Survivors of war crimes and crimes against humanity present landmark universal jurisdiction case

A group of survivors of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar/Burma presented a landmark criminal complaint to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Dili, Timor-Leste on 12 January.

The case, led by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) and supported by the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), outlines a deeply troubling pattern of violations against the ethnic Chin people, including the gang rape of a pregnant woman, the massacre of ten civilians – one of them a child – and the murders of a Christian pastor and three deacons. The case also includes evidence of an indiscriminate aerial attack on a hospital, and persistent targeted attacks on Christian places of worship.

Pursuing accountability for these crimes in Timor-Leste is permissible under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows state authorities to take action regardless of where offences took place, or the nationality of the victims and perpetrators.

For the past six decades, the Chin people have endured a campaign of violence by Myanmar’s ruling military junta that the CHRO has described as ‘deliberate, systematic, and widespread’.

According to the CHRO, the junta has carried out approximately 1,000 documented airstrikes in Chin State alone since July 2022, destroying more than 4,600 homes and damaging or destroying 127 religious buildings, including 78 churches. These figures reflect a nationwide calamity: according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), over 7,600 civilians have been killed since the junta seized power in a coup in February 2021, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Myanmar estimates that 3.6 million people have been displaced internally by the violence.

Salai Za Uk, Executive Director of CHRO, said: ‘Timor-Leste’s journey from oppression to a thriving democracy—rooted in the rule of law, an independent judiciary and constitutional respect for universal human rights—reflects a shared struggle against military repression. In submitting this complaint, we appeal first to the Timorese public and Christian community to stand in solidarity with the Chin people, whose churches and communities have been targeted through war crimes and crimes against humanity, and we call on Christians worldwide to support accountability and justice in Myanmar.’

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘CSW stands with CHRO and the survivors seeking justice in Dili, and urges Timorese civil society to support their quest for accountability. The international community must move beyond condemnation of severe violations and atrocity crimes, and toward concrete action against perpetrators. Support for universal jurisdiction cases such as this is essential in upholding the rights and dignity of all communities in Myanmar, regardless of their religion or belief, to ensure that justice is served for victims and survivors. We also call specifically on Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to acknowledge that the current situation in Myanmar is unsustainable, and to take the lead in international accountability efforts.’