Suu Kyi party official killed in Rakhine
YANGON: An official from Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party was killed in Rakhine state after planning a show of support for the leader’s defence of Myanmar against genocide allegations at The Hague, a spokesman said yesterday.
The National League for Democracy’s Ye Thein, party chairman in Buthidaung township, had been held for weeks by the Arakan Army, insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.
The rebels said he was killed in military attacks on Christmas Day but the claim could not be verified and NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said the group bore responsibility.
Ye Thein was detained on Dec 11 ahead of demonstrations backing Suu Kyi’s high-profile opening statements at the UN’s top court the same day.
“We, all members of NLD, are very sorry for the loss,” Myo Nyunt told AFP. “His gathering to support her was righteous and it was not a crime.”
The Arakan Army has carried out a series of daring kidnappings, bombings and raids against the army and local officials in Rakhine state. Myanmar’s military hit back hard, deploying thousands of additional soldiers to the western state and carrying out what Amnesty International called enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial executions.
The clashes are taking place in the same area where the military drove around 740,000 Rohingya Muslims over the border in a bloody 2017 campaign.
The small mainly Muslim state of Gambia opened arguments against Buddhist-majority Myanmar at the International Court of Justice on Dec 10 accusing it of breaching the 1948 UN genocide convention in its operations against the Rohingya.
The Arakan Army said that it endorsed the case in a rare display of solidarity with Rohingya who are seen in Myanmar as non-citizens.
Ms Suu Kyi’s reputation lies in tatters over the crisis but at home she enjoys broad support and several events were organised to cheer her as she headed to The Hague.