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Burma Human Rights Network welcomes move by Gambia to bring Rohingya issue before ICJ

BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- The Burma Human Rights Network Wednesday strongly welcomed efforts by the Gambia to bring Myanmar before the International Court of Justice for violating the UN's Genocide Convention and called on the international community to support these efforts.
"We are extremely grateful to the Gambia for bringing this case to the ICJ. This action has given tremendous hope to those who have suffered so greatly and found the world to be cold and indifferent to their plight. We call on the ICJ to adopt the case so that justice for the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma can finally be a reality," said BHRN's Executive Director, Kyaw Win, in a statement.
The Gambia filed the case against Myanmar at the UN court in the Hague on Tuesday.
Myanmar/Burma became a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1956, agreeing that genocide is a crime under international law which other states can seek measures to prevent or stop, noted the statement.
Crimes against the Rohingya, Kachin, Rakhine, Shan and other ethnic minorities by the military in Myanmar are absolutely deserving of consideration by the ICJ to see if Myanmar violated this or other international treaties, it said.
It called on the EU , the US and the UK to play an active role in supporting the application where their influence is especially strong and capable to convince many other nations to follow.
Burma Human Rights Network (BHRN) is based in London, but also has representation to the EU in Brussels and in other European cities. (end) nk.sd