Voice of America
15 Jan 2022, 05:06 GMT+10
Representatives of Myanmar's junta are expected to challenge the jurisdiction of the World Court to hear allegations the country committed genocide against its Rohingya minority in a fresh round of hearings scheduled to begin February 21, the attorney general of Gambia, which brought the case, told Reuters Friday.
'A hybrid hearing [is] set to commence on the 21st of February, 2022,' Gambian Attorney General Dawda Jallow said. He added that Aung San Suu Kyi, who led Myanmar's defense at the first public hearings in 2019 but has since been deposed by the military, had been formally replaced as its top representative in the case.
A hybrid hearing is a procedure where some of the participants are present in person and others participate online due to COVID-19 measures.
More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after a military-led crackdown in 2017 and were forced into squalid camps across the border in Bangladesh. U.N. investigators concluded the military campaign had been executed with 'genocidal intent.'
An ICJ spokesperson declined to confirm dates for a new hearing had been scheduled.
In December 2019 Nobel peace prize laureate Suu Kyi, then Myanmar's civilian leader, personally attended hearings at The Hague to ask judges to dismiss the case.
She was deposed in a 2021 coup and has since been sentenced to six years in detention and faces a slew of further charges.
FILE - Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi attends a hearing in a case filed by Gambia against Myanmar alleging genocide against the minority Muslim Rohingya population, at the International Court of Justice Dec.10, 2019.
The army takeover of the democratically elected government led to widespread protests.
The military government has been fighting for international recognition and could be eager for the opportunity to show themselves as Myanmar's legitimate representatives at the U.N.'s top court.
Sources close to the case say the junta has been engaging with the court to submit court-ordered reports every six months on the situation with the Rohingya. The reports are not public.
The next step in ICJ proceedings is Myanmar's challenge to the jurisdiction of the court. The question if genocide was committed in Myanmar will be dealt with in later hearings.
Get a daily dose of Africa Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Africa Leader.
More InformationDHAKA, Bangladesh - Michelle Bachelet has urged the Bangladesh government to establish an independent investigation into allegations of enforced disappearances. ...
LONDON, England: Despite a legal challenge in London's High Court in early September, the UK government is continuing to pursue ...
NEW DELHI, India: During his national day address this week, Prime Minister NarendraModi said India will seek to become a ...
LONDON, England: The cap on flight departures from London's Heathrow Airport will beextended until October 29, airport officials announced.Heathrow capped ...
BERLIN, Germany: Highlighting Berlin's increasing focus on assisting in the Indo-Pacific region amidst rising tensions with China over Taiwan, Germany ...
PARIS, France: French firefighters have stopped the spread of a "monster" wildfire in the country's southwest, allowing the reopening of ...
NEW YORK, New York - Investors were divided on Thursday as to where to send U.S. stocks. Jitters about inflation, ...
WELLINGTON, New Zealand: During his visit to New Zealand, Ambassador Sujiro Seam, Head of the Delegation of the European Union ...
BANGKOK, Thailand: Instant noodle makers have asked Thailand to allow them to increase their prices to meet rising costs, which ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. industrial stocks interrupted their five-day rally on Wednesday with all the major indices losing ...
BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand seeks to invest $61.97 billion in its industrial eastern region over the next five years, in a ...
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: In a Twitter post published this week, Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding said it had invested in Russian ...