Asia/South Asia
6 years ago

Myanmar destroying evidence of atrocities, HRW fears

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The Human Rights Watch has said Myanmar may have destroyed evidence of atrocities by troops through demolishing at least 55 villages in the northern part of Rakhine State.

The group made the claim on Friday citing a review of new satellite imagery showing demolition.

HRW's Asia director Brad Adams said a total of 362 villages had been partially or completely destroyed since August.

"Since late last year, some of those villages - and at least two previously intact settlements - had been flattened, the organisation said.

“Many of these villages were scenes of atrocities against Rohingya and should be preserved so that the experts appointed by the UN to document these abuses can properly evaluate the evidence to identify those responsible,” Brad Adams said.

“Bulldozing these areas threatens to erase both the memory and the legal claims of the Rohingya who lived there,” he said.  

Human Rights Watch said a series of images taken from satellites showed that two villages in the area called Myin Hlut were not damaged by fire and were “likely inhabitable” before they were “destroyed and smoothed over by heavy machinery” between January 9 and February 13.

The findings by the New York-based rights group were published after Myanmar struck a deal on aid to the region with the United Nations and Japan, marking a shift in strained relations between government and the United Nations.

Reuters said, Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay was not immediately available for comment.

Myanmar officials have said the government is preparing areas to receive refugees who will return under a repatriation agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in November.

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