Escalation of Myanmar Army Attacks on Rohingya Rebels Leaves 400 Dead

Recent official statistics indicate that approximately 400 people have been killed due to heavy fighting in northwestern Myanmar last week, likely marking the deadliest violent clashes for the Muslim Rohingya minority in recent decades. According to Reuters, a week after Rohingya militants attacked several police stations and an army base in Rakhine State, UN-affiliated sources report that around 38,000 Rohingya Muslims crossed the border into Bangladesh by August 31. The Myanmar army claims to be conducting a 'cleansing' operation in these areas against 'extremist terrorists' and has instructed military and police forces to protect civilians. However, those Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh assert that armed forces have forced them to escape the region by killing people and burning homes. The Myanmar government's treatment of the Muslim Rohingya minority, which numbers about 1.1 million, has become the biggest challenge for Aung San Suu Kyi, one of the country's leaders, with some Western critics accusing her of failing to take a stand against the oppression of a minority that has always suffered from pressure and discrimination. According to military sources, during the armed clashes and the army's cleansing operations last week, about 370 Rohingya rebels, along with 13 government forces, two government officials, and 14 civilians were killed. Reuters recalls that during widespread violence in 2012 in the capital of Rakhine State, around 200 people were killed and 140,000 were displaced, most of whom were from the Rohingya minority. The recent battles are an escalation of violent conflicts that began in October 2016. At that time, the Myanmar government responded with force to small and scattered attacks by Rohingya rebels, sparking severe criticism regarding human rights violations. The Myanmar army claims that due to these conflicts, about 12,000 people from other minority groups have been evacuated from conflict areas, referring to non-Muslims residing in northern Rakhine State. According to state media in Myanmar, around 150 Rohingya rebels attacked government forces near villages inhabited by Hindus on Thursday, resulting in the army evacuating about 700 residents of these villages. The United Nations reports that around 200,000 other Rohingya who wish to flee Myanmar are now trapped in uninhabited border areas, while aid organizations in Bangladesh are trying to assist several thousand migrants who have suddenly entered the country. Some of these people are attempting to cross land borders, while others are navigating the dangerous Naf River that separates Bangladesh and Myanmar by boat. On Friday, Bangladeshi border forces discovered the bodies of 15 Rohingya Muslims, including 11 children, floating in the waters of this river, bringing the total number of people who have drowned in the river to 40.