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11h ago

Myanmar Rejects Rohingya Genocide Allegations in ICJ Merits Hearing

Judges now weigh weeks of evidence before a binding ruling that could carry significant political fallout.

A view of the courtroom as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) starts two weeks of hearings in a landmark case brought by Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya, a minority Muslim group, in The Hague, Netherlands, January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2017, file photo, smoke rises from a burned house in Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, where the vast majority of the country's 1.1 million Rohingya lived, Myanmar. (AP Photo, File)
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The International Court of Justice settles disputes between states

Overview

  • On Jan. 16, Myanmar’s agent Ko Ko Hlaing told ICJ judges that Gambia has not met the burden of proof and that the 2016–2017 “clearance operations” were counter-terrorism, not genocide.
  • Myanmar’s legal team questioned the reliability of U.N. fact‑finding reports and argued the Genocide Convention requires the highest standard of proof, citing a threshold of beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • Gambia’s counsel presented accounts of mass killings, sexual violence and village burnings, asserting that dehumanizing rhetoric by officials evidences genocidal intent.
  • Judges will hear closed‑door testimony from Rohingya survivors during the ongoing merits hearings, which are scheduled to continue through Jan. 29 in The Hague.
  • The 2017 military campaign forced more than 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, and analysts note the ICJ outcome could influence other genocide cases, including South Africa’s application concerning Israel.