KUALA LUMPUR: (Bernama) The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M) has described the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s application for an arrest warrant against Myanmar's military Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (pic), as "most welcome and could not be more timely.”
The warrant seeks to address crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya.
In a statement, SAC-M stressed the need for ICC judges to approve the warrant promptly in response to the application filed by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan on Wednesday (Nov 27).
"SAC-M calls on the judges of the ICC to swiftly determine in favour of the application, and for the subsequent arrest warrant applications for high-ranking officials from the Myanmar military and security forces indicated by the Prosecutor to be filed without delay.
"An incomprehensible rejection of the Prosecutor's request would be an inconceivable act of dereliction on the part of the court in light of the unimaginable suffering of the Rohingya and the people of Myanmar,” the statement read.
Min Aung Hlaing currently leads Myanmar’s ruling junta, which overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
On Wednesday, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that his office had submitted an application for an arrest warrant to Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC regarding the situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar.
"After an extensive, independent and impartial investigations, my Office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Min Aung Hlaing bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity, including deportation and persecution of the Rohingya,” Khan said in a statement.
He added that these crimes were committed between Aug 25, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, by Myanmar’s armed forces, supported by the national police, border guard police, and non-Rohingya civilians.
"This is the first application for an arrest warrant against a high-level Myanmar government official that my office is filling. More will follow,” Khan said.
SAC-M said the Rohingya community continues to seek justice for the atrocities committed against them in 2016 and 2017 by the Myanmar military and security forces.
"In our previous capacities as United Nations mandate-holders on Myanmar, we investigated and reported extensively on allegations of gross human rights violations and serious crimes under international law in Myanmar. We heard first-hand the testimonies of unimaginable horror inflicted on Rohingya survivors of the atrocities by members of Min Aung Hlaing’s armed forces.
"We established clear and systematic patterns of violence used by the Myanmar military and security forces and called urgently for the investigation and prosecution of Min Aung Hlaing and his top military leaders for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” the statement read.
SAC-M emphasised that impunity for serious crimes under international law still prevails in Myanmar.
"This impunity continues to fuel devastating violence across the entire country while victims are denied the justice they need and deserve. Today, that impunity is one step closer to being brought to an end,” it said.
SAC-M is an independent group of international human rights experts working to support the people of Myanmar in their fight for peace, genuine democracy, justice, and accountability. - Bernama
