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ICC’s arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief is a critical step forward
For millions who have endured decades of systematic oppression, displacement and violence, this move is more than symbolic, it is an overdue acknowledgment of their suffering.
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Myanmar's Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar armed forces, arrives to pay his respects to Myanmar independence hero General Aung San and eight others assassinated in 1947, during a ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 19, 2018. (AFP/Ye Aung Thu)
T
he announcement by International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan, requesting an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, represents a significant milestone in the global pursuit of justice.
This marks the ICC’s first action against Myanmar, specifically targeting crimes against humanity, including the deportation and persecution of the Rohingya. For millions who have endured decades of systematic oppression, displacement and violence, this move is more than symbolic, it is an overdue acknowledgment of their suffering.
A panel of three ICC judges will now determine whether sufficient evidence exists to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for these crimes. While no fixed timeline governs the decision, similar deliberations typically take around three months. If approved, this would send a resounding message: Impunity is no longer assured.
As Indonesia’s representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), I welcome this development. It underscores the international community’s resolve to combat impunity and seek accountability for some of the most heinous atrocities of our time.
The ICC’s request follows a painstaking five-year investigation into the brutal campaign of terror unleashed on the Rohingya during 2016 and 2017. These atrocities, often referred to as the "Rohingya genocide," included mass killings, widespread sexual violence and the complete destruction of villages.
Over 750,000 Rohingya were forcibly displaced to Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands already exiled by earlier waves of violence. The human toll has been staggering: At least 10,000 killed and countless others scarred physically and emotionally.
