Nava Thakuria,Guwahati,

An influential group of MPs from southeast Asian nations support the initiative to arrest the military dictator Min Aung Hlaing, who has been rulin  Myanmar since the coup on 1 February 2021. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR, headquartered at Jakarta) on 28 November 2024 welcome the announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor that his office has filed an application for the issuance of an arrest warrant against the junta chief for crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya committed in Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh.

Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR chairperson and member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, stated, “we strongly welcome the decision by ICC Chief prosecutor Karim Khan to pursue the arrest of Min Aung Hlaing. After years of meticulous evidence-gathering, this action sends a powerful message that the international community remains steadfast in its commitment to holding perpetrators of grave human rights violations accountable. The timing could not be more critical.”

Charles Santiago, APHR co-chairperson and former Malaysian MP said, “we stand resolutely with the ICC in its pursuit of justice for the countless victims of atrocities committed by Myanmar's military junta since the 2021 coup. This includes the Rohingya people and the many women and girls subjected to horrific sexual violence in the conflict-ridden nation. Justice must prevail, and accountability is non-negotiable.”

The ICC's panel of three judges will now assess whether there are ‘reasonable grounds’ to hold Min Aung Hlaing criminally responsible for the deportation and persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh. While the decision has no fixed timeline, such rulings typically take around three months.

“The heinous crimes committed by the Myanmar military regime under Min Aung Hlaing demand swift and uncompromising accountability at the highest level. I therefore call on the judges of the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing,” emphasized U Shwe Maung, APHR board member and former MP of Myanmar.

APHR urges all ASEAN member states, along with the UN and international stakeholders, to take a decisive and public stand in support of the ICC’s investigation and prosecution of Myanmar’s military leadership.

“APHR, comprising current and former parliamentarians from southeast Asia, has repeatedly called on ASEAN to take stronger, decisive action in addressing the crisis in Myanmar,” said Kasit Piromya, APHR board member and former MP of Thailand.

“With the start of a new ASEAN chairmanship, the regional body must end its pattern of shielding perpetrators of violence and perpetuating ineffective frameworks. It is time for ASEAN to actively champion a future for Myanmar built on justice and human rights,” said Arlene Brosas, APHR board member and member of the Philippines House of Representatives.

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