The UN human rights office warned on Friday of “frightening and disturbing reports” about the impact of new violence inwestern state of Rakhine, pointing to new attacks on Rohingya civilians by the military and an ethnic armed group fighting it.
A Myanmar police officer stands on a road as they provide security at a checkpoint in Buthidaung, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. A battle begun in neighbouring Maungdaw presented “clear and present risks of a serious expansion of violence," she added. A statement issued online late on Friday by the United League of Arakan, the political arm of the Arakan Army, said civilians in the battle zone had taken refuge in areas controlled by its forces, adding that it "has been doing its utmost to safeguard and care for these Internally Displaced Persons as valued citizens, irrespective of race or religion.”
The pro-democracy fighters are allied with several of the ethnic minority groups that have been fighting for greater autonomy for decades, and have well-trained military forces.