Yangon:
Myanmar’s government on Friday rejected accusations by minority Rohingya
Muslims that the military has killed residents fleeing the conflict in the
north-west of the country in which at least 86 people have been killed and up
to 30,000 displaced.
Hundreds of
Rohingya are trying to escape the military crackdown after a recent escalation
in violence in Arakan (Rakhine) State, say residents, adding that some of them
have been gunned down while attempting to cross the river the marks the
frontier with Bangladesh.
The
Information Taskforce on Arakan (Rakhine), formed this week by the office of de
facto Myanmar leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has
rejected the allegations against the military, known as the ‘Tatmadaw’ in the
Burmese language.
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| Featured Image: AP |
“Regarding
those incidents, after asking the Tatmadaw and border guard troops in those regions,
it is known that the information is absolutely not true,” said the State
Counsellor Office Information Committee in a Facebook post.
The office
added that the military and the border guard troops had not conducted
operations near the border and were only engaged in an “area clearance
operation” in the “inner part” of the state.
Soldiers
have poured into the north of Arakan (Rakhine) along Myanmar’s frontier with
Bangladesh, responding to attacks by alleged Muslim militants on border posts
on October 9. They have locked down the district, where the vast majority of
residents are Rohingya, shutting out aid workers and independent observers.
A senior
Bangladeshi official said its border guard force on Friday turned back 82
Rohingya Muslims, including women and children, attempting to leave Myanmar.
This came after two boats with 86 people were pushed back on Wednesday.
Lieutenant
Colonel Anwarul Azim, commanding officer of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)
in the Cox’s Bazar sector said those turned away had been provided with food
and medicines.
The United
Nations stressed the border should be kept open.
“It is
essential that the border is kept open for people fleeing violence at the
moment,” said the UN refugee agency spokesman, Adrian Edwards, at a briefing in
Geneva on Friday.
Residents
and rights advocates have accused security forces of summary executions, rape
and setting fire to homes. The government and army have rejected the
accusations in spite of evidence from local sources.
The UN envoy
on human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, criticised Suu Kyi’s handling of the
crisis and renewed her appeal to investigate the allegations of abuses.
“State
Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has recently stated that the government is
responding to the situation based on the principle of the rule of law. Yet I am
unaware of any efforts on the part of the government to look into the
allegations of human rights violations,” she said.
“It would
appear, on the contrary, that the government has mostly responded with a
blanket denial, she said, adding that security forces “must not be given carte
blanche to step up their operations”.
Up to 30,000
people are now estimated to be displaced and thousands more affected by the
October 9 attacks and the following security operation, said Pierre Peron, the
spokesman of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Myanmar.
“This includes
as many as 15,000 people who, according to unverified information, may have
been displaced after clashes between armed actors and the military on 12-13
November,” said Mr Peron.
He added
that humanitarian operations that had been providing food, cash, and nutrition
to more than 150,000 vulnerable people have been suspended for 40 days.
More than
3,000 children have not received their regular treatment for severe acute
malnutrition (SAM).
“Without
appropriate treatment and care, many children with SAM are at risk of dying,”
said Mr Peron.
Note:
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Source:
REUTERS