Press Release on the Final Report of the Independent Commission of Enquiry

ပြန်ကြားရေးဝန်ကြီးဌာန/ နေပြည်တော် / November 09, 2020

The Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Union Attorney General’s Office

Press Release

13th Waning of Pyatho 1381 M.E

(22 January 2020)

Press Release on the Final Report of the Independent Commission of Enquiry

1. The Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) was established by the Office of the President on 30 July 2018 to investigate the allegations of human rights violations in Rakhine during the internal armed conflict between Myanmar’s Defence Services and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) in 2016-2017.

2. The Independent Commission of Enquiry has investigated the allegations of human rights violations and related issues following the attacks. The Union Attorney General’s Office has received, from the President, the comprehensive report submitted by the Independent Commission of Enquiry to the President with around 450 pages including 31 annexes.

3. The Commission has concluded, based on evidence it has collected, that members and collaborators of ARSA, members of the Myanmar’s security forces and civilians committed crimes such as killing of civilians, disproportionate use of force, looting of property, and destruction of abandoned homes of Muslims in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung Townships during the internal conflict in Northern Rakhine, and that the Commission has found particularly serious loss of life in the villages of Min Gyi (Tula Toli), Chut Pyin and Maung Nu.

4. The Union Attorney General’s Office will coordinate and cooperate with the relevant departments and organizations to ensure further criminal investigations and, where the evidence is compelling, prosecutions.

5. With regard to criminal conduct described in the report, the Union Attorney General’s Office will be providing information on the progress of investigations and prosecutions.

Union Attorney General’s Office