Following the UN report on the systematic abuses by the Myanmar army against the Rohingyas during their 4 month crackdown in Arakan (Rakhine), the military ordered an investigation into the allegations of gross human rights violations; yes, the army investigating itself; but that investigation is still underway, and has not produced any results.
The investigation came as a direct response to the UN report; or, you can say, the report caused the investigations. That is how the regime addressed the report.
The announcement to end military operations in Arakan, however, is another matter. Since the army has not concluded its investigation into the allegations of abuse, the suspension of operations cannot be attributed to the UN report. Rather, this decision is the direct result of our campaign to lobby Unilever; their executive staff and board of directors; to use the company’s enormous economic and political influence to intervene in the crisis.
After our initial exchanges with Unilever CEO Paul Polman, we worked hard to connect the company with the Rohingya genocide on social media, albeit in a polite and positive way, asking for Unilever to take a stand.
We knew that Polman would be visiting the region this week, and he had promised to raise the Rohingya issue with the authorities, so in the meantime, we wanted to illustrate to Unilever the extent to which this issue matters to people, and how damaging it could potentially be to the company’s reputation if they failed to stand up for justice.
While, yes, the suspension of military operations in Arakan does not in and of itself resolve the issue, it is, nevertheless, a significant accomplishment. Out Muslim brothers and sisters in Arakan are safer today than they were yesterday, al-Hamdulillah, as a result of our campaign.