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initiation of massacres, killings, rapes, and other genocidal attacks that forced at least 7,00,000 Rohingya people from northern Rakhine State to Bangladesh in 2017.

The joint statement said a UN Security Council referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court would “ensure comprehensive accountability for crimes committed against all communities” in Myanmar.

It also called on all UN member states to “exercise universal jurisdiction to initiate or support criminal prosecutions of those responsible for crimes.” Universal jurisdiction is a legal principle that allows domestic courts in different countries to pursue justice for international atrocity crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity.

On September 30, the UN General Assembly will convene a high-level conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, where participants are expected to discuss responses to the ongoing abuses suffered by the Rohingya.

The statement expressed concern “about the lack of Rohingya representation at the conference and the need for a wider spectrum of voices, including Rohingya women, youth, and diverse Rohingya-led civil society from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the global diaspora.”

“Violence, abuse, and persecution of the Rohingya by multiple actors have been tolerated by the international community for too long,” said Phongsathorn.

“As governments again gather to discuss the Rohingya crisis and the junta’s widespread atrocities throughout Myanmar, concrete steps toward justice and accountability must be devised alongside and in close consultation with Rohingya survivors.”