Presidency must not shield Min Aung Hlaing from accountability, rights group says - JURIST - News

## Summary
News Mil.ru , CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Amnesty International on Friday said that the Myanmar presidency must not shield Min Aung Hlaing from being held accountable, stating that “no individual should have immunity from prosecution for crimes under international law, no matter their position.” Min Aung Hlaing, the former head of Myanmar’s Armed Forces, led the 2021 coup that violently overthrew the elected government. Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined by the Rome Statute, Article 7 as acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack. This is significant, as it demonstrates that Min Aung Hlaing’s assumption of the presidency cannot legally shield him from accountability, raising serious questions about the deterioration of the rule of law in Myanmar since the coup. In November 2024, ICC prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing and other unnamed officials for crimes against humanity, specifically deportation and persecution against the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh during their expulsion from Rakhine State in 2017.

## Article Content
News
Mil.ru
,
CC BY 4.0
, via Wikimedia Commons
Amnesty International on Friday
said
that the Myanmar presidency must not shield Min Aung Hlaing from being held accountable, stating that “no individual should have immunity from prosecution for crimes under international law, no matter their position.”
Min Aung Hlaing, the former head of Myanmar’s Armed Forces, led the 2021 coup that violently overthrew the elected government. He has since assumed the presidency following an election widely dismissed by observers as fraudulent, conducted in a repressive environment rife with human rights abuses.
Under international law, crimes against humanity are defined by the
Rome Statute, Article 7
as acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack. Such crimes are prosecuted by the International Criminal Court, which establishes that official capacity as a head of state or government shall in no case exempt a person from criminal responsibility. This is significant, as it demonstrates that Min Aung Hlaing’s assumption of the presidency cannot legally shield him from accountability, raising serious questions about the deterioration of the rule of law in Myanmar since the coup.
The human cost of the military takeover has been severe. Young activists like
Kyaw Win
have faced brutal repression, as he was arrested for taking part in a flash mob protest against the coup in 2022 and tortured for a week before being jailed:
“They beat me on my back with an iron rod. They burned me with cigarettes, and slashed my thigh with a knife. Then they stripped my underwear and sexually assaulted me. They interrogated me, but it was never clear what they wanted me to say,” Kyaw Win recounted.
In November 2024, ICC prosecutors
sought
an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing and other unnamed officials for crimes against humanity, specifically deportation and persecution against the Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh during their expulsion from Rakhine State in 2017.
However, the application remains pending, and no arrest warrants for any Myanmar junta official under the ICC’s investigation have been made public. This delay further underscores concerns about whether international mechanisms can effectively hold Myanmar’s military leadership accountable.

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- This is significant, as it demonstrates that Min Aung Hlaing’s assumption of the presidency cannot legally shield him from accountability, raising serious questions about the deterioration of the rule of law in Myanmar since the coup.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- News Mil.ru , CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Amnesty International on Friday said that the Myanmar presidency must not shield Min Aung Hlaing from being held accountable, stating that “no individual should have immunity from prosecution for crimes under international law, no matter their position.” Min Aung Hlaing, the former head of Myanmar’s Armed Forces, led the 2021 coup that violently overthrew the elected government.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers myanmar, international, against topics. Notable strengths include discussion of myanmar. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 364.