Panel probing Rohingyas hits back at UN

Yangon, Feb. 7: A Myanmar state commission probing allegations the military has killed, tortured and raped Rohingya Muslims rejected accusations it is not credible, saying on Tuesday it was focused on the “truth” and not pleasing the UN.

Last week, the United Nations’ human rights office said Myanmar’s military had likely killed hundreds of Rohingya during a continuing crackdown in a “calculated policy of terror” against the Muslim minority.

Almost 70,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the Army launched “clearance operations” four months ago to find Rohingya militants they accused of carrying out deadly raids on police border posts. The report by the UN’s human rights body said the accounts of torture, murder and gangrape at the hands of security forces were so severe that they may amount to ethnic cleansing.

Among the brutal testimonies published were

A Myanmar state commission probing torture and rape of Rohingya Muslims by security forces says it is focused on the probing ‘truth’ and not pleasing the UN

accounts of children butchered with knives while their mothers were raped by security forces.

For months, Myanmar dismissed similar testimony gathered by foreign media and rights groups and curtailed access to the region.

But following last week’s UN report, a spokesman for Myanmar’s President said the government was concerned by the “extremely serious allegations” and would probe them through the Rakhine commission.

Critics have rejected the state-appointed body, which is led by retired general and vice-president Myint Swe and includes no Muslims, as toothless and lacking in credibility.