atrocities against the Rohingya.
“We know that representatives of the Security Council have also visited Bangladesh and have met with survivors. Now that Security Council members have seen firsthand the violence inflicted on the Rohingya, they must take action to stop these atrocities – horrific crimes that until now have taken place with impunity. The truth needs to be established and the perpetrators need to be brought to justice and stopped from carrying out future crimes.”
Read more about PHR’s work on the Rohingya crisis.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.