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UN court dismisses Myanmar's objection against genocide case

BRUSSELS, July 22 (KUNA) -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, Friday dismissed objections raised by Myanmar in the case that accused Myanmar of being responsible for genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
ICJ, based at the Hague, in its ruling, said "it has jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by the Republic of The Gambia on 11 November 2019, and that the said Application is admissible." Myanmar had raised four preliminary objections to the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of the Application, but all four objections were rejected, it noted in a press release.
Among its objections, Myanmar had argued that the Court lacked jurisdiction on the ground that, according to Myanmar, the "real applicant" in the proceedings was the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The Judgment is final, without appeal, and binding on the Parties, said the UN court.
On 11 November 2019, The Gambia instituted proceedings against Myanmar before the ICJ accusing the Myanmar regime of committing Genocide through "acts adopted, taken and condoned by the Government of Myanmar against members of the Rohingya group".
According to media reports, Myanmar's military regime launched a crackdown against the Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017 after which more than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh.
Human rights groups have accused Myanmar security forces of mass murder and killings and the burning of thousands of Rohingya homes. (end) nk.ibi