27-11-2024 (THE HAGUE) The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced today plans to seek an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing, citing alleged crimes against humanity in the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority.
The unprecedented move marks the first time the ICC has pursued legal action against a senior Myanmar official, with prosecutors indicating this represents just the initial step in a broader campaign of accountability. The application follows what the prosecutor’s office describes as thorough, independent and impartial investigations into the crisis.
A three-judge panel will now examine whether “reasonable grounds” exist to hold General Min Aung Hlaing criminally responsible for the deportation and persecution of Rohingya people across Myanmar and Bangladesh. While the timeline for their deliberation remains flexible, such decisions typically require approximately three months.
The case centres on the mass exodus of more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh, fleeing what United Nations investigators have characterised as a campaign conducted with “genocidal intent”. Despite Myanmar’s Buddhist-majority government consistently denying genocide accusations and maintaining their operations targeted only terrorists, the scale of displacement has drawn international condemnation.
Legal experts note that whilst Myanmar is not a signatory to the ICC’s founding treaty, the court established jurisdiction through landmark rulings in 2018 and 2019. These decisions determined that the cross-border nature of the alleged crimes, partially occurring in ICC member state Bangladesh, provided sufficient grounds for investigation.
Attempts to secure immediate comment from Myanmar’s military government proved unsuccessful, with junta spokespersons unavailable for response following the announcement.
