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This Week in AsiaPolitics

Indonesian activists target Myanmar’s president in genocide case against him

The complaint seeks to hold Min Aung Hlaing accountable for international crimes in an Indonesian court, following recent legal changes

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Myanmar’s then junta chief Min Aung Hlaing attends an army parade in Naypyitaw in 2021. Photo: Reuters
Resty Woro Yuniar
A genocide complaint filed with Indonesian prosecutors against Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing marks a further step by rights activists to hold the country’s military rulers accountable for their alleged international crimes, regardless of where they were committed.
The complaint, lodged on Monday with Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO), accuses the former military chief of genocide against the Rohingya, including mass rape, forced eviction, killings and arson attacks on villages in Rakhine State.
It is the first case to fall under Indonesia’s revised criminal code, which took effect this year and allows Indonesian courts to try such crimes based on universal jurisdiction. With Jakarta holding the presidency of the UN Human Rights Council, the complaint against the ex-general – if it were to proceed – is expected to put the Indonesian legal framework to a stern test.
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The filing comes just days after Myanmar’s military-dominated parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing as president on April 3, following his seizure of power in the 2021 coup.

He already faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in late 2024, a separate arrest warrant from a court in Argentina, and an ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice brought by Gambia. Myanmar has consistently denied that genocide took place in the country.

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The complaint in Indonesia was filed by Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya survivor, alongside 10 prominent Indonesian human rights figures, including former attorney general Marzuki Darusman.

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