The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, on Wednesday requested judges to issue an arrest warrant for Myanmar‘s military leader, Min Aung Hlaing, over alleged crimes against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
Senior General Hlaing is accused of committing crimes against humanity, including deportation and persecution, which forced nearly a million Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. The Rohingya exodus has been widely described as ethnic cleansing, involving mass killings, rapes, and the destruction of homes.
Speaking from a refugee camp in Bangladesh, Khan said, “In doing so, we will be demonstrating, together with all our partners, that the Rohingya have not been forgotten. That they, like all people around the world, are entitled to the protection of the law.”
The ICC prosecutor also announced plans to request further arrest warrants for other Myanmar leaders soon.
Hlaing seized power from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup.
