MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th May, 2020) Myanmar's government should launch an impartial investigation into the fire that broke out earlier in May in Let Kar village, of the embattled Rakhine state, destroying about 200 homes and buildings, because satellite imagery suggests it might have been an arson attack by the country's military, a prominent human rights watchdog said on Tuesday.
The fire ravaged the predominantly ethnic Rakhine village of Let Kar on May 16 with the imagery showing that the incident "bears a close resemblance to patterns of fires and widespread arson attacks by the Myanmar military on ethnic Rohingya villages" that have taken place in previous years.
"The burning of Let Kar village has all the hallmarks of Myanmar military arson on Rohingya villages in recent years. A credible and impartial investigation is urgently needed to find out what happened, punish those responsible, and provide compensation to villagers harmed," Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said, as quoted by a press release.
The watchdog stated that, according to the satellite imagery, as of 10:30 a.m. on May 16 (04:00 GMT) there were no signs of a blaze, while at 02:12 p.m., extensive fires burned across the village.
In claims consistent with the satellite data, residents in the neighboring village of Bu Ywat Ma Nyo say they saw Myanmar soldiers walking toward Let Kar around 02:00 p.m. on May 16 and leaving at around 05:00 p.m. Residents also said that they heard "gunfire, saw flames, smoke, and observed two aerial drones, one flying above Let Kar and another flying over By Ywat Ma Nyo village," according to HRW.
"Myanmar's government should not leave the investigation of this incident to the military, which has repeatedly covered up atrocities and exonerated its troops. To ensure a credible investigation, the government should request UN assistance," Robertson concluded.
The conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state between the Rohingya and the Buddhist majority dates back to the previous century. Central authorities and the Buddhist population consider the Rohingya to be undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh.
Tensions escalated in 2017, when Myanmar's military launched a major offensive on Rohingya villages and outposts in the Rakhine state after unidentified Islamic extremists attacked police and security posts. According to the United Nations, about 745,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since Myanmar's large-scale security forces campaign in 2017.
