United States Supports U.N. Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity in Burma

According to this article from the Washington Post, the United States has decided to lend its support to the creation of a United Nations commission of inquiry to investigate alleged crimes against humanity committed by the military junta that rules Burma. It's about time.

The members of the Burmese military junta, known by the Orwellian name of State Peace and Development Council and lead by the brutal thug Than Shwe, have been accused of human rights violations on a vast scale. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other groups regularly issue reports describing mass arrests and arbitrary executions of political dissidents, forced labor, soldiers being given permission to engage in mass rape, and many other atrocities. If this doesn't amount to crimes against humanity, I don't know what does.

If such a commission of inquiry is established, we can hope that it will produce a report grim enough to cause the United Nations Security Council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court. Although Burma is not party to the ICC, the Rome Statute gives the Security Council the authority to refer cases to the ICC in cases that are serious enough, even if the states and persons in question would not normally fall under the ICC's jurisdiction.

The situation may turn out to be similar to that of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. Like Burma, Sudan is not a member of the ICC and the court was given jurisdiction in the case by means of a Security Council resolution.

Chinese opposition may present a problem, as it has significant economic interests in Burma and sees the country as a potential client state. It would likely block any move by the Security Council to establish a commission of inquiry, though one could still be created by the Secretary-General himself. The United States and other members of the Security Council should begin to quietly cultivate China on this matter.

Let's hope this commission gets established and does its work well. And let's also hope, in the long run, for democracy and justice to come to the land of Burma.