Myanmar Rohingya Genocide Case: International Court of Justice Hearing
UN Court to Here Landmark Genocide Case Against Myanmar
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will begin hearings Monday in a case accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The trial marks the first full genocide case the ICJ has taken up in over a decade and could influence other ongoing petitions, including South Africa’s against Israel.
The hearings are scheduled to last three weeks, beginning at 09:00 GMT. Gambia brought the case against Myanmar in 2019, following a 2017 military offensive that forced approximately 750,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
Refugees have reported widespread atrocities, including mass killings, rape, and arson.A 2017 UN fact-finding mission concluded that the military offensive included “genocidal acts.” Myanmar authorities maintain the offensive was a legitimate counterterrorism response to attacks by armed Rohingya groups.
“The case is likely to set critical precedents for how genocide is defined and how it can be proven, and how violations can be remedied,”
Nicholas Koumjian, head of the UN’s Self-reliant Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, told Reuters.
‘Renewed Hope’
Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh expressed hope that the case will deliver justice. “We want justice and peace,” said Janifa Begum, a 37-year-old mother of two. “Our women lost their dignity when the military junta launched the eviction.”