Myanmar denies genocide, terms Rohingyas 'Bengali community'

Myanmar has again refused to accept the Rohingyas as an ethnicity, describing them as "Bengali Community" while responding to the latest US decision which announced that the Myanmar military is responsible for committing genocide against the Rohingya people in Rakhine State, reports UNB.

"As such Myanmar has never engaged in any genocidal actions and does not have any genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial or religious group or any other group," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Myanmar in a press release in which Myanmar described the Rohingyas as "Bengali Community."

The Myanmar Ministry reiterated that Myanmar as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) under the Charter of the United Nations is fully committed to respecting all the existing obligations.

"The narratives mentioned in the speech of the Secretary of State are found to be far from realities and references made were also from unreliable and unverifiable sources as well as sweeping allegations," reads the media release which was shared on its verified page.

Myanmar strongly objected and categorically rejected the remarks made by the Secretary of State of the United States of America as the contents and narratives therein are politically motivated and tantamount to interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State.

Matthew Smith, chief executive officer at Fortify Rights, termed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's announcement "historic" for the Rohingya and all people of Myanmar and also for wider efforts to prevent and remedy genocide.

In November 2019, Gambia filed a case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the UN's highest court, for failing to prevent or punish genocide against Rohingya Muslims. The case is ongoing.