Indonesia complaint accuses Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing of genocide against Rohingya

JAKARTA: A group of civil society organisations filed a criminal complaint in Indonesia on Monday against Myanmar’s newly elected President Min Aung Hlaing, accusing him of committing acts of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group.

According to a statement issued by the claimants, the case was submitted to Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office by Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya who fled Myanmar, along with several Indonesian figures. Those named in the statement included a former attorney general and the chairman of Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisations.

The claimants said they would submit evidence relating to the forced displacement of the Rohingya as well as killings allegedly carried out by Myanmar’s junta. They also said the case had been accepted by Indonesian prosecutors.

“It is the first time under Indonesia’s new penal code that a case has been officially received and I warmly welcome this historic development as a milestone for all Rohingya people on their long march to justice and accountability,” Ullah said.

The group said Indonesia’s penal code provides for universal jurisdiction in cases involving crimes considered so grave that they may be pursued regardless of the nationality of the victims or the place where the alleged offences took place.

Indonesia hosts the headquarters of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Myanmar is a member. Ties within the bloc have been under pressure since the 2021 military coup led by Min Aung Hlaing. The takeover triggered a civil war and a humanitarian crisis, while large numbers of Rohingya Muslims were displaced and pushed into refugee settlements.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, is also among the destinations for Rohingya fleeing Myanmar or leaving refugee camps by boat.

Background to the allegations

In 2017, Myanmar’s armed forces, then under junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, launched an offensive that drove at least 730,000 Rohingya from their homes into neighbouring Bangladesh. There, refugees described killings, mass rape and arson.

Separately, Gambia, another predominantly Muslim country, told judges at the United Nations’ top court in January that Myanmar had targeted the minority Muslim Rohingya for destruction and turned their lives into a nightmare in a landmark genocide case.

Myanmar has consistently denied genocide. Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Myanmar’s junta also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Min Aung Hlaing’s new role

Min Aung Hlaing was elected president through a parliamentary vote last week after an army-backed party won the December and January election. Western governments described that vote as a sham. His elevation to the presidency formalised his hold on political power.

The 2021 coup has since been followed by widespread protests and resistance across the country.