Myanmar on Friday dismissed allegations of genocide against its Rohingya minority as “unsubstantiated,” telling the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that its 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine State was a counter-terrorism operation.

Addressing the UN’s top court, Ko Ko Hlaing, a minister in Myanmar’s president’s office, said the case should be decided on proven facts rather than what he described as emotional claims. Myanmar is responding to a case filed by The Gambia, which accuses the country of breaching the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Myanmar has long maintained that the military action followed attacks on security forces by Rohingya militants and was aimed at restoring order. Hlaing said the military was not obliged to remain inactive in the face of such attacks.

Earlier in the hearings, The Gambia argued that Myanmar’s actions showed genocidal intent, citing widespread abuses that forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Today, about 1.17 million Rohingya live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

The ICJ is expected to take months or years to reach a final ruling. While its decisions are not directly enforceable, a judgment in favor of The Gambia would increase international pressure on Myanmar. Hearings are scheduled to conclude on January 29.

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