The Hague: Myanmar’s junta is set to replace Aung San Suu Kyi at the UN’s top court Monday as it seeks to dismiss a case over the alleged genocide of Rohingya Muslims.
Suu Kyi personally presented Myanmar’s arguments at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) when the case was first heard in December 2019, but was ousted as civilian leader in a military coup last year. The Nobel peace laureate, who faced criticism from rights groups for her involvement in the case, is now under house arrest and trial by the same generals she defended in The Hague.
In its “preliminary objections” on Monday, Myanmar will argue that the court has no jurisdiction over the case, and just throw it out before it moves on to substantive hearings.
Local Myanmar media said the junta has a new delegation led by Ko Ko Hlaing, international cooperation minister, and Thida Oo, attorney general, who will attend virtually. Both have been hit with US sanctions over the coup.
The case brought by the mainly Muslim African nation of The Gambia accuses predominantly Buddhist Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya minority over a bloody 2017 military crackdown. The ICJ made a provisional order in January 2020 that Myanmar must take “all measures” to prevent the alleged genocide of the Rohingya while the years-long proceedings are underway.
