Accountability in Myanmar: A Transformative Stepping-Stone?

Abstract

The current approach of the international community to the question of accountability for atrocity crimes in Myanmar risks doing little to prevent such crimes in the future. It fails to shape accountability measures as a response to a complex and structural impunity problem that drives the recurrence of atrocity crimes. This article discusses building blocks for an alternative approach: a deeper understanding of impunity, a multifaceted concept of accountability, a greater awareness of the purpose and limitations of distinct accountability measures, and a deliberate connection between the accountability and prevention agendas. In doing so, the article explores how states can more effectively fulfil their international legal obligation to prevent atrocity crimes, in Myanmar and beyond.