On Sunday, a Myanmar Ministerial team led by U Ko Ko Hlaing, Deputy Chairman of the Steering Committee on Litigation at the ICJ and Minister of International Cooperation visited Sittwe, Rakhine to prepare responses to the genocide case filed by Gambia against Myanmar Junta at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The team of Ministers included the Chairman of Rakhine State Peace and Development Coordination Committee and Minister of Border Affairs, Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung, Deputy Chairman and Minister of International Cooperation U Ko Ko Hlaing, Deputy Chairman (2) Minister of Social Work Relief and Resettlement Dr. Thet Thet Khaing, and Minister of Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing.
During the visit, the Ministerial team discussed with the village administrators in the region including the Rakhine State Chief Minister about the issue of the Myanmar government’s ability to submit another counter -memorandum to the ICJ.
The lawsuit by The Gambia claims that Myanmar Military committed genocidal crimes against Rohingya minority during 2017 in the Maungdaw region of Rakhine State.
The Myanmar government submitted four objections to the ICJ last year stating that such allegations are false, but all four objections were rejected by the ICJ on July 22, 2022.
