Arakan News Agency
Mobile phone users in Myanmar have received text messages supporting the delegation of the Myanmar military council representing the country before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The messages claim that the delegation enjoys widespread popular support during the hearings concerning allegations of genocide against the Rohingya.
According to Think Media, the messages were sent through telecom companies linked to the Myanmar military council, including Mytel and the state-owned MPT. The messages described the delegation as defending Myanmar’s sovereignty and dignity before the international court.
The delegation is headed by Union Minister U Ko Ko Hlaing from the Office of the Prime Minister, who is attending the hearings held in The Hague, Netherlands.
Meanwhile, pro-Myanmar military networks have intensified their online campaigns to show support for the delegation, through coordinated posts and pages praising Myanmar’s defense before the ICJ.
Pro-military lobby groups reported that Meta removed a number of Facebook accounts and pages that were actively promoting support for the military council’s case.
Separately, groups loyal to the Myanmar military announced plans to organize protests in Mandalay in response to arguments presented by Gambia’s legal team at the court.
Recently, the International Court of Justice in The Hague began reviewing the historic case filed by Gambia against Myanmar, accusing the country’s leadership of deliberately attempting to commit genocide against the Rohingya during the military crackdown carried out in 2017.
Gambia first submitted its application in November 2019, accusing Myanmar of violating the Genocide Convention. A UN Human Rights Council-mandated investigation in 2018 reported that there were reasonable grounds to conclude that serious crimes had been committed under international law, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Gambia’s pursuit of justice has received support from 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in addition to 11 other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada.
