Myanmar’s military government has denied accusations of a massacre in the village of Byine Phyu in the western state of Rakhine. The conflict in Rakhine has intensified as pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces battle against the military rulers who took power in 2021. The Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organization, claimed that army troops and their allies killed 76 people in the village last week. The Arakan Army, seeking autonomy for the Buddhist Rakhine minority, has been on the offensive against army outposts in Rakhine since November.
The competing claims of human rights violations could not be independently verified due to travel restrictions in the region. The U.N. human rights office has expressed concern over the impact of new violence in Rakhine, warning of attacks on Rohingya civilians by the military and ethnic armed groups. The Rohingya minority, facing persecution, has been the target of brutal campaigns leading to mass displacement to neighboring countries.
After the capture of Buthidaung by the Arakan Army, Rohingya activists accused them of burning down houses and forcing residents to flee. However, the Arakan Army denies these allegations and blames the destruction on the military government’s troops and local Muslims fighting alongside them. The conflict in Rakhine continues to raise fears of a revival of violence against the Muslim Rohingya minority, as witnessed in 2017. The situation remains complex and fraught with challenges for verifying the truth amidst conflicting narratives.
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