Ashraf AboArafe
13 DAYS AFTER THE ICC PROSECUTOR’S APPLICATION OF AN ARREST WARRANT AGAINST MIN AUNG HLAING. WHAT’S NEXT?
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM) welcomed the ICC Prosecutor’s application of an arrest warrant against Myanmar Senior General, Min Aung Hlaing on November 27, 2024 by Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC.
Today is the 13th day the application was made. We are anxious to see what the next move will be. We have waited for long decades for this application to materialize. Moving forward, we hope no more delay in the execution of the next action as Rohingya are facing ongoing genocide both from the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army (AA).
For the longest decades Rohingya are facing ongoing genocide through mass murder, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, arson attack, enforced disappreances, kidnapping for ransom, forced labour, forced eviction, extortion, restriction of movement and forcibly use as human shields. These are unbearable.
As victims of genocide, Rohingya were further victimized, dehumanized and exploited after they fled Myanmar. The impact of genocide remains in every Rohingya individual. Therefore, the move by the ICC Prosecutor’s is very crucial to end the Rohingya Genocide and for us to recover, heal and rebuild our life. We hope the ICC will put more applications for arrest warrants for Myanmar Military Generals and leaders of the Arakan Army (AA).
In conjunction with Human Rights Day today on 10th December 2024, under the Theme “Our rights, our future, right now”, we urge all UN member states to support this action to end the Rohingya Genocide. We urge the ICC mandate should not be limited to the member states of the ICC but also to the non-members where the genocide happen at the particular country.
The ongoing Rohingya Genocide required more significant actions above the current interventions. The application of the arrest warrant is one of them. While the ICC work on the next process, we urge the United Nations and its member states to send UN peace keeping force to the Rakhine State to ensure the safety of the population, deploy emergency humanitarian aid to Rakhine State without delay, improve the security and conditions in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, stop the selling of the weapons to the genociders, increase resettlement quotas for the Rohingya genocide survivors and initiate special measures to restore democracy in Myanmar.
We would like to remind everyone, the lack of political will to save the Rohingya lives only allow Rohingya Genocide to continue subsequently eliminates Rohingya from the earth. Please stop this without delay. Prove us that human rights still exist. Recognising HRDs are often victims of smear campaigns aimed at attacking their reputation, credibility and support within the community with the purpose to destroy our work, there must be timely intervention and support to counter the smear campaign and minimize the impact on HRDs physically and mentally. This includes timely international protections for HRDs at Risk.
Human rights defenders are not criminals. We deserve timely and greater protection and justice. Delay in international interventions sacrificing the lives of human rights defenders which is a threat to human rights and humanity. Today, I urge everyone to end the Xenophobia and hate speech against the refugees who are seeking protection globally. Xenophobia and hate speech can kill people. This should not happen to any refugees as well as HRDs who genuinely do their work. Under the Theme “Our rights, our future, right now”,
As human rights defender calls upon everyone to respect and support each other for a better world for everyone. I hope you will continue to protect, intervene and support all human rights defenders at risk around the world who are seeking protection, safety and justice. I wish you good health to carry your noble duty. Thank you for everything you do to protect human rights defenders globally.
Thank you.
