The Rohingyas living in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar see victory for Bangladesh in the International Court of Justice rule that ordered Myanmar to stop genocidal acts in Rakhine.
The Rohingyas in prayer gatherings on Friday (Jan 28) expressed gratitude for Bangladesh and Gambia, a small country in western Africa that took brought allegations of genocide against Myanmar in the United Nations court.
They said that the ruling was a victory for both the countries.
“ICJ ruling against Myanmar is the first step towards the Rohingyas’ dreams coming true,” said Mohammad Alam, the chief of the Leda Rohingya Camp Development Community in Teknaf.
The prayer gatherings were held in mosques where hundreds of Rohingyas who fled Myanmar in the face of a military crackdown.
The refugees called for exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the genocide.
On Thursday (Jan 23) ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect its Rohingya population from genocide, a ruling cheered by refugees as their first major legal victory since being forced from their homes.
A lawsuit launched by the Gambia in November at the United Nations' highest body for disputes between states accuses Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya in violation of a 1948 convention.
The court's final decision could take years, and Thursday's ruling dealt only with Gambia's request for preliminary measures. But in a unanimous ruling by the 17 judge panel, the court said the Rohingya face an ongoing threat and Myanmar must act to protect them.