Myanmar has denied committing genocide against the Rohingya people as it started its defence at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Ko Ko Hlaing, a Myanmar government official, told judges that The Gambia had not provided enough proof. He called the charges "unsubstantiated." Earlier this week, The Gambia's foreign minister Dawda Jallow accused Myanmar of "genocidal policies" aimed at erasing its Muslim minority. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and over 700,000 fled to Bangladesh during Myanmar's army crackdown in 2017. A UN report in 2018 advised investigating Myanmar's military leaders for genocide and crimes against humanity. Myanmar has rejected the report, saying it targeted only militants and terrorists. Hlaing said on Friday, "Myanmar was not obliged to remain idle and allow terrorists to have free reign of northern Rakhine states." He called the army actions "clearance operations," a term for counter-terrorism. The Gambia opened the case in 2019, inspired by its own military past. Jallow said the Rohingya had faced decades of brutal persecution and propaganda, followed by military attacks and "genocidal policies." Lawyers said the killing of women, children, and elders, plus village destruction, could not be justified as fighting terrorism. Philippe Sands, representing The Gambia, said, "The only reasonable conclusion to reach is that a genocidal intent permeated Myanmar's state-led actions against the Rohingya." The case has backing from 57 countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Over one million Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh’s Cox's Bazar camps, some of the largest in the world. Hlaing said Myanmar wants to repatriate them but was delayed by external issues like Covid-19. He said, "Myanmar's commitment contradicts Gambia's narrative that Myanmar's intention is to destroy or forcibly deport this population." He added, "A finding of genocide would place an indelible stain on my country and its people." The court will hear witness testimonies, including from Rohingya survivors, in closed sessions. A final verdict is expected by late 2026. This case is the first genocide trial at the ICJ in over a decade and may influence future cases, like South Africa v Israel over Gaza. The 1948 UN Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts done "with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." The Gambia accuses Myanmar of violating this treaty in its treatment of the Rohingya.