The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has officially requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, citing his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity targeting the Rohingya Muslim population.
Announcing the development on Wednesday, Khan stated that a meticulous, independent investigation led to the conclusion that there are “reasonable grounds” to hold the general accountable. “Senior General and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing bears criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity,” Khan emphasized in his statement.
The ICC launched its investigation into the Rohingya crisis in 2019, examining atrocities in Myanmar’s Rakhine State during 2016 and 2017. Those incidents triggered a mass exodus of over 750,000 Rohingya refugees into neighboring Bangladesh, where an estimated one million now reside in overcrowded camps near Cox’s Bazar. Survivors have provided harrowing accounts of systematic violence, including mass killings, sexual violence, and forced displacement orchestrated by Myanmar’s military forces.
Khan’s office is specifically pursuing charges of deportation and persecution, asserting that Myanmar’s armed forces—known as the Tatmadaw—were directly responsible, with support from local police units and allied civilian groups.
“This marks the first request for an arrest warrant against a high-ranking official of Myanmar’s government,” Khan declared. “More actions will follow,” he added, signaling broader accountability efforts.
The ICC’s pursuit of justice is unfolding amidst continued international condemnation of Myanmar’s military government, which seized power in a coup in February 2021. This authoritarian rule has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis and stalled attempts at repatriation for the displaced Rohingya community.
The ICC operates under a mandate to address serious international crimes, although its jurisdiction is often challenged by states not party to the Rome Statute, such as Myanmar. This case reflects ongoing efforts to ensure accountability, even against high-level officials accused of orchestrating gross human rights violations.
