Attacks in Myanmar: Military Kills Civilians and Detains Victims in Rakhine State

Accident – Death – Obituary News : the situation in Rakhine State and Shan State remains extremely volatile, with ongoing clashes between armed groups and the military. The recent findings by Amnesty International shed light on the atrocities committed by the Myanmar military, including attacks on civilians, arbitrary detention, and looting of valuables.

According to the report, hostilities escalated on October 27, 2023, when three ethnic armed organizations launched coordinated attacks on military posts in northeastern Myanmar. Since then, the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 378 civilians, with over 660,000 people displaced. These figures add to the already dire situation in Myanmar, where nearly two million people were already displaced due to previous conflicts.

The report highlights the indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as the use of banned cluster munitions in Shan State. Amnesty International’s interviews, along with photographs, video material, and satellite imagery, provide evidence of the military’s involvement in these war crimes.

Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Programme Director, Matt Wells, stated, “The Myanmar military has a blood-stained résumé of indiscriminate attacks with devastating consequences for civilians, and its brutal response to a major offensive by armed groups fits a longstanding pattern.” He further expressed concern that the suffering of civilians in Myanmar has largely fallen off the international agenda, despite the ongoing crisis.

The report also contains harrowing accounts from witnesses who experienced the military’s brutality firsthand. In Pauktaw town, Rakhine State, the military launched airstrikes and ordered civilians to evacuate within one hour. Many residents fled, but several hundred were unable to escape before the military resumed its attacks. Witnesses reported that the military fired from the air, sea, and ground, using helicopters and ships that are exclusive to the Myanmar military. This raises concerns about the military’s ability to distinguish between military targets and civilians, suggesting indiscriminate attacks that should be investigated as war crimes.

The report further details the arbitrary detention of civilians who sought refuge in the Lawka Hteik Pan pagoda compound. Civilians were forced to stay outside in heavy rain, with some having their hands tied behind their backs. The military denied them food, water, and access to their mobile phones and valuables. The treatment of the detained civilians violated the principle of humane treatment and constituted arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Additionally, the stealing of civilians’ private property amounts to pillage, which is a war crime under international humanitarian law.

The accounts of those trapped in the Lawka Hteik Pan compound paint a grim picture of their experience. They were locked inside the prayer hall, deprived of food and water, and subjected to extreme weather conditions. The detainees were eventually forced to break into stalls in the market to find food. Their escape from the compound was met with further gunfire from the military, adding to their already traumatic ordeal.

While the Arakan Army managed to drive the military out of Pauktaw on November 21 and evacuate the captives from the compound, the situation in both Rakhine State and Shan State remains precarious. The military’s blocking of aid for internally displaced persons and skyrocketing prices have further exacerbated the suffering of the affected population.

Amnesty International’s report serves as a reminder that the crisis in Myanmar is far from over. The international community must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing violence and human rights abuses committed by the military. Immediate action is necessary to hold those responsible accountable and ensure the protection and well-being of civilians in Myanmar..