Arakan Army targeting Muslim minority as Myanmar’s military are driven out of Rakhine, UN official says
Bangladesh military pursue Rohingya fleeing Myanmar on the Naf River border in July. A drone attack on villages on August 5 has increased the numbers fleeing the country.Bangladesh military pursue Rohingya fleeing Myanmar on the Naf River border in July. A drone attack on villages on August 5 has increased the numbers fleeing the country.are being forced to flee from their homes in Myanmar and escape on dangerous boat journeys after being targeted by armed rebels, activists and officials say.
Many villagers ran to nearby rivers in the hope of escaping by boat, either to Rakhine’s capital, Sittwe, or across the border to, where 1 million Rohingya refugees have been living since Myanmar’s military regime first launched attacks on the Muslim minority in 2017.The UN official said it appeared that a coordinated attack took place on 5 August.
The UN official said there had been attempts by international mediators to contact the Arakan Army after previous reports of aggression, including sieges of villages that prevented the Rohingya from working or farming, butAt least 150 civilians from Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority are thought to have been killed in a drone attack in Rakhine on 5 August, which is being blamed on the Arakan Army.“Not only this time do they burn villages, they use drones.
“We need the sustained efforts of the international community for Rohingya humanitarian operations and their eventual repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights,” Yunus said.However, attempts to repatriate them have failed because of a lack of guarantees of their safety in Myanmar. Conditions have worsened as the Arakan Army battles the military for control of Rakhine state.
Those who have managed to get into Bangladesh are not registering as refugees for fear they will be returned, leaving them without any kind of aid. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said itThe aid agency Cafod said there was already a lack of funding for the refugees in Bangladesh and the arrival of more highlighted the need for greater international support.
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