Violence in Myanmar Forces 45,000 Rohingya to Flee
The United Nations has reported that intensifying violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has driven 45,000 Rohingya to seek refuge, amid accusations of severe human rights violations including beheadings and burnings of property.
Renewed clashes erupted after the Arakan Army (AA) attacked government forces in November, breaking a ceasefire that had lasted since a 2021 military coup. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority long persecuted in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, are caught in the crossfire between the AA and the military.
The AA claims to fight for greater autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population. Rakhine State is also home to approximately 600,000 Rohingya who have remained despite the ongoing conflict.
More than a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, especially following a military crackdown in 2017 now under international scrutiny as potential genocide.
UN rights office spokeswoman Elizabeth Throssell stated that recent fighting in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships has displaced tens of thousands, many fleeing to the Naf River near the Bangladeshi border. UN rights chief Volker Turk called on Bangladesh and other nations to offer protection to these refugees, emphasizing the need for international support.