Myanmar's junta terrorises a Rohingya town, then rebels burn it down
The town of Buthidaung in Rakhine state, Myanmar's largest settlement of minority Rohingya, was on fire and under attack. 'All I could see was fire,' recounted Saifur Rahman, a 30-year-old Rohingya resident. 'We anticipated danger, but we never imagined this level of devastation.'
When the fires were finally extinguished, the riverside town near Myanmar's western border with Bangladesh was reduced to smouldering ruins, leaving thousands of Rohingya homeless. Initial estimates indicate that at least 45 Rohingya perished during the attack and its immediate aftermath, according to a senior United Nations official.
The attack, which occurred around 10 p.m. on May 17, is the latest in a long history of violence against the Rohingya, Myanmar's predominantly Muslim ethnic minority. The UN previously described the 2017 military campaign against the Rohingya as 'textbook ethnic cleansing.'
In 2017, the military's actions resulted in the deaths of an estimated 10,000 Rohingya and forced over 750,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, according to the UN. Since then, clashes have continued between junta forces and the powerful Arakan Army ethnic militia in Rakhine state, with recent months seeing intensified combat as the rebels achieved significant victories.
The Arakan Army, known as the AA, is one of many ethnic armed groups in Myanmar engaged in a brutal civil war against the junta since the military overthrew the civilian government in a 2021 coup. Established in 2009, the Arakan Army has long fought for the 'liberation' of Rakhine and the establishment of an autonomous region.
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