UN: Violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state could amount to crimes against humanity

The scale of violence against the Rohingya Muslims community in Myanmar’s Rakhine state is “revolting and unacceptable,” the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide said, underlining the Government’s responsibility to ensure that populations are protected.

The scale of violence against the Rohingya Muslims community in Myanmar’s Rakhine state is “revolting and unacceptable,” the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide said, underlining the Government’s responsibility to ensure that populations are protected.

In a statement, Special Adviser Adama Dieng said the flash report gave further credibility to reports that security forces were committing serious human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state from the very beginning of the recent escalation of violence, which was precipitated by attacks on border posts in early October 2016 and the ensuing operations by those forces.

According to the findings contained in the OHCHR report, human rights violations committed by the security forces include mass gang-rape, extra-judicial killings – including of babies and young children, brutal beatings and disappearances.