In a major development, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague has begun hearing Myanmar's defence in the landmark Rohingya genocide case. The Myanmar government delegation, led by Ko Ko Hlaing, presented its arguments, saying that the allegations of genocide against the Rohingya are "unsubstantiated" and claiming that the alleged genocide was a response to terrorism.
The Gambia, which launched the case in 2019, claims that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya through its use of "genocidal policies". The country's foreign minister Dawda Jallow had previously told the court that thousands of Rohingya were killed and over 700,000 fled to neighboring Bangladesh during an army crackdown in 2017.
The ICJ has set aside three days for witness testimony, including from Rohingya survivors. However, these sessions will be closed to the public and media. The final ruling is expected by late 2026, which could set a precedent for other genocide cases, including one brought by South Africa against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Myanmar's defence team presented the argument that the alleged genocide was a response to terrorism, saying that "Myanmar was not obliged to remain idle and allow terrorists to have free reign of northern Rakhine states". The court has also heard from Myanmar's government representatives, who claim that external forces such as Covid-19 have hampered efforts to repatriate Rohingya refugees.
The case is being closely watched by human rights groups, who argue that the Rohingya genocide was a systematic campaign of violence and persecution. More than one million Rohingya refugees now live across the border in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar region alone - some of the largest and most densely populated camps in the world.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's military has consistently denied committing genocide against the Rohingya, saying its operations targeted militant or insurgent threats. The case has sparked tensions between Myanmar and the international community, with many countries calling for accountability for alleged war crimes.
The Gambia's lead lawyer, Philippe Sands, argued that the evidence presented by his team "shows that a genocidal intent permeated and informed" Myanmar's actions against the Rohingya. However, Hlaing maintained that a finding of genocide would be an "indelible stain on my country and its people", emphasizing the significance of this case for Myanmar's reputation.
The court has set aside four weeks to hear evidence from witnesses and experts, with a final ruling expected towards the end of 2026.
The Gambia, which launched the case in 2019, claims that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya through its use of "genocidal policies". The country's foreign minister Dawda Jallow had previously told the court that thousands of Rohingya were killed and over 700,000 fled to neighboring Bangladesh during an army crackdown in 2017.
The ICJ has set aside three days for witness testimony, including from Rohingya survivors. However, these sessions will be closed to the public and media. The final ruling is expected by late 2026, which could set a precedent for other genocide cases, including one brought by South Africa against Israel over the war in Gaza.
Myanmar's defence team presented the argument that the alleged genocide was a response to terrorism, saying that "Myanmar was not obliged to remain idle and allow terrorists to have free reign of northern Rakhine states". The court has also heard from Myanmar's government representatives, who claim that external forces such as Covid-19 have hampered efforts to repatriate Rohingya refugees.
The case is being closely watched by human rights groups, who argue that the Rohingya genocide was a systematic campaign of violence and persecution. More than one million Rohingya refugees now live across the border in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar region alone - some of the largest and most densely populated camps in the world.
Meanwhile, Myanmar's military has consistently denied committing genocide against the Rohingya, saying its operations targeted militant or insurgent threats. The case has sparked tensions between Myanmar and the international community, with many countries calling for accountability for alleged war crimes.
The Gambia's lead lawyer, Philippe Sands, argued that the evidence presented by his team "shows that a genocidal intent permeated and informed" Myanmar's actions against the Rohingya. However, Hlaing maintained that a finding of genocide would be an "indelible stain on my country and its people", emphasizing the significance of this case for Myanmar's reputation.
The court has set aside four weeks to hear evidence from witnesses and experts, with a final ruling expected towards the end of 2026.
I mean i know its been going on for yrs but to see it being brought up in ICJ is wild like is this really happening?? 
they r saying that the genocide was a response to terrorism which sounds so messed up bc isnt it just easier 2 jus say sorry & take responsibility instead of trying 2 deflect all blame? 
and the fact that its being heard in secret makes me super uncomfortable like what r we even doing here?? 
i dont get how u can jus keep ppl trapped in camps for yrs without even tryin 2 give them a chance 2 start over 
. its like, the evidince is pretty clear that they did do some bad stuff to the rohingya ppl but the myanmar govtn is trying to say that its all cuz of terrorism lol. thats not a thing tho - u cant just kill ppl cuz they r different and call it terrorism.
can't believe what's happening in Myanmar rn... just thinking about those Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh is heartbreaking 
and I really hope the ICJ delivers justice to those who suffered. but honestly, the closed-door sessions are kinda shady 
can't people even get some transparency in this? 
i mean, thousands of people killed and over 700k displaced, and they're saying it was just a response to terrorism? that doesn't add up for me 
.
. shouldn't we know how our justice system is handling something as serious as genocide? isn't it supposed to be transparent and accountable?
.
the ICJ is really playing it cool by locking down some witness testimony to the public 
... can't say I blame them though, hearing about trauma takes a toll on survivors 
... but at the same time, transparency is kinda key in cases like this 
but I'm having trouble seeing how that scales 
the numbers are just too big and the evidence is coming from all sides 
... still gonna be interesting to see what the ICJ decides 
The fact that Myanmar's defence team is saying it was all because of terrorism makes me wanna scream! 
We need concrete evidence and not just excuses. And the thing with the case being closed to public and media too... 
tho i dont c how fair it is 4 them 2 b hearin this in private 2 
. I'm curious to see how the public will react when they find out that the ICJ's witness testimony sessions are closed off from everyone, though. Transparency and accountability, yeah right... not buying it 
.
. Until then, it feels like we're just waiting for justice... but isn't happening 
.
. The idea that genocide was a response to terrorism just doesn't add up 
. The thought of all those Rohingya people who were brutalized and forced out of their homes because of the Myanmar government's "terrorism" response 
is just heartbreaking. I mean, thousands of innocent lives lost, over 700k more forced to flee... it's like, what even is that? 
. Like, how can we trust the verdict if we don't know what's going on? It's like, they're hiding something from us... but of course, it's probably just to avoid sparking more controversy 
.
it's just so unacceptable. I wish we could do more to help them, you know? 
. This is like, the ultimate injustice... and I just can't even begin to process how such a thing could happen in our world 
. I know some people are gonna say Myanmar got a bad rep for the Rohingya genocide thing, but come on, over 700,000 people fleein' their homes? That's just devastating 
.
but at the same time i'm curious how's myanmar gonna defend itself? they need to come up with some solid evidence that genocide didn't happen or else they'll be held accountable 
. I swear it looked like something out of a Bollywood movie! Anyway, back to Myanmar... have you guys ever tried that Burmese tea? It's so good! My friend's cousin is actually from Rakhine state and they always talk about how beautiful the beaches are there. But yeah, this whole situation with the Rohingya is super tragic 
and gotta say, it's super interesting to see myanmar's defence team try to justify their actions against the Rohingya... but tbh, i'm not buying it 