Myanmar says Rohingya genocide case at The Hague is ‘flawed, unfounded’

The International Court of Justice is deciding if Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya successful 2017 subject crackdown.

An planetary tribunal lawsuit accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its mostly Muslim Rohingya number is “flawed and unfounded”, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says.

In a connection published by authorities media connected Wednesday, Myanmar’s subject authorities deed retired astatine the genocide case, which has been brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) successful The Hague, Netherlands, by The Gambia.

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“The allegations made by The Gambia are flawed and unfounded successful information and law,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“Biased reports, based connected unreliable evidence, cannot marque up for truth,” it said.

Myanmar’s subject rulers, who seized powerfulness successful 2021, are cooperating with the ICJ lawsuit “in bully faith” successful a motion of respect for planetary law, the connection added.

The Gambia filed the lawsuit against Myanmar astatine the ICJ, besides known arsenic the World Court, successful 2019, 2 years aft the country’s subject launched an violative that forced astir 750,000 Rohingya from their homes, mostly into neighbouring Bangladesh.

Survivors of the subject cognition recounted wide killings, rapes and arson attacks. Today, astir 1.17 cardinal Rohingya unrecorded crammed into dilapidated exile camps successful Cox’s Bazar successful Bangladesh.

On the opening time of the proceedings connected Monday, Gambian Justice Minister Dawda Jallow told the tribunal the Rohingya “have been targeted for destruction” successful Myanmar.

Lawyers for military-ruled Myanmar volition statesman their tribunal effect connected Friday.

Included ‘genocidal acts’

The proceedings is the archetypal genocide lawsuit the ICJ has taken up successful afloat successful much than a decade, and its result volition person repercussions beyond Myanmar, apt affecting South Africa’s petition against Israel implicit its genocidal warfare successful Gaza. The hearings volition span 3 weeks.

The quality rights main of the United Nations astatine the clip of the crackdown successful Myanmar called it a “textbook illustration of taste cleansing”, and a UN fact-finding ngo concluded that the military’s 2017 violative had included “genocidal acts”. But authorities successful Myanmar rejected the report, claiming its subject violative was a morganatic counterterrorism run successful effect to attacks by Rohingya equipped groups.

Wednesday’s connection by Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry did not usage the connection Rohingya, alternatively referring to “persons from Rakhine state”.

The Rohingya are not recognised arsenic an authoritative number successful Myanmar, which denies them citizenship contempt galore having roots successful the state stretching backmost centuries.

A last determination successful the Rohingya genocide lawsuit could instrumentality months oregon adjacent years, and portion the ICJ has nary means of enforcing its decisions, a ruling successful favour of The Gambia would apt spot much governmental unit connected Myanmar.

The Southeast Asian federation is presently holding phased elections that person been criticised by the UN, immoderate Western countries and quality rights groups arsenic neither escaped nor fair.