HRW calls for village arson probe

YANGON: At least 200 houses and other buildings were destroyed by fire in a conflict-ridden state in Myanmar in an incident that has “all the hallmarks” of previous military arson attacks on villages, a human rights group said on Tuesday.

Let Kar village in the northwestern state of Rakhine was mostly deserted when the buildings went up in flames on May 16 after the population of mainly ethnic Rakhine Buddhists fled more than a year ago, Human Rights Watch said, citing satellite images and witnesses.

Myanmar’s military has been locked in an increasingly brutal war against the Arakan Army (AA) — insurgents fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists — since January last year that has killed scores of people and forced 150,000 to flee their homes.

The military and the AA deny responsibility for the destruction in Let Kar, accusing the other of committing what HRW warns could constitute a war crime.

“The burning of Let Kar village has all the hallmarks of Myanmar military arson on Rohingya villages in recent years,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for HRW.

“A credible and impartial investigation is urgently needed to find out what happened, punish those responsible, and provide compensation to villagers harmed.”

Rakhine is the state where a 2017 military crackdown forced about 750,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh in violence that has led to Myanmar facing genocide charges at the United Nation’s top court.

Mr Robertson added that the government should request UN assistance in the probe and not leave the matter entirely to the military.

Analysis of the satellite images “most likely” underestimates the scale of the destruction because internal damage to buildings is not visible, said Mr Robertson.

There have been no reports of any deaths.