The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has resumed proceedings in the case against Myanmar’s government, which is accused of genocide against the country’s Rohingya ethnic minority.
The issue has been reopened amid debate over whether the country’s military authorities should be permitted to represent the Southeast Asian nation at all.
The International Court of Justice is set to begin four days of hearings on the Myanmar military’s deadly 2017 assault on Rohingya Muslims on Monday afternoon, despite a debate over who should represent the country in court.
In response to an attack by a Rohingya rebel group in August 2017, Myanmar’s military conducted a “clearing campaign” in Rakhine state in the country’s west.
More than 700,000 Rohingyas were forced to flee to Bangladesh as a result of the campaign, which led to allegations of mass rapes and deaths, as well as the destruction of thousands of homes.
Gambia claims that the campaign was a violation of the Genocide Convention, and it wants the court to hold it accountable.
Members of Myanmar’s National Unity Government, on the other hand, asked the court not to accept military rulers’ representatives.
The shadow administration claims to have contacted the court to have Myanmar’s preliminary objections to the case dismissed, but it is unclear whether the court will recognize the unity administration.
In the aftermath of the coup, the international community is divided over who to acknowledge as Myanmar’s rightful authorities.
Following an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group, the military conducted a “clearing effort” in Rakhine state in 2017. Security forces were accused of horrific rapes, deaths, and torching thousands of homes as more than 700,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh.
