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ICJ Opens Three-Week Genocide Hearings on Myanmar’s Rohingya

Gambia seeks a ruling that Myanmar breached the Genocide Convention in proceedings expected to define standards for proving intent.

Overview

  • Hearings begin Monday at 10 a.m. in The Hague, the court’s first full genocide case in more than a decade.
  • Gambia will present from Jan. 12–15 before Myanmar responds Jan. 16–20, with three days set aside for closed testimony from Rohingya witnesses.
  • A 2017 military campaign forced at least 730,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, and a UN inquiry reported genocidal acts including widespread sexual violence.
  • Myanmar denies genocide, arguing its operations targeted ARSA militants and calling UN findings biased and flawed.
  • Legal experts say the ruling could guide other ICJ cases, including South Africa’s case concerning Israel, though a final judgment may take years and enforcement powers are limited.