Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law 52 (2020)
Crime as Cognitive Constraint
(UNGPs) provide a template to guide corporate conduct without
assuming the form of legal obligation. 14
Calls for accountability have been consistent with this framework.
The FFM recommended investigation for possible genocide, crimes
against humanity, and war crimes; the UN Independent Investigative
Mechanism for Myanmar was established soon after to collect and
preserve evidence that may be used in a court of law. 15 Separately, the
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is now looking
into acts of deportation that spilled onto neighboring Bangladesh, a
state party to the Rome Statute. 16 This would circumvent Myanmar’s
status as a non-state party to the treaty and allow the prosecution of
individuals found to be most responsible for the deportation of the
Rohingya. 17 Demand for state responsibility ensued. In November 2019,
The Gambia filed an application before the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) concerning Myanmar’s alleged violation of its erga omnes
obligations under the Genocide Convention, which Myanmar is a party
to. 18 Importantly, The Gambia devoted a substantial portion of its
application to describe the “hate propaganda” against the Rohingya.19
In an unprecedented order, the ICJ granted jurisdiction to rule on The
Gambia’s request for provisional measures and enjoined Myanmar to
14.
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, U.N. HUM. RTS. OFF.
OF
THE
HIGH
COMM’R
(2011),
https://www.ohchr.org/documents/publications/guidingprinciplesbusine
sshr_en.pdf [https://perma.cc/LSD2-XAUX] [hereinafter UNGPs].
15.
Detailed Findings of the FFM, supra note 9, ¶¶ 63, 1441, 1511, 1711; U.N.
Human Rights Council, Resolution Adopted by the Human Rights
Council on 24 March 2017, ¶ 11, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/Res/34/22 (Apr. 3,
2017) (creating the FFM); U.N. Human Rights Council, Situation of
human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, ¶
22, U.N. Doc. A/HRC/39/L.22 (Sept. 25, 2018) (creating the Independent
Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar).
16.
Situation in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh/Republic of the Union
of Myanmar, ICC-01/19, Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome
Statute on the Authorisation of an Investigation into the Situation in the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh/Republic of the Union of Myanmar, ¶
43
(Nov.
14,
2019),
https://www.icccpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2019_06955.PDF
[https://perma.cc/T7S8RMUQ].
17.
Id.
18.
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the
Crime of Genocide (Gam. v. Myan.), Application Instituting Proceedings
and Request for Provisional Measures, ¶ 15 (Nov. 11, 2019).
19.
Id. ¶¶ 37–46.
147