In an attempt to sow ethnic clashes between the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, Junta forces burned down the house of the majority community and forced many kidnapped Rohingyas to do the same. The incident has caused massive outrage and UN Human rights Chief has instructed the UN Human Rights Chief to investigate the incident amid warnings the Rohingyas are in risk of genocide not only from the SAC but also their rivals in Arakan state, the Arakan Army.
The arson incidents have started happening since April 12. The Junta has categorically denied the allegations and indirectly shifted the blame to Rohingyas, whom they say are alarmed at the actions of the Arakan Army.
Earlier Rohingya boys were forced to demonstrate against the Arakan Army in a programme arranged by SAC officials and their Rohingya collaborators.
Since February, thousands of Rohingya men have been forcefully drafted into the army amidst a nationwide conscription programme. Many Rohingyas who refused have been taken to undisclosed locations and they have not been heard of since then. Some have been killed.
However, sources have said many men who are known operatives of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) also known as Al Yakin have been actively collaborating with the military junta in carrying out attacks against the Rakhines.
Attacks on remote outposts in Augist 2017 was used as a pretext by the Junta to carry out genocidical operations that killed approximately 25,000 Rohingyas and drove almost a million people to seek sanctuary in neighbouring Bangladesh where they continue to live in overcrowded refugee camps.
While ARSA had once imposed a reign of terror in the refugee camps of Bangladesh, they have been subsequently absent from any actions inside Myanamr till now.
Many Rohingya activists have long alleged that ARSA is in cahoots with the military Junta as the 2017 attacks were timed to coincide with the report by the Kofi Annan commission and gave Junta the pretext it needed to ensure a huge segment of the Myanmar population could be convinced with the propaganda of ‘Islamic terrorism’ disrupting the life of Buddhist people in Arakan.
Meanwhile, actions of the arsonists have inflamed the sentiments of the Rakhine community with many laying the blame squarely in the direction of the Muslim community. The uncertain situation has led to fears that ethnically motivated attacks on the beleaguered Rohingya community is now a matter of time. This would mean Junta strategy of implicating the Rohingya Muslims in arson incidents against the Rakhines are convincing many people in the area.
The situation has taken an interesting turn as Regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun defended the rights of the Muslim population in a televised speech and instead blamed the AA for perpetuating the rumours. Many activists have noted with scorn that the Junta which directly killed more than 25,000 people only six years back is now championing Muslim rights in what is a blatant attempt to sow discord between Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists.
The situation has become more tense with the powerful Arakan Army chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing referring to an article in a fake Indian newspaper that alleges Muslim terrorists are holding Hindus and Buddhists captive in Arakan. Naing accused ‘Bengsli terrorists’ of working hand in glove with Junta forces in persecuting the majority Rakhine community. While Naing maintained most Muslims supported AA actions, AA’s use of the word Bengali which implies Rohingyas are immigrants from Bangladesh and have no citizenship rights in Myanmar, and his allegations towards terrorists will inflame the ethnic tinderbox of Arakan.
Meanwhile medical charity Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) which has been a crucial lifeline for the Rohingya community especially in the last 12 years had declared their office and pharmacy along with life saving medicine and equipment have been burned down by arsonists on April 15. The declaration also said that under five children would especially be affected by the arson attack. As Rohingya patients found their doors shut by hospital authorities in the state since the riots of 2012, MSF had been a vital healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas.
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