Rohingya leaders want to know the measures taken by the Myanmar government to protect the minority Rohingyas from genocide in Rakhaine State as per the directive of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
"On 22 May 2020, Myanmar submitted the first report indicated in the ICJ Order on provisional measures of 23 January 2020," the ICJ said in a tweet, without giving further details.
The contents of Myanmar's report, of which a copy is to be sent to Gambia, however, will remain confidential until its judges decide to make it public, the court officials told media.
Knowing the situation, Rohingya leaders urged to make the report public, the first report submitted by the Myanmar to the ICJ as soon as possible and called for "redoubling their pressure on Myanmar" to comply with the court's provisional measures.
"Make no mistake - the genocide against the Rohingya is continuing unabated in Myanmar," Tun Khin, president of the British-based Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK on Monday said in a statement demanding to make the report public.
He said that 'women, men and children continue to suffer a hellish existence' in Rakhine.
The Hague-based court (ICJ) made a provisional order in January that Myanmar must take 'all measures within its power' to stop the alleged genocide of the minority group, and that it must report to the court at regular intervals. Gambia filed the case and completed the hearing in December where former civilian leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi presented Myanmar's case.
Rohingya pressure groups however said Myanmar had taken 'no meaningful steps whatsoever' to improve the situation in Rakhine since the ICJ decision in January.
"We heard that the Myanmar government narrated a rosy picture in their report where they mentioned about the 'Model Village Programme', the new rehabilitation programme of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, however, they did not discuss about the Rohingyas own property, like land, houses and other properties, they did not mentioned anything about the recent repression against Rohingyas, which compelled 300 Rohingya families to stay afloat on boat on sea for a week," Mohammad Zafar Alam, former president of Rohingya Welfare Association told the Daily Observer on Wednesday.
He said, "We are facing serious problem there (Rakhine State) since 2016. The Buddhist people did not like us, they attacked us first, later the army came and we faced genocide there--the genocide against the Rohingya is continuing unabated in Myanmar."
He said that women, men and children continue to suffer in Rakhine.
In a unanimous ruling, the ICJ early this year rejected arguments by Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi that the extent of crimes against the Rohingyas might have been exaggerated, and that it was an internal affair.
Myanmar was ordered to report back after four months and then every six months after that. It was also ordered not to destroy any evidence of crimes against the Rohingyas.