A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government has denied allegations that army troops and their local allies killed 76 people in a village in Rakhine state last week. The state-controlled media reported the denial on Wednesday, amidst ongoing conflict in the region.
Rakhine has emerged as a hotspot in Myanmar's nationwide civil war, where pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces are fighting against the military rulers who seized power in 2021 after overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The recent fighting in Rakhine has raised fears of renewed violence against the Muslim Rohingya minority, reminiscent of the brutal campaign in 2017 that forced over 740,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.
The accusations of a massacre in Byine Phyu village, located near the state capital Sittwe, were made by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that has been attacking military outposts in Rakhine since November. The Arakan Army claims to control nine of Rakhine's 17 townships and one in the adjacent Chin state.
Byine Phyu village, strategically located near the Bay of Bengal, became the focus of these allegations. The Arakan Army, the militant wing of the Buddhist Rakhine political movement seeking autonomy from Myanmar's central government, has been accused of severe human rights violations. These include the alleged forced evacuation of 200,000 residents, mostly Rohingya, from the town of Buthidaung on May 18, followed by the torching of the town. The Arakan Army denies these accusations, attributing the destruction to the Myanmar army.
The conflicting reports about the incident in Byine Phyu village highlight the difficulty of verifying facts due to stringent travel restrictions in the region. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the ruling military council, stated in the state-run Myanma Alinn newspaper that on May 29, army troops entered the village to search for Arakan Army members, detaining about 20 people for interrogation. He acknowledged that security forces shot three non-residents who allegedly tried to seize a gun from an officer but denied any mass killing.
Conversely, the Arakan Army's statement released Tuesday claimed that about 170 soldiers, along with armed members of a pro-army Rakhine group and local Muslims recruited by the army, arrested all villagers in Byine Phyu and killed 76 people. The statement also accused the army of brutal treatment and the rape of three women.
The U.N. human rights office has expressed deep concern, citing "frightening and disturbing reports" of new violence in Rakhine. The ongoing conflict suggests a potential resurgence of violent persecution against the Rohingya minority, who have long faced severe discrimination and are largely denied citizenship and basic rights in Myanmar.
The allegations come amidst a broader context of heightened tensions and violence throughout Myanmar, with various ethnic groups and pro-democracy forces resisting the military junta. The situation remains volatile, with international observers calling for urgent measures to protect civilian lives and address the humanitarian crisis.
For more details, the situation remains fluid and further verification and investigations by independent bodies are crucial to ascertain the full extent of the incidents and ongoing human rights violations.
