Religious freedom advocacy Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called for an independent inquiry into “grave” human rights violations – including allegations of crimes against humanity – which it claims have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
The call comes after a government-backed military crackdown in Rakhine State after nine of Myanmar’s police officers were killed on the border with Bangladesh in October. Myanmar’s military have claimed the deaths were the result of an act of terrorism by a small group of Rohingya Muslims. At least 30,000 Rohingya Muslims have reportedly been displaced and, say human rights groups, hundreds have died in the ensuing violence with a senior UN official telling the BBC last week that the Government of Myanmar was seeking to ethnically cleanse the minority group from its territory. The government has denied the accusations.
UK-based CSW, which says the crackdown has resulted in the worst human rights violations in the state since 2012 including the burning of homes, mass rape, torture, execution without trial and the blocking of aid, is calling for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to demand that a government block on humanitarian aid be lifted immediately.
CEO Mervyn Thomas said the government has refused access to independent international observers and international aid agencies for “too long”.
“The military are committing grievous human rights violations against a stateless, vulnerable minority with impunity,” he said. “They have used religious and racial hatred combined with national security concerns as a justification for atrocities. The military response to the initial attack on Burmese border police has been grossly disproportionate and reports indicate grave crimes against humanity.”
Mr Thomas said the international community “cannot stand idly by while peaceful civilians are mown down by helicopter guns, hundreds of women are raped and tens of thousands are left without homes”. “We need an impartial international investigation and we need aid on the ground. If we fail to take action, people may starve to death if they are not killed with bullets, and we may end up being the passive observers of ethnic cleansing.”
