Myanmar Says Allegations of Rohingya-Genocide a Matter of "High National Interest"

Yangon, Nov 24, 2019:

After Gambia filed a case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the alleged violation of the provisions of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the country has said that it is a matter of "high national interest".

U Kyaw Tint Swe, Minister of the Office of the State Counsellor, and U Kyaw Tin, Minister of International Cooperation, made the remarks during a briefing in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday.

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Xinhua reports that Myanmar has retained the services of top most legal experts to contest the case, submitted by Gambia, and a strong legal team has been formed.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi will act as an agent, who will represent Myanmar in all aspect of the case before the ICJ and U Kyaw Tint Swe is appointed as alternate agent, the two ministers told the briefing.

The government has announced on Thursday that Aung San Suu Kyi will lead the Myanmar legal team to Hague, Netherlands to defend the country''s national interest at the ICJ, concerning the Rakhine issue.

Gambia, on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), has submitted an application to the ICJ against Myanmar with regard to the displaced persons from Rakhine state.

It may be mentioned here that the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which Myanmar declared as an extremist terrorist group, launched repeated attacks on police outposts in Rakhine state on August 25, 2017, displacing a vast number of residents to areas bordering Bangladesh.

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