BUENOS AIRES: Former democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is among several top Myanmar officials named on Wednesday in a case filed in Argentina for crimes against Rohingya Muslims, the first time the Nobel Laureate has been legally targeted over the crisis. Rohingya and Latin American human rights groups submitted the lawsuit in Argentina under the principle of “universal jurisdiction,” a legal concept enshrined in many countries’ laws. The premise is that some acts — including war crimes and crimes against humanity — are so horrific they are not specific to one nation and can be tried anywhere. The lawsuit demands top military and political leaders — including army chief Min Aung Hlaing and civilian leader Suu Kyi — face justice over the “existential threat” faced by the Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar faces mounting legal pressure in courts around the world for the 2017 expulsion of the Rohingya.

Source: Manila Times November 14, 2019 16:14 UTC