The chief prosecutor of the ICC has sought an international arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military ruler, Min Aung Hlaing, over his involvement in persecution of the Rohingya minority. Karim Khan’s office made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that Hlaing is responsible for crimes against humanity in connection with the treatment of Rohingya people.
The ICC has been investigating alleged atrocities committed during the 2016-2017 violence in Rakhine State, a period when a brutal military crackdown forced at least 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. Reports from that time detail horrific acts, including killings, torture, rape, and arson against Rohingya civilians.
The prosecutor’s office explained, “Min Aung Hlaing bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh.” The charges are related explicitly to activities carried out from August 25 to December 31, 2017, by Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, supported by national police and non-Rohingya civilians.
This move by the ICC aims at upholding the resilience of the Rohingya community, over a million of whom were displaced because of military operations. Zin Mar Aung, the foreign minister for Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government, pressed the ICC judges to swiftly issue the warrant and called on governments worldwide to enforce it to uphold justice.
In turn, Myanmar’s military junta dismissed the ICC process, insisting it is not a party to the court, while professing “peaceful coexistence.” The ICC judges will now consider the application, which may take several months.
The situation in Myanmar has remained turbulent since the military coup in 2021, with armed factions increasingly challenging the military’s authority, particularly in regions bordering China. This unrest has raised concerns for Beijing, which has longstanding ties to both the military and ethnic armed groups in the area.
Early this month, Hlaing visited China for the first time since he seized power, during which reports suggested unease with the instability in Myanmar. United Nations investigators have also described the military campaign against the Rohingya as having “genocidal intent,” whereas the government of Myanmar has absolutely rejected it.
This is the first-ever request for an arrest warrant by the ICC against a high-ranking Myanmar official; the prosecutor said more are expected. In an interview from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, Khan stressed that it is important to let everyone know the Rohingya have not been forgotten and are entitled to protection under the law.
In 2022, the ICJ moved forward with a different case accusing Myanmar of genocide, brought by The Gambia and fully supported by several European nations in addition to Canada. The request from the ICC comes after arrest warrants had been issued against the leaders of Israel and Hamas this year.
