The chief prosecutor of the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) says it has requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s navy chief Min Aung Hlaing for crimes in opposition to humanity dedicated in opposition to the Rohingya Muslims.
Karim Khan mentioned there have been affordable grounds to imagine Min Aung Hlaing bore legal accountability for the persecution and deportation of Rohingyas to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Lots of of 1000’s of Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 to flee a marketing campaign of what the UN has described as genocide launched by the Burmese navy.
However Myanmar’s authorities has denied this, saying it was solely finishing up a marketing campaign in opposition to Rohingya militants.
Assaults on the Rohingya first started in 2017, after Rohingya militants launched lethal assaults on greater than 30 police posts in Myanmar.
They mentioned troops responded to this by burning their villages, and attacking and killing civilians.
At the very least 6,700 Rohingya, together with at the least 730 kids underneath the age of 5, have been killed within the month after the violence broke out, in accordance with medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Amnesty Worldwide says the Myanmar navy additionally raped and abused Rohingya ladies and ladies.
The surprising violence in opposition to the Rohingya prompted a global outcry, and calls for for accountability – one thing which proved troublesome, with the-then Burmese chief Aung San Suu Kyi refusing to prosecute her generals.
Myanmar shouldn’t be a signatory to the Worldwide Legal Courtroom, so initially bringing a case in opposition to the navy there appeared not possible.
Nevertheless, ICC prosecutors later argued that as among the alleged crimes, primarily deportation, additionally occurred in Bangladesh – which is a signatory – there have been grounds for an indictment.
Now, after 5 years of investigation, the chief prosecutor says he has sufficient proof to request a global arrest warrant in opposition to Min Aung Hlaing.
A panel of three ICC judges should now rule on the prosecutor’s request.
There may be additionally an ongoing genocide case in opposition to the navy on the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice.
Human rights organisations welcomed information of Min Aung Hlaing’s arrest warrant, with one calling it a “day of celebration”.
“The ICC prosecutor’s request for this arrest warrant is a robust warning to Myanmar’s abusive navy leaders that they’re not past the attain of the legislation,” mentioned Maria Elena Vignoli, senior worldwide justice counsel at Human Rights Watch.
“This can be a uncommon day of celebration for the Rohingya,” Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation within the UK, informed Reuters information company. “Immediately we’ve lastly taken one other step in direction of justice and accountability.”
Myanmar is at the moment within the midst of a civil battle, with Min Aung Hlaing’s military having suffered important losses.
Min Aung Hlaing first got here to energy in 2021, after he led a coup in opposition to the elected authorities of Aung Sang Suu Kyi.
He has turn into a global pariah since launching his disastrous coup, and infrequently travels – and it is unlikely he’ll ever find yourself in courtroom at The Hague.
However for the a whole bunch of 1000’s of Rohingyas caught in depressing camps in Bangladesh, this case could at the least present that they haven’t been forgotten.