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‘Important opportunity’: Myanmar Rohingya genocide case to resume
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is beginning proceedings to hear Myanmar’s preliminary objections to a genocide case brought against it over a brutal 2017 crackdown by the military on the mostly Muslim Rohingya.
The proceedings, which start Monday, have been given added urgency and complicated by the coup that took place in Myanmar a little more than a year ago.
The case was filed by The Gambia with the backing of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after more than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh amid reports the Myanmar military burned entire villages and carried out “large-scale” killings, gang rape, and other abuses.
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A United Nations investigation found the crackdown had been carried out with “genocidal intent” and recommended that Commander in Chief Min Aung Hlaing and five generals be prosecuted.
In December 2019, then-civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to The Hague to lead Myanmar’s defence, but she was removed from office in a coup in February last year by Myanmar’s military, who said their representatives would argue the preliminary objections in court.
The National Unity Government (NUG), which includes elected legislators who were removed by the military, announced last week that it was withdrawing the objections and wanted the ICJ to proceed to the merits of the case.
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