Establishing accountability for gross human rights violations: an analysis of the Rohingya conflict

This article explores a key challenge towards transitional justice in conflict-affected states and the nexus with international humanitarian law. It reviews empirically grounded studies on the Rohingya conflict in Myanmar. The article considers the development of the concept of accountability and how it relates to the notion of gross human rights violations while applying it to the Rohingya conflict.Upon an analysis of the state’s obligations under human rights law, it is concluded that Myanmar has not provided accountability regarding the Rohingya crisis. It then proceeds to suggest ways in which this could be achieved, at both domestic and international levels. The article, thus, contributes to a broader interrogation of how discourses about the concepts of accountability and transitional justice are constructed and applied in conflict-affected states.