January 12, 2026 | 08:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A pivotal legal battle accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority opened at the United Nations' highest judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on Monday, January 12, 2026.
This marks the first genocide case to reach a full hearing at the World Court in over a decade. The eventual ruling is expected to carry weight far beyond Myanmar’s borders, potentially serving as a legal touchstone for other high-profile cases, including South Africa’s genocide petition against Israel regarding the genocidal acts in Gaza.
Myanmar has denied the allegations of genocide. "The case is likely to set critical precedents for how genocide is defined and how it can be proven, and how violations can be remedied," said Nicholas Koumjian, head of the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, as reported by CNA.
The case was originally brought to the ICJ in 2019 by the Gambia, a predominantly Muslim West African nation. The filing followed a brutal 2017 military campaign in Myanmar that forced approximately 750,000 Rohingya to flee their homes in the remote western Rakhine State for sanctuary in neighboring Bangladesh. Survivors have consistently provided harrowing accounts of mass killings, systematic rape, and widespread arson.
During Monday's opening session, Gambia’s Justice Minister Dawda Jallow told the bench that Myanmar’s military deliberately targeted the Rohingya with the intent to destroy the community.
"It is not about esoteric issues of international law. It is about real people, real stories and a real group of human beings. The Rohingya of Myanmar. They have been targeted for destruction," Jallow stated, as reported by Al Jazeera.
He emphasized that the Rohingya have been subjected to a campaign of total destruction. While a UN fact-finding mission previously concluded that the 2017 operations included "genocidal acts," Myanmar has steadfastly denied these allegations, maintaining that its actions were a legitimate counter-terrorism response to militant attacks.
Rohingya Victims Demand Justice
In The Hague and the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the Rohingya community greeted the start of the three-week trial with a mixture of solemnity and hope. Victims expressed a deep desire for the court to finally validate their suffering and deliver long-awaited accountability.
Yousuf Ali, a 52-year-old refugee who claims he was tortured by the military, stated his hope for a verdict that confirms the world’s recognition of the genocide.
Similarly, Janifa Begum, a mother of two in the camps, spoke of the dignity lost during the "eviction" campaign, where villages were razed and women became victims of widespread violence.
Despite the fact that the ICJ lacks its own enforcement mechanism to compel a sovereign state to follow its rulings, many in the community see the trial as a moral and political turning point.
Mohammad Sayed Ullah, a former teacher and member of the Rohingya Unity Council, expressed hope that the trial would provide "solace to deep wounds" and pave the way for a fair repatriation process.
Wai Wai Nu, head of the Women's Peace Network Myanmar, echoed these sentiments, urging the international community to stand firm in ending the culture of impunity that has plagued Myanmar for decades.
The current legal proceedings represent the first time the specific atrocities alleged by the Rohingya will be scrutinized in an international court, though parts of the sessions will remain closed to the public due to the sensitive nature of the testimony.
The legal pressure on Myanmar is mounting on multiple fronts; while the ICJ handles disputes between states, Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, faces a separate arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). ICC prosecutors allege the General is criminally responsible for the deportation and persecution of the ethnic group.
The trial unfolds as Myanmar continues to grapple with internal chaos following the 2021 military coup, which toppled the civilian government and ignited armed uprisings across the nation. In a 2019 preliminary hearing, then-leader Aung San Suu Kyi had dismissed the genocide claims as "misleading."
As the country currently holds staggered elections, widely condemned by the UN and human rights groups as fraudulent, the ICJ's deliberations stand as a critical international effort to address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis amidst Myanmar's broader political collapse.
Read: Myanmar Junta Sets Final Phase of General Election for January 2026
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