GENEVA, 24 August 2024 (TDI): The United Nations (UN) has expressed grave concerns about the potential for a repeat of the 2017 atrocities against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, warning of an unfolding humanitarian crisis in Rakhine State.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk has raised alarm over the rapidly deteriorating situation across Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine, where hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed while attempting to escape the violence.
The turmoil in Rakhine began after the Arakan Army launched attacks on Myanmar’s ruling junta troops in November, ending a truce that had largely held since the military coup in 2021.
Turk accused both sides of committing abuses against the Rohingya, including extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, and indiscriminate bombings of civilian areas.
In 2017, a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar army forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to flee Rakhine, leading to a UN genocide court case against the Myanmar military.
“Thousands of Rohingya have been forced to flee on foot, with the Arakan Army repeatedly driving them into areas with little safety,” Turk said. He noted that with border crossings to Bangladesh closed, Rohingya Muslims are trapped between the army and its allies and the Arakan Army, with no escape route. Bangladesh currently hosts around one million Rohingya refugees.
This month marks seven years since the military’s brutal operations drove over 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh. Despite international pledges of “never again,” Turk warned that the region is once again witnessing murder, destruction, and displacement.
