In a unanimous 17-0 decision on Thursday, the International Court of Justice rejected Myanmar's argument that the deaths of the Rohingya were part of an "armed military conflict."

The court will hand down its decision Jan. 23. Its orders are final and legally binding.

The 193-member world body voted 134-9 with 28 abstentions in favour of the resolution which also calls on Myanmar’s government to take urgent measures to combat incitement of hatred against the Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states.

Spanning the globe, some stories were expected while others caught the world off guard. Some, including the Rohingya exodus, Arab Spring, BP oil spill and the melting of glaciers so massive they were visible from space through the satellite imagery of Maxar Technologies.

Aung San Suu Kyi denied that her government committed genocide against the Muslim minority group at the International Court of Justice in the Hague on Wednesday.

The court was told that the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Muslims was the unfortunate result of a battle with insurgents.

The case alleges that Myanmar's actions are 'genocidal in character because they are intended to destroy the Rohingya group in whole or in part.'

Aung San Suu Kyi was pictured smiling as she walked through the airport in the nation’s capital, a day after thousands rallied in the city to support her and a prayer ceremony was held in her name.

Myanmar has been accused of carrying out human rights abuses on a massive scale in the western state of Rakhine in 2017 during what it described as a counterinsurgency campaign.

Myanmar’s government and military have consistently denied violating human rights and said its operations were justified in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents.