Myanmar: Activists, victims file criminal complaint in Germany over atrocities committed by Myanmar's military

Activists and victims of abuse in Myanmar have filed a criminal complaint in Germany over the alleged atrocities committed by the Myanmar military. The complaint accused Myanmar’s generals of genocide against the Rohingya Muslims as well as other human rights abuses committed by its military since the coup in 2021.

Myanmar activists and 16 victims of alleged abuse have filed a criminal complaint in Germany, alleging the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military. The filing in Germany is the latest in the international legal efforts to hold the Myanmar military accountable for the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims and citizens who have opposed the coup incited by the generals in February 2021.

The activist group backing the complaint, Fortify Rights, said Germany was chosen because of its recognition of the principle of “universal jurisdiction”, which means a national criminal court can try individuals that are accused of committing international crimes.

“The complaint provides new evidence proving that the Myanmar military systematically killed, raped, tortured, imprisoned, disappeared, persecuted, and committed other acts that amount to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes,” said Fortify Rights co-founder and chief executive officer Matthew Smith during a news conference in Thailand.

Fortify Rights hopes German authorities will take up the complaint and launch a probe. The 16 individuals who co-signed in the complaint include ethnic Rohingya and survivors or witnesses of the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military since the coup, according to the group.

The International Court of Justice has been hearing a Gambia-led case that Myanmar committed genocide on Rohingya after hundreds of thousands fled to Bangladesh to escape from an offensive by the Myanmar military back in August of 2017.

The Myanmar military has also faced resistance from armed groups on multiple fronts since the coup, with hundreds killed and thousands detained from the protests that erupted shortly after the generals ousted the elected government. Witnesses and BBC Burmese reported last week that the military bombed a village in the central Sagaing region of Myanmar.

Seven villagers were killed in the bombings, with five others injured from the incident and the residents of the village fled in fear of future strikes.