Rohingya hail ruling that Myanmar act to stop genocide
United Nations’ top court on Thursday ordered Myanmar to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people, a ruling met by members of the Muslim minority with gratitude and relief but also some skepticism that the country’s rulers will fully comply.
The ruling by the International Court of Justice came despite appeals last month by Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi for the judges to drop the case amid her denials of genocide by the armed forces that once held the former prodemocracy champion under house arrest for 15 years.
Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, president of the court, said in his order the Rohingya in Myanmar “remain extremely vulnerable.”
In a unanimous decision, the 17-judge panel added that its order for so-called provisional measures intended to protect the Rohingya is binding “and creates international legal obligations” on Myanmar.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the order and “will promptly transmit the notice of the provisional measures” it ordered to the U.N. Security Council, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Diplomats said the U.N.’s most powerful body is not expected to take any action until it sees how Myanmar is implementing the court’s order.
While the court has no ability to enforce the orders, one international law expert said the ruling will strengthen other nations pressing for change.
“Thus far, it’s been states trying to put pressure on Myanmar or using their good offices or ... diplomatic pressure,” said Priya Pillai, leader of the Asia Justice Coalition Secretariat. “Now, essentially for any state, there is legal leverage.”
The orders specifically refer to Rohingya still in Myanmar and thus did not look likely to have an immediate impact on more than 700,000 who have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in recent years to escape Myanmar’s brutal crackdown.
Myanmar’s legal team left the court without commenting. Later, its foreign ministry said it took note of the ruling, but repeated its assertion that there has been no genocide against the Rohingya.