ICJ hears detailed accounts of violence against Rohingya in Myanmar

The International Court of Justice has heard graphic testimony describing widespread killings, rape and village burnings carried out against Rohingya civilians during Myanmar’s 2017 military crackdown.

Judges are hearing three weeks of evidence as they consider accusations brought by The Gambia that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya minority.

On the second day of hearings, Tafadzwa Pasipanodya, a lawyer representing The Gambia, presented detailed accounts of attacks on villages in northern Rakhine State.

He told the court that Myanmar soldiers went door to door, killing elderly men, gang raping women and girls, and throwing infants into rivers.

After killing residents, troops allegedly burned villages in what Pasipanodya described as systematic “clearance operations.”

“The totality of this evidence convincingly shows that Myanmar, through its state organs, acted with the intent to destroy the Rohingya,” Pasipanodya said.

The violence forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh.

Today, around 1.17 million Rohingya are living in overcrowded camps across approximately 8,000 acres in Cox’s Bazar.

Lawyers representing Myanmar are expected to begin their response later this week.

While the ICJ does not have enforcement powers, a ruling in favour of The Gambia could significantly increase international political pressure on Myanmar.

Legal experts are closely watching the case, which is being brought under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Observers say the proceedings could offer insight into how the court may approach other genocide cases, including those related to Gaza.

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Source: TRT