(Re)Imagining 'justice': documentation of sexual violence against Rohingya women and girls in Myanmar
Date
2018-10-02
Authors
Etmanski, Theressa
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Rohingya population of Myanmar have been called one of the most persecuted ethnic minorities on earth. Beyond the systemic discrimination and ongoing violations of basic human rights, Tatmadaw operations against Rohingya communities in Rakhine State in recent years have amounted to ethnic cleansing, if not genocide. Reports of widespread sexual violence by security forces have garnered significant international attention, increasing our collective awareness of how rape is used as a weapon of war. In light of Canada’s Special Envoy to Myanmar’s report recommending that investigation take place to establish an evidence base for future prosecutions, it is critical that sexual and gender-based violence crimes be adequately factored into documentation strategies. This strategy will send a message that abuses upon women’s bodies are no longer regarded as mere inevitable ‘spoils of war’, but instead belong among the gravest of crimes, worthy of international resources and expertise to address. In order to minimize further intrusion into the lives of Rohingya survivors, it is necessary to consider the various possible justice mechanisms that may be used, and the different methods and standards of documentation that may be required for each. While early documentation efforts are encouraged so that relevant evidence is not lost, these considerations call for careful research, planning and ethical reflection. In order to contribute to this process, this thesis explores how law may operate to bring about justice for sexual and gender-based violence, and provides guidance on how to document evidence to be used for this purpose. At the same time, it recognizes that the form of justice international criminal trials can offer is inherently limited in scope. It further explores how “justice”, a contested concept, is not always defined or achieved through the punishment of perpetrators alone. It therefore draws on critiques of international criminal justice to imagine other ways that justice might manifest, and then identifies the methods of documentation possible to facilitate these efforts.
Description
Keywords
Myanmar, Burma, Rohingya, Sexual Violence, Gender, Women, Ethnic Cleansing, International Criminal Law, Transitional Justice, Refugee, Alternative Justice, International Human Rights, Documentation, Investigation, Gender-Based Violence, State Violence