The ICC prosecutor promises that more applications will be forthcoming as the Rohingya seek justice and accountability.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested an international arrest warrant for the military ruler of Myanmar for the persecution of Rohingya.
The office of prosecutor Karim Khan said on Wednesday that Min Aung Hlaing, chief of the military government that took control of the country in a coup in 2021, is responsible for crimes against humanity regarding the treatment of the Rohingya minority.
The prosecutor’s office has been investigating alleged crimes committed during 2016-17 violence in the country’s state of Rakhine for the past five years, it said.
Muhammad Zubair, a 55-year-old Rohingya man, expresses his belief that justice is finally within reach as the ICC moves to seek an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing. This development has brought a wave of hope and celebration to the Rohingya community worldwide. He emphasizes that Min Aung Hlaing’s military government is nothing more than a fraudulent junta built on lies. The international community must act decisively to hold him accountable and ensure he faces the criminal court for his crimes. Justice can no longer be delayed.
Today, the Rohingya community takes a significant step toward justice with the pursuit of an arrest warrant. However, General Min Aung Hlaing continues to deny the heinous crimes committed against the Rohingya people. It is imperative that the international community intensifies its pressure on him until he is held accountable for these atrocities and acknowledges the truth of his actions. Justice demands no less.
At that time, the Myanmar military unleashed a brutal crackdown on Rohingya civilians, sending at least 700,000 fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh amid reports of killings, torture, rape and arson.
Military chief Min Aung Hlaing “bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh”, the prosecutor’s office said.
“My Office alleges that these crimes were committed between 25 August 2017 and 31 December 2017 by the armed forces of Myanmar, the Tatmadaw, supported by the national police, the border guard police, as well as non-Rohingya civilians,” Khan’s statement said.
When khan was in Rohingya refugee camp, he mentioned his thoughts here https://twitter.com/intlcrimcourt/status/1861704848313380968?s=46
The work of the ICC seeks to vindicate the resilience of the mainly Muslim minority community of Rohingya – more than a million of whom were forcibly displaced by military action – and “their hope in the power of the law”, the prosecutor added.
Zin Mar Aung, foreign minister for Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government, established by elected lawmakers barred from taking their seats in 2021, said on X that ICC judges should “swiftly issue the warrant” and that governments should “act and enforce this warrant to uphold justice and international law.”
Myanmar’s military government in a statement rejected the proceedings, noting it was not party to the ICC and insisting the country’s leadership practiced a policy of “peaceful coexistence.”
The judges at the ICC will now determine whether the application can warrant an arrest order. The process could take several months.
Turmoil has been building in Myanmar ever since the coup. Armed factions have fought the military government and have gradually scored victories, especially in areas near the border with China.
That has stirred tension with Beijing, a major arms supplier to the military government and Myanmar’s biggest trade partner. Analysts note that China also maintains ties with the ethnic armed groups which hold territory along the border.
Zahid Hussan, a respected Imam of the Rohingya community, shared his heartfelt gratitude, “Tonight, I will have a proper meal with my family happily, and I believe our prayers have been answered by the Almighty.”
The IIMM has closely cooperated with the ICC Prosecutor’s investigations into these crimes by providing the ICC Prosecutor with a large volume of evidence and analysis, including witness statements.
The Mechanism and the ICC also jointly interviewed several vulnerable victims of sexual violence and crimes against children. full statement https://iimm.un.org/en/reaction-icc-prosecutors-request-arrest-warrant-min-aung-hlaing
Head of the Mechaanism, NICHOLAS KOUMJIAN ” This application for arrest an warrant for the person who holds the highest military position in Myanmar sends a strong message to perpetrators that no one stands above the law”
Earlier this month, Min Aung Hlaing embarked on his first visit to China since seizing power, with Beijing reportedly unhappy with his failure to ensure stability and halt criminality.
The information gathered from the news link below
