Summary. For the Crime of Genocide, mens rea plays a significant role. The two assessed criminal cases—Goran Jelisić and Momčilo Krajišnick—demonstrate the difficulty in proving the level of intent as a means of convicting genocide criminals. Special intent is hard to prove in the court of law, and perpetrators can disguise genocidal acts to avoid conviction. The systematic genocidal violence aimed at the Rohingya population in Myanmar also shows the difficulty in proving special intent. It is recommended that the revision proposed by Alexander Greenawalt, that both the meaning and interpretation of intent from ‘purpose-based’ to ‘knowledge-based’ perspective, is necessary. More importantly, the paper suggests steps which can potentially bring these atrocities to an end, inlcuding labelling them what they are, a ‘genocide.’
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2 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II.
3 Guenter Lewy, ‘Can there be genocide without the intent to commit genocide’ [2007] Journal of Genocide Research, 9(4), 663.
4 Nehemiah Robinson, The Genocide Convention: A Commentary (New York: Institute of Jewish Affairs, 1960), 58-59.
5 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II.
6 Ibid.
7 Cecile Tournaya, ‘Genocidal Intent before the ICTY’ [2003] 52 Int’l & Comp, L. Q, Page 449.
8 Ibid, Page 449.
9 Devrim Aydin, ‘The Interpretation of Genocidal Intent under the Genocide Convention and the Jurisprudence of International Courts’ [2014] 78 J. Crim.L. Page 432.
10 Ibid, 450.
11 Ibid, 430.
12 International Law Commission on the work of its 48th Session, Doc N A/ 51/10, Page 44.
13 Cecile Tournaya, ‘Genocidal Intent before the ICTY’ [2003] 52 Int’l & Comp, L. Q, Page 450.
14 The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, The Prosecutor of the Tribunal V. Momcilo Krajisnik, [2002] Amended Consolidated Indictment, <http://www.icty.org/x/cases/krajisnik/ind/en/kra-cai020307e.pdf> accessed 20 April 2016.
15 Michael Mann, The Dark-Side of Democracy: Explaining Ethnic Cleansing (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2004), 21.
16 Edina Bećirević, ‘The Issue of Genocidal Intent and Denial of Genocide: A Case Study of Bosnia and Herzegovina’ [2010] East European Politics and Societies, Vol 24, No.4, 484.
17 Prosecutor V Momčilo Krajišnik, Judgement Summary, Page 3.
18 Prosecutor V Momčilo Krajišnik, Judgement Summary, Page 3-4.
19 The Prosecutor of the Tribunal Against Momcilo Krajišnik and Biljana Plavsiv, Schedule B “Killings related to detention facilities”.
20 Prosecutor V Momčilo Krajišnik, Judgement Summary, Page 4.
21 Ibid., Page 4.
22 BBC, ‘Bosnia Serb jailed for war crimes’ (BBC, 27 September 2006) <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5384092.stm> accessed 20 April 2016.
23 The International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia, The Prosecutor V. Goran Jelisić, Second Amended Indictment (1998).
24 The International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia, The Prosecutor V. Goran Jelisić, Summary of Trial Chamber Judgment (1999) <http://www.icty.org/x/cases/jelisic/tjug/en/991214_summary_en.pdf> accessed 20 April 2016.
25 The Prosecutor Against Goran Jelisić, Second Amended Indictment 2-3.
26 BBC, ‘Serb ‘Adolf’ innocent of genocide’ (BBC, 5 July 2001) <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1423557.stm> accessed 21 April 2017.
27 Guenter Lewy, ‘Can there be genocide without the intent to commit genocide’ [2007] Journal of Genocide Research, 9(4), 663.
28 The Appeal Chambers of the International Criminal Tribunal of the Former Yugoslavia, Prosecutor V Goran Jelisic, Page 18.
29 Ibid, Page 18 and 21.
30 BBC, ‘Serb commander acquitted of genocide’, (BBC, 19 October 1999) <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/479358.stm> accessed 20 April 2016.
31 The International Tribunal Criminal for the former Yugoslavia, ‘Jelisic Case: Goran Jelisic Acquitted of Genocide and found Guilty of Crime against humanity and Violations of Laws or Customs of War, (The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, 19 October 1999) <http://www.icty.org/en/press/jelisic-case-goran-jelisicacquitted-genocide-and-found-guilty-crimes-against-humanity-and> accessed 21 April 2016.
32 David Stannard, “Three Responses to ‘Can There Be Genocide Without the Intent to Commit Genocide?’” Journal of Genocide Research, 10:1, 121.
33 Ibid, 121.
34 Mélanie Vianney-Liaud, ‘Controversy on the Characterization of the Cambodian Genocide at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia’ [2014] International Crime Database, Brief 8, 16.
35 David Stannard, “Three Responses to ‘Can There Be Genocide Without the Intent to Commit Genocide?’” Journal of Genocide Research, 10:1, 112.
36 Kai Ambos, “What does ‘intent to destroy’ in genocide mean?” [2009] International Review of the Red Cross, Vol 91, No.876, 846.
37 Nehginpao Kipgen, ‘Addressing the Rohingya Problem’ [2014] Journal of Asian and African Studies, Vol. 49 (2), Page 236.
38 Tun Khin, ‘Rohingya: A Preventable Genocide Allowed to Happen’ [2017] Insight Turkey, Vol.19, No.4, Page 46.
39 Ibid, 46.
40 BBC, ‘Why is there communal violence in Myanmar’ (BBC, 3 July 2014) <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18395788> accessed 21 April 2016.
41 Tun Khin, ‘Rohingya: A Preventable Genocide Allowed to Happen’ [2017] Insight Turkey, Vol.19, No.4, Page 44.
42 Ibid, Page 45.
43 Maung Zani and Alice Cowley, ‘The Slow-Burning Genocide of Myanmar’s Rohingya’ [2014] Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal, Vol.23, No.3, Page 752.
44 Ibid, Page 749.
45 United Nations General Assembly, ‘2005 World Summit Outcome’ [2005] Paragraph 139.
1 William A. Schabas, ‘Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide’ [2008] United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, 4. * Email: chanthima_neth88@hotmail.com
(2019). The issue of mens rea in the crime of genocide and why it needs to be amended. Legal issues Journal, 7 (1), https://www.legalissuesjournal.com/article/07-01-13012019/
