Myanmar has denied committing genocide against the Rohingya people, saying The Gambia has failed to provide enough proof as it began its defense at the UN's top court.
Ko Ko Hlaing, a Myanmar government representative, told judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the allegation was unsubstantiated.
Earlier this week, The Gambia's foreign minister, Dawda Jallow, told the court that Myanmar wanted to erase the minority Muslim population through its genocidal policies.
Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to neighbouring Bangladesh during an army crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
A damning report issued by the UN the following year said that top military figures in Myanmar must be investigated for genocide in the Rakhine state and crimes against humanity in other areas.
Myanmar, which has been under military control since the overthrow of the civilian government in 2021, rejected the report and has consistently said its operations targeted militant or insurgent threats.
Hlaing stated that Myanmar was not obliged to remain idle and allow terrorists to have free reign of northern Rakhine, where most Rohingya lived and insisted that these attacks justified military clearance operations.
The Gambia launched its case against Myanmar in 2019, claiming the Rohingya had endured decades of persecution, culminating in the brutal military crackdown.
Lawyers for The Gambia argued that the killings of civilians and the destruction of villages could not be reasonably justified as combatting terrorism.
The court will also hear from witnesses, including Rohingya survivors, in closed sessions, with a final ruling expected towards the end of 2026. This case holds significant implications, potentially serving as a precedent for other genocide cases worldwide.
