UN Chief Condemns Myanmar Military's Deadly Attack on Rohingya Civilians

Post by : Elena Malik

Photo : AFP

United Nations, United States: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned recent attacks by Myanmar's military, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians in the western state of Rakhine. This condemnation comes amid escalating violence and tensions in the region.

According to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic minority armed group, more than 70 civilians were killed in a raid by junta troops in Byain Phyu village, located north of Rakhine's state capital, Sittwe. However, the military junta has dismissed these allegations as "propaganda."

The AA, which has been fighting for greater autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population, renewed hostilities with junta forces in November, ending a ceasefire that had been in place since a military coup in 2021. The region is also home to approximately 600,000 members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority.

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In a statement released by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres expressed his strong condemnation of the Myanmar military's actions, emphasizing the reported civilian casualties. He called for an end to the "ongoing persecution" of the Rohingya minority, who are caught in the crossfire between the junta and the AA.

The situation in Rakhine state remains dire, with phone and internet services almost entirely cut off, making it difficult to verify reports of violence. Rohingya activists have accused the AA of forcibly displacing tens of thousands of members of their community, as well as burning and looting their homes. Additionally, they allege that the junta has been forcibly recruiting Rohingya to fight against the AA as the military loses ground.

The plight of the Rohingya is further compounded by the events of 2017, when hundreds of thousands fled to neighboring Bangladesh to escape a brutal military crackdown. This crackdown is currently the subject of a United Nations genocide court case.

Guterres also highlighted the ongoing violence in Myanmar's northern Sagaing region, another hotspot of resistance to the military's 2021 coup. Local media reported that an air strike on Ma Thaw village in Sagaing killed around a dozen people who had gathered for a wedding celebration. The junta has yet to respond to requests for comment on this incident.

"Indiscriminate aerial bombings" have been reported across Myanmar, with Guterres calling for accountability for those responsible. The junta has lost significant territory to both established ethnic minority armed groups and newer pro-democracy "People's Defence Forces" in recent months. Rights groups accuse the junta of using air strikes to punish communities suspected of opposing its rule.

The conflict, which erupted following the junta's seizure of power in 2021, has displaced approximately 2.7 million people from their homes, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

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