Myanmar forms Rohingya inquiry team

YANGON: Myanmar has established a commission of inquiry to probe allegations of human rights abuses in Rakhine State, authorities said on Monday, as the country faces growing calls for accountability over accusations of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.

The four-person commission will comprise two local and two international members — Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and former Japanese ambassador to the United Nations Kenzo Oshima — the Myanmar President’s Office said. Manalo, 82, a former undersecretary of foreign affairs, will chair the commission.

The two local members are lawyer Mya Thein and Aung Tun Thet, an economist and former UN official. Aung Tun Thet was last year appointed by de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a key role in Myanmar’s response to the Rakhine crisis, and in April told a Bangladesh newspaper that Myanmar had “no intention of ethnic cleansing”.

“The Independent Commission will investigate the allegations of human rights violations and issues, following the terrorist attacks by Arsa,” the office of President Win Myint said, referring to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Rohingya armed group.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine after a military crackdown that started in August last year in response to attacks by Arsa on security posts.

Myanmar has rejected accusations of ethnic cleansing and dismissed most accounts of atrocities, blaming Rohingya “terrorists”.