ICC Pursues Arrest of Myanmar Military Leader

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested an arrest warrant for Myanmar's military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, citing his responsibility for crimes against humanity during the violent crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in 2016-2017, which displaced nearly a million to Bangladesh. The ICC's investigation, initiated in 2019, uses its jurisdiction over cross-border crimes involving Bangladesh, an ICC member state. Prosecutor Karim Khan emphasized this request as a step towards justice for the Rohingya, while Myanmar's government denies genocide allegations, claiming they targeted militants. Human Rights Watch and other international bodies have described the military's actions as ethnic cleansing, involving mass killings, rapes, and arson. The request marks a significant move against the impunity of Myanmar's military leaders.