Divyanshu G Myanmar has formally rejected accusations of genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority during the latest hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. On behalf of the military-dominated government, Union Minister Ko Ko Hlaing declared the assertions made by the The Gambia as unsubstantiated and lacking in facts. The hearings, which now resume in January 2026, are a pivotal moment in the protracted judicial tussle in which Myanmar is counternsuring its military crackdown which occurred in 2017. Although it has been reported by the UN that the government has been acting in a systematic manner to annihilate the ethnic group, the government sustains that it was doing this as part of counter-terrorism operations against insurgents.
Defense Against Rohingya Genocide Allegations
During the proceedings, Myanmar’s legal team argued that the Rohingya Genocide Allegations presented by The Gambia relied on “emotional” narratives rather than solid evidence. They argued that mass displacement of more than 700,000 Rohingya to Bangladesh was a regrettable outcome of internal war against the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), and not a case of genocide. This defense is against the evidence of a UN investigator who has already termed the military action as a model of ethnic cleansing based on the mass killings, sexual violence and burning of villages.
The Role of the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice serves as the primary judicial organ of the UN, settling disputes between states. The case is also historical because it is the first case when one state (The Gambia) sued another on genocide without any direct impact on the alleged offenses but on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The decision of the court will establish whether Myanmar violated the 1948 Genocide Convention or not. Although the ICJ cannot enforce any decision, a verdict against Myanmar would harshly hurt the international reputation and the legal defense of the junta.
Official Post: You can follow official updates from the court proceedings here: https://x.com/CIJ_ICJ
