Saying she saw with her own eyes her two daughters killed by the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military, Rahima Khatun is hopeful the US designation of the 2017 onslaught against the&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;as "genocide" will bring some justice.

The girls, thrown into a burning house as their village was razed to the ground, were among thousands of victims of a brutal crackdown against&nbsp;Myanmar's long-marginalised Muslim minority.

Myanmar's junta denies the allegations and the case is currently being heard at the United Nations' highest court at The Hague, but the US declaration has provided hope for justice among many&nbsp;Rohingya.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-military-junta-categorically-rejects-us-allegation-of-rohingya-genocide-464692">Myanmar military junta 'categorically rejects' US allegation of Rohingya genocide</a>

"The&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military slaughtered and raped women. One day they came and threw our children alive into the fire. My two daughters were among them," said Khatun, 52, tears rolling down her cheeks at a refugee camp in&nbsp;Bangladesh.

The crackdown prompted an exodus of about 740,000 people into&nbsp;Bangladesh, joining more than 100,000 others who had fled earlier waves of violence.

They live in a vast network of squalid camps made up of bamboo shacks, refusing to return home until&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;ensures the rights of the&nbsp;Rohingya.

Washington said this week there was clear evidence of an attempt at the "destruction" of the minority group.

Community leaders in the camps, activists and victims told AFP that the US move would bring&nbsp;Myanmar's military to account and -- perhaps -- allow them to go back and rebuild their villages and lives across the border.

"We have been waiting for a long time for this day. The US is the world's most powerful nation. Their&nbsp;decision&nbsp;will reverberate across the world. Maybe we'll get justice soon," local leader Sayed Ullah told AFP.

Ullah, 33, who heads a&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;rights group in the camps, also lost several relatives and dozens of fellow villagers during the 2017 offensive.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-armenia-to-myanmar-accusations-of-genocide-in-the-past-464634">From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past</a>

Young&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;activist Sawyeddollah, 23, said news of the US&nbsp;decision&nbsp;spread like wildfire through the settlements, with people sharing video of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's speech&nbsp;on&nbsp;cellphones.

"I hope the Biden administration will create a quick tribunal to go for action to implement their&nbsp;decision," Sawyeddollah said.

"America didn't say anything all these years. But yesterday's&nbsp;decision&nbsp;made all of us very happy," said Robi Ullah, 45, another refugee.

Siraj Ullah, 65, said he offered prayers to God to express gratitude to the United States.&nbsp;

"I hope they (the US) can ensure our repatriation as early as possible. If we get all of our rights back we are agreed to go back to our homeland instantly," Ullah told AFP.

No genocidal intent

Myanmar's junta&nbsp;on&nbsp;Tuesday said it "categorically rejects" the US declaration.

"Myanmar&nbsp;has never engaged in any genocidal actions and does not have any genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial or religious group or any other group," it said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-determines-myanmar-army-committed-genocide-against-rohingya-464174">United States determines Myanmar army committed genocide against Rohingya</a>

Bangladesh, which has borne the brunt of sheltering the refugees, called the US&nbsp;decision&nbsp;overdue but still "good news", and said it would strengthen the case against&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;at the International Court of Justice.

"I believe, hopefully after the statement of the US Secretary of State, they (Washington) will also put more pressure&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;government so that they take back their people as they have already promised,"&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said.

He added however that&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;was continuing to stall repatriation efforts, most recently by issuing a list of 700&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;who could return which he said was "defective" and likely to be rejected by the&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;community.

"The way the list is prepared, it feels like it lacks goodwill and smacks of ulterior motives," he said.

Mohammad Zafar, another&nbsp;Rohingya&nbsp;community leader in Kutupalong, the biggest of the refugee camps -- and the largest in the world -- played down the prospect of returning home any time soon.

"I highly doubt whether it will bring any change to our fate. We are literally stranded in a foreign land for years, barely surviving," he said.

"The damage has been done to us. Nothing can compensate unless there are visible actions," Zafar told AFP.

Watch |&nbsp;Myanmar committed genocide against Rohingya, says US. But what is genocide?

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Saying she saw with her own eyes her two daughters killed by the Myanmar military, Rahima Khatun is hopeful the US designation of the 2017 onslaught against the Rohingya as "genocide" will bring some justice.

Saying she saw with her own eyes her two daughters killed by the Myanmar military, Rahima Khatun is hopeful the US designation of the 2017 onslaught against the Rohingya as "genocide" will bring some justice. The girls, thrown into a burning house as their village was razed to the ground, were among thousands of victims of a brutal crackdown against Myanmar's long-marginalised Muslim minority. Myanmar's junta denies the allegations and the case is currently being heard at the United Nations' highest court at The Hague, but the US declaration has provided hope for justice among many Rohingya. Also read | Myanmar military junta 'categorically rejects' US allegation of Rohingya genocide "The Myanmar military slaughtered and raped women. One day they came and threw our children alive into the fire. My two daughters were among them," said Khatun, 52, tears rolling down her cheeks at a refugee camp in Bangladesh. The crackdown prompted an exodus of about 740,000 people into Bangladesh, joining more than 100,000 others who had fled earlier waves of violence. They live in a vast network of squalid camps made up of bamboo shacks, refusing to return home until Myanmar ensures the rights of the Rohingya. Washington said this week there was clear evidence of an attempt at the "destruction" of the minority group. Community leaders in the camps, activists and victims told AFP that the US move would bring Myanmar's military to account and -- perhaps -- allow them to go back and rebuild their villages and lives across the border. "We have been waiting for a long time for this day. The US is the world's most powerful nation. Their decision will reverberate across the world. Maybe we'll get justice soon," local leader Sayed Ullah told AFP. Ullah, 33, who heads a Rohingya rights group in the camps, also lost several relatives and dozens of fellow villagers during the 2017 offensive. Also read | From Armenia to Myanmar: Accusations of genocide in the past Young Rohingya activist Sawyeddollah, 23, said news of the US decision spread like wildfire through the settlements, with people sharing video of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's speech on cellphones. "I hope the Biden administration will create a quick tribunal to go for action to implement their decision," Sawyeddollah said. "America didn't say anything all these years. But yesterday's decision made all of us very happy," said Robi Ullah, 45, another refugee. Siraj Ullah, 65, said he offered prayers to God to express gratitude to the United States. "I hope they (the US) can ensure our repatriation as early as possible. If we get all of our rights back we are agreed to go back to our homeland instantly," Ullah told AFP. No genocidal intent Myanmar's junta on Tuesday said it "categorically rejects" the US declaration. "Myanmar has never engaged in any genocidal actions and does not have any genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial or religious group or any other group," it said. Also read | United States determines Myanmar army committed genocide against Rohingya Bangladesh, which has borne the brunt of sheltering the refugees, called the US decision overdue but still "good news", and said it would strengthen the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. "I believe, hopefully after the statement of the US Secretary of State, they (Washington) will also put more pressure on the Myanmar government so that they take back their people as they have already promised," Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said. He added however that Myanmar was continuing to stall repatriation efforts, most recently by issuing a list of 700 Rohingya who could return which he said was "defective" and likely to be rejected by the Rohingya community. "The way the list is prepared, it feels like it lacks goodwill and smacks of ulterior motives," he said. Mohammad Zafar, another Rohingya community leader in Kutupalong, the biggest of the refugee camps -- and the largest in the world -- played down the prospect of returning home any time soon. "I highly doubt whether it will bring any change to our fate. We are literally stranded in a foreign land for years, barely surviving," he said. "The damage has been done to us. Nothing can compensate unless there are visible actions," Zafar told AFP. Watch | Myanmar committed genocide against Rohingya, says US. But what is genocide?

Rohingya in Bangladesh cheer US decision on Myanmar 'genocide'

The United States officially declared Monday that violence against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's military amounted to&nbsp;genocide, saying there was clear evidence of an attempt to "destroy" the Muslim minority.

Citing the killings of thousands and forcing close to a million to flee the country in 2016 and 2017, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had "determined that members of the Burmese military committed&nbsp;genocide&nbsp;and crimes against humanity against Rohingya."

"The military's intent went beyond ethnic cleansing to the actual destruction of Rohingya," Blinken said at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"The attack against Rohingya was widespread and systematic, which is crucial for reaching a determination of crimes against humanity."

Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, recounting mass killings and rape, while another 600,000 members of the community remain in Myanmar's Rakhine state where they report widespread oppression.

Rohingya welcome move&nbsp;

The move was cautiously welcomed by activists and members of the beleaguered community.

"This should have been done way before, however I believe the US decision will help the ICJ (International Court of Justice) process for the Rohingya," said a Rohingya at a camp for those displaced by the crisis near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine.

Thin Thin Hlaing, a Rohingya rights activist, also welcomed the US move.

"I feel like we were living through a blackout but now we see a light, because they recognize our suffering," she told AFP.

Blinken noted 2017 remarks by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military, that the government was "solving" an "unfinished job" in its destruction of Rohingya communities.

Blinken added that Min Aung Hlaing led the 2021 coup overthrowing the elected government of Myanmar.

The Holocaust Museum prepared its own report in late 2017 with the group Fortify Rights that concluded there was compelling evidence of crimes against humanity in Myanmar.

The State Department released a report in 2018 that detailed violence against the Rohingya in western Rakhine state as "extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents."

A legal designation of&nbsp;genocide&nbsp;-- defined by the UN as acts "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group" -- could be followed by further sanctions and limits on aid, among other penalties against the already-isolated military junta.

A case opened against Myanmar at the ICJ in 2019 has been complicated by last year's coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government, triggering mass protests and a bloody crackdown.

The Nobel peace laureate, who faced criticism from rights groups for her involvement in the Rohingya case, is now under house arrest and on trial by the same generals she defended at The Hague.

The United States officially declared Monday that violence against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's military amounted to genocide, saying there was clear evidence of an attempt to "destroy" the Muslim minority.

The United States officially declared Monday that violence against the Rohingya committed by Myanmar's military amounted to genocide, saying there was clear evidence of an attempt to "destroy" the Muslim minority. Citing the killings of thousands and forcing close to a million to flee the country in 2016 and 2017, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had "determined that members of the Burmese military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Rohingya." "The military's intent went beyond ethnic cleansing to the actual destruction of Rohingya," Blinken said at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. "The attack against Rohingya was widespread and systematic, which is crucial for reaching a determination of crimes against humanity." Around 850,000 Rohingya are languishing in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh, recounting mass killings and rape, while another 600,000 members of the community remain in Myanmar's Rakhine state where they report widespread oppression. Rohingya welcome move The move was cautiously welcomed by activists and members of the beleaguered community. "This should have been done way before, however I believe the US decision will help the ICJ (International Court of Justice) process for the Rohingya," said a Rohingya at a camp for those displaced by the crisis near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine. Thin Thin Hlaing, a Rohingya rights activist, also welcomed the US move. "I feel like we were living through a blackout but now we see a light, because they recognize our suffering," she told AFP. Blinken noted 2017 remarks by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military, that the government was "solving" an "unfinished job" in its destruction of Rohingya communities. Blinken added that Min Aung Hlaing led the 2021 coup overthrowing the elected government of Myanmar. The Holocaust Museum prepared its own report in late 2017 with the group Fortify Rights that concluded there was compelling evidence of crimes against humanity in Myanmar. The State Department released a report in 2018 that detailed violence against the Rohingya in western Rakhine state as "extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the population and driving out the Rohingya residents." A legal designation of genocide -- defined by the UN as acts "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group" -- could be followed by further sanctions and limits on aid, among other penalties against the already-isolated military junta. A case opened against Myanmar at the ICJ in 2019 has been complicated by last year's coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government, triggering mass protests and a bloody crackdown. The Nobel peace laureate, who faced criticism from rights groups for her involvement in the Rohingya case, is now under house arrest and on trial by the same generals she defended at The Hague.

US declares Myanmar committed genocide against Rohingya

Rohingya exodus and their horror trail since August, 2017

The International Court of Justice on January 23 will rule on a request by Gambia for emergency measures in Myanmar to protect Rohingya Muslims, to stop the violence immediately, and to preserve evidence of past abuses against the ethnic minority. Gambia launched the lawsuit at the UN’s highest body for disputes between states in November, accusing Myanmar of genocide against Rohingya, in violation of a 1948 convention.

ICJ to rule on emergency measures in Rohingya genocide case