ABSTRACT On September 2007, the bloody crackdown of peaceful protests in Myanmar drew the world’s attention to the serious violations of human rights that were taking place in the country. The violence against the monks and civilians who were taking part in the demonstrations underlined the need for a transition from dictatorship to democracy. The new window of opportunity created by these events should be used by the international community to force the Burmese junta to accept genuine political change by putting more pressure on the regime. The duty to ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms calls for the members of the international community to review the principle of state sovereignty in order to prosecute perpetrators of serious international crimes and reiterated violations of human rights standards. The United Nations, regional organisations such as the ASEAN, the European Union and individual countries have to implement the appropriate international law instruments and combine their efforts – at a national, regional and international level – to actively support Burmese prohuman rights activists and internal democratic forces. Based on international conventions and treaties, countries should adopt appropriate measures to put an end to the impunity of the Burmese regime. The failure to take meaningful action against the military junta, however, highlights the international community’s lack of willingness in this respect.
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