Myanmar’s shadow government has asked the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to arrest coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for his crimes against humanity on the Rohingya and protesters.
U Lwin Ko Latt, the home affairs minister in the national unity government (NUG), filed the case ahead of the junta leader’s arrival in Jakarta on Saturday to attend an Asean (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit.
The meeting is to address the deteriorating situation in Myanmar and its repercussions for the region. Following the military takeover in February, the regime has slain more than 700 people in nationwide crackdowns on protesters.
In his letter to Interpol, U Lwin Ko Latt said the global body could collaborate with the Indonesian police to arrest the coup leader while he is in Jakarta on Saturday for the summit, according to the NUG’s statement.
He said Min Aung Hlaing was accused by a United Nations fact-finding mission in 2018 of crimes against humanity over the crackdown on the Rohingya in Rakhine State. It also states that the commander-in-chief staged the coup in February and was responsible for 739 deaths and the detention of more than 3,000 people by April 21.
In 2019, The Gambia filed a lawsuit against Myanmar’s military at the International Court of Justice for atrocities towards the Rohingya, citing the exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh after clearance operations in Rakhine State. The refugees spoke of arbitrary killings, arrests and torture by troops. The senior general was also tried at the International Criminal Court.
The letter said Min Aung Hlaing was a criminal and terrorist for his crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State and must be tried at both international courts.
The shadow minister said the coup leader has to be tried for his post-coup crimes against protesters and be put on Interpol’s wanted list with a high alert sent to police around the world to bring him to justice.
In an apparent response, the regime on Thursday evening announced that all 24 NUG ministers and two associates have been charged with high treason.
You may also like these stories:
Previous Military Regimes and Parallel Governments in Myanmar
Myanmar Junta Member’s House Bombed in Yangon
Myanmar’s Economy in Freefall Under Military Regime
