Trial for Rohingya Genocide Begins After a Decade

In July 2017, following bomb attacks on police stations and army camps in Myanmar's Rakhine State, the military launched a crackdown on Rohingya villages near the Bangladesh border. During that period, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya civilians were killed, and many fell victim to rape, looting, and arson, forcing them to flee across the border to seek refuge in Bangladesh. According to Bangladesh government estimates, approximately one million Rohingya entered the country at that time.

A UN fact-finding mission report characterized the military operation as having "genocidal intent." Based on this report, the West African nation of The Gambia filed a case against the Myanmar military in 2019. The current hearings will examine the allegations, evidence related to the case, and the procedures for ensuring justice.

Myanmar's then-Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi had rejected the investigation reports. Following the military coup in 2021, Suu Kyi was ousted from power and is currently imprisoned.

Nicholas Koumjian, the lead investigator of the case, stated, “This case will serve as a precedent regarding the actual definition of genocide, evidence, and the pursuit of justice.”