Myanmar Spring Chronicle – April 19 Scenes
MoeMaKa, April 20, 2024
Aftermath of Destruction and Arson in Buthidaung; Prison Riot in Myitkyina Claims Four Lives
In Buthidaung, northern Rakhine State, the burning of homes, arrest of civilians, and bulldozing of houses, which began around the eve of Thingyan, continue amidst the ongoing conflict between the military council and the Arakan Army (AA). The involvement of Rohingya armed forces such as ARSA has exacerbated the situation, raising concerns of potential ethnic and religious retaliations and killings.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) issued a statement on the situation in Buthidaung during the Thingyan period, highlighting that their office was burned down on April 15. This brought attention to the events in Buthidaung. According to reports from some Rakhine news outlets, military council troops have trained Rohingyas in Buthidaung, which remains under military council control, to burn down homes and neighborhoods of the Rakhine people and destroy houses with bulldozers. Due to poor internet connectivity and phone lines, it has been challenging to confirm the details of these events. The New Indian Express reported that ARSA and ARA Rohingya armed forces, supported by the military council, arrested 1,600 Hindus and 120 Buddhists. The military council spokesperson denied these claims, stating the council had no involvement in the current events. A few weeks before the incidents, there were Rohingya protests against AA and the war, believed to be instigated by the military council.
On April 19, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a warning about the risk of another genocide similar to that of 2017, emphasizing that such incidents must not be allowed to happen again.
Following the August 25, 2017, attacks by Rohingya armed groups on border police outposts, the Myanmar military raided many Rohingya villages, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children. At that time, ARSA and the Military Council were adversaries. However, in the current situation, the Military Council and ARSA appear to be allies against the AA, which is attempting to control all of Rakhine State. The Military Council is forming alliances with Rohingya armed organizations to fight the AA, portraying the conflict as ethnic. They are recruiting Rohingyas as militia and military personnel to defend and attack against the AA. Armed, political, and civil organizations must prevent a repeat of the 2017 events, avoiding ethnic and religious hatred, violence, and genocide. Leading Rohingya activists based abroad told RFA Burmese news agency that the military council intentionally creates misunderstandings between Rakhine people and Rohingyas by forcibly taking Rohingyas with them during attacks on civilian houses in Buthidaung.
Seven years after more than a million Rohingya people fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh following the 2017 genocide, the situation is again on the brink of ethnic and religious conflict and killings. The Military Council appears to be inciting different ethnic groups to violence for power control, creating fear and hatred.
In another incident, at least four prisoners were killed and ten others injured when military council security forces suppressed a prison riot in Myitkyina. The riot, which began on April 18, was triggered by dissatisfaction with the amnesty announced on April 17. Initial reports indicated casualties when security forces opened fire to suppress the riot, and the military council later confirmed the deaths of four people but did not release their names. Since the military coup, there have been frequent protests and riots in prisons, often resulting in loss of life.