Myanmar army 'burning villages and killing civilians’ in growing civil war, Amnesty reports

Group calls for situation to be referred to International Criminal Court

Armed men in Rakhine state, Myanmar (AFP via Getty Images)

Villages have been burnt and civilians killed by the Myanmar army as the civil conflict in the country’s western Rakhine state continues to escalate, according to a report by Amnesty International.

State troops have shelled settlements leaving dozens of people dead, while rural homes and business have been burnt to the ground, the organisation says.

The litany of horrors comes almost two years after major fighting broke out between government forces and the Arakan Army – an ethnic Rakhine militia group demanding greater autonomy for the state.

Now, after producing evidence of the atrocities inflicted by state soldiers, Amnesty International has urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.

Ming Yu Hah, the group’s deputy regional director for campaigns, said: “There are no signs of the conflict abating – and civilians continue to bear the brunt.

“The Myanmar military’s utter disregard for civilian suffering grows more shocking and brazen by the day. The UN Security Council must urgently refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

"The international community must raise the alarm about the situation in Rakhine State now, or face questions later about why they failed to act – again.”

Among evidence gathered, she added, was first-hand testimony, photographs and video obtained from inside Rakhine State, as well as satellite imagery and information from local human rights groups.

In one incident uncovered by the organisation, five people – including two seven-year-old girls – were reportedly killed when the village of Nyaung Kan in Myebon Township was indiscriminately shelled from a nearby military base. Ten others were injured.

In another incident, the village of Hpa Yar Paung in the Kyauktaw township was burnt down by soldiers and two men shot dead in what government forces said was retaliation for attacks on army vehicles.

Satellite image analysis further shows that some 120 structures in the region have been burnt to the ground, Amnesty International says.

It estimates at least 289 people are known to have been killed since the insurgency was sparked into life in December 2018.

Yet the true figure is almost certainly much higher, and is widely expected to get much worse.

In a report this year, the Crisis Group – specialists in international conflict-resolution – noted: “Despite the significant loss of life on both sides, nothing suggests that Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw, is wearing down the Arakan Army or degrading its ability to operate. But nor is there reason to believe that the Arakan Army can achieve its aim of greater political autonomy on the battlefield.

“Civilians are paying a heavy price, caught in the crossfire or targeted.”