ICC Prosecutor Requests Arrest Warrant for Myanmar's Military Leader

The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, over crimes committed against the Rohingya minority group.

In his request, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan accused Min Aung Hlaing of criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, including deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, which occurred between August 25 and December 31, 2017, in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh.

As a result of the violence, more than one million Rohingya were displaced, many fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

Min Aung Hlaing, who leads Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw, assumed power in a 2021 coup and has since ruled as the country’s military leader.

The investigation, which has been underway since 2019, implicates Myanmar’s armed forces, the Tatmadaw, supported by national police, border guard police, and non-Rohingya civilians, according to Khan.

Myanmar has consistently defended its actions, claiming its crackdown was directed at Rohingya insurgents who had attacked security forces.

Khan has visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, where he met with Rohingya refugees, many of whom made urgent pleas for justice. The request for the arrest warrant is now pending approval by ICC judges.

If approved, however, the ICC’s jurisdiction may be limited, as Myanmar is not a member of the ICC. Still, if Min Aung Hlaing enters a member country, they may be obligated to transfer him into ICC custody.

Khan emphasized that the court is committed to continuing its efforts to secure an arrest warrant and will file additional applications if needed. “We will demonstrate, along with our partners, that the Rohingya have not been forgotten,” Khan said, stressing their right to legal protection.

Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), welcomed the move, calling it a step toward accountability and an end to “decades of impunity.”

Past UN investigations have provided evidence of mass atrocities by the military, including murders, rapes, and village burnings, and have called for Myanmar’s generals to face international charges of genocide.

The UN’s former High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, described the military’s actions against the Rohingya in 2017 as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

In 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) imposed provisional measures on Myanmar, urging the country to prevent further acts of genocide against the Rohingya.