January 21, 2026

International Court of Justice (ICJ) Must Recognize Myanmar’s Genocide Against the Rohingya 

The ADI and RHRC – The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, is currently conducting landmark public hearings on the merits of a case concerning alleged violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention by Myanmar against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

The hearings, which commenced on January 12 and will continue for a total of three weeks, represent the culmination of a legal process that began in November 2019, when The Gambia filed an application on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), accusing Myanmar of breaching its obligations under the Genocide Convention.

■ Legal Battle: “Counter-Terrorism” vs. “Genocidal Intent”

During the hearings, The Gambia’s legal team argues that Myanmar’s 2016-2017 “clearance operations” constituted a premeditated genocidal campaign against the Rohingya. In response, Myanmar’s representative, Ko Ko Hlaing, has maintained the defense that these operations were legitimate counter-terrorism responses to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

Gambia’s counsel, led by Paul S. Reichler and supported by Professor Michael A. Newton, systematically countered this narrative. They argued that the scale and brutality of the operations, which exclusively targeted Rohingya civilians and villages while ignoring other insurgencies in Rakhine State, reveal a clear intent to destroy the group. The counsel defined these actions not as counter-terrorism, but as a deliberate “anti-Rohingya” operation.

■ ADI and RHRC Document the Reality of Genocide through 1,245 Testimonies

The Asian Dignity Initiative (ADI) and the Rohingya Human Rights Center (RHRC) have played a central role in the international judicial response by documenting the reality of the genocide on the ground. Over the past six years, the two organizations have:

Directly recorded testimonies from more than 1,245 survivors and victims.

Produced 30 village-level massacre reports.

Secured formal Power of Attorney documents to represent victims’ interests.

These reports illustrate how the Rohingya have been systematically persecuted under a system described by rights groups as “apartheid,” involving the denial of citizenship and restrictions on movement, healthcare, and education. This longstanding repression culminated in the 2017 military offensive—which UN investigators concluded included “genocidal acts”—involving mass killings, widespread sexual violence, and the burning of hundreds of villages, forcing over 750,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

■ “ICJ Must Deliver Justice Based on Facts”

ADI and RHRC strongly urge the International Court of Justice to deliver a ruling firmly grounded in the facts. We recommend that the Court recognize the 2017 atrocities and the ongoing systemic persecution as a clear breach of the Genocide Convention.

“Establishing the state responsibility of Myanmar is not only a legal imperative for the Rohingya people but a vital step in upholding the integrity of international law and preventing the recurrence of such tragedies globally,” the organizations stated, calling on the ICJ to deliver a just and definitive verdict.

Media Contact: Asian Dignity Initiative (ADI) & Rohingya Human Rights Center (RHRC)

Email: adi@adians.net & rohingyahumanrightscenter@gmail.com