Myanmar's military is guilty of committing new war crimes extrajudicial killings and torture in its fight against ethnic Rakhine rebels, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
The armed forces have deployed thousands of troops and heavy artillery across northern Rakhine state in recent months where Arakan Army (AA) rebels are fighting for more autonomy for the state's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.
The state was also the scene of the military's bloody crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim community in 2017.
That campaign pushed some 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh in violence UN investigators say warrants prosecution of top generals for genocide.
“No one can protect us” - New @amnesty report on #Myanmar detailing military war crimes and abuses in Rakhine since January 2019. All communities - incl Rakhine, Rohingya, Mro, Chin - living in fear. Identifies military units implicated in new crimes https://t.co/CLl8BZblqv pic.twitter.com/oZruRIacIy
— Laura Haigh (@Lauraehaigh) May 29, 2019
Amnesty said Wednesday it had new evidence that Myanmar's military is now committing war crimes and other human rights violations against the ethnic Rakhine, listing extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and enforced disappearances.
Access to the conflict area is heavily restricted but details of civilian deaths have emerged over recent weeks and months.
But the army has confirmed it shot dead six detainees late last month in the village of Kyauk Tan.
Our new @amnesty report shows Myanmar army still committing war crimes in Rakhine – killing, executing, disappearing and torturing people.
— Elliott Fox (@ejlfox) May 29, 2019
Less than 2 years since the anti-Rohingya atrocities, this onslaught is affecting all communities and all faiths.https://t.co/MUxg2jfIsQ
Amnesty's report is based on scores of interviews with people from various ethnic groups, photographs, videos and satellite imagery.
It documents seven unlawful attacks that killed 14 civilians and injured dozens more, saying notorious infantry units have been deployed against the ethnic Rakhine.
Some Rohingya Muslims who have remained in the area have also been killed.
"The new operations in Rakhine State show an unrepentant, unreformed and unaccountable military terrorising civilians," said regional director Nicholas Bequelin.
A Myanmar army spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment on the report.
The rights group also criticized the government for choosing to remain silent while supplies of medicine, food and humanitarian relief remain blocked by authorities.
In an unprecedented move after the AA attacked police posts in January, Aung San Suu Kyi's government ordered the army to crush the rebels.
Although the military was the main perpetrator, AA insurgents have also committed abuses against civilians, Amnesty said, alleging they have sent letters with bullets to local administrators and business people.
"I can firmly say it does not happen," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told AFP by phone, denying the claims.