Indonesia has accepted a genocide complaint against Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing under a new universal jurisdiction law, marking a rare legal step in Southeast Asia to challenge impunity over atrocities against the Rohingya.
The criminal file was formally received by authorities in Jakarta on April 6, filed by Rohingya genocide survivor Yasmin Ullah and 10 Indonesian public figures, including former Attorney General Marzuki Darusman.
It is the first case accepted under Indonesia’s new penal code that allows prosecution of genocide regardless of where the crime was committed.
“It is the first time under Indonesia’s new penal code that a case filed under universal jurisdiction 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 architect of our extermination and other mass atrocities across Myanmar cannot be allowed to sit comfortability in the presidential palace without facing the consequences of his heinous crimes,” she added.
The complaint accuses Min Aung Hlaing of genocide and outlines alleged command responsibility for military operations involving mass killings, rape, arson, torture, and forced displacement targeting the Rohingya population.
Darusman called on Indonesian authorities to move beyond receiving the complaint and begin a formal investigation.
“Indonesia has an obligation to act and to act decisively against mass murder, sending a powerful signal that impunity in Myanmar must end. Our new laws reflect the terms of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. We have an obligation to prevent genocide and today we have presented irrefutable evidence that genocide is taking place now in Myanmar, against the Rohingya People”, he said.
Indonesia’s revised penal code, which came into force in January, explicitly recognizes the principle allowing prosecution of genocide regardless of where it occurred. Lawyers involved in the case said the provision enables Indonesian courts to act even if neither victims nor perpetrators are Indonesian.
“The new law unambiguously asserts the principle of universal jurisdiction by Indonesia, specifically for the crime of genocide. It does not matter that the victims and perpetrators are not Indonesian and that the crime did not take place in Indonesia. Our evidence is confirmed and reconfirmed, and our case has been supported by extraordinary human rights investigators working on the ground inside Myanmar,” said Feri Amsari, managing partner of Themis Indonesia.
“Min Aung Hlaing commanded an army that deliberately murdered and raped Rohingya men and women on an industrial scale, deliberately inflicted mental and physical harm and, as a systematic policy, imposed conditions of life intended to destroy the Rohingya People. As a country serving as the President of the UN Human Rights Council, it is imperative for Indonesia to follow up on and implement the principles of Universal Jurisdiction”, he added.
Advocates said the case could signal a shift within ASEAN, where governments have largely avoided direct legal action against Myanmar’s military leadership.
“The age of universal jurisdiction is dawning within ASEAN. And the case against Min Aung Hlaing has never been stronger. Moreover, Myanmar has become the epicentre of crimes such as scam operations, drugs and human trafficking that has engendered a regional refugee crisis. There is growing consensus within ASEAN that Myanmar is a regional embarrassment, that the recent sham election will only deepen the crisis within the country and that it is time for a new approach”, said Chris Gunness, director of the Myanmar Accountability Project.
The filing comes days after Min Aung Hlaing was selected president by a military-dominated parliament following elections widely criticized as fraudulent.
“It was extraordinary that these fresh genocide allegations against Min Aung Hlaing come as he claims the fake presidency following sham elections. What brazen disdain for the wishes of the Burmese people and for the rule of law, that this mickey mouse dictator commits genocide against his own people while simultaneously claiming to be their president”, Gunness said.
Ullah, who submitted testimony detailing abuses against her family and community, appealed to Indonesia to act.
“This genocide is being inflicted right now against hundreds of thousands of unarmed civilians. In the name of humanity and Islamic solidarity, on behalf of all my sisters and brothers, I urge the Indonesian authorities to uphold the rule of law and hold the Myanmar dictatorship to account. The junta has become a regional embarrassment and this genocide case sends send a powerful signal that impunity for the crime of crimes must end”, she said.
The Rohingya crisis, which escalated in 2017, forced more than 700,000 people to flee to Bangladesh. Today, about 1.2 million Rohingya remain in refugee camps, while those still in Myanmar’s Rakhine State face severe restrictions on movement, work, and access to basic services.
Backers of the case said the complaint is supported by survivor testimony, field investigations in northern Rakhine State, and findings from United Nations-backed mechanisms, arguing that Indonesia now has both the legal basis and responsibility to act.
