Myanmar woman files complaint in Denmark against military over alleged crimes

A woman from Myanmar filed a criminal complaint in Denmark on Monday against Myanmar’s military over alleged crimes, including deliberate killings, mass arson and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of people.

A statement by the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP), issued jointly with the Myanmar Action Group Denmark (MAGD) and the Chin Community Denmark (CCDK), said the unnamed woman resides in Denmark.

Her case is based on legislation that took effect in Denmark last year and “specifically criminalizes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”

The woman reportedly witnessed 40 homes being burned in her village in Chin State, western Myanmar. Several of her family members and friends were killed or left permanently disabled by landmines allegedly planted by the military junta.

These events forced her, along with tens of thousands of others from Chin State, to flee across the border into India, the statement said.

Her lawyer, Copenhagen-based Eddie Omar Rosenberg Khawaja, said that under the new Danish legislation, it “no longer matters where the crimes took place, or the nationality of the perpetrators or the victims,” and victims living in Denmark can ask Danish authorities to hold those responsible accountable.

Chris Gunness, director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, said there is a “strong basis” for a Myanmar case in Denmark.

Myanmar has been engulfed in a protracted civil war, which intensified after Min Aung Hlaing ousted an elected government in February 2021.

Several ethnic opposition groups are fighting the military government in different parts of the country.

Nearly 3.8 million people are estimated to be displaced across Myanmar.