By Tabora Bojang
The U.K government has confirmed its intention to intervene in Gambia’s genocide case at the ICJ against Myanmar regarding its alleged atrocities against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The Rohingya endure years of persecution in the hands of Myanmar’s army, accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity by indiscriminately killing, wiping and burning down of Rohingya villages.
A UN Fact Finding Mission report stated that over 10,000 Rohingya were killed and 740,000 displaced into neighbouring Bangladesh.
The Gambia with support from the OIC member states took up the Rohingya cause and filed suit against Myanmar formerly called Burma at the World Court aiming to hold the Asian country accountable for genocide and prevent bloodshed.
Burma had since objected to the Gambia’s genocide case arguing the West African country has no standing to sue it at the U.N. Court but the ICJ ruled against this objection last month paving the way for the case to now be heard in full.
In a statement issued on the fifth anniversary of the Rohingya crisis, U. K’s minister for Asia Amanda Milling, announces new sanctions targeting military linked businesses in Myanmar and a legal action in support of Gambia’s case against it at the ICJ.
“The UK will always face down those who seek to undermine and destroy our values of freedom and democracy. Five years on, we continue to stand in solidarity with the Rohingya people and condemn the Myanmar Armed Forces’ horrific campaign of ethnic cleansing.
Our decision to intervene in The Gambia v. Myanmar case and a further round of sanctions sends a strong signal of our continued support to seek accountability for the atrocities in 2017 and also restrict the military junta’s access to finance and the supply of arms” minister Amanda Milling stated.
The case which was filed in 2019, wants the World Court determine whether Myanmar has violated its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Burma’s military’s acts against the Rohingya.
