Amal Clooney has been hired by the Maldives to be its representative at the United Nations’ World Court, as the island country joins the fight against the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
In 2017, Myanmar’s army underwent a military operation that the United Nations has referred to as “a textbook ethnic cleansing,” targeting the people of the Rohingya ethnic group.
A great number of the persecuted minority fled into bordering countries, including Bangladesh and India.
As a result, the majorly-Muslim African nation of The Gambia has been formally protesting the inhuman military crackdown through the UN’s highest court.
The Maldives announced on Wednesday, February 26th, its official decision to side with The Gambia in pursuit of justice for the persecuted Muslim minority of the Southeast Asian nation.
Amal Clooney, a distinguished Lebanese-British international human rights lawyer, spoke for the Maldivian government at the World Court and represented the island country’s former president, Mohammad Nasheed, upon her appointment by the same government.
Along with numerous opposers of the Maldives’ former “strongman” president, Abdulla Yameen, Nasheed was jailed in 2015 for challenging the authoritarian government system.
In her representation of the Maldives, Amal Clooney successfully obtained a UN decision that cleared Mohammad Nasheed’s name and recognized his 13-year jail sentence to be illegal.
In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), which is a majorly-Buddhist nation, to implement urgent measures to halt the genocide of the Rohingya Muslims.
The ruling was made considering that a full case by the World Court could take years to achieve results.
“Accountability for genocide in Myanmar is long overdue and I look forward to working on this important effort to seek judicial remedies for Rohingya survivors,” Amal Clooney said during her attendance at the World Court.
Myanmar’s military has committed appalling atrocities against the Rohingya people since initiating its genocide operations against the ethnic group back in August 2017.
By the end of 2018, it was estimated that more than 24,000 Rohingya men, women, and children were killed by both the army and nationalist Buddhist militia.
Moreover, over 14,000 women and girls were brutally beaten and raped. According to the most recent records, more than 740,000 Rohingya people were forced by the persecution to escape into neighboring countries.
Amal Clooney has distinguished herself internationally for her high intelligence, professionalism, capabilities, and determination for justice and human rights. She’s a top example of Lebanese women leaders and their aptitudes to create positive changes.