THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor on Wednesday asked judges to grant an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing over alleged crimes against humanity committed against Rohingya Muslims.
Karim Khan’s request to the court’s Hague-based judges is the first application for an arrest warrant against a high-level Myanmar figure in connection with abuses against the Rohingya.
“After an extensive, independent and impartial investigation, my office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Senior General and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing… bears criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity,” Khan said in a statement.
This included crimes of deportation and persecution, allegedly committed between 25 August and 31 December 2017, Khan said.
The junta has not yet commented.
The ICC prosecutor in 2019 opened a probe into suspected crimes committed against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017, that prompted the exodus of 750,000 of the Muslim minority to Bangladesh.
About 1 million Rohingya now live in sprawling camps near the Bangladesh border city of Cox’s Bazaar. Many of those who left accuse Myanmar’s military of mass killings and rapes.
Khan said the alleged crimes were committed by Myanmar’s military, supported by the national and border police “as well as non-Rohingya citizens”.
“This is the first application for an arrest warrant against a high-level Myanmar government official,” Khan said. “More will follow.”
The junta is reeling from Operation 1027 in northern Shan State which resulted in the seizure of a large area of territory, much of it near the border with China.
Earlier this month, Min Aung Hlaing told China’s Premier Li Qiang that the military was ready for peace if armed groups would engage, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar.
Rohingya who remain in Myanmar are denied citizenship and access to health care and require permission to travel outside their townships.
Min Aung Hlaing has dismissed the term Rohingya as “imaginary”.
ICC judges must now decide whether to grant the arrest warrants. If granted, the 124 members of the ICC would theoretically be obliged to arrest the junta chief if he traveled to their country.
China is not an ICC member.
Rights groups applauded Khan’s move.
Maria Elena Vignoli of Human Rights Watch said the ruling was “an important step toward breaking the cycle of abuses and impunity that has long been a key factor in fuelling the military’s mass violations”.
“The judges will rule on the prosecutor’s request, but ICC member countries should recognize this action as a reminder of the court’s critical role when other doors to justice are closed,” she added.
