Myanmar Denies Allegations of Rohingya Genocide
On Friday, January 16, Myanmar’s government representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, told the court that the allegations of genocide against the Rohingya are entirely baseless. He claimed that the plaintiff country, The Gambia, failed to provide sufficient and credible evidence to support these charges. He further informed the court that the allegations are speculative and not legally sustainable.
Earlier this week, The Gambia's Foreign Minister, Dawda Jallow, alleged at the ICJ that Myanmar followed a planned "genocidal policy" in an attempt to eliminate the country’s minority Muslim Rohingya population.
In 2017, thousands of Rohingya were reportedly killed during a Myanmar military crackdown in Rakhine State. At that time, more than 740,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh to save their lives. Subsequently, a 2018 UN investigation report recommended investigating top Myanmar military officials for genocide and crimes against humanity in Rakhine.
However, the Myanmar government has denied these allegations from the beginning. According to the military junta, the operations conducted in Rakhine were primarily against armed insurgents and terrorist groups. During the hearing, Ko Ko Hlaing stated that "clearance operation" is a military term used in the context of counter-insurgency.
This is considered Myanmar's most significant legal battle in international court since the military seized power in a 2021 coup. Analysts believe the verdict of this case will have a major impact on justice for the Rohingya and Myanmar's standing in the international arena.
