Myanmar’s newly-elected president, Min Aung Hlaing, is facing a criminal complaint in Indonesia accusing him of genocide against the Rohingya people.

The case was filed on Monday in Jakarta by Rohingya activist Yasmin Ullah and several prominent Indonesian figures, including a former attorney general and the chairman of Muhammadiyah, one of the country’s largest Muslim organisations. They said prosecutors had formally accepted the complaint, which invokes Indonesia’s new penal code allowing “universal jurisdiction” for serious crimes regardless of where they occurred.

The complaint cites evidence of forced displacement, killings and other atrocities committed during military operations in 2017, when more than 730,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. Survivors reported widespread violence, including mass rape and arson.

Indonesia, home to ASEAN’s headquarters and the world’s largest Muslim-majority population, has long been a destination for Rohingya refugees escaping camps or travelling by boat. The case is seen as a significant step in efforts to hold Myanmar’s leadership accountable.

“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,” Ullah said.

Myanmar’s military, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has consistently denied accusations of genocide. The junta did not respond to requests for comment.

The development follows a broader international push: earlier this year, Gambia told the UN’s top court that Myanmar had deliberately targeted the Rohingya minority for destruction.

Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup, was elected president last week through a parliamentary vote after his army-backed party claimed victory in elections widely dismissed by Western governments as a sham. His formal rise to the presidency cements military control, even as Myanmar remains gripped by civil war and humanitarian crisis.

The Indonesian case adds fresh pressure on ASEAN’s credibility and highlights growing regional demands for justice over one of the world’s most protracted refugee tragedies.

-2026-04-07

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