The United Nations’ Security Council discussed the International Court of Justice’s order that Myanmar do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya Muslims. It however, failed to agree on a statement.
The country denounced claims that it tried to exterminate the minority in a bloody 2017 crackdown by its military, during which some 740,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into camps in Bangladesh.
After evidence showed that Myanmar’s government intentionally targeted its Rohingya Muslim minority, the top court in the Hague ordered the country to stop its genocidal campaign against the Rohingyas.
According to diplomats, France, Estonia, Germany, Poland and Belgium urged Myanmar to comply with measures meant to prevent genocide set forth by the court. According to a diplomatic source, China and Vietnam opposed issuing a joint declaration by the entire council during the closed-door meeting of the Council.
“Accountability of perpetrators of human rights and humanitarian law violations is a necessary part of this process”, the EU members said, adding that “Myanmar must address the root causes of its conflicts”.
Myanmar’s case is the third genocide case filed at the court since World War II. A motion to protect the Rohingyas from an extermination campaign was first launched in November when the Gambia accused Myanmar of breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention. The Gambia asked the court for emergency measures to stop Myanmar’s “ongoing genocidal actions”.
Myanmar’s civilian leader, the now-disgraced Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has been accused of overseeing the genocide against Rohingyas. She said in court that Myanmar was defending itself against attacks by Muslim militant groups.