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Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of fresh 'war crimes' in Rakhine
[DAWN] Myanmar's military is guilty of committing new "war crimes", extrajudicial killings and torture in its fight against ethnic Rakhine rebels, The armed forces have deployed thousands of troops and heavy artillery across northern Rakhine state in recent months where Arakan Army (AA) rebels are fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. The state was also the scene of the military's bloody crackdown against the Rohingya Moslem community in 2017. That campaign pushed some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh in violence, UN Sherlocks say, warrants prosecution of top generals for "genocide". The Amnesty said on Wednesday it had "new evidence" that Myanmar's military is now "committing war crimes and other human rights ...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty... violations" against the ethnic Rakhine, listing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and enforced disappearances. Access to the conflict area is heavily restricted but details of civilian deaths have emerged over recent weeks and months. But the army has confirmed it rubbed out six detainees late last month in the village of Kyauk Tan. The Amnesty's report is based on scores of interviews with people from various ethnic groups, photographs, videos and satellite imagery. It documents seven unlawful attacks that killed 14 civilians and injured dozens more, saying notorious infantry units have been deployed against the ethnic Rakhine. Some Rohingya Moslems who have remained in the area have also been killed. "The new operations in Rakhine State show an unrepentant, unreformed and unaccountable military terrorising civilians," said regional director Nicholas Bequelin. Posted by: Fred 2019-05-30 |
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