Violence is a reminder of military’s autonomy

The crisis in Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine is a reminder of the military’s enduring power in the country despite the transition to Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian-led government.

The armed forces have shrugged off an international outcry over allegations that troops have committed murder, rape and arson in Muslim Rohingya communities in the region.

The Rakhine campaign has fed fears about the fragility of a transition in Myanmar that was hailed around the world as Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in November 2015.

The killing on Sunday of Ko Ni, a prominent NLD legal adviser and Muslim rights campaigner, triggered worries about the potential for rising political violence.

The military launched its campaign in Rakhine after the October killings of nine border police by what authorities claimed were Rohingya militias. Since then, at least 65,000 people have fled to neighboring Bangladesh and allegations of atrocities committed by soldiers have emerged.

Parts of Rakhine remain under a security lockdown, blocking efforts to independently investigate the claims. It is the latest outbreak of deadly violence to embroil the Rohingya, who are branded immigrants by Buddhist nationalists and have been excluded from citizenship and other civil rights.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is constitutionally barred from the presidency but is the country’s de facto leader, has called for more time to deal with the Rakhine crisis. Some government officials have dismissed the allegations as fabrications.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s stance has drawn criticism from rights campaigners and a group of her fellow Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Supporters say her cautious response is in part a reflection of the military’s autonomy from civilian control.