Reacting to the testimony of the government of Myanmar in the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Oxfam’s Head of Humanitarian Campaigns Fionna Smyth said all ethnic groups living in Rakhine state speak of ongoing violence committed against them by the Myanmar military.
The case was launched by The Gambia, alleging Myanmar violated the 1948 Genocide Convention.
“The situation is particularly urgent and particularly stark for the tens of thousands of Rohingya forced to live in squalid camps behind barbed wire fences and military checkpoints, unable to take children to hospital or school, or to go fishing or to the market," Smyth said.
Oxfam called on the international community to support the government of Bangladesh and the people of Cox’s Bazar, who continue to generously provide for the Rohingya.
It commended the government of Bangladesh for lifting restrictions on internet use in the Cox’s Bazar camps to allow the Rohingya to be fully aware of the proceedings of the ICJ case.
Oxfam also called on the government to maintain this access to internet to allow Rohingya to continue to engage with the wider world as decisions are made about their lives and futures.