CNI News

January 16, 2026

Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, representing the Myanmar delegation, argued at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that accusing counter-terrorism operations against violent attacks of being "genocide" is a baseless allegation.

Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing presented this defense on behalf of the Myanmar delegation at the ICJ on January 16, 2026.

He testified that Myanmar complies with international agreements and regulations. He further argued that the genocide allegations are groundless, asserting that no genocide was committed and that the actions taken were merely counter-terrorism operations in response to violence.

The ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands, is currently conducting hearings from January 12 to January 29, 2026, regarding the case filed by The Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Bengali people.

Following the initial proceedings, the Myanmar delegation is presenting its arguments in two sessions: first from January 16 to January 20, and again from January 28 to January 29.

Under the National League for Democracy (NLD) government on August 25, 2017, the ARSA terrorist group launched simultaneous attacks on 30 Border Guard Police outposts in Rakhine State and killed non-Muslim civilians.

Subsequently, the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) conducted "area clearance operations," after which approximately 700,000 Bengalis fled to Bangladesh. The Gambia filed the lawsuit at the ICJ, alleging that this displacement constituted genocide.

Myanmar is currently defending itself against these charges at the ICJ. The team led by Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing previously represented Myanmar at the ICJ in February 2022 as well.