The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution condemning what it calls “human rights abuses against Rohingya muslims” in Myanmar. The move adds weight to recent genocide accusations brought before the International Court of Justice and legitimizes a previous UN call for a boycott against military linked business.

The General Assembly passed the resolution in a 134 to 9 vote with 28 abstentions. In addition to condemning military actions in Rakhine State, the resolution called on the Myanmar government to take steps to fight racist attitudes against several minority ethnic groups. The statement follows formal charges of genocide brought before the ICJ by the Gambia in December. State Counsellor and historic human rights icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi travelled to the Hague to address the charges. 

Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations Hau Do Suan called the resolution “another classic example of double standards [and] selective and discriminatory application of human rights norms.”

The resolution is another geopolitical black eye for the NLD government. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has fielded international blowback for her perceived tolerance of the military operations which have displaced more than 750,000 Rohingya Muslims since 2017. However, the actual economic impact remains to be seen. Myanmar has managed to preserve key international economic partnerships despite its damaged reputation, and has renewed ties to non-Western nations, especially China.