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THE HAGUE: Myanmar on Friday dismissed as “unsubstantiated” allegations that it committed genocide against its Rohingya minority, telling the International Court of Justice that its brutal crackdown was a “counterterrorism operation.”

“This case will be decided on the basis of proven facts, not unsubstantiated allegations. Emotional language and blurry factual pictures are not a substitute for a rigorous presentation of facts,” Ko Ko Hlaing, a minister in the president’s office, told the court.

Myanmar is defending itself from accusations brought by The Gambia that it committed genocide against its Rohingya Muslim minority in a 2017 crackdown.

It has always maintained the crackdown by its armed forces, known as the Tatmadaw, was justified to root out Rohingya insurgents after a series of attacks left a dozen security personnel dead.

“Myanmar was not obliged to remain idle and allow terrorists to have free reign of northern Rakhine states,” Hlaing told the judges.

“These attacks were the reasons for the clearance operations, which is a military term referring to counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operations,” added Hlaing.