In a legal victory for members of the Rohingya Muslim minority, the United Nations’ top court today ordered Myanmar take all measures in its power to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people. The court’s president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said the International Court of Justice “is of the opinion that the Rohingya in Myanmar remain extremely vulnerable.”In a unanimous decision, the court added that its order for so-called provisional measures intended to protect the Rohingya is binding “and creates international legal obligations” on Myanmar. The court also ordered Myanmar to “take effective measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence related” to allegations of genocidal acts. Yasmin Ullah, a Ronhingya activist who lives in Vancouver and was in court for the decision, called it a historic ruling. But their order to protect the Rohingya made clear they fear for ongoing attacks.

Source: The Standard January 23, 2020 12:00 UTC