The Burmese
government should immediately invite the United Nations to assist in
investigating reported destruction of villages in the area.
“New satellite images not only
confirm the widespread destruction of Rohingya villages but show that it was
even greater than we first thought,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human
Rights Watch. “Burmese authorities should promptly establish a UN-assisted
investigation as a first step toward ensuring justice and security for the
victims.”
Human Rights Watch identified a
total of 430 destroyed buildings in three villages of northern Maungdaw
district from an analysis of very high resolution satellite imagery recorded on
the mornings of October 22, November 3, and November 10, 2016. Of this total,
85 buildings were destroyed in the village of Pyaung Pyit (Ngar Sar Kyu), 245
in Kyet Yoe Pyin, and 100 in Wa Peik (Kyee Kan Pyin). Damage signatures in each
of the assessed villages were consistent with fire, including the presence of
large burn scars and destroyed tree cover. Because of dense tree cover it is
possible that the actual number of destroyed buildings is higher.
In addition to satellite imagery
reviewed by Human Rights Watch, reports by human rights organizations, the
media, and members of a delegation of nine foreign ambassadors who visited some
impacted areas on November 2-3 confirm that the damage was substantial. The
delegation conducted no formal investigation or assessment but confirmed that
they saw burned structures in several towns.
The crisis follows violence on
October 9 in which gunmen attacked three police outposts in Maungdaw township
in northern Rakhine State near the Bangladesh border, leaving nine police
officers dead. The government said that the attackers made off with dozens of
weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition. The Burmese government asserts
the attack was carried out by a Rohingya group, but actual responsibility
remains unclear.
Immediately after the attacks,
government forces declared Maungdaw an “operation zone” and began sweeps of the
area to find the attackers and lost weapons. They severely restricted the
freedom of movement of local populations and imposed extended curfews, which
remain in place. A UN-assisted investigation needs to examine the deadly
attacks on border guard posts on October 9, and allegations by the media and
local groups that government security forces subsequently committed summary
killings, sexual violence, torture, arbitrary arrests, arson, and other abuses
against Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw district, Human Rights Watch said.
On October 28, Reuters published
interviews with Rohingya women who allege that Burmese soldiers raped them. The
government also allegedly pressured the Myanmar Times to fire one of its
editors who reported allegations of rape by Burmese army soldiers.
Government-imposed restrictions on access to the area by journalists and human rights
monitors continue to hinder impartial information gathering.
A second attack on a border guard
post in Maungdaw was reported to have occurred on November 3. The attack
reportedly resulted in the death of one police officer.
Burma is obligated under international
law to conduct thorough, prompt, and impartial investigations of alleged human
rights violations, prosecute those responsible, and provide adequate redress
for victims of violations. Standards for such investigations can be found, for
example, in the UN Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of
Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, and the UN Guidance on
Commissions of Inquiry and Fact-Finding Missions. Burma’s failure to conduct
such investigations in the past underscores the need for UN assistance, Human
Rights Watch said.
Reuters has reported that the
military has ignored the civilian government’s request for more information
about the situation.
“The Burmese armed forces are not
only keeping independent observers out of affected Rohingya areas, they
apparently aren’t even telling their own government what happened,” Adams said.
“The authorities need to allow the UN, the media, and rights monitors
unfettered access into the area to determine what happened and what needs to be
done.”
The government recently granted the
World Food Programme (WFP) access to four villages for a one-time food
delivery. However, humanitarian aid groups continue to be denied full access,
placing tens of thousands of already vulnerable people at greater risk. The
vast majority of villages are not receiving any assistance, and the area
remains sealed to humanitarian assessment teams and human rights groups. A
statement by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on November 8 noted that the
children in northern Rakhine State already suffer from high levels of
deprivation and malnutrition. “Their futures depend on help from doctors,
nurses, teachers and others who can provide them with nutrition, health and
education services,” the statement said.
The Burmese government should
immediately deliver on its assurances to resume humanitarian aid to all
impacted areas, Human Rights Watch said.
“The Burmese government and military
should immediately allow humanitarian access to vulnerable populations,” Adams
said. “The UN and concerned governments need to dial up the pressure on the
authorities to ensure aid reaches all affected areas as this crisis enters its
second month.”
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