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| One of 100s Raped women of Rohingya escaped into Bangladesh |
Myanmar is to
investigate whether police have committed abuses against Rohingya Muslims, the
government has said, after officials promised that allegations of atrocities against
members of the Muslim minority would be looked into.
The U.N. human
rights office said in a report this month Myanmar's security forces had
committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims and burned their
villages since October in a campaign that "very likely" amounted to
crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.
Myanmar has denied
almost all allegations of human rights abuses in northern Rakhine State, where
many Rohingya live, and says a lawful counterinsurgency campaign has been under
way since nine policemen were killed in attacks on security posts near the
Bangladesh border on Oct. 9.
The military said
last week it was setting up a team to investigate alleged atrocities by the
security forces and the interior ministry followed that up on the weekend with
a promise to investigate police.
The Home Ministry
said in a statement a "departmental inquiry" would be conducted
"to find out whether the police forces have committed illegal actions
including violations of human rights during their area clearance
operations".
The ministry, which
is controlled by the military, said action would be taken against personnel
"who failed to follow instructions".
"The U.N.
report provides many detailed accounts of what allegedly happened, and that's
why an investigation committee was set up to respond to the report with
evidence," Police Colonel Myo Thu Soe told Reuters on Monday.
"The U.N.
report includes very serious human rights abuses allegations against police in
Myanmar including rape. But as we know, it did not happen," he said.
DISCRIMINATION
Separately, five
policemen have been sentenced to two months detention after a video appeared
online showing them abusing Muslims during an operation aimed at rooting out
suspected militants in Rakhine State, Myo Thu Soe said.
In addition, three
senior police officers involved in the case have been demoted, he added.
It is rare in
Myanmar for security forces to be held accountable for abuses, or for such
allegations to be investigated transparently, rights groups say.
Almost 69,000
Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since the security force sweep
was launched in October, according to U.N. estimates.
More than 1,000
Rohingya Muslims may have been killed in the crackdown, two senior U.N.
officials dealing with refugees fleeing the violence said last week.
A Myanmar
presidential spokesman said the latest reports from military commanders were
that fewer than 100 people had been killed in the counterinsurgency operation.
Rohingya have faced
discrimination in Myanmar for generations. They are not classified as a
distinct group under citizenship laws and are regarded instead as illegal
immigrants from Bangladesh, entitled only to limited rights.
About 1.1 million
Rohingya live in apartheid-like conditions in northwestern Myanmar.
The violence has
renewed international criticism that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has done
too little to help members of the Muslim minority.
(Reporting By Yimou
Lee and Shwe Yee Saw Myint; Editing by Robert Birsel)