Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of fresh ‘war crimes’

[bluesky]

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005773848

Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of fresh ‘war crimes’

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The Associated Press

Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) officers walk along a path ahead of journalists in Tin May village, where the Myanmar government and military claimed the existence of Muslim terrorists in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on July 14, 2017.

10:35 pm, May 29, 2019

AFP-JijiYANGON (AFP-Jiji) — Myanmar’s military is guilty of committing new “war crimes,” extrajudicial killings and torture in its fight against ethnic Rakhine rebels, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

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 Muslim community in 2017.

That campaign pushed some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh in violence U.N. investigators say warrants prosecution of top generals for “genocide.”

Amnesty said Wednesday it had “new evidence” that Myanmar’s military is now “committing war crimes and other human rights 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.

The army has confirmed it shot dead six detainees late last month in the village of Kyauk Tan.

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 Muslims who have remained in the area have also been killed.

“The new operations in Rakhine State show an unrepentant, unreformed and unaccountable military terrorizing civilians,” said regional director Nicholas Bequelin.

A Myanmar Army spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.

The rights group also criticized the government for choosing to “remain silent” while supplies of medicine, food and humanitarian relief remain blocked by authorities.

In an unprecedented move after the AA attacked police posts in January, Aung San Suu Kyi’s government ordered the army to “crush” the rebels.

Although the military was the main perpetrator, AA insurgents have also “committed abuses against civilians,” Amnesty said, alleging they have sent letters with bullets to local administrators and business people.

“I can firmly say it does not happen,” AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told AFP by phone, denying the claims.

 

[Buddhistforlife]

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005773848

Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of fresh ‘war crimes’

• " style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; display: inline-block; line-height: 1; text-align: center;">

The Associated Press

Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) officers walk along a path ahead of journalists in Tin May village, where the Myanmar government and military claimed the existence of Muslim terrorists in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on July 14, 2017.

10:35 pm, May 29, 2019

AFP-JijiYANGON (AFP-Jiji) — Myanmar’s military is guilty of committing new “war crimes,” extrajudicial killings and torture in its fight against ethnic Rakhine rebels, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

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 Muslim community in 2017.

That campaign pushed some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh in violence U.N. investigators say warrants prosecution of top generals for “genocide.”

Amnesty said Wednesday it had “new evidence” that Myanmar’s military is now “committing war crimes and other human rights 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.

The army has confirmed it shot dead six detainees late last month in the village of Kyauk Tan.

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 Muslims who have remained in the area have also been killed.

“The new operations in Rakhine State show an unrepentant, unreformed and unaccountable military terrorizing civilians,” said regional director Nicholas Bequelin.

A Myanmar Army spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.

The rights group also criticized the government for choosing to “remain silent” while supplies of medicine, food and humanitarian relief remain blocked by authorities.

In an unprecedented move after the AA attacked police posts in January, Aung San Suu Kyi’s government ordered the army to “crush” the rebels.

Although the military was the main perpetrator, AA insurgents have also “committed abuses against civilians,” Amnesty said, alleging they have sent letters with bullets to local administrators and business people.

“I can firmly say it does not happen,” AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told AFP by phone, denying the claims.

Groups like UN and Amnesty will accuse and then take no appropriate action? This is nothing but appeasement.

 

[bluesky]

Groups like UN and Amnesty will accuse and then take no appropriate action? This is nothing but appeasement.

UN or international peacekeeping agencies cannot be blamed unless there is an armed conflict in Arakan. So far, BD has failed to up its stake either by sending troops or by raising and arming a Rohingya guerrilla group.

BD is indecisive and talks nonsense like, "We love all of you". No foreign policy at all except to appease India. The BAL govt does not want a situation that causes the armed forces to protrude above the heads of political stupids led by Hasina Bibi. Hasina Bibi is worried about her own position if the country moves towards an armed conflict with Burma. This may be a reason that BAF cannot buy new planes. No planes, no offensive war. It is all peace and Hasina Bibi remains in power until 2041.

 

[Aung Zaya]

The army has confirmed it shot dead six detainees late last month in the village of Kyauk Tan.

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.

What a fake report..!! That's why we dont believe such an organization which downplay the important points of the incidents and emphasize only what they want.

Military to Investigate Deaths of 6 in Detention
One of the injured detainees is sent to Sittwe General Hospital last week. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

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By Htet Naing Zaw 7 May 2019

NAYPYITAW—Deputy Minister for Defense Lieutenant-General Sein Win has promised there would be an investigation into the incident in which six locals in Rakhine State’s Rathedaung Township were shot dead by soldiers of the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, during detention.

The deputy minister told reporters after an advisory forum on national reconciliation and peace held in Naypyitaw on Tuesday that an investigation is ongoing.

“We will investigate if the interrogation was conducted in line with procedures. We will take harsh actions if there was a violation of the rules of engagement. For the time being, I can’t tell what actions will be taken. We’ll wait and see the [results] of the investigation procedure. Actions will be taken in line with the law,” said the deputy minister.

Military spokesperson Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun said that an investigative body was formed on Friday with five individuals led by a senior military officer, and that community elders, departmental officials and security forces would be questioned.

“We have not set the deadline for the investigation, but according to procedures, the report has to be submitted within two weeks of the [completion of the] investigation,” said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.

On April 30, military troops arrived at Kyauktan Village in Rathedaung and summoned all male residents above the age of 15. They then interrogated 275 people at the local school on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army (AA).

Six locals were shot dead while in military detention at around 2:00 a.m. on Thursday in an incident which, according to the military, happened after the detainees attempted to snatch guns from the soldiers.

Eight others were wounded and four are missing, a military press release said.

Meanwhile, however, the detainees who were injured in the incident and admitted to Sittwe General Hospital have given a different account. According to them, one man who was frightened during the ongoing detention jumped over the fence and escaped.

Soldiers fired at the escapee and more than 200 others stood up to see what was happening. Unexpectedly, soldiers surrounded them from both sides and fired into the crowd, they said.

Of the 275 detainees, 126 were released on May 2 and 48 on May 6. With six shot dead, eight receiving treatment in hospital in Sittwe, and four missing, 83 are being held by the military at present, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun.

Rathedaung Township Lower House lawmaker Daw Khin Saw Wai encouraged the government to make the investigation into the case, expressing her doubts about the military’s explanation of the events.

Locals said that Buddhist funeral rites were also denied for the victims.

“They should be allowed to be cremated according to Buddhist funeral rites. [Their family members] are quite sad that the funeral rites were not conducted,” Daw Khin Saw Wai told The Irrawaddy.

An influential Buddhist monk from Sittwe was allowed to see the detainees on Monday, and Daw Khin Saw Wai and a party are travelling to Kyauktan Village on Tuesday with the approval of the government.

Civilians have been detained by both the military and Arakan Army troops in the clashes.

Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun told reporters on May 3 that the AA has detained 134 civilians.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch called for the Myanmar authorities to independently investigate the killing of the detainees, despite the military having formed their own team to investigate the incident. The rights group said the army has a long history of failing to effectively or credibly investigate alleged abuses by its own forces and rarely holds military personnel accountable.

“The Myanmar military concedes that they killed six villagers that they were holding in Rakhine State, but only a genuinely independent investigation will get to the bottom of what happened,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “An independent and impartial investigation is needed to bring to justice anyone responsible for wrongdoing.”
========================================================
two stories in this incident but one told they're trying to snatch guns from the soldiers. even US will do the same like us in war time. another one told they was frightened ( screaming ) and trying to escape over the fence. In this regards, Army is investigating more than 230 suspects with fewer strength. if they escape and get the guns buried nearby and shoot back , who will take responsible for this.? Military is doing operations in remote area in war time. They should have accepted and fully cooperated with military if they are really not rebels without doing any violence during investigation. But In AI's report , these facts are totally downplayed and promoted only what they want. No wonder most people in Myanmar dont believe such a so-called report.

 

[Buddhistforlife]

UN or international peacekeeping agencies cannot be blamed unless there is an armed conflict in Arakan. So far, BD has failed to up its stake either by sending troops or by raising and arming a Rohingya guerrilla group.

BD is indecisive and talks nonsense like, "We love all of you". No foreign policy at all except to appease India. The BAL govt does not want a situation that causes the armed forces to protrude above the heads of political stupids led by Hasina Bibi. Hasina Bibi is worried about her own position if the country moves towards an armed conflict with Burma. This may be a reason that BAF cannot buy new planes. No planes, no offensive war. It is all peace and Hasina Bibi remains in power until 2041.

I believe war will be forced upon us even if we don't want. Myanmar is building it's army while our army is busy maintaining peaceful election or doing business. I have a relative in the army and he told me that even JOCs there days are becoming rich.

 

[Michael Corleone]

Groups like UN and Amnesty will accuse and then take no appropriate action? This is nothing but appeasement.

prove Myanmar has decent natural resources reserve and surely democracy will come to them

 

[Nilgiri]

prove Myanmar has decent natural resources reserve and surely democracy will come to them

Been proven long ago...myanmar is there to stay. China + India will make it so.

Now go get your shine box.

 

[Buddhistforlife]

prove Myanmar has decent natural resources reserve and surely democracy will come to them

You have no idea my friend. Myanmar surely has lot of natural resources and that's why China, India and Russia vetoed the UN resolution against the Rohingya crisis. Myanmar is a big country like 676578 sq.km. Also who told you USA is not trying to intervene in Myanmar? They are. That's why they are using Aung San Suu kyi. But Myanmar is a traditional Chinese and Russian ally. The Yanks will never dare to mess with China and Russia.

 

[Michael Corleone]

You have no idea my friend. Myanmar surely has lot of natural resources and that's why China, India and Russia vetoed the UN resolution against the Rohingya crisis. Myanmar is a big country like 676578 sq.km. Also who told you USA is not trying to intervene in Myanmar? They are. That's why they are using Aung San Suu kyi. But Myanmar is a traditional Chinese and Russian ally. The Yanks will never dare to mess with China and Russia.

Yeah tell what you need to tell yourself, US did whatever they wanted the past 30 years without any challenges up against it
And they’re still doing it to this day
That’s how it’s going to be at least for the near future