Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi to appear before ICJ in Rohingya genocide case

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s de facto head of state, will appear today at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to respond to a case alleging that Myanmar has breached its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention.

The case was filed by The Gambia, and tomorrow, Myanmar will respond to The Gambia's allegations in court for the first time.

The Gambia has asked the ICJ to order Myanmar to take provisional measures “to protect the rights of the Rohingya group”, and prevent all acts that amount to or contribute to the crime of genocide against the community, pending formal hearings on the case.

Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Regional Director, said:

“There is a mountain of evidence that the Myanmar military has committed crimes under international law and grave human rights violations against the Rohingya population.

“Yet the government of Myanmar – including Aung San Suu Kyi – has continued to dismiss, downplay or otherwise deny these accusations.

“So far, the military have evaded justice for their crimes against the Rohingya, while continuing to commit new abuses against other ethnic minorities in the country.

“If Aung San Suu Kyi is serious about serving the people of Myanmar, she should be standing side by side with victims and survivors in the pursuit of justice, truth and reparation. She should not covering up for those suspected of criminal responsibility.”