Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

APR2P was energised to host an intensive tabletop atrocity prevention exercise this weekend, facilitated by our visiting fellow, Mr. Jeff Sizemore. Adapted from high-level training used globally for government officials, the simulation challenged students to act within a fictional crisis. Through the application of early-warning frameworks and collaborative decision-making, participants engaged directly with the practical complexities of atrocity prevention.

The civil war in Rakhine State is reaching a critical juncture as the junta transforms the capital, Sittwe, into a heavily fortified stronghold against the Arakan Army. A new Crisis Group interactive visual explores this militarization and the consequences of potential urban warfare. Explore the full analysis on the Crisis Group website

The Fight for Sittwe | International Crisis Group An interactive visual explainer from International Crisis Group on how Myanmar’s military fortified Sittwe as the Arakan Army closes in on Rakhine State’s capital.

During March and April 2026, the Responsibility to Protect Student Coalition (R2PSC) at the University of Queensland strengthened its commitment to human rights in Myanmar through our youth partnership with Bridges MM and ALTSEAN-Burma.

This collaboration empowered young activists through targeted capacity-building and practical advocacy.

Key highlights included:

Project Showcases: Joint events with Bridges MM provided a vital platform for Myanmar’s youth and diaspora to present innovative strategies for atrocity prevention.

Critical Dialogue: The "Youth in Atrocity Prevention" session facilitated meaningful discussion on how international students can respond to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

Community Outreach: At the UQ Peace Fair, R2PSC members engaged the wider community to raise awareness for global humanitarian protection.

These initiatives reflect the APR2P Centre's longstanding commitment to supporting the next generation of leaders..

FROM SHAM TO SCAM - Burma/Myanmar's Fraudulent Election In collaboration with Bridges MM and ALTSEAN-Burma

Undergrads / Honours at UQ don't miss out!
Applications for the 2026 George Georges UQ Research Scholarship close on 6 April.
This award honours the legacy of George Georges, a lifelong advocate for peace and social justice.

Get inspired by hearing from past winners:
Sophie Ryan: http://bit.ly/2HWzy8c
Anna Whip: https://youtu.be/cK32GVasYqQ
Applications https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarship/george-georges-research-scholarship

Thank you to the team at the Cambodian Center for Regional Studies (CCRS),and the Nelson Mandela Centre at Chulalongkorn University who cohosted an event last week to evaluate the strategic and normative frameworks essential to regional stability.

Presentations and insights from Amb. Pou Sothirak (CCRS), Dr Sarah Teitt ( Director APR2P) ,Dr. Noel Morada (NMC), H.E. Edmund Bon (AICHR), and Mr. Soy Kimsan (RULE) were greatly appreciated during this time of ongoing atrocities and risingregional and global risks.

Attendees were boyed by the engagement of young people, striving for greater empathy, more restraint towards violence, and more actionable prevention.

Hearing from Thikran Mato yesterday was truly inspiring. As a human rights activist and survivor of the Yazidi genocide from Kocho, a village near Mount Sinjar in Iraq, his story encourages us to stand behind his efforts—and those of many others—in the pursuit of accountability, justice, rebuilding,recognition and locating the missing.

It was a powerful opportunity for UQ students and staff to engage with the No Body’s Listening virtual reality commemoration of the Yazidi genocide, with the immersive experience deepening our understandings.

Many thanks to MC and APR2P Deputy Director, Associate Professor Melissa Curley, as well as panellists Mr Jeff Sizemore, the 2026 Mary Wing-Ming Lee Senior Human Rights Research Fellow, and Professor Winnifred Louis from the Social Change Lab in the School of Psychology The University of Queensland.

A special mention to Luma and Yamamah from Toowoomba, along with the UQ R2P Student Coalition and APR2P Centre interns.

If you are in Brisbane on Monday join University of Queensland Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Social Change Lab, Nobody's Listening, UpStream and You Belong to attend a unique virtual reality experience and public seminar at The University of Queensland on Monday 23 March 2026.

Register here https://events.humanitix.com/nobodys-listening-the-forgotten-voices-of-the-yazidis

VR Experience - Nobody's Listening: The Forgotten Voices of the Yazidis

Join us for an immersive, award-winning virtual reality experience. This 15-minute journey combines 360-degree documentary filmmaking, breathtaking artwork, and cutting-edge virtual reality technology.

Date: Monday 23 March 2026
Session times: 9am, 9:20am, 9:40am, 10am, 10:20am, 10:40am, 11am, 11:20am, 11:40am, 12:00pm, 12:20pm, 12:40pm, 1pm, 1:20pm, 1:40pm. Sessions run for 15 minutes, including a 5 minute briefing.
Location: Room 273, Level 2, Global Change Institute, UQ St Lucia

Please note: This experience creates a simulated environment that makes the viewer feel like they are actually in northern Iraq, and contains descriptions of sexual violence and killing. Viewers may find some of the stories and images in this VR experience disturbing. Age recommendation 16+. You can remove the headset at any point if you want to stop the VR experience.

We strongly recommend that if you are someone who has experienced the crimes committed by Da’esh, especially survivors of sexual violence, that you do not take part in the VR experience. It is highly likely to cause severe distress and can trigger post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Seminar - From Forgotten Voices to Shared Responsibility
This public seminar will include a condensed screening of Nobody’s Listening, followed by an engaging discussion on the current state of the Yazidi community and ongoing efforts to achieve justice and accountability for genocide survivors.

Expert insights will be provided by:

Mr Jeffrey Sizemore, the 2026 Mary Wing-Ming Lee Senior Human Rights Research Fellow

Mr Thikran Mato, a Yazidi genocide survivor, human rights activist, and Director of Nobody’s Listening

Associate Professor Melissa Curley, Deputy Director, Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect

Date: Monday 23 March 2026
Session time: 1:45pm for a 2pm – 3pm, followed by light refreshments
Location: Room 275, Level 2, Global Change Institute, UQ St Lucia

We invite you to attend the Surin Pitsuwan Oration, titled:
"Human Security Now: Navigating Turbulence in a Fractured World"
The oration will be delivered by Professor Dr.Mely Caballero-Anthony, Head of the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies and President's Chair in International Relations and Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.
📅 Date: Friday, 20 March 2026
🕕 Time: 18.00 – 20.00 hrs. (Thailand Time)
🖥️ Format: Online via Zoom Live Meeting
🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/9fYFxfKa8oykuHCZ9
Kindly complete your registration by Thursday, 19 March 2026. The Zoom link will be provided upon registration.
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Organised by the Nelson Mandela Center in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Hanns Seidel Foundation, and the Embassy of South Africa in Bangkok.

Latest overview of Asia Pacific risks for Atrocity includes
• Evictions from Port Moresby settlements leave thousands without shelter and livelihoods
• A new bill in Indonesia to counter disinformation and propaganda has CSOs worried
• ICJ hearings continue with The Gambia accusing the Myanmar military government of committing genocide

Read morehttps://r2pasiapacific.org/files/12524/Snapshot%20March%202026%20FINAL.pdf

The Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect recently welcomed Mr Jeffrey Sizemore as the 2026 Mary Wing-Ming Lee Senior Human Rights Research Fellow. Jeff is a global leader in atrocity prevention training for practitioners and previously served as Deputy Director in the Office of Security and Human Rights, as well as Senior Advisor on Atrocity Prevention for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor at the United States Department of State.

He led and coordinated the bureau’s atrocity prevention efforts, managing atrocity prevention training for the Department as well as working with interagency colleagues as part of the Atrocity Prevention Task Force.

He represented the United States in multilateral atrocity prevention activities, building partnership with like-minded states and advocating for the necessity and value of prevention work.

Prior to joining the State Department, Jeff served for over 20 years in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, retiring as a commander in 2020. Jeff received a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the The George Washington University in 2001 and a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in February of 2013.

NEW Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ....A Framework for Action needs to be endorsed

UN Human Rights Office An investment in protecting and advancing human rights for allRead the story