Myanmar Junta Leader Employs Racial Slurs Amid ICJ Genocide Proceedings
Despite facing genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has publicly used the derogatory racial slur “Kalarsoe” (wicked Kalar) to describe ethnic insurgents. His remarks were featured in today’s edition of the junta-controlled state newspaper, dated January 21.
The comments were made on January 20 during a meeting with military officers and their families at the Eastern Central Command in southern Shan State. In his speech, the junta leader claimed that the military historically had to suppress foreign threats, specifically citing “Kuomintang invasions” and “wicked Kalar (Kalarsoe) insurgents.”
The term “Kalar” is a derogatory racial slur in Myanmar, frequently directed at Muslims or people of South Asian descent, particularly the Rohingya.
The use of such hate speech by the junta leader himself comes at a sensitive time, as the military remains on trial at the ICJ for the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya. Furthermore, state-run media outlets, including the Myawaddy newspaper and the Ministry of Information, have consistently used terms like “wicked Kalar terrorists” to describe Rohingya armed groups along the Rakhine-Bangladesh border.
In tandem with these official remarks, reports indicate that the Ma Ba Tha (Association for the Protection of Race and Religion)—a notorious ultra-nationalist group backed by the military—is organizing support for the junta’s legal team, led by U Ko Ko Hlaing, at the ICJ.
This rhetoric marks a stark contrast to the previous National League for Democracy (NLD) administration. On April 20, 2020, the President’s Office under the NLD issued a directive explicitly prohibiting and condemning hate speech to prevent discrimination and violence within society.
Note: This news has been translated and presented using AI.