ICC seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced today that his office seeks an arrest warrant for the Myanmar junta’s chief over deportation and persecution of Rohingya Muslims.

“After an extensive, independent and impartial investigation, my Office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Senior General and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Defence Services, bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh,” said Karim Khan in a statement, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

According to the prosecutor, these crimes were committed between Aug 25, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, by the Myanmar Armed Forces, supported by the national police, border guard police, and non-Rohingya civilians.

Noting that this is the first application for an arrest warrant against a high-level Myanmar government official that the prosecutor’s office is filling, he added, “More to follow.”

Khan emphasised that the application draws upon a wide variety of evidence from numerous sources such as witness testimonies, documentary evidence, as well as authenticated scientific, photographic, and video materials.

“I wish in particular to express my deep, profound gratitude to the Rohingya. More than a million members of their community have been forced to flee violence in Myanmar.

“We are grateful to all those who provided testimony and support to my office, those who have shared their stories, those who have given us information and material,” he added.

- Bernama

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