Video shows Rohingya villages still being torched in Myanmar: Amnesty

An Amnesty International assessment of video and satellite evidence has found that Rohingya villages are still being burned in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

Three videos show large plumes of smoke rising from Rohingya villages as recently as Friday afternoon.

One of the villages was already deserted.

Satellite images also showed smoke rising from burned structures.

Local sources told Amnesty that the fires were started by Myanmar security forces and local mobs.

“This damning evidence from the ground and from space flies in the face of Aung Suu Kyi’s assertions to the world that what she called military ‘clearance operations’ in Rakhine State ended on 5 September,” said Tirana Hasan, director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International.

“Almost three weeks later, we can see in real time how there is no let-up in the campaign of violence against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. Rohingya homes and villages continue to burn, before, during and after their inhabitants take flight in terror. Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to.”

Hasan called for action from world leaders.

“The time has come and gone for giving Myanmar’s military and political leadership the benefit of the doubt. The international community must be unequivocal in its condemnation and take effective action to halt this ethnic cleansing campaign as well as bring the perpetrators to account,” she said.

Smoke is seen on the Myanmar's side of border as Rohingyas fleeing the Maungdaw township Rakhine State with their cattle. Photo: mostafigur rahman

One video, taken on Sept 21 in northern Maungdaw, shows smoke rising from a settlement in the area. The Myanmar Border Guard Police and vigilante groups set the fires, a local resident told Amnesty.

Two other videos near Buthidaung showed a village in flames on Friday. Activists, including a source in Rakhine, told Amnesty the burning began between 1:30pm and 2:00 pm.

Satellite images taken on Sept 16 and Sept 22 showed a village had been burned to the ground over the course of a few days. Satellite sensors had also detected recent fire activity in the village.

A violent military crackdown following militant attacks on Aug 25 led to nearly 429,000 Rohingya refugees fleeing across the border to Bangladesh.

Smoke is seen on the Myanmar's side of border as Rohingyas fleeing the Maungdaw township Rakhine State with their cattle. Photo: mostafigur rahman

Fires burning Rohingya villages in Rakhine have been reported since the exodus began. According to Rohingya witnesses and international organisations such as Amnesty, Myanmar security forces and vigilante mobs are responsible. The Myanmar military has said the Rohingyas burned their homes as they fled.

On Sept 19, Myanmar’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in her first address since the start of the latest violence, claimed there had been no conflict or clearance operations since Sept 5.

The following day Myanmar Vice President Henry Van Thio told the UN that the country’s security forces had been ordered to take ‘full measures’ to avoid collateral damage and harming innocent civilians.