Overview
- The Gambia opened its case at the International Court of Justice, alleging Myanmar’s 2017 operations targeted the Rohingya for destruction under the Genocide Convention.
- Myanmar’s military government rejected the accusations as “flawed and unfounded” in a foreign ministry statement that avoided the word Rohingya, referring instead to “persons from Rakhine state.”
- Roughly 700,000–750,000 people fled to Bangladesh during the crackdown, with survivors reporting mass killings, sexual violence, and arson; more than a million now live in camps in Cox’s Bazar.
- The oral proceedings in The Hague are set to run for about three weeks, with Myanmar’s legal team due to present its response on Friday.
- Legal analysts say the case could shape ICJ standards for proving genocidal intent and increase political pressure on Myanmar despite limited enforcement and a final judgment that may take months or years.