Persecution of the Rohingya: ICC chief prosecutor wants arrest warrant against Myanmar’s junta chief

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution has requested an arrest warrant against Myanmar’s military chief. The commander-in-chief and de facto head of government, General Min Aung Hlaing, is responsible for crimes against humanity such as the persecution and deportation of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017, said chief prosecutor Karim Khan in The Hague.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled their Buddhist-majority homeland of Myanmar seven years ago when the military launched an offensive against the Muslim minority. Around a million Rohingya now live in the world’s largest concentration of refugee camps in the Cox’s Bazaar district in southeastern Bangladesh.

UN speaks of genocide

The minority became victims of mass rape and murder, and entire villages were often burned down. The United Nations describes their persecution as genocide. A law passed in 1982 denied the Rohingya citizenship. According to the UN, this made them the largest stateless group in the world, even though the Rohingya had lived in Myanmar (formerly Burma) for generations.

The military in Myanmar staged a coup in February 2021 and removed Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi from power. Since then, the junta under Min Aung Hlaing has ruled with brutal violence. Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi is in custody.

This is the first request for an arrest warrant against high-ranking state officials in Myanmar, the prosecution said. More are to follow. The judges now have to approve the application.

“Rohingya are not forgotten”

According to their own statements, the prosecution has a wealth of evidence such as witness statements, documents, photos and videos. “In this way, together with all our partners, we will show that the Rohingya are not forgotten,” said Khan. “That they, like all people in the world, are entitled to the protection of the law.”

Human rights activists welcomed the request. This is “an important step in breaking the cycle of abuse and impunity,” said Human Rights Watch. Member countries of the International Criminal Court should see the move as a reminder of the importance of the court when other doors to justice are closed.