A Myanmar military report that said “no deaths of innocent people” took place in the brutal military campaign against Rohingya rebels in northern Rakhine, has been termed as “absurd” by a human rights group and had urged the International Criminal Court to launch its own investigation.
Myanmar’s army had released a report on Monday claiming that they found “no deaths of innocent people” after August 25 military campaign which drew global criticism as it lead to displacement of Rohingyas.
The army said 376 “terrorists” were killed in fighting after the August attacks. The crackdown led to the mass exodus of about 600,000 Muslim Rohingya civilians who fled the predominantly Buddhist country into neighbouring Bangladesh.
Described as the world’s worst refugee crisis, survivors from Mayanmar have reported mass killings, torture, and rape against Rohingya children, women, and men.
“The Burmese military’s absurd effort to absolve itself of mass atrocities underscores why an independent international investigation is needed to establish the facts and identify those responsible,” said Human Rights Watch’s Brad Adams said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Burmese authorities have once again shown that they can’t and won’t credibly investigate themselves.”
The United Nations has called the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar the world’s most persecuted minority.
Jeremy Laurence, a UN spokesman, told a news conference on Tuesday their investigators in Bangladesh found ample evidence of the killing and torture of civilians in Myanmar.
“Our findings are quite clear on what is happening,” Laurence said. “What we found took place in Rakhine state… is a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, murder, rape, assault, killings, torture. We heard [this] from people… over and over again.”
Human Rights Watch said it is time for the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate Myanmar’s authorities.
“The military’s grave crimes committed with impunity are exactly what the International Criminal Court was created for,” Adams said.
