Opinion: Myanmar ruling sets important precedent for genocide prevention

The ruling by the International Court of Justice that the Rohingya minority in Myanmar remains at serious risk of genocide sets an important precedent and could help prevent genocide in the future, argues Dr Julie Norman (UCL Political Science). The International Court of Justice (ICJ)  ruled  unanimously on January 23 that the Rohingya minority in Myanmar remains at serious risk of genocide, and that Myanmar must take "all measures within its power" to prevent it. The ruling was right for the Myanmar case, and also sets an important precedent for the prevention of genocide in other conflicts. The suit against Myanmar was filed in November by the Gambia, Africa's smallest nation,  alleging  that Myanmar was violating the  1948 Genocide Convention  and committing an "ongoing genocide against its minority Muslim Rohingya population." The court panel of 17 judges  ordered  Myanmar and its military to prevent acts of genocide, including killing as well as causing serious bodily or mental harm, and also ordered Myanmar to cease destroying any evidence of possible genocide that may have occurred. Myanmar must report back in four months and then every six months for follow-ups on how it is implementing the ruling. This ruling is important for Myanmar and for international genocide prevention more broadly. For Myanmar, based on my recent  fieldwork  there, the United Nations was right in assessing that genocide in Myanmar is likely to reoccur.