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Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 11 Dec 2019
The Hague: Myanmar's leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in the International Court of Justice and defended her country against allegations of genocide.
Aung San Suu Kyi is responding to widespread claims that her nation committed atrocities against Muslim Rohingya people.
In her opening remarks, she called the case against Myanmar "incomplete and incorrect", reported BBC.
The Hague - ICJ holds hearings in the case The Gambia v. Myanmar
The ICJ holds public hearings on the Request for the indication of provisional measures filed by The Gambia in the case The Gambia v. Myanmar.
“I call on each and every organ of the Myanmar State to ensure that absolutely no reprisals are taken against any group or individual that is advocating for justice and accountability in Myanmar,” said the independent expert in a statement issued on Tuesday, adding that those targeted include members of the Free Rohingya Coalition.
Legal proceedings begin
The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim population residing in northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, a majority Buddhist country.
More than 600,000 members of the minority group fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following a reported military crackdown in August 2017. Numerous alleged human rights abuses took place, with the then UN human rights chief describing it as bearing all the hallmarks of a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.
Lee recalled that The Gambia in November filed an application against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the main judicial organ of the United Nations.
The West African country brought the case to the world court on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The ICJ proceedings began on Tuesday in The Hague, with Nobel peace laureate and Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi also present in court to defend the country against accusations of genocide. She is due to address the court on Wednesday.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has also authorized an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya, while criminal complaints of genocide and crimes against humanity have been filed in Argentina under the principle of universal jurisdiction.