Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces mounting criticism for her government's handling of a crisis in Muslim-majority northern Rakhine State, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians.
The military operation has sharpened the tension between Suu Kyi's six-month-old civilian administration and the army, which ruled the country for decades and retains key powers, including control of ministries responsible for security.
Exposing the lack of oversight of the armed forces by the government, military commanders have ignored requests for information about alleged misconduct by soldiers for more than 10 days, according to a senior civilian official.
Troops moved into northern Rakhine, near the frontiecr with Bangladesh, after militants killed nine border police in coordinated attacks on Oct. 9. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
October 31, 2016
October 30, 2016
Chilling silence surrounds Rohingya
For much of last week, the silence was disconcerting. After a series of coordinated attacks on border posts in western Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state left nine soldiers and police dead on Oct 9, a crackdown followed and the hunt for some 400 suspects turned bloody. The violence in the two weeks which followed left a further five officers dead, which is unforgivable, but the crackdown from authorities against the unrecognised Rohingya Muslim minority was more brutal: officially 33 accused insurgents were killed, including several suspects in custody, but given the secrecy there are fears the toll is much higher. (Courtesy of bangkokpost.com)
In Myanmar, Military Action Forces Some to Flee: ‘We Just Had to Run Away to Save Our Lives’
The owner of a small grocery store in western Myanmar, Ko Thu Ya fled his home nearly three weeks ago with his family and has been on the run ever since.
Mr. Thu Ya, 25, is from Maungdaw Township, a coastal town on the Bangladesh border, where military action has left scores of people dead and forced thousands of people from their homes, rights groups have said. Most of the victims, like Mr. Thu Ya, are members of the Rohingya ethnic group.
The Myanmar government has described the action by the army and the border police as a counterinsurgency response to an attack this month on a nearby border post that killed nine police officers.
Rights groups in the region say they have received reports that soldiers and police officers have shot unarmed people, raped women, looted shops and burned homes. Local officials deny those reports. (Courtesy of nytimes.com)
Mr. Thu Ya, 25, is from Maungdaw Township, a coastal town on the Bangladesh border, where military action has left scores of people dead and forced thousands of people from their homes, rights groups have said. Most of the victims, like Mr. Thu Ya, are members of the Rohingya ethnic group.
The Myanmar government has described the action by the army and the border police as a counterinsurgency response to an attack this month on a nearby border post that killed nine police officers.
Rights groups in the region say they have received reports that soldiers and police officers have shot unarmed people, raped women, looted shops and burned homes. Local officials deny those reports. (Courtesy of nytimes.com)
October 29, 2016
Suu Kyi must stop Arakan ethnic cleansing
MYANMAR’S government said that the October 9 raids were conducted by the Aqamul Mujahidin organisation, which it described as being affiliated with an extremist group. On the other hand, a previously unknown group — Faith Movement — released a press statement on October 15 in which it claimed itself as the sons of Arakan soil who were compelled by the dire situation that they faced to make their own destiny through uprising, self-determination in self-defence. ‘We stand as an independent body which is free from all elements of terror in any nature’, the press release stated ‘that seeks fundamental but legitimate rights and justice for all ARAKANESE including our innocent Rohingyas and OTHER civilians dying from the continuous military assaults.’
An outcome like this was only waiting to happen given that history has repeatedly shown that such prolonged encampment in IDP concentration camps creates a sense of ultimate abandonment by the state, pushing even the most moderates to take violent means to redress their plight. The initial attacks, in which three border police outposts were overrun by hundreds of people, most only lightly armed, showed a degree of sophistication not seen before in violence involving the Rohingya, but did not suggest the group was especially well-funded or armed, diplomats said. (Courtesy of newagebd.net)
An outcome like this was only waiting to happen given that history has repeatedly shown that such prolonged encampment in IDP concentration camps creates a sense of ultimate abandonment by the state, pushing even the most moderates to take violent means to redress their plight. The initial attacks, in which three border police outposts were overrun by hundreds of people, most only lightly armed, showed a degree of sophistication not seen before in violence involving the Rohingya, but did not suggest the group was especially well-funded or armed, diplomats said. (Courtesy of newagebd.net)
October 28, 2016
Myanmar probes Rohingya Muslim's death in custody during military operation
Myanmar is investigating the death in custody of a 60-year-old Rohingya Muslim, the office of President Htin Kyaw said, as a security sweep in the country's northwest is increasingly beset by allegations of human rights abuses.
Security forces moved into northern Rakhine State after coordinated attacks on three border guard posts on Oct. 9 killed nine police officers.
The sudden escalation of violence in Rakhine state poses a serious challenge to the six-month-old government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who was swept to power in an election last year but has faced criticism abroad for failing to tackle rights abuses against the Rohingya and other Muslims.
The government has said some 400 Rohingya militants with links to Islamists overseas were behind this month's attacks and later clashes in which five soldiers were killed. A group calling itself Al-Yakin Mujahidin claimed responsibility for the attacks in videos posted online. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Security forces moved into northern Rakhine State after coordinated attacks on three border guard posts on Oct. 9 killed nine police officers.
The sudden escalation of violence in Rakhine state poses a serious challenge to the six-month-old government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, who was swept to power in an election last year but has faced criticism abroad for failing to tackle rights abuses against the Rohingya and other Muslims.
The government has said some 400 Rohingya militants with links to Islamists overseas were behind this month's attacks and later clashes in which five soldiers were killed. A group calling itself Al-Yakin Mujahidin claimed responsibility for the attacks in videos posted online. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP THE MAUNGDAW CARNAGE
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization (MAPIM), several and the network of Asean NGOs as listed below condemn the current attrocities in the Maungdaw district of Rakhine, Myanmar.
The Myanmar authorities has without thorough investigation, targeted Rohingya community in Rakhine, for the unknown assailants on the attack on the border posts.
We are shocked by reports of rampant killings, rape, abductions, forced evictions, beatings, the burning of homes and communities and the general terrorising of the local Rohingya population which has.
Unless urgent action is taken to stop these atrocities, there will be another wave of Rohingya exodus to neighbouring countries and the increase of people who lost their houses and therefore forced to find refuge in squalid IDP camps. (Courtesy of mapim.org)
The Myanmar authorities has without thorough investigation, targeted Rohingya community in Rakhine, for the unknown assailants on the attack on the border posts.
We are shocked by reports of rampant killings, rape, abductions, forced evictions, beatings, the burning of homes and communities and the general terrorising of the local Rohingya population which has.
Unless urgent action is taken to stop these atrocities, there will be another wave of Rohingya exodus to neighbouring countries and the increase of people who lost their houses and therefore forced to find refuge in squalid IDP camps. (Courtesy of mapim.org)
Rohingya women say Myanmar soldiers raped them amid crackdown on militants
Rohingya Muslims say Myanmar soldiers raped or sexually assaulted dozens of women in a remote village in the northwest of the country during the biggest upsurge in violence against the persecuted minority in four years.
Eight Rohingya women, all from U Shey Kya village in Rakhine State, described in detail how soldiers last week raided their homes, looted property and raped them at gun point.
Reuters interviewed three of the women in person and five by telephone, and spoke to human rights groups and community leaders. Not all the claims could be independently verified, including the total number of women assaulted.
Soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area since Oct. 9, after an insurgent group of Rohingyas that the government believes has links to Islamists overseas launched coordinated attacks on several border guard posts. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Eight Rohingya women, all from U Shey Kya village in Rakhine State, described in detail how soldiers last week raided their homes, looted property and raped them at gun point.
Reuters interviewed three of the women in person and five by telephone, and spoke to human rights groups and community leaders. Not all the claims could be independently verified, including the total number of women assaulted.
Soldiers have poured into the Maungdaw area since Oct. 9, after an insurgent group of Rohingyas that the government believes has links to Islamists overseas launched coordinated attacks on several border guard posts. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)