Myanmar junta forms new legal team to face Rohingya genocide case at ICJ

The Myanmar military regime has formed a new legal team to face the allegations in the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

The new team will be led by its Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin, according to news outlet The Irrawaddy.

The junta’s directive to reorganize the panel, previously led by now detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was announced in a bulletin published by Myanmar Gazette on Thursday.

Other members of the team are Finance and Industry Minister U Win Shein, two serving lieutenant generals Yar Pyae and Adjutant General Myo Zaw Thein, International Cooperation Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, Attorney General Daw Thida Oo, Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Myo Htut, and Daw Khin Oo Hlaing, a member of a seven-member advisory board to the regime.

Earlier in December 2019, State Counselor Suu Kyi defended the country against the charges.

Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the ICJ over a 2017 military crackdown on Rohingyas that forced more than 730,000 people to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.

In November 2019, The Gambia opened the case with the ICJ, also known as the World Court, against Myanmar for failing to prevent or punish genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

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Following the memorial filing by The Gambia, the government of Myanmar had three months to file a counter-memorial at the ICJ in response to The Gambia’s genocide allegations.

On January 23, 2020, the ICJ unanimously indicated legally binding provisional measures, requiring the government of Myanmar to take all steps within its power to prevent the commission of all acts of genocide, such as killing, causing serious mental or bodily harm and other acts listed in the Genocide Convention.

It also requires the government to preserve evidence of genocide and to report to the court every six months on its progress implementing the order, among other measures.

Then on October 23 last year, The Gambia filed a more than 500-page memorial and over 5,000 pages of supporting materials in its lawsuit against Myanmar at the ICJ, making its case for how the government of Myanmar is responsible for genocide against the Rohingya.