WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – A human rights law group contracted
by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found that there is a
reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed –
even though the U.S. government stopped short of saying so.
A report due to be released on Monday by the Washington-based
Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG)
will also say there was a reasonable basis to conclude that the Myanmar military committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well
as genocide.
A U.S. State Department report released in September, which
relied on PILPG research, found that Myanmar’s military waged
a “well-planned and coordinated” campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities
against the Rohingya.
But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity,
an issue that U.S. officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report’s rollout for
nearly a month.
A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government, which has only gone as
far as labeling the crackdown “ethnic cleansing,” could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures
against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of
issuing such an assessment.
In an advisory on Thursday announcing the planned release of the legal analysis of its investigation, PILPG said it would reveal that “there is a reasonable basis to conclude that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide were committed against the Rohingya population.”
PILPG based its report on more than 1,000 interviews with
Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. The group said its mission was conducted in March and April “to provide an accurate accounting of the patterns of abuse and atrocity crimes.”
The September State Department report was released in low-key fashion nearly a month after U.N.
investigators issued a report accusing Myanmar´s military of
acting with “genocidal intent” and calling for the country´s commander-in-chief
and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.
State Department officials have said the
objective of the U.S. government investigation was not to determine genocide but to “document the facts,” and it would be up to Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo to make a “legal” designation in the future.
Pompeo has urged Myanmar’s government to investigate abuses against the
Rohingya and hold accountable members of its security forces and others who were responsible.
A top State Department official said in September those responsible could
be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity.
The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma,
where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic
cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom Editing by Leslie Adler)
Indian court to try Naveen Jindal over alleged coal scam
By REUTERS
Published: 15:12 GMT, 29 April 2016 | Updated: 15:12 GMT, 29 April 2016
e-mail
MUMBAI, April 29 (Reuters) – An Indian court on Friday ordered businessman Naveen Jindal to face
trial on charges of criminal conspiracy over an alleged scam involving government allocations of coalfields.
Naveen Jindal is chairman of Jindal Steel and Power which said
in a statement it denied any wrongdoing by the company
or its management, adding the coal block allocation to
the company had been made on merit.
The special court — which was set up to hear cases related to the alleged scam — will specify charges against Jindal on May 11, it said
in an order seen by Reuters.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigates
corruption in India, declined to comment.
India’s federal police have been investigating suspected collusion between government officials and private companies in under-priced sales of coalfields, which the state auditor
said in 2012 might have cost India some $33 billion in lost revenue.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of India revoked the allocation of more than 200 coal
blocks which were sold by the government.
Jindal Steel and Power’s stock closed 6.6 percent lower
following news of the court order, after falling by as much 10
percent in a Mumbai market that was little changed on Friday.
The company, which is looking to sell assets to pare its $7 billion debts, has been in talks to sell a
power plant in eastern India to JSW Energy Ltd, run by Naveen’s elder
brother Sajjan Jindal. ($1 = 66.5175 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Suchitra Mohanty;
Editing by Alexander Smith)
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By David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – A human rights law group contracted
by the State Department to interview refugees as part of an investigation into atrocities against
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has found that there is a
reasonable basis to conclude that genocide was committed –
even though the U.S. government stopped short of saying so.
A report due to be released on Monday by the Washington-based
Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG)
will also say there was a reasonable basis to conclude that the Myanmar military committed crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well
as genocide.
A U.S. State Department report released in September, which
relied on PILPG research, found that Myanmar’s military waged
a “well-planned and coordinated” campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities
against the Rohingya.
But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity,
an issue that U.S. officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report’s rollout for
nearly a month.
A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government, which has only gone as
far as labeling the crackdown “ethnic cleansing,” could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures
against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of
issuing such an assessment.
In an advisory on Thursday announcing the planned release of the legal analysis of its investigation, PILPG said it would reveal that “there is a reasonable basis to conclude that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide were committed against the Rohingya population.”
PILPG based its report on more than 1,000 interviews with
Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh. The group said its mission was conducted in March and April “to provide an accurate accounting of the patterns of abuse and atrocity crimes.”
The September State Department report was released in low-key fashion nearly a month after U.N.
investigators issued a report accusing Myanmar´s military of
acting with “genocidal intent” and calling for the country´s commander-in-chief
and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.
State Department officials have said the
objective of the U.S. government investigation was not to determine genocide but to “document the facts,” and it would be up to Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo to make a “legal” designation in the future.
Pompeo has urged Myanmar’s government to investigate abuses against the
Rohingya and hold accountable members of its security forces and others who were responsible.
A top State Department official said in September those responsible could
be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity.
The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma,
where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic
cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom Editing by Leslie Adler)
Indian court to try Naveen Jindal over alleged coal scam
By REUTERS
Published: 15:12 GMT, 29 April 2016 | Updated: 15:12 GMT, 29 April 2016
e-mail
MUMBAI, April 29 (Reuters) – An Indian court on Friday ordered businessman Naveen Jindal to face
trial on charges of criminal conspiracy over an alleged scam involving government allocations of coalfields.
Naveen Jindal is chairman of Jindal Steel and Power which said
in a statement it denied any wrongdoing by the company
or its management, adding the coal block allocation to
the company had been made on merit.
The special court — which was set up to hear cases related to the alleged scam — will specify charges against Jindal on May 11, it said
in an order seen by Reuters.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigates
corruption in India, declined to comment.
India’s federal police have been investigating suspected collusion between government officials and private companies in under-priced sales of coalfields, which the state auditor
said in 2012 might have cost India some $33 billion in lost revenue.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of India revoked the allocation of more than 200 coal
blocks which were sold by the government.
Jindal Steel and Power’s stock closed 6.6 percent lower
following news of the court order, after falling by as much 10
percent in a Mumbai market that was little changed on Friday.
The company, which is looking to sell assets to pare its $7 billion debts, has been in talks to sell a
power plant in eastern India to JSW Energy Ltd, run by Naveen’s elder
brother Sajjan Jindal. ($1 = 66.5175 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Promit Mukherjee and Suchitra Mohanty;
Editing by Alexander Smith)