Myanmar military junta at ICJ hearing
The Myanmar military government for the first time is to appear at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearing on the Rohingya genocide case starting today, Monday. One year ago General Min Aung Hlaing removed the elected government of the country to take over power. As a result, the toppled Aung San Suu Kyi is no longer able to represent the country.
The National Unity Government, known as Myanmar's shadow government, has been protesting that by taking part in the ICJ hearing, the junta government may gain international recognition without legal basis.
Given the changed political circumstances, the legitimacy of the military government has become a more important question than the hearing that starts today, Monday, at this highest court of the United Nations. The hearing that begins on Monday will take place on 23, 25 and 28 February. This hearing on the Rohingya genocide will take place virtually.
The National Unity Government, known as Myanmar's shadow government, has been protesting that by taking part in the ICJ hearing, the junta government may gain international recognition without legal basis. The two persons selected by the military government to take part in the hearing are both under international sanctions.
On behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in November 2019 Gambia filed a case against Myanmar for genocide. When ethnic cleansing began against Rohingyas in Rakhine in August 2017, over 700,000 of this minority Muslim ethnic community fled for their lives and took shelter in Bangladesh. Gambia filed the case with ICJ in this context.