Blog Elements – Page 490

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Bulldozing Rohingya villages was not ‘demolition of evidence,’ official says

February 27, 2018/in News

Burma has bulldozed the remains of Rohingya Muslim villages to make way for refugee resettlement, not to destroy evidence of atrocities, an official leading reconstruction efforts in the troubled northern state of Rakhine said on Monday. Last week, New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had analysed satellite imagery showing Burma had flattened at least […]

Amnesty international press release: INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO MILITARY KILLING OF FOUR KARENNI MEN ESSENTIAL FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE

February 20, 2018/in Press Releases and Statements

20 February 2018 Myanmar: Independent investigation into military killing of four Karenni men essential for truth and justice The Myanmar authorities must ensure an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the killing of four ethnic Karenni men by Myanmar soldiers in December 2017, Amnesty International said today. The current military investigation into the deaths cannot […]

Bulldozing Rohingya villages was not ‘demolition of evidence,’ official says

February 27, 2018/in News

Amnesty international press release: INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO MILITARY KILLING OF FOUR KARENNI MEN ESSENTIAL FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE

February 20, 2018/in Press Releases and Statements

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Bulldozing Rohingya villages was not ‘demolition of evidence,’ official says

February 27, 2018/in News

Last week, New York-based Human Rights Watch said it had analysed satellite imagery showing Burma had flattened at least 55 villages in Rakhine, including two that appeared to be intact before heavy machinery arrived.

The group said the demolitions could have erased evidence of atrocities by security forces in what the United Nations and the United States have called an ethnic cleansing campaign against the stateless Rohingya minority.

A military crackdown prompted by Rohingya insurgents’ attacks on 30 police posts and an army base on 25 August drove 688,000 people from their villages and across the border into Bangladesh, many of them recounting killings, rape and arson by Burmese soldiers and police.

Burma has denied most allegations and asked for more evidence of abuses, while denying independent journalists, human rights monitors and UN-appointed investigators access to the conflict zone.

De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in October set up the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development (UEHRD) to lead the domestic response.

Veteran economist Aung Tun Thet, who is the chairman of the body, said villages were being bulldozed to make it easier for the government to resettle refugees as near as possible to their former homes.

“There’s no desire to get rid of the so-called evidence,” he told reporters on Monday, responding to the allegations of demolition of evidence.

“What we have intended [is] to ensure that the buildings for the people that return can be easily built,” he added.

Aung Tun Thet also said Burma would do its best to make sure repatriation under an agreement signed with Bangladesh in November would be “fair, dignified and safe.”

In a speech to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres restated his call for Burma to “ensure unfettered humanitarian access in Rakhine State.”

The United Nations suspended activities in northern Rakhine and evacuated non-critical staff after the government suggested it had supported Rohingya insurgents last year. The UN refugee agency has been excluded from the repatriation process.

“The Rohingya community desperately needs immediate, life-saving assistance, long-term solutions and justice,” Guterres said on Monday.

http://www.dvb.no/news/bulldozing-rohingya-villages-not-demolition-evidence-burmese-official-says/79904

Amnesty international press release: INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO MILITARY KILLING OF FOUR KARENNI MEN ESSENTIAL FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE

February 20, 2018/in Press Releases and Statements

20 February 2018

Myanmar: Independent investigation into military killing of four Karenni men essential for truth and justice

The Myanmar authorities must ensure an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the killing of four ethnic Karenni men by Myanmar soldiers in December 2017, Amnesty International said today. The current military investigation into the deaths cannot be considered to be credible and is unlikely to deliver truth and justice. Failure to hold those responsible to account before independent civilian courts would further entrench a climate of impunity in the county.

The four men were killed on the morning of 20 December 2017 at a check post in Loikaw, Kayah State operated by the Karennni National Progressive Party (KNPP), an ethnic armed organization in Myanmar. The previous evening, a convoy of army tucks, allegedly carrying illegally logged timber, passed through the check post and were inspected by KNPP members who were manning the post. The KNPP and Myanmar army operate under a ceasefire agreement, signed in March 2012. According to one of the KNPP members, the next morning, Myanmar soldiers surrounded the post and detained him and three other KNPP members, along with another man who had spent the night sleeping at the check post. The men were told to put on KNPP uniforms and line up to have their photos taken, however a Myanmar army solider then opened fire, killing four – three of the KNPP men and the civilian. The fourth KNPP member managed to escape and is currently in hiding. The military disputes this version of events, claiming that the men were killed after they tried to fight back against soldiers during the raid, however it has announced that it is investigating the incident.

Soon after the killings, senior KNPP leaders requested that the military handover the men’s bodies for burial. The military explained in response that the bodies had been cremated, however returned their ashes in four jars along with photographs of the dead men. According to credible sources, the military’s Regional Operations Commander offered the families of the deceased men 100,000 kyats (USD 60) each, which they refused. They later each accepted 500,000 kyat (USD 300) from the Kayah State regional government.

International human rights law and standards are clear that persons who carry out investigations into human rights violations should be chosen for their demonstrable impartiality and should be independent of the individuals, institutions and agencies implicated in the events being investigated. An investigation by the Myanmar military into these killings is therefore inadequate and cannot be considered to be credible.

Amnesty International calls on the Myanmar authorities to promptly initiate an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the killings. The men’s families should be kept informed of the status of the investigation, and the results should be made public. If sufficient, admissible evidence is obtained, all those suspected of being responsible, including any persons with command responsibility, must be brought to justice before an independent, civilian court, in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness and which do not impose the death penalty. In the meantime, anyone suspected of involvement in the killings should be immediately suspended from frontline duties.

Amnesty International is also concerned for the safety and wellbeing of the eyewitness to the killings, who is currently in hiding. According to information from credible sources, military officials have requested that he present himself for questioning, however he is fearful of doing so since his testimony would implicate military officials in wrongdoing. Amnesty International calls on the Myanmar authorities to ensure his safety and the safety of any other witnesses.
The case takes place in a wider context of allegations of human rights violations – including extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings – by the Myanmar military, in particular in ethnic minority areas. Investigations into such allegations are rare and suspected perpetrators are seldom held to account, contributing to a culture of impunity in the country. The case underscores, yet again, the need for the Myanmar authorities to allow the UN-mandated Fact- Finding Mission to access the country, investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses, and make recommendations aimed at ensuring accountability.
Amnesty International is also concerned that authorities have used a repressive law against individuals and activists speaking out about the killings. On 22 December, more than a dozen peaceful protesters gathered in Loikaw town to protest against the killing and demand justice. Five organizers from the Union of Karenni State Youth (UKSY) and the Karenni State

Farmers Union were subsequently charged with violating the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act, a law which has frequently been used to stifle peaceful dissent in the past. The activists were found guilty on 12 January 2018, and ordered to pay a fine or else serve a 20 day prison sentence. The five chose to serve the prison sentence.

Amnesty International calls on the Myanmar authorities to respect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Authorities must not use the threat of arrest and prosecution to deter peaceful protesters from exercising their rights and demanding justice and accountability. Instead, they should take swift action to review and repeal or else amend the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act and all other repressive laws which are used to arbitrarily restrict these rights.

https://www.amnesty.org/…/Documents/ASA1679182018ENGLISH.PDF

Spring Revolution

Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 8 to 14, 2024)September 20, 2024 - 2:30 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 8 to 14, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Magway Region, Shan State, Kachin State, and Rakhine State from September 8th to 14th. Military Junta arrested the civilians as human shields from Mindon Township, Magway Region, and Salingyi Township, […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 1 to 7, 2024)September 13, 2024 - 5:08 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 1 to 7, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, and Shan State from September 1st to 7th. The Military Junta threatened that they would launch airstrikes on the townships which they lost. The […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (Aug 22 to 31, 2024)September 7, 2024 - 4:09 pm
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Aug 22 to 31, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in the Sagaing Region, Magway Region, Bago Region, Mandalay Region, Tanintharyi Region, and Shan State from August 22nd to 31st. Head of Prison which works under Military Junta, tortured and blackmailed the […]

Multimedia

What is the Truth (Cartoon Animation)May 31, 2024 - 4:58 pm
What is Transitional Justice (Cartoon Animation)May 3, 2024 - 8:38 am
Close the SkyApril 11, 2024 - 7:45 am
Forced MarriageJanuary 9, 2024 - 2:12 pm

ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

ND Burma

Recent Posts