In Rohingya camps, fragile hope rests on UN genocide case
Refugees in Bangladesh look to Hague hearings for long-denied justice, accountability and a path toward dignified return
COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (MNTV) — In the sprawling refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where more than one million Rohingya live in overcrowded and fragile conditions, news from a courtroom thousands of kilometers away has stirred cautious hope.
As hearings open at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Rohingya refugees are closely following a genocide case against Myanmar, viewing it as a rare opportunity for global recognition of the violence that forced them to flee nearly a decade ago.
Janifa Begum, a 37-year-old mother of two living in the Kutupalong camp, talking to Japan Times, said the Rohingya seek justice and peace after their villages were burned, men were killed, women endured severe violence, and families lost everything they owned.
The case, filed by The Gambia, accuses Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during the military’s 2017 campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar’s ruling authorities have rejected the allegations.
For many refugees, the proceedings represent long-overdue acknowledgment of their suffering.
Ullah recalled a harrowing escape through jungles and swamps that took more than two weeks. “We saw villages burning and people killed. Entire communities were destroyed. It was soaked in blood,” he said.
Human rights advocates within the camps say the case carries deep symbolic importance, even if the ICJ lacks direct enforcement powers.
The violence against the Rohingya was described as systematic and driven by state authorities, with recognition by the court seen as a way to restore dignity to victims and reinforce global accountability.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the outcome, refugees say the hearings keep alive the possibility of justice and a safe return home.
The Rohingya crisis erupted in 2017 after Myanmar’s military launched a sweeping operation in Rakhine State, driving hundreds of thousands across the border into Bangladesh.
The United Nations and multiple international human rights organizations have described the campaign as involving mass killings, sexual violence and destruction of villages, calling it a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.
Bangladesh continues to host the world’s largest refugee settlement, while repatriation efforts have repeatedly stalled amid security and citizenship concerns.
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