Facebook provided vast amount of Myanmar war crimes information, UN investigator says

Rohingya refugees hold Genocide Remembrance Day rallies across the huge network of camps in Bangladesh, marking five years since fleeing a brutal military offensive in Myanmar. AFP

The head of a UN team of investigators said on Monday that Facebook has handed over millions of items that could support allegations of war crimes and genocide in Myanmar.

The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) aims to build case files for proceedings in national, regional or international courts. It was established in 2018 by the UN Human Rights Council and began work the following year.

“Facebook has shared with the mechanism millions of items from networks of accounts that were taken down by the company because they misrepresented their identity,” Nicholas Koumjian, head of the IIMM, said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the UN's International Court of Justice over a 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya that forced more than 730,000 people to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Facebook, whose parent company changed its name to Meta Platforms last year, said that it supports international efforts for accountability for the crimes committed against the Rohingya.

“[We] have made voluntary, lawful disclosures to the UN's investigative mechanism as well as disclosures of public information to the Gambia”, which has filed the genocide case, Miranda Sissons, director of human rights policy at Meta, said in an email.

Rohingya women and children rest on the sand after making the sea crossing from Bangladesh to Aceh province, Indonesia. Reuters

A boat carrying Rohingya stranded on Lampanah beach, Aceh province. The UN says the official recorded drowning toll of 350 in 2022 was the 'tip of the iceberg', with many more feared dead. Reuters

A child drinks after arriving by boat in Indonesia. Many Rohingya are fleeing refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, where kidnapping, rape and violence have become common. AFP

Families sit by a fire on a beach on Idaman Island in East Aceh, Indonesia. Despite the risks of crossing the Andaman Sea, the prospect of life in Malaysia and Indonesia attracts thousands. AP

People smugglers charge about $5,000 for a seat on a vessel from Bangladesh to Indonesia, Thailand or Malaysia. Conditions on board are often grim. AFP

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar wait for aid at the Kutupalong refugee camp, the largest in the world, in Bangladesh. AFP

Lifejackets lie in a boat used to ferry Rohingya refugees across the water. AFP

Indonesian police assist Rohingya refugee children at a beach in Aceh province. AFP

A health worker helps a Rohingya refugee after she arrived by boat on the coast of Aceh. AFP

In 2018, UN human rights investigators said the social media site had spread hate speech that fuelled the violence in Myanmar.

Facebook has said it is working to block hate speech.

With the Facebook items and other pieces of information from more than 200 sources, the mechanism has prepared 67 “evidential and analytical packages”. These packages are intended to be shared with judicial authorities, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, Mr Koumjian added.

The International Criminal Court has also opened a case looking at deportation and other crimes against humanity in relation to Rohingya refugees who were forced into court member state Bangladesh.

Myanmar denies it committed acts of genocide and says its armed forces were conducting legitimate operations against militants.

Myanmar's 77th Armed Forces Day — in pictures

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing presides over a parade during the 77th Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. EPA

Myanmar military officers on parade. AP

The army will 'annihilate' coup opponents, the junta chief said on Sunday as the military staged a show of force on the anniversary of its bloodiest crackdown so far on democracy protests. AP

The South-east Asian country has been in chaos since a coup in February last year, with more than 1,700 people killed in crackdowns on dissent, according to a local monitoring group. AFP

Military hardware is displayed during the parade. AP

'People's Defence Force' fighters clash regularly with troops, with some analysts suggesting the military has struggled to respond effectively to their hit-and-run tactics. EPA

Jets flew overhead at the parade trailing the yellow, red and green of the national flag. EPA

Armed Forces Day commemorates the start of local resistance to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. EPA

Myanmar soldiers stand on military vehicles during the parade. EPA

Last year, as Min Aung Hlaing inspected the parade, the military carried out a crackdown on democracy rallies that left about 160 protesters dead, according to a local monitoring group. EPA

Myanmar female soldiers march at the parade. EPA

The junta has become increasingly isolated, with Cambodia's leader Hun Sen the only foreign leader to visit since the coup. EPA

On Sunday Min Aung Hlaing accused unnamed 'foreign aggressors' of working against the military and called for the armed forces to remain united against 'internal and external mischiefs'. AP

Myanmar military officers leave the venue. AP

Myanmar soldiers stand on military vehicles during a parade commemorating the 77th Armed Forces Day in Naypyidaw Myanmar. EPA

Myanmar's military officers stand on top of trucks loaded with missiles. AP

Myanmar fighter jets perform in the sky. AP

Russia's vice defence minister had been due to attend this year's parade but was unable to because of his “country's affairs”, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said. AP

In February a UN expert on Myanmar said Russia, along with other major ally China, was continuing to supply the military with weapons, including fighter jets and armoured vehicles. AFP

Myanmar Air Force helicopers take part in a display. AFP