FIVE YEARS ON FROM THE ROHINGYA GENOCIDE – UK MUST JOIN THE CASE AT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

On the 22 July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule on whether the case brought by the Gambia against Myanmar for breaches of the genocide convention will progress. Just one month later it is the fifth anniversary of the genocidal military offensive against the Rohingya. It is extremely disappointing that five years on from the Rohingya genocide the British government is still refusing to join the case.

The genocide case at the International Court of Justice is the only UN legal process for accountability for genocide of the Rohingya, with the UN Security Council unable to refer Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, due to the assumed vetoes by China and Russia. The case is also having an impact that goes further than justice for the Rohingya; it gives all people of Myanmar hope that one day they will see their oppressors answering for their actions in a court of law. This is even more important since the military coup in Myanmar in 2021.

Rushanara Ali MP said,

“The impunity of the military for the Rohingya genocide gave them confidence to believe that they would get away with a military coup. It is imperative that the British government finally declares its intention to join the case and takes concrete action to counter the genocidal military’s impunity.”