Myanmar: UN calls for government to end current military operation /update 7

Event

On Sunday, September 10, the Myanmar government rebuffed a ceasefire appeal by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which called for an end to the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to neighboring Bangladesh, as well as to allow humanitarian agencies to provide aid to civilians. The government labeled ARSA as a terrorist organization and reiterated its policy to not negotiate with terrorists.

A top United Nations human rights official described Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” while denouncing the “brutal security operation” that was “clearly disproportionate” to insurgent attacks carried out the month prior.

As of September 11, approximately 310,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since August 25. The number was revised upward following additional surveys among refugees that were carried out by aid organizations. UNHCR also reported that existing refugee camps and shelters are full, and that the limited resources of aid agencies are being strained by the recent influx of refugees.

Context

The Burmese army began a crackdown on the Rohingya community following a Rohingya militant attack on Burmese security forces on August 25. Since late August, Burmese military and security forces have reportedly killed at least 400 Rohingya people, and instigated the exodus of nearly 270,000 more to Bangladesh. On Wednesday, September 6, officials in Bangladesh accused Myanmar forces of laying landmines along the border with Bangladesh in Rakhine state to prevent refugees from returning to the country.

The persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar has drawn international criticism for alleged human rights violations. The current clashes and ensuing government crackdown are the result of months of simmering violence and ethnic tensions between the Buddhist majority and Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

Human rights groups have accused the Burmese army of committing crimes against humanity, and possibly ethnic cleansing, during their crackdown operations, including rape, torture, the destruction thousands of homes, and killing civilians. The UN has established a fact-finding mission to investigate crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the military during the counteroffensive.

Advice

Individuals present in Myanmar are advised to keep abreast of the situation and avoid the Bangladeshi border where possible. Due to poor security conditions, some Western governments and Myanmar authorities advise their citizens against nonessential travel to Rakhine state - with the exception of the southern townships of Kyaukpyu, Ramree, Munaung, Toungup, Thandwe (including the tourist resort of Ngapali), and Gwa - and the Bangladeshi border.