The Military Council sent a ministerial team led by U Ko Ko Hlaing, Deputy Chairman of the Steering Committee on Litigation at the ICJ and Minister of International Cooperation, to visit Rakhine state to prepare a counter- claim to the genocide charges filed by Gambia (western African state) against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The Gambia has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming that Myanmar military committed genocidal crimes against Rohingya Muslims during the 2017 riots in the Maungdaw region of Rakhine State.
The Myanmar government submitted four objections to the ICJ last year stating that such allegations are false, but all four objections were rejected by the ICJ on July 22, 2022.
The team led by Union Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing arrived in Sittwe, Rakhine State on the morning of February 5. The SAC-appointed ministers discussed with the village ministrators in the region, including the Rakhine State Chief Minister, about the issue of the Myanmar government’s ability to submit another counter -memorandum to the ICJ.
In 2016 and 2017, the Myanmar military’s ‘clearance operations’ in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships forced about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, the United Nations announced after a special investigation. Many Rohingya were killed before they were able to reach refugees camps in Bangladesh.
The team of ministers included the Chairman of Rakhine State Peace and Development Coordination Committee and Minister of Border Affairs, Lieutenant General Tun Tun Naung,
Deputy Chairman and Minister of International Cooperation U Ko Ko Hlaing, Deputy Chairman (2) Minister of Social Work Relief and Resettlement Dr. Thet Thet Khaing, and Minister of Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing.
The ministers also inspected the conditions for the resettlement of IDPs from Rakhine State, the resettlement of IDPs to their original homes, the closure of temporary camps, and issues related to the development of Rakhine State.
During their visit, they discussed ICJ issues and visited the Kaladan River Multipurpose Transport Project in Sittwe, a Myanmar-India joint venture.They also attended the opening ceremony of the 76th Anniversary Union Day Fair, the Rakhine State MSME Product Exhibition and Sales held at Waithali Stadium in Sittwe on February 6.
After that, they visited BEHS 4 in Sittwe to observe student Covid-19 vaccinations, and visited the Domestic Vocational Training School in Sittwe meeting with trainees attending the tailoring course.
