Amnesty report highlights Myanmar military’s disregard for civilian suffering

Amnesty International has accused Myanmar’s army of human rights abuses against civilians in the states of Chin and Rakhine under the pretext of fighting an armed group called the Arakan Army.

“The Myanmar military’s utter disregard for civilian suffering grows more shocking and brazen by the day,” the prominent rights group said in a report published on Monday about the dire circumstances in Myanmar’s state of Rakhine.

The United Nations Security Council, the report demands, must urgently refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Amnesty says first-hand testimonies, images and video evidence obtained prove the military’s disregard for civilian suffering in areas at the epicenter of fighting with the Arakan Army.

Several incidents involving civilians injured or killed by landmines and bombardments have been reported in the states of Rakhine and Chin in recent weeks.

State troops have shelled settlements, leaving dozens of people dead, while rural homes and businesses have been burnt to the ground, the UK-based rights group said in its report.

The number of civilians already killed since December 2018 in the conflict in Rakhine and Chin stands at “289, with 641 injured.”

The real figure is almost certainly much higher.

MG