This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/10/aung-san-suu-kyi-court-hague-genocide-hearing-myanmar-rohingya

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at court in The Hague for genocide hearing Aung San Suu Kyi in court as genocide hearing opens in The Hague
(about 2 hours later)
Myanmar’s leader to address court on Wednesday, during case brought by the Gambia World’s failure to act over Myanmar is ‘stain on collective conscience’, court told
Myanmar’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has arrived at the international court of justice in The Hague, where she is expected to defend her country’s military against accusations of genocide. The international community’s failure to act over allegations of genocide perpetrated by Myanmar’s military against the Rohingya people is a “stain on the collective conscience” of the world, the international court of justice in the Hague has been told.
Before dawn, a long queue had assembled outside the Peace Palace in the Dutch city to witness the first of three days of hearings that will focus international attention on military clearance operations in 2017 against the Rohingya Muslim minority, which forced 700,000 people to flee across the border to neighbouring Bangladesh. Abubacarr Marie Tambadou, Gambia’s attorney general and justice minister, said as he opened his country’s case against Myanmar: “I stand before you to awaken the conscience of the world and arouse the voice of the international community. In the words of Edmund Burke, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’.”
The Burmese leader’s decision to fly to the Netherlands has proven very popular in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country that considers the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants and denies them citizenship. Myanmar’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was listening in court, is expected to defend her country’s military against the genocide accusations on Wednesday.
Tambadou said: “Another genocide is unfolding right before our eyes yet we do nothing to stop it. This is a stain on our collective conscience. It’s not only the state of Myanmar that is on trial here, it’s our collective humanity that is being put on trial.”
Before dawn, a long queue had assembled outside the Peace Palace in the Dutch city to witness the first of three days of hearings that will focus attention on military clearance operations in 2017 against the Rohingya Muslim minority, which forced 700,000 people to flee across the border to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s decision to fly to the Netherlands has proven popular in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country that considers the Rohingya to be illegal immigrants and denies them citizenship.
Once internationally feted as a human rights champion, Myanmar’s state counsellor has suffered a rapid fall of grace over what the UN has called her “complicity” in the military clearances.Once internationally feted as a human rights champion, Myanmar’s state counsellor has suffered a rapid fall of grace over what the UN has called her “complicity” in the military clearances.
The contrast has been repeatedly drawn between Aung San Suu Kyi’s 1991 peace prize win and 15 years spent under house arrest, and her present position as chief denier that any ethnic violence has been perpetrated against the Rohingya. Last year, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum revoked her Elie Wiesel award. The contrast has been repeatedly drawn between Aung San Suu Kyi’s 1991 Nobel peace prize win and 15 years spent under house arrest, and her present position as chief denier that any ethnic violence has been perpetrated against the Rohingya.
She will not address what is known as the ”world court” until Wednesday morning, when she is expected to argue that the military operations in question were a legitimate counter-terrorism response to attacks by Rohingya militants. She will not address what is known as the “world court” until Wednesday morning, when she is expected to argue that the military operations in question were a legitimate counter-terrorism response to attacks by Rohingya militants.
The case has been brought by the Gambia, a predominantly Muslim west African state that alleges Myanmar has breached the 1948 genocide convention enacted following the Holocaust. It will ask the court, the United Nation’s highest tribunal, to approve temporary measures to protect the Rohingya. The case has been brought by the Gambia, a predominantly Muslim west African state that alleges Myanmar has breached the 1948 genocide convention enacted following the Holocaust.
Among those in the court were several Rohingya survivors who had flown in from Kutapalong refugee camp, the largest outside Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh. The Gambia’s claim states that Myanmar has perpetrated “manifest” contraventions of the convention through the acts of its military, and continues to do so.
Those acts, the court was told, have included “extrajudicial killings, rape or other forms of sexual violence, burning of homes and destruction of livestock … calculated to bring about a destruction of the Rohingya group in whole or in part.”
Among those in the court were several Rohingya survivors who had flown in from Kutupalong refugee camp, the largest outside Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
Hamida Khatun, Yousuf Ali and Hasina Begum were supported by the human rights organisation Legal Action Worldwide, which was founded by a former UN investigator of the violence, Antonia Mulvey.Hamida Khatun, Yousuf Ali and Hasina Begum were supported by the human rights organisation Legal Action Worldwide, which was founded by a former UN investigator of the violence, Antonia Mulvey.
“This is a momentous occasion. They have travelled a long way to be here,” Mulvey said outside the court. “They are seeking justice and this is the first and most important step.“This is a momentous occasion. They have travelled a long way to be here,” Mulvey said outside the court. “They are seeking justice and this is the first and most important step.
“They are the representatives from their community. For them it’s a powerful moment to see Aung San Suu Kyi present in court. They have been shocked to see her defending the military.“They are the representatives from their community. For them it’s a powerful moment to see Aung San Suu Kyi present in court. They have been shocked to see her defending the military.
“Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing to stop the killing. She could have asked for help from the international community at the time. And now, as the final insult, she’s defending the army’s behaviour in court.”“Aung San Suu Kyi did nothing to stop the killing. She could have asked for help from the international community at the time. And now, as the final insult, she’s defending the army’s behaviour in court.”
Khatun, 50, is a leader of the “Shanti Mohila” a group of 400 Rohingya women in the Kutupalong camp. Her family and friends were murdered in the 2017 security operations. Khatun, 50, is a leader of the Shanti Mohila, a group of 400 Rohingya women in the Kutupalong camp. Her family and friends were murdered in the 2017 security operations.
Begum, 22, was attacked by Myanmar soldiers. Ali, 46, was beaten and sexually tortured by Myanmar police in detention because he was accused of supporting the Arakine Rohingya Salvation Army, which the Taymadaw, Myanmar army, describes as a terrorist organisation. Begum, 22, was attacked by Myanmar soldiers. Ali, 46, was beaten and sexually tortured by Myanmar police in detention because he was accused of supporting the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which the Myanmar army describes as a terrorist organisation.
Ahead of the hearing, Akila Radhakrishnan of the New York-based Global Justice Center, said: “The international community is many years too late on taking action in Myanmar, but this case represents the first hope in decades for the Rohingya and other persecuted ethnic groups in the country. Indiscriminate killings, widespread rape and sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and torture have been everyday reality in Myanmar for far too long. The court has an opportunity with this case to help end it all.”