Yangon, Dec 8 (AFP/APP): The Myanmar military launched a ferocious crackdown against its Rohingya Muslim population in 2017, driving around 740,000 into neighbouring Bangladesh. On Tuesday the UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is hearing a case brought by Gambia accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya. Civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is leading the delegation to The Hague to defend the military. Here are key dates in the crisis: – Army operations – On August 25, 2017 Rohingya militants stage coordinated attacks on police posts in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, killing at least a dozen officers. The army retaliates with operations in Rohingya villages ostensibly to flush out insurgents. It says it killed 400 rebels but opponents say most of the dead were civilians. The United Nations says at least 1,000 people lost their lives in the first two weeks of the military operations. – Refugee exodus – By September 5 more than 120,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh, overwhelming its ill-equipped refugee camps. Many speak of abuses by the army and members of the Rakhine ethnic group, who are majority Buddhist. There are already at least 200,000 Rohingya in Bangladesh from previous waves of violence. … Continue reading The Rohingya refugee crisis in key dates