Report: Forty Rohingya villages in Myanmar destroyed since October

Human Rights Watch says at least 1,500 buildings have destroyed by soldiers – not Rohingya, as claimed – in Rakhine State

Yangon, MINA — Forty Rohingya villages in Myanmar’s violence-torn Rakhine State were burned in October and November, analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch claims, bringing the number of villages damaged since the military launched a violent crackdown against the Muslim minority in August to 354.

Dozens of Rohingya buildings were burned in the week of November 25 as Myanmar signed a deal with Bangladesh to repatriate some 655,000 minority Rohingya who have fled what the UN said could amount to genocide, DPA quoted a statement released by Human Rights Watch Monday as saying.

“The Burmese army’s destruction of Rohingya villages within days of signing a refugee repatriation agreement with Bangladesh shows that commitments to safe returns were just a public relations stunt,” said Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, Brad Adams, referring to Myanmar by its old name Burma, according to the statement.

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At least 118 villages were damaged after September 5, Human Rights Watch analysis shows, the date one-time democracy icon and Myanmar’s de facto Aung San Suu Kyi claimed was the end of security operations sparked by Rohingya militant attacks on 30 police and military outposts on August 25.

Humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) last week released a report claiming at least 6,700 Rohingya had been killed in the violence including 700 children, based on surveys of refugees in Bangladesh.

A Myanmar army investigation into the military’s actions in Rakhine state released last month rejected accusations of mass rape, beatings, extra-judicial killings or destruction of property by security forces. (T/RS5/RS1)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)