ICC seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar junta leader over Rohingya Muslim persecution

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced plans on Wednesday to seek an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, for crimes against humanity tied to the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority.

This move follows a brutal military campaign launched in August 2017 that forced over a million Rohingya, primarily Muslims, to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.

U.N. investigators have described the campaign as a textbook case of ethnic cleansing, marked by mass killings, gang rapes, and the destruction of hundreds of villages in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. Survivors recount harrowing accounts of torture and violence as they fled.

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Myanmar’s junta has consistently denied the allegations, framing its actions as legitimate security operations against militants who attacked police posts. However, the U.N. and other rights groups accuse the military of orchestrating atrocities against civilians.

Nicholas Koumjian, head of the U.N. Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, emphasized the significance of holding senior leaders accountable: “Seeking a warrant for the highest military leader sends a strong message that no one is above the law.”

A panel of three ICC judges will now determine whether there are sufficient grounds to proceed with the arrest warrant, potentially marking a historic step toward justice for the Rohingya community.

The United Nations reported that some 10,000 Rohingya men, women, children and newborns were killed during the reign of terror unleashed on them.

Renewing his call for accountability, the UN rights chief, Volker Türk, urged the international community to continue supporting Rohingya refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh, amid dwindling funds for humanitarian assistance programmes.

“More must be done to hold the military to account for their repeated campaigns of persecution against the Rohingya and for driving the country into its current human rights and humanitarian crisis.

“In the face of the impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military for past and present crimes against the Rohingya as well as other groups, I call on States fully to support the ongoing international accountability efforts.”