Beyond Military Responsibility: Corporate and Digital Complicity in the Rohingya Crisis

Deekshita Mathe

Introduction: The Multi-Layered Architecture of Atrocity

The persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar has been widely recognised by the international community as one of the most severe human rights crises of the twenty-first century. Investigations conducted by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM) documented mass killings, forced displacement, widespread sexual violence, and the systematic destruction of Rohingya villages, concluding that there were reasonable grounds to believe that acts amounting to genocide had been committed [1].

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From Power Transition to Humanitarian Catastrophe: The SAF–RSF Conflict and Its Human Rights Implications

Hussin Alameedi

Introduction

In April 2023, Sudan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) engaged in a war.[1] The war has devasted communities, displaced millions, and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis.[2] Coupled with severe droughts and deadly floods, the effects of conflict and environmental instability are pushing communities to the brink.[3] In some parts of the country famine has already been declared, putting millions of lives at immediate risk.[4] This post explores the root of the armed conflict, the relationship between the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan and human rights violations, and the international community’s response.

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The Suitability of Restorative and Retributive Mechanisms to Achieving Transitional Justice for Victims of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in South Sudan

Temitope Adeyemi-Taiye

Introduction

Years of conflict in South Sudan have resulted in widespread acts of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the nation, especially against women and young girls. The devastating effects of this issue are usually physical harm, psychological issues, and in many cases death of the victims. Despite the peace agreement signed by the political leaders and efforts taken to stop the conflict and the crimes, CRSV is still one of the most prevalent issues in the country. The South Sudanese government and opposition leaders signed the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) in an attempt to stop the fighting. However, conflict resumed in 2016, rendering the agreement temporary. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), signed in 2018, included three important components related to transitional justice and peace. The first element is the establishment of a Truth, Reconciliation, and Healing Commission, which is critical for promoting peace. The second component is the creation of an independent hybrid court to hold accountable those who violated national and international laws. The third element is the Compensation and Reparation Authority, which will provide financial and material assistance to those who suffered losses in the conflict.[1] Although this agreement is viewed as a significant move towards peace in the country, it has yet to fully execute its mandates due to the prevalence of conflict-related sexual violence.

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The prospects of establishing a truth-seeking mechanism in addressing the legacies of human rights atrocities in the Israel-Palestine conflict

Kaye Vassallo

The Israel-Palestine conflict is a complex and long-standing dispute that centres around competing claims to land and sovereignty as both Palestinians and Israelis claim historical and religious ties to the territory. The conflict has been ongoing for seven decades and its resolution is critical to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. As of yet, transitional justice measures have been largely absent in resolving the conflict. There has been a particular focus in contemporary literature on the merits of establishing a truth commission which is a mechanism of restorative justice.

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The American Bar Association’s Adoption of a Resolution Protecting Civil Society Actors

Corinne Lewis, Partner Lex Justi

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of the American Bar Association.  

Around the globe, governments are increasingly seeking to silence or stifle the work of civil society actors (CSAs), that is, human rights advocates, nongovernmental organizations, and other persons and associations that contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights. Governments are using not only more traditional forms of repression, harassment, disappearance, imprisonment, and execution, but also other measures that are in some ways not as apparent to the public and are more insidious and abhorrent.

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