The Office of the State Counsellor has established an Information Committee that will be responsible for releasing timely news about Rakhine State. The formation of the committee was announced yesterday at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw.
The committee includes seven members, including Zaw Htay (aka Hmuu Zaw), the presidential spokesperson who has previously sought to stifle reporting on human rights abuses in Rakhine State.
Zaw Htay told journalists at the press conference: “Our information team will not hide the truth but will defend [the government] from accusations.”
One of the committee’s first moves was to deny allegations made by Human Rights Watch of mass arson against Rohingya villages. The Human Rights Watch report contained satellite images of over 400 burned homes in three Rohingya villages.
The committee claimed: “Terrorists from Maungdaw burned their own villages to spread misconceptions about security forces. [The terrorists] will contact with the media and distribute fake news to get more aid from the international community.”
The committee is expected to release regular announcements on the progress of security sweeps through Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State.
