The military is claiming their representatives should be representing Myanmar at the ICJ. The Myanmar government in exile, the National Unity Government (NUG), set up by opponents to the coup is also claiming that it should represent Myanmar.
The Hague
On 23 February a crowd of about 80 protesters showing their support for the Rohingya and victims of Burmese military violence gathered outside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where Myanmar is being tried for genocide, according to DVB.
The Gambia is bringing a charge of genocide against Myanmar at the ICJ. The case, which is still at the procedural stage, resumed on Monday 21 February. This session will last until Monday 28 February.
When the case was previously bought before the ICJ in 2020 Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party was in power and she controversially denied that the Myanmar military had engaged in genocide against the Rohingya in Rakhine State.
Since then the military seized power in the 1 February 2021 coup and ousted the NLD. Now the military is claiming their representatives should be representing Myanmar at the ICJ. The Myanmar government in exile, the National Unity Government (NUG), set up by opponents to the coup is also claiming that it should represent Myanmar.
Both the NUG and the military have sent legal teams to the ICJ. The military team is led by Ko Ko Hlaing, and the Union Attorney-General, Thida Oo. Myanmar’s representative at the UN, Kyaw Moe Tun, is leading a team representing the NUG.
Who will represent Myanmar at the ICJ has still not yet been decided. According to DVB, who will represent Myanmar at the ICJ is determined by Myanmar’s ambassador to the Netherlands. Currently this is military loyalist Soe Lynn Hann.
The military team wish to continue with Aung San Suu Kyi’s defence of the Myanmar military’s actions, while the NUG team want to withdraw her defence and drop any objections to the prosecution for genocide.
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Courtesy: MIZZIMA
