Hope for justice as court hears case for genocide against Rohingya people

Nearly 750,000 people fled Myanmar in 2017 as government forces tore through Rohingya villages, killing thousands of civilians, leaving a trail of alleged abuses and sexual violence.

- JAMES C. REYNOLDS

Nearly a decade later, the perpetrators will finally be held accountable as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hears a landmark case accusing the state of committing genocide.

This week, Gambia will have the chance to outline its case before Myanmar, which denies the charge and can offer its response. In an unusual move, the court will also allow witnesses to share their stories.

The proceedings are expected to set precedents that could affect South Africa’s case against Israel over the war in Gaza, as the first genocide case heard by the ICJ in more than a decade.

The Independent looks back on the Rohingya crisis and what justice the two-week trial could offer the victims.

Who are the Rohingya?

The Rohingya are a self-identified minority group living in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. They claim to be the descendants of Arab traders and other groups who have lived in the area for generations. The majority are Sufi Muslims.

Today, there are some 3.5 million Rohingya people worldwide. Until 2017, around 1 million lived in the deeply impoverished Rakhine state, on the west coast.

Since the 1970s, the minority Muslim group has suffered persecution in Myanmar, where the state considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The government refuses to grant them citizenship, making them effectively stateless, unless they can prove residence prior to 1948.

They are bound by restrictions on marriage, family planning, finding work and religious freedoms. In some regions, they are limited by law on how many children they can have. They also need government approval to move house or travel outside of their towns.

Tensions with the majority Buddhists have occasionally erupted into conflict.