Blog Elements – Page 50

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

They fear becoming targets of bombings, sniper fire or airstrikes. More than 1,000 civilians have fled Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe and nearby areas in western Myanmar, fearing heavy artillery attacks as tensions rise between junta forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that has advanced on junta positions, residents said Friday. Ongoing exchanges […]

Myanmar: Arakan Army Admits to Executing Prisoners of War

January 25, 2025/in News

Responding to leaked execution videos, armed group acknowledges crimes, vows accountability “The Arakan Army’s acknowledgment of its forces committing these war crimes is a vital step toward accountability,” said Ejaz Min Khant, Human Rights Associate at Fortify Rights. “But it’s not enough to merely say that the perpetrators have been punished. The AA must be transparent about […]

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

Myanmar: Arakan Army Admits to Executing Prisoners of War

January 25, 2025/in News

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

They fear becoming targets of bombings, sniper fire or airstrikes.

More than 1,000 civilians have fled Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe and nearby areas in western Myanmar, fearing heavy artillery attacks as tensions rise between junta forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that has advanced on junta positions, residents said Friday.

Ongoing exchanges of fire between junta soldiers and the Arakan Army, or AA, in nearby villages, have prompted residents to seek safe havens out of concern that they might be hit by bombs, sniper fire, drone strikes or air strikes, should the conflict escalate.

Of the 17 townships in Rakhine state, 14 are under the control of the AA, leaving only three — Sittwe, the military council’s regional headquarters, Kyaukphyu and Munaung — still in the hands of the military junta.

A Myanmar junta armored vehicle burns after Arakan Army forces attacked a column that left Sittwe in Rakhine state on Feb. 28, 2024. — A Myanmar junta armored vehicle burns after Arakan Army forces attacked a column that left Sittwe in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Feb. 28, 2024. (Arakan Army Info Desk)

Observers believe that the AA soon could launch an offensive against Sittwe.

And because of this, civilians say they fear getting trapped in the crossfire of heavy artillery used by junta battalions based in Sittwe if the AA strikes.

Sittwe is crucial for the junta — which seized control of Myanmar in a 2021 coup d’état — not only as a source of much-needed revenue and foreign currency, but also for its role in Myanmar’s oil and gas trade via the Indian Ocean.

Besides Sittwe, people in Rathedaung, Pauktaw and Ponnagyun —townships close to Sittwe — are also leaving their homes out of fear of direct attacks, said a Rathedaung resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Sittwe township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, is seen May 15, 2023. — An aerial view of Sittwe township in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, May 15, 2023. (AP)

“Some already fled from Sittwe township, but now they find themselves forced to flee again, adding to their hardships,” the person said. “Many are struggling due to a lack of warm clothing for winter and severe shortages of basic necessities after being displaced.”

Junta fortifies positions

The junta’s blockade of transportation routes in Rakhine state, which has made travel for displaced civilians difficult, has compounded the situation, they said.

Sittwe residents told RFA that the AA has surrounded the city with a large number of troops while the military junta has fortified its positions, increasing its military presence with battalions outside the city, in areas of Sittwe, and at Sittwe University, in preparation for a defensive stand.

Additionally, thousands of Rohingya — a stateless ethnic group that predominantly follows Islam and resides in Rakhine state — have been given military training by the junta, sources said.

“The army is shooting; the navy is also shooting,” said a Sittwe resident. “People are afraid. They don’t know when the fighting will start.”

AA’s heavy artillery

The AA has already fired heavy artillery and used snipers. Local news reports on Jan. 27 indicated that daily exchanges of fire were occurring between the ethnic army and junta forces, including the use of attack drones.

War-displaced persons fleeing Sittwe city, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 29, 2025. — Civilians displaced by armed conflict flee Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Jan. 29, 2025. (Wai Hun Aung)

Attempts by RFA to contact both AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha and junta spokesperson and Rakhine state attorney general Hla Thein for comment on the issue went unanswered by the time of publishing.

Human rights advocate Myat Tun said he believes the AA will resort to military action in Sittwe if political negotiations fail.

“The situation in Sittwe is escalating,” he said. “The AA is preparing to take military action if political solutions are not reached.”

RFA News

Myanmar: Arakan Army Admits to Executing Prisoners of War

January 25, 2025/in News

Responding to leaked execution videos, armed group acknowledges crimes, vows accountability

“The Arakan Army’s acknowledgment of its forces committing these war crimes is a vital step toward accountability,” said Ejaz Min Khant, Human Rights Associate at Fortify Rights. “But it’s not enough to merely say that the perpetrators have been punished. The AA must be transparent about who was held accountable, what actions were taken, and share this information with international investigators without delay.”

Yesterday, Fortify Rights published an analysis of two leaked videos it obtained showing a group of AA soldiers and plain-clothed men cutting and hacking the throats of two prisoners of war in front of a shallow dirt pit in the ground.

Hours after Fortify Rights published its findings, AA spokesperson Khaing Thuka acknowledged the authenticity of the videos, condemned the killings, and said that those responsible had been identified and punished, providing no further details. He confirmed to Myanmar news media that the two victims were captured Myanmar military junta soldiers and that the incident occurred during an army operation against the junta’s Military Operations Command 9 in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, on February 7, 2024.

When asked about Fortify Rights’s report on the incident, Khaing Thuka suggested the executions were acts of revenge, telling BBC Burmese: “When they captured Myanmar military soldiers who had unlawfully arrested, tortured, and executed their own family members, some of our local resistance fighters could not control their anger and acted in this manner as an act of revenge, violating military discipline.”

Speaking with Narinjara News, he said: “This incident is completely against our policies. We do not condone such unlawful acts. Anyone who committed such offenses has been and will be punished. We will take the best measures to prevent such incidents from happening again while continuing our fight.”

“It’s very important that the Arakan Army condemned these heinous war crimes, but the narrative that the soldiers committed these killings in fits of personal rage doesn’t match the actual footage and is irrelevant under the laws of war,” said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Fortify Rights. “Crimes of passion happen in sudden fits of rage, but this footage shows up to ten soldiers casually murdering two prisoners, and the dialogue in the videos indicates the soldiers may have been acting on orders from a commander. The perpetrators also staged the killings for the camera, and the person filming provided instructions, none of which support the claim that these criminal acts were committed in the heat of passion.”

Fortify Rights said this case should be investigated and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

Under the laws of war and international criminal law, temporary emotional distress— such as rage, grief, or a desire for revenge—neither excuses nor mitigates criminal responsibility, said Fortify Rights. The Geneva Conventions explicitly prohibit the execution or mistreatment of prisoners of war, regardless of motive, even if those prisoners previously committed atrocities. All combatants in armed conflict must adhere to the laws of war and rules of engagement, even under extreme emotional stress.

Moreover, under the Geneva Conventions, all captured enemy soldiers must be treated humanely, and serious violations are considered war crimes. Military leaders and commanders who fail to prevent, investigate, or punish such violations may be held criminally responsible under the doctrine of command responsibility and prosecuted for war crimes.

Fortify Rights called on the AA and all parties to armed conflict in Myanmar to cooperate with international justice mechanisms, including the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), a body established by the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect and preserve evidence of atrocity crimes in Myanmar for future prosecutions. Just days before the AA accepted responsibility for the killings, the IIMM published an explainer on its work, saying it is “investigating serious international crimes committed by all perpetrators, including recent atrocities in Rakhine State, as part of its mandate to collect, preserve, analyze and share evidence of the most serious international crimes committed in Myanmar since 2011.”

The AA is an ethnic armed group controlling vast areas of Rakhine State and fighting a revolutionary war against Myanmar’s illegal military junta. The junta is responsible for widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar, as well as genocide against Rohingya people in Rakhine State.

Fortify Rights has documented and exposed several instances of war crimes committed by AA, against the ethnic-Rohingya population in areas under its control, including a massacre of Rohingya civilians near the Naf River in Maungdaw on August 5, 2024, and an arson attack on Rohingya homes in May 2024. The AA has denied these allegations and has yet to take responsibility or hold its troops accountable for the crimes.

“These extrajudicial executions are not an isolated incident,” said Ejaz Min Khant from Fortify Rights. “Other atrocity crimes, like the Arakan Army’s arson attack in Buthidaung and the Maungdaw massacre of Rohingya, remain unacknowledged and uninvestigated. This video offers a glimpse into the brutality its forces are capable of on the ground. The Arakan Army must be transparent in holding those responsible accountable, strictly discipline its troops, and take proactive action, rather than only responding when exposed.”

fortifyrights.org

Home

Spring Revolution

Civil Society Position Paper on ASEAN’s Goal of a Myanmar-Owned and -Led SolutionDecember 18, 2024 - 12:11 pm
Recommendations to ASEAN and Its Member States (1) Move beyond the 5PC to achieve a Myanmar people-led and people-centered solution to the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s “Myanmar-owned and -led” approach must be backed by genuine political will that aligns with and supports the collective aspirations of the people of Myanmar. (2) Cease all pressure on […]
The Airstrikes after the journey to the China of the Junta Military LeaderDecember 10, 2024 - 1:28 pm
Operation 1027 was a coordinated military attack against the junta on October 27th, 2023. It was carried out by the Northern Brotherhood, which includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. Several months later, the Three Brotherhood Alliance held three meetings to negotiate with China on January 11 […]
Human Rights Situation weekly update (September 15 to 21, 2024)September 27, 2024 - 8:26 am
Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]

Multimedia

GenocideSeptember 2, 2025 - 9:42 am
Crimes Against HumanityJune 16, 2025 - 7:55 am
International Humanitarian Law Cartoon AnimatonApril 29, 2025 - 8:37 am
အတိတ်မှ ဆိုးရွားသည့် အကြီးအကျယ် လူ့အခွင့်အရေးချိုးဖောက်မှုများ ထပ်မံမဖြစ်ပွားစေရေးအ တွက် အာမခံခြင်း (Guarantees of non-recurrence)February 10, 2025 - 9:58 am

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)

Junta fortifies positions

AA’s heavy artillery

ND Burma

Recent Posts