Evidence of human rights abuses perpetrated by the Myanmar military against Rohingya communities in northern Rakhine State continues to mount, with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and UN representatives in the area noting the possibility of crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, however, has a different story to tell. The paper has been covering the situation in Rakhine State by downplaying the violence, instead praising the area’s natural beauty and wildlife, while simultaneously justifying the military’s disproportionate response and targeting of civilians.
Over the weekend, however, the paper finally offered some sympathy for what it considers to be the victim of the Rakhine conflict – the local prawn industry.
“Recent armed attacks on northern Rakhine State prompted closure of all border gates with Bangladesh for more than two months, causing financial hardships for local shrimp and prawn farmers and merchants, according to officials from the saltwater prawn and shrimp market,” reported the state-run daily on Sunday.
Yeah, that’s a problem. But what about the living people trying to get across the border to escape injury, death and rape?
The story repeats: “Due to a series of violent armed attacks last month by insurgents, border gates were closed, which resulted in significant losses to farming entrepreneurs and merchants, who are waiting for the return to normalcy.”
Significant losses to farming entrepreneurs and merchants are worth mentioning, but aren’t significant losses of civilian lives and livelihoods worth mentioning, too?
The story then quotes U Arnupar, the owner of a prawn wholesale market in Maungtaw, as saying: “Such incidents give no benefit to anyone. We want to eke out our living peacefully.”
You’re not the only one, man.
