FROM THE DVB NEWSROOM
The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative stated that at least 20 Rohingya civilians have been killed and 104 others have been injured during fighting between the Burma Army and the Arakan Army (AA) in Buthidaung Township of northern Arakan State since Jan. 25.
“[The] AA must do everything they can to protect civilians as they seek to free the people of Rakhine State from military rule. The Burmese military must be held to account for indiscriminate attacks on civilian villages,” wrote Tun Khin, the president of the Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK), on his social media account.
The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative added that 54 homes in Rohingya villages were destroyed. It has received reports that the Burma Army attacked the villages in Buthidaung Township because the AA had stationed its troops among the Rohingya community.
“The [military] junta is committing atrocities with impunity and must be held accountable. The ongoing crimes in Rakhine State break the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice and member states should refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court,” said Zaw Win, a human rights specialist at Fortify Rights.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) has calculated that within the last three years there have been over 46,457 people killed in Burma. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) states that a total of 4,453 people have been killed by pro-military forces since Feb. 1, 2021. A further 1,000 documented fatalities have not yet been verified by the AAPP.
