The Gambia said it has submitted “irrefutable proof of Myanmar’s acts of genocide” to the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Friday.
The West African nation said evidence shows the Asian nation targeted the entire Rohingya group including men, women, children, and newborns during the so-called “clearance operations” between 2016 and 2018.
The Gambia filed a suit against Myanmar in November 2019 accusing it of committing “an ongoing genocide” against its minority Muslim Rohingya population.
The suit, requesting a provisional measures order to prevent further acts of genocide, was brought in response to Myanmar’s “violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention”.
In January, the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of The Gambia by ordering “provisional measures” to prevent further acts of genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar.
Now, the Muslim-majority nation, backed by the 57-member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said it has irrefutable evidence to proof its case.
The proof included Myanmar’s “carefully-planned, widespread and indiscriminate killing, beating, torture, rape and gang-rape of Rohingya civilians”, according to Dawda Jallow, Gambia’s Minister of Justice.
Jallow also said Gambia has evidence of the Myanmar government burning down homes and villages of Rohingya Muslims.
The evidence is contained in a memorial with over 500 pages and more than 5,000 annexed pages of supporting materials, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
“[This] documents Myanmar’s commission of genocide against its Rohingya Muslim population,” said Jallow, who is also Gambia’s Attorney General.
See also: ICJ Rules in Gambia’s Favour, Orders Myanmar to Protect Rohingya
The West African nation said the evidence presented includes detailed “factual reports” from United Nations entities and officials, satellite imagery, independent reporting by human rights and humanitarian organizations, public statements by senior Myanmar officials, and witness statements from survivors of the genocide, journalists, and former Tatmadaw soldiers who participated in the acts of genocide.
Declare Myanmar responsible
The Gambia is now asking the ICJ to declare Myanmar responsible for the commission of genocide against the Rohingya people.
It wants the Court to order to Myanmar immediately cease its wrongful acts, prosecute and punish the perpetrators – including the senior military officers who planned the genocide.
It also wants reparations to be paid to the victims, and permit Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee the country to return safely and securely to their homes.
Myanmar has until July 2021 to file a counter memorial.
In January, Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has admitted that the Rohingya may have been [victims of war crimes] as a result of her country’s military crackdown – breaking from her government’s previous stance denying acts of war crimes and genocide against the Rohingya.
