No trace left of genocide

Myanmar portrays picture of Rakhine to visiting UN team

Rakhine State: As our convoy of white jeeps rattles along the dirt roads through a vast landscape of fertile farmland, it's hard to see any physical evidence of the 392 villages that were burned down in Myanmar's Rakhine State, other than the odd patch of blackened, decaying trees, reports CNN.

The rainy season has helped to replace much of the scorched earth with lush green fields, and rampant bulldozing and building work throughout the state has largely erased all memories of the Rohingya Muslims that lived here until they were forced to flee a little over a year ago.

CNN joined a government-led tour of the highly restricted area in late September, part of an attempt by authorities to convince the media -- and the rest of the world -- that accusations of genocide are false.

Our visit comes a week after a UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar presented its full report documenting evidence that the military carried out mass rapes, murders, and set fire to villages during what they called "clearance operations" in reaction to alleged "terrorist activities" by Rohingya militants last August. The UN report says more than 10,000 people were killed, 720,000 fled to Bangladesh, and it called for military generals to be prosecuted in an international tribunal for "genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes." Myanmar's de-facto leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the mission and its findings.

One of the massacres detailed in the UN report occurred at Inn Din, which was the first stop on the media tour.

"Men, women and children were killed and wounded. They were shot. They were stabbed or slashed with large knives and swords," the report says. During the attack on the village, 10 Rohingya men were murdered and thrown in a mass grave, a crime documented by two Reuters journalists who were jailed for seven years for their investigation under the Official Secrets Act. Seven soldiers were jailed for the killings -- the only atrocity from 2017 that the military has been punished for.

CNN asked to be shown the location of the grave, but locals said it was not allowed, as bad spirits would be released. Rakhine Buddhist villagers became increasingly agitated, and shouted for us to leave the area.

No trace left of genocide

Myanmar portrays picture of Rakhine to visiting UN team

Rakhine State: As our convoy of white jeeps rattles along the dirt roads through a vast landscape of fertile farmland, its hard to see any physical evidence of the 392 villages that were burned down in Myanmars Rakhine State, other than the odd patch of blackened, decaying trees, reports CNN. The rainy season has helped to replace much of the scorched earth with lush green fields, and rampant bulldozing and building work throughout the state has largely erased all memories of the Rohingya Muslims that lived here until they were forced to flee a little over a year ago. CNN joined a government-led tour of the highly restricted area in late September, part of an attempt by authorities to convince the media -- and the rest of the world -- that accusations of genocide are false. Our visit comes a week after a UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar presented its full report documenting evidence that the military carried out mass rapes, murders, and set fire to villages during what they called clearance operations in reaction to alleged terrorist activities by Rohingya militants last August. The UN report says more than 10,000 people were killed, 720,000 fled to Bangladesh, and it called for military generals to be prosecuted in an international tribunal for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Myanmars de-facto leader, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected the mission and its findings. One of the massacres detailed in the UN report occurred at Inn Din, which was the first stop on the media tour. Men, women and children were killed and wounded. They were shot. They were stabbed or slashed with large knives and swords, the report says. During the attack on the village, 10 Rohingya men were murdered and thrown in a mass grave, a crime documented by two Reuters journalists who were jailed for seven years for their investigation under the Official Secrets Act. Seven soldiers were jailed for the killings -- the only atrocity from 2017 that the military has been punished for. CNN asked to be shown the location of the grave, but locals said it was not allowed, as bad spirits would be released. Rakhine Buddhist villagers became increasingly agitated, and shouted for us to leave the area.