International court judges authorise Rohingya investigation

International Criminal Court judges have approved a request from prosecutors to open an investigation into crimes committed against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority.

The court said Thursday that it has jurisdiction over crimes partially committed in Bangladesh, which is a member state of the court.

Myanmar is not a member of the global court. It has been accused of committing widespread abuses in a campaign against the Rohingya.

Myanmar's military began a counterinsurgency campaign against the Rohingya in August 2017 in response to an insurgent attack.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape what has been called an ethnic cleansing campaign involving mass rapes, killings and the torching of homes.