In the latest development, Myanmar’s National Unity Government – known as shadow government – has accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice to hear allegations that the country committed genocide against its Rohingya minority. That means they have no official objection to proceed on with the case.
This move of NUG looks significant because the representatives of Myanmar’s junta are getting ready to challenge the jurisdiction of the IJC to hear genocide allegations in a fresh round of hearings from 21 February. The hearings will finalise whether it was a genocide and was committed by Myanmar. Although Gambia filed the case, the matter is highly important to Rohingyas for their existence in present geo-political situation.
Earlier, Gambia had filed the case against Myanmar at ICJ in October 20, 2020 over genocide of the Rohingyas in a move widely hailed by the Muslims. Bangladesh had also extended its support to Gambia’s move and conducted a series of communication with the friendly nations to draw their support. Myanmar filed a counter-memorial at the ICJ on July 23, 2021, in response to Gambia’s allegations.
In this backdrop, Nobel peace prize laureate Suu Kyi, then Myanmar’s civilian leader, attended hearings at The Hague in December 2019 to ask judges to dismiss the case as head of Myanmar junta’s defence. She apparently had the objection only to delay the proceedings. But in a changing scenario, she was dropped by military as its top representative in the case after she lost faith among the top army commanders.
The NUG, a parallel administration including deposed lawmakers in exile, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had withdrawn all preliminary objections to the case. It also means to us that Mrs. Suu Kyi will have no objection to continue the genocide case.
What we still remember is that the ICJ on January 23, 2020, unanimously passed legally binding provisional measures requiring Myanmar to take all steps within its power to prevent acts of genocide, including killings, affliction of serious mental or bodily harm and other acts listed in the Genocide Convention.
But Myanmar junta did not pay heed to it. Presently an estimated 600,000 Rohingyas remain in Rakhine State where they face ongoing genocide. The Myanmar junta has been continuing to commit human rights violations against the Rohingya confining more than 125,000 of them in over 20 internment camps.
The reality is that Myanmar’s military – known as the Tatmadaw – has killed hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children, in a brutal crackdown on protesters, since it overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a coup one year ago.
It is nothing hidden that Myanmar military is the dominating factor in its country, and it is impossible to avoid them in any negotiation – even in repatriation of Rohingyas. But in any field – whether it is genocide case in ICJ or peaceful Rohingya repatriation – we do not see any bold action of Bangladesh government. Our Foreign Minister likes to talk everywhere about his government’s success. But in reality, the government is now facing all social-economical adverse impacts of keeping 1.2 million Rohingyas.
Genocide or taking over government by gun power won’t stop unless using gun power against its own people is banned.
