Myanmar troops have been joined by civilians in “gathering the dead bodies and burning them” after perpetrating massacres in Rohingya villages in Rakhine State, Arakan Project director Chris Lewa told Newsday on the BBC World Service yesterday.
She told Newsday that her organization, which documents violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, had gathered reports of massacres in several Rohingya villages. According to these reports, Myanmar security forces, with the help of local Buddhists, had killed at least 130 people in one Rathedaung Township village after surrounding it and shooting people indiscriminately.
“Perhaps compared to the violence that took place in October and November last year, there is more involvement of the local Buddhist population, together with the military,” she said.
She added: “What we found, as [another] difference from the previous attacks in October and November last year is that now, after the killings, the military and other civilians are actually gathering the dead bodies and burning them so [as] not to leave any evidence.”
She said these accounts have come from victims inside Myanmar, though her organization is working to corroborate the claims through detailed interviews with other victims in Bangladesh.
Accusations of arson and mass killing have been coming from all sides since fighting erupted between ARSA and Myanmar security forces on August 25. Unverifiable testimony from those who have fled indicates tit-for-tat mass killings and villages being torched by the army, Buddhist mobs, and Rohingya militants.
