Name? Min Aung Hlaing
Westphalian identity? Burmese
Age? 65
Why is he in the news? For the first time in a long time, General Hlaing is not only in the news about last year’s coup, but now also about the resumption of Myanmar’s Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Why do we care? This is not merely a case between Myanmar and the ICJ, but actually a case between Myanmar and the Gambia as they originally brought the case to the ICJ in 2019. Given that both countries are parties to the 1948 Genocide Convention, The Gambia’s application is admissable in court—a point General Hlaing and his forces have attempted to counter by claiming The Gambia are merely acting as a proxy for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Why should you care? This could very easily begin a pathway for the Rohingya. That said, the case could take several years and the ICJ has minimal means of enforcing any decisions to come out of it. Therefore, you should care 6/10 about General Hlaing ever actually facing prosecution.
Who else cares? The Gambia’s Attorney General Dawda Jallow as he defends his nation’s decision to bring Myanmar to the ICJ by stating that “We make it our business when we, as civilised nations committed ourselves to the pact under the 1948 Genocide Convention.” In sum, Attorney General Jallow is ready to go up against General Hlaing.
Any further comments? Another interesting piece to this puzzle is who will represent Myanmar at the ICJ. When the case began in December 2019, Suu Kyi personally defended the very same generals who have now placed her under house arrest. The National Unity Government (NUG) claims that UN Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, a critic of Hlaing, is “the only person authorised to engage with the Court on behalf of Myanmar,” a claim the General is likely to contest in the coming days.
