The Situation of Rohingya Muslims
In recent years, Rohingya Muslims have been subjected to brutal attacks by the junta government and Buddhist mobs in Myanmar. According to local sources, hundreds of people have been forced to migrate again to escape attacks by the army and Buddhist militias. Most recently, 200 civilians trapped on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border were killed in crossfire from drones and heavy weapons.
200 Civilians Massacred: Horrific Footage!
Rohingya rights activist and one of the founders of the “Free Rohingya Coalition”, Nay San Lwin, stated on his social media account that the Arakan Army (AA) targeted Rohingya civilians in the Maungdaw township of Rakhine state with drones and artillery fire. Lwin emphasized that at least 200 Rohingya people, mostly women, children and the elderly, lost their lives in the attacks carried out in just one day, many were injured and the death toll could be higher. Images shared on social media show bodies of Rohingya lying on the banks of the Naf River.
On the Brink of Deadly Disaster
Local human rights activist Wai Wai Nu also stated in a statement on the X platform that the situation in the region has turned into a deadly disaster. Drawing attention to the fact that violence against Muslim civilians is increasing by the second, Nu said that Muslims have been forcibly expelled from the city center and are currently trapped along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.
‘Clean-up’ Operations in Muslim Regions
In 2012, 400,000 Muslims were attacked by Buddhists in the Arakan state of Myanmar, and thousands of Muslims lost their lives in these attacks. Hundreds of homes and businesses were set on fire to prevent Muslims from returning, rendering them unusable. Following the attacks by Buddhist gangs, the Myanmar army launched new operations, which it called “cleansing”, in areas where Muslims lived.
- Myanmar has banned Muslims in the region from having ID cards, conducting business, building homes and travelling.
- Deprived of basic services such as education and health, thousands of Muslims have no choice but to migrate to survive.
More Than 1 Million People Have Left Their Homes
Thousands of Rohingya Muslims were forced to seek refuge in neighboring countries such as Thailand, India, Indonesia, Nepal and Malaysia as a result of violence launched by the Myanmar army and Buddhists against Muslims throughout the country in 2017. The United Nations announced that more than 1 million people have fled their homes due to persecution in the region since 2017.
- Bangladesh, where hundreds of Rohingya have taken refugee, is home to the world’s largest refugee camp.
- According to United Nations data, more than half of the refugees in 34 camps in Bangladesh are children.
Satellite images published by international human rights organizations revealed that hundreds of settlements, agricultural lands and workplaces were systematically destroyed.
Türkiye: We are following with concern
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey stated that they are following with concern the escalating conflict and increasing civilian casualties in Myanmar in recent months, and made a statement, “We call on the conflicting parties to comply with the rules of international law and humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to refrain from actions that will increase ethnic or religious conflict, including forced recruitment, and to provide access to the region in a manner that will enable urgent and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance.”
UN Warns of Genocide
The United Nations and international human rights organizations describe the violence against Rohingya Muslims as “ethnic cleansing” or “genocide.”
US: Muslim Minority Being Destroyed
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the attacks carried out by the Myanmar army against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017 were “crimes against humanity” and “crimes of genocide” and that the army was trying to destroy the Muslim minority.
Gambia Appeals to ICJ
On 11 November 2019, Gambia filed a lawsuit against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention. The case examines Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing of its Muslim minority.
