Three Decades After Srebrenica: Lessons for Bangladesh and the Rohingya Crisis

In July 1995, it was revealed at Srebrenica that political will was not matched by effective and timely action, a lesson that led to the adoption of the ICCPR. The failure of international protection for Srebrenica in July 1995, when political commitments were not paralleled by timely and effective action, was a reminder of the limits of international protection and led to the adoption of the ICCPR. The enclave had been declared a United Nations safe zone, but Bosnian Serb troops murdered over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys. The genocides and the responsibility of states for preventing genocide were later confirmed by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice. As the Rohingya situation is now 30 years old, there are relevant questions of prevention, accountability, and conditions that must be met for safe return. This is a policy brief that reviews the legal and institutional failures of Srebrenica, and explores whether and how they can be relevant to Bangladesh, where over one million Rohingya refugees remain. It separates state from individual criminal responsibility and international documentation efforts from the Genocide Convention, and uses the test of the capacity to influence by the ICJ to Bangladesh's own case. The short calls were for continued diplomatic efforts and continued funding and a credible, voluntary, safe and dignified return programme, which are essential to the legal process and humanitarian efforts. Bangladesh can continue to promote international cooperation and cooperation for a legitimate accountability process through diplomacy, and can seek meaningful action to address the root causes of displacement.