The International Criminal Court (ICC) is continuing its process to issue an arrest warrant for terrorist military leader Min Aung Hlaing, with the warrant expected to be issued soon, according to U Tun Khin, President of the UK-based Burmese Rohingya Organisation. On November 27, 2024, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC filed an application for an arrest warrant against Min Aung Hlaing for crimes related to the Rohingya genocide in Rakhine State. More than five months have passed since this application was submitted. While the ICC’s procedures typically take some time, U Tun Khin explained that the process is ongoing and the warrant is expected to be issued in the near future.
The ICC began investigating the violence, killings, and forced displacement of Rohingya to Bangladesh that occurred in Myanmar’s Rakhine State during 2016 and 2017, starting their investigation on November 14, 2019. Following extensive, independent, and impartial investigations, the court determined that Military Defense Chief Min Aung Hlaing was responsible for crimes against humanity. The ICC confirmed that the military committed acts of torture, killings, and forced deportation against the Rohingya people in both Myanmar and Bangladesh. Additionally, a court in Argentina has issued an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity, which has been sent to Interpol as a Red Alert, with ongoing coordination between the relevant court and Interpol for his arrest.
U Tun Khin pointed out that Min Aung Hlaing’s international image has deteriorated significantly, not only due to the Rohingya genocide but also because of crimes against humanity committed after 2021, including arbitrary arrests, village burnings, imprisonments, and killings. He noted that while some countries still refer to him as Head of State, terrorist leader Min Aung Hlaing faces numerous international sanctions. The U.S. government has declared the actions against the Rohingya as genocide, and the arrest warrants from both the ICC and Argentine courts will have significant implications for Min Aung Hlaing. Despite these developments, the terrorist military council’s spokesperson Zaw Min Tun dismissed concerns about international legal proceedings against Min Aung Hlaing and other military leaders in an interview with Aljazeera during March.
