Myanmar and militants trade accusations
YANGON — Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday accused Rohingya fighters of burning down homes and using child soldiers during a recent surge in violence in troubled Rakhine state, allegations denied by the militants themselves.
The impoverished western state neighbouring Bangladesh has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
Despite years of persecution and government restrictions, the Rohingya largely eschewed violence. Both sides have accused each other of committing fresh atrocities in recent days, accusations that are difficult to verify because the fighting is taking place in inaccessible villages.
The government department directly run by Suu Kyi — the State Counsellor’s Office — has released a flurry of statements via Facebook, including grim pictures of civilians allegedly shot dead by militants.
“Terrorists have been fighting security forces by using children at the frontline (and) setting fire (to) minority-ethnic villages,” the office said in its latest statement on Monday.
It added that there should be “no concerns for civilians who
While raiding Rohingya villages, the Burmese brutal military soldiers bring along with them groups of Rakhine (Buddhist) extremists to attack Rohingya villagers, loot Rohingyas’ properties and later burn down Rohingya houses Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army @ARSA_Official
are not linked with extremist terrorists” and called on Rohingya to not brandish “sticks, swords and weapons” when security forces approached.
The militant group behind the fighting — the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) — hit back with its own allegations on Monday.
“While raiding Rohingya villages, the Burmese brutal military soldiers bring along with them groups of Rakhine (Buddhist) extremists to attack Rohingya villagers, loot Rohingyas’ properties and later burn down Rohingya houses,” the group said via its Twitter account @ ARSA_Official.