Canada, 5 European Countries Join Myanmar Genocide Case

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Facts

  • Five European countries — Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK — and Canada have filed a joint declaration of intervention with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning proceedings accusing Myanmar of genocide toward its Rohingya community.1
  • A case against Myanmar was brought to the ICJ in 2019 by The Gambia after a UN fact-finding mission concluded that a 2017 campaign by Myanmar's military — which saw over 700K Rohingya flee to Bangladesh — included 'genocidal acts.'2
  • The Gambia has asked the ICJ to declare Myanmar in breach of the 1948 convention outlawing genocide. A declaration of intervention allows countries to make legal arguments within a case. The Maldives has also filed a separate declaration.3
  • While the ICJ has rejected Myanmar's objections to the case, which claim The Gambia is not directly related to the alleged events and therefore cannot file a case, Naypyidaw — having repeatedly denied the accusations of genocide — dismissed the UN findings as 'biased and flawed.'2
  • The news comes as the UN General Assembly passed an annual resolution calling for Myanmar to solve the root causes of the Rohingyas' migration to Bangladesh — which hosts over 1.2M members of the ethnic community.4
  • Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court is also investigating alleged genocide crimes committed by the Myanmar military against the Rohingyas.5

Sources: 1Reuters, 2Al Jazeera, 3Associated Press, 4NewAge BD and 5AA.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by ReliefWeb. Myanmar's so-called military operation in 2017 resulted in abuses of minorities, genocide, and crimes against humanity. Rohingyas continue to face persecution to this day, and Myanmar's junta has so far not been held accountable for its actions. The international community must do more to protect Rohingyas and other ethnic minorities from oppression.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Global New Light of Myanmar. The actions of those who engage in conflict, claiming to seek peace, often only cause harm to innocent lives. Both the rebel factions and their global backers should focus on diplomatic solutions with the military government rather than making outlandish accusations and propping up this unnecessary war.