Myanmar army again attacking civilians in Rakhine: UN
Bangladesh, Myanmar
border talks begin today
UNB, Dhaka
The United Nations has said the Myanmar military is again carrying out attacks against its own civilians which may constitute war crimes and said they are deeply disturbed by the intensification of conflicts in Rakhine State in recent weeks. The consequences of impunity will continue to be deadly, said Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani yesterday in Geneva mentioning that the attacks are taking place when the international community is taking steps towards accountability for the crimes committed against civilians in previous years. In her briefing notes, Ravina said they condemn
what appear to be indiscriminate attacks and attacks directed at civilians by the Myanmar military and armed fighters in the context of the ongoing fighting with the ethnic Rakhine Arakan Army (AA).
She said the conflict between the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, and the Arakan Army has given a rise to credible reports of the killing of civilians, burning of houses, arbitrary arrests, abductions, indiscriminate fire in civilian areas, and damage to cultural property.
The fighting has impacted the civilians of various ethnicities in Rakhine and Chin States, including Rakhine, Rohingya, Chin, Mro and Daignet, according to the briefing notes received from Geneva.
The reports received by the UN Human Rights Office, fighting has intensified in Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Sittwe townships in Rakhine State in recent weeks, leading to the displacement of over 20,000 civilians.
Meanwhile, a five-day long top-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Myanmar Police Force (MPF) will begin in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw today.
BGB Director General Major General Md Shafeenul Islam will lead the 11-member Bangladesh delegation while Chief of Police General Staff of Myanmar Police Force Police Brigadier General Myo Than will lead the 17-member Myanmar delegation in the conference.
The conference will end on April 10, said Mohsin Reza, public relation officer (PRO) of the BGB headquarters.
Apart from the BGB, officials of the Prime Ministers office, Home and Foreign Ministries will also take part in the border talks.
In addition to MPF officials, senior officials of Myanmar Foreign and Defense Ministries will also participate in the conference.
Border related security issues, including prevention of smuggling of illegal drugs, especially, yaba pills, end of firing at frontiers, trespass into Bangladesh territory by Myanmar nationals, repatriation of convicted nationals of both the countries after completion of their respective jail terms will be discussed in the conference.
