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A/HRC/57/18 commission, planning or ordering of serious crimes, resulting in the collection of over 400 witness statements and screening notes to date. In addition to the statements and screening notes, the Mechanism has prepared over 400 investigation notes documenting information collected from various sources and leads. Investigative missions to various States, in particular, enabled in-person interviews and the collection of other valuable and probative information. The Mechanism acknowledges with appreciation the support provided to its investigative activities by relevant national authorities and other stakeholders. 37. The Mechanism’s methodology and processes for collecting witness statements have also been informed by lessons learned and best practices identified through an internal evaluation carried out in 2023. The findings of the evaluation affirmed the effectiveness and importance of taking signed witness statements of high forensic value with the broadest possible admissibility in national and international courts and tribunals. Through this evaluation, the Mechanism also identified areas for efficiencies and improvement, including the importance of utilizing more culturally informed interviewing techniques and focusing the interviews on the core elements of crimes and evidence of the identity and responsibility of suspected perpetrators. 38. The Mechanism is constantly working to leverage the most current information management technologies to ensure that the evidence collected is accessible and searchable and that materials are preserved in a manner that will allow their use in future legal proceedings. These tools are enabling the Mechanism to expand the amount of information and evidence available for sharing with relevant international and national authorities and entities. To date, the Mechanism has prepared over 260 packages with supporting information and analysis available for sharing with relevant authorities, of which 80 packages, comprising over a million information items, have already been shared with such authorities. Language and translation of the Mechanism’s repository 39. Investigating serious international crimes in a country with a large diversity of ethnic and linguistic groups such as Myanmar brings an added a layer of complexity to the Mechanism’s collection and analytical functions. In the majority, the materials the Mechanism has collected are in the Myanmar language (Burmese) and other languages used in Myanmar and are written in different scripts used in Myanmar and in different file formats. Similarly, the majority of the Mechanism’s witnesses, sources and other civil society stakeholders speak only in the Myanmar language (Burmese), Rohingya or other languages used in Myanmar. As a result, the Mechanism requires timely and accurate language translation and interpretation capabilities in order to carry out its collection and analytical activities as well as to interact and engage on a regular and meaningful basis with its wide range of beneficiaries and stakeholders. 40. During the reporting period, the Mechanism has taken concrete steps to further strengthen its language capacity and support capabilities, both for translation and interpretation. The Mechanism is continuously evaluating its internal language needs to determine which types of language support and tools are required and identifying steps to address those needs. These steps included the recruitment and specialized training of additional language professionals, which has been particularly effective in increasing direct engagement with witnesses, information providers and civil society stakeholders. The Mechanism has also launched a digitalized translation request system for the management and prioritization of translations of collected materials, further facilitating the review, assessment and use of such materials in ongoing investigations. The Mechanism is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence technologies to develop a machine translation system capable of producing accurate translations of large volumes of materials from the Myanmar language (Burmese) into English. B. Technology and infrastructure 41. As the digital information landscape continues to evolve and the Mechanism’s collection of digital materials grows, the Mechanism has continued to refine existing technologies and to integrate new solutions to improve the intake, preservation and analysis GE.24-11995 11

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Evidence of an escalation in brutal atrocities committed by Myanmar military – Myanmar Mechanism Annual Report

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Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM)

Date Published: Aug 13, 2024

Abstract: Geneva, 13 August 2024 – There is substantial evidence that brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Myanmar military have escalated at an alarming rate across the country, according to information collected and analysed by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (Mechanism) and detailed in its Annual Report released today.

The Report focuses on the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 – a time when armed conflicts increased across Myanmar as the challenges to military rule intensified.

During this time, the Mechanism collected significant evidence of more intensive and violent war crimes, such as aerial attacks on schools, religious buildings and hospitals where there was no apparent military target, and physical mutilations against people detained during the armed conflicts, including beheadings and public displays of disfigured and sexually mutilated bodies.

“We have collected substantial evidence showing horrific levels of brutality and inhumanity across Myanmar. Many crimes have been committed with an intent to punish and induce terror in the civilian population,” said Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Mechanism.

The Mechanism is also investigating the unlawful imprisonment, including arbitrary detention and manifestly unfair trials, of perceived opponents of the military junta. Thousands of people have been arrested and many tortured or killed in detention. There is abundant evidence of systematic torture, including severe physical and mental abuse such as beatings, electric shocks, strangulations and sleep deprivation. There is also evidence of gang rape, the burning of sexual body parts and other violent sexual and gender-based crimes committed in detention. The victims include people of all genders and ages, including children.

“No one has been held accountable for any crimes, which emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity in the country. We are trying to break this cycle. I believe the Mechanism has made considerable progress in building criminal cases against those most responsible for these crimes,” said Koumjian.

The findings in the Report are based on information and evidence collected from more than 900 sources, including more than 400 eyewitness testimonies, and additional evidence such as photographs, videos, audio material, documents, maps, geospatial imagery, social media posts and forensic evidence.

While the vast majority of information collected by the Mechanism concerns crimes committed by the Myanmar security forces, there is also credible evidence of crimes committed by armed groups which are fighting against the military. This includes summary executions of civilians suspected of being military informers or collaborators.

While the Mechanism is working hard to investigate the high volume of crimes committed since the military takeover in February 2021, it also maintains its commitment to the investigation of earlier crimes committed against the Rohingya during the Myanmar military’s 2016 and 2017 clearance operations. In particular, the Mechanism has analysed the movements of military units, the resettlement practices and policies intended to attract the migration of non-Rohingya people to Rakhine State, and the quantities and qualities of weapons possessed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army at the time of the clearance operations.

The Mechanism has shared these analyses, along with a vast volume of evidence, with authorities working on ongoing cases concerning the Rohingya at the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and in Argentina. The Mechanism is proactively sharing evidence that may be relevant to the proceedings and is also responding to targeted requests from these authorities for specific information and analysis.

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