Myanmar has rejected allegations of genocide against the Rohingya at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), defending its 2017 military operations as legitimate.
In August 2017, Myanmar’s armed forces launched an offensive in Rakhine State, citing attacks by Rohingya insurgent groups. The operation drew international condemnation, with reports of mass killings, sexual violence, and widespread destruction of homes and villages. A United Nations investigation characterized the campaign as having the clear intent of ethnic cleansing, reporting that nearly 10,000 people were killed during the crackdown.
Fleeing violence, over 700,000 Rohingya sought refuge in Bangladesh, prompting Gambia to file a genocide case at the ICJ in 2019.
On Friday, January 16, Myanmar’s representative Ko Ko Hlaing appeared before the court, asserting that the military operation was a counter-terrorism response to insurgent attacks. He maintained that the campaign could not be classified as genocide and criticized Gambia for failing to prove its allegations.
Earlier in the week, during the hearing’s opening, Gambia’s Justice Minister Dawda Jallow argued that Myanmar had subjected the Rohingya population to decades of systematic persecution aimed at their destruction. Myanmar, however, dismissed the claims, including evidence presented by the United Nations investigative mission, stating it did not meet the legal standard required to prove genocide.
Legal experts note that the ICJ’s verdict will have far-reaching implications beyond Myanmar, potentially influencing other cases of alleged mass atrocities. Analysts specifically point to its relevance for the 2023 genocide case against Israel filed by South Africa in the context of the Gaza conflict.