Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are hopeful that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will recognise the atrocities committed against their community in Myanmar as genocide when it delivers its landmark ruling on November 19.
The decision could strengthen their long-running quest for justice and increase international pressure on Myanmar, they hopes.
While some Rohingya leaders see the ruling as a chance to secure international recognition of their persecution and hold the perpetrators accountable, others hope it will reinforce their claim to Myanmar as their homeland and strengthen their demand for repatriation.
The ICJ, the United Nations’ top court, has been hearing a case brought by The Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through its military crackdown on the Rohingya.
The court is set to deliver its ruling after seven years of proceedings.
Sayed Ullah, first president of the United Council of Rohingya (UCR), said the community had waited nearly a decade for justice, and the announcement of the judgment date had raised expectations among refugees.
He acknowledged that enforcing an ICJ judgment could be difficult as the court has limited means to ensure compliance. Citing past international disputes, he said political obstacles, particularly the veto power of permanent members of the UN Security Council, could stand in the way.
“Despite these challenges, we hope the judgment will increase international influence and attention on the Rohingya issue. The international community, particularly the Bangladesh government, needs to maintain its focus and work towards a solution that will allow the Rohingya to return to their homeland,” he said.
Mohammad Zubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, also hoped the court would rule in favour of The Gambia.
He said a finding of genocide would fulfil a longstanding demand of the Rohingya by securing international recognition of their persecution and establishing that Myanmar had committed crimes against them.
Such recognition, Zubair added, could carry significant moral weight for UN member states, encouraging them to stand with the Rohingya and increasing diplomatic pressure on Myanmar.
“We are completely positive about the upcoming ruling. We have high hopes that the international community, through the ICJ, will ensure justice for our people. We believe those who persecuted and oppressed us will eventually be brought to justice,” he said.
However, he stressed that justice and a return to Myanmar were separate matters.
“Justice is one issue, while repatriation is another,” he said.
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said a genocide ruling would be significant not only for the Rohingya but also for the international community, carrying moral and diplomatic weight. It would establish that the Rohingya were a persecuted community and that Myanmar’s crimes against them had been internationally recognised, he said.
He added that the judgment could create moral pressure on UN member states to stand with the Rohingya and increase pressure on Myanmar.
Mizanur also hoped the court would recognise the Rohingya’s historical roots in Myanmar and their status as citizens.
“If the judgment recognises that the Rohingya have historically lived in Myanmar or are citizens of the country, it would become an important document against Myanmar’s long-standing claim that they are outsiders,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the ruling would not directly result in repatriation.
“Repatriation will not happen immediately as a direct consequence of the judgment. But it could strengthen the Rohingya’s position and create greater international pressure for their return,” he said.
More than one million Rohingya refugees remain in Bangladesh after fleeing the military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, amid accounts of mass killings, sexual violence and other atrocities.
No comments:
Post a Comment