Bangkok-Thailand-January 24, 2023

Matthew Smith, chief executive of Fortify Rights, said: "it's a big deal."

Activists from Burma and 16 people who claimed to be victims of violations filed a criminal complaint in Germany, accusing Burmese leaders of genocide and atrocities against Rohingya Muslims since the military coup two years ago, a German human rights organization said at a press conference in the Thai capital Bangkok. The choice fell on Germany because of its recognition of the principle of "universal jurisdiction", according to which any national court can try individuals accused of committing serious international crimes.

Activists from Burma and 16 people who claimed to be victims of abuses have filed a criminal complaint in Germany, accusing senior security leaders of inciting genocide and atrocities against Rohingya Muslims since the military coup two years ago, German rights group Fortify Rights said.

The complaint is the latest in a series of international legal efforts to try to hold Burma's military accountable for alleged atrocities against the country's Rohingya minority, pro-democracy supporters and civilians opposed to the coup.

The organization supporting the complaint said that the choice fell on Germany because of its recognition of the principle of "universal jurisdiction", which states that any national court can try individuals accused of committing serious international crimes.

"The complaint provides new evidence proving that the Burmese army systematically committed murder, rape, torture, imprisonment, disappearance, persecution and other acts amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,"Matthew Smith, executive director and co-founder of the organization, said at a press conference in Bangkok.

A spokesman for Burma's military government did not return a Reuters call seeking comment on the complaint filed in Germany. The army has previously denied accusations of human rights violations.

The human rights organization hopes that the German authorities will consider the complaint and open an investigation into it. Fortify Rights said that ethnic Rohingya and others who have survived crimes in Burma or witnessed such crimes since the coup are among the sixteen plaintiffs who filed the complaint.