‘Rohingya Right of Reply’ public event on 11 December 2019
Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s State Counsellor and de facto head of state, is leading Myanmar’s delegation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, to respond to a case alleging that Myanmar has breached its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention. The case was filed by The Gambia on 11 November 2019.
On Wednesday, 11 December 2019, Myanmar will respond to The Gambia’s allegations in court for the first time.
The first public hearings will take place between 10-12 December. The Gambia has asked the ICJ to order Myanmar to take ‘provisional measures’ ‘to protect the rights of the Rohingya group’ and prevent all acts that amount to or contribute to the crime of genocide against the community, pending formal hearings on the case.
Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Regional Director, said:
“There is a mountain of evidence that the Myanmar military has committed crimes under international law and grave human rights violations against the Rohingya population. Yet the government of Myanmar – including Aung San Suu Kyi – has continued to dismiss, downplay or otherwise deny these accusations.
“So far, the military have evaded justice for their crimes against the Rohingya, while continuing to commit new abuses against other ethnic minorities in the country.
“If Aung San Suu Kyi is serious about serving the people of Myanmar, she should be standing side by side with victims and survivors in the pursuit of justice, truth and reparation. She should not be covering up for those suspected of criminal responsibility.”
Following the oral presentations at the ICJ, Amnesty International and a coalition of rights groups will support an event at which members of the Rohingya community will respond to the first two days of proceedings.
The “Rohingya Right of Reply” will be held from 15:00 to 17:30 (light refreshments from 14:00) at the Nutshuis, Commissarissen Room, Riviervismarkt 5, Den Haag 2513 AM.
Note to media:
For more information about the “Rohingya Right of Reply” event or to attend, see here.
For media requests to Amnesty International, please contact: Lucy Scholey, Media Relations, 613-744-7667 ext. 236, lscholey@amnesty.ca
