Reuters Report on Rohingya Minority Massacres in Myanmar; US Calls for Independent Investigations

A Reuters investigative report on the mass killings of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar has prompted the United States to call for independent investigations into the matter. This comes as two journalists working on the report have been arrested in Myanmar. The special report, recently published, follows the events related to the killing of 10 Rohingya men in the village of 'Inn Din' in Rakhine State. The report states that these men were killed either through beatings or gunfire by soldiers and Buddhist neighbors and were buried in a mass grave. Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the US State Department, said on Friday: 'This report and previous reports about mass graves demonstrate the necessity for Burmese authorities to cooperate with a credible and independent investigation to clarify the facts surrounding these atrocities in northern Rakhine.' She added: 'Such an investigation will provide more details about what happened, confirm the identities of the victims, and identify those responsible for such human rights violations. All of this contributes to accountability and achieving justice.' The United Nations also described the Reuters report as 'alarming' and stated that it indicates the need for 'a comprehensive and thorough investigation' into the violence in Rakhine State. The Myanmar delegation at the UN has yet to respond to this request from the UN. The Reuters report includes interviews with Buddhists who have admitted to burning the homes of the Rohingya minority. These individuals stated that after an attack by dissatisfied Rohingya on a checkpoint last summer, the attack and killing of Rohingya Muslims began. The report contains first-hand confessions from militia and police-linked forces involved in the killings and arson in northern Rakhine State. The UN has stated that the scale of these atrocities may warrant the label of genocide. The report indicates that the Myanmar government was aware of this attack, permitted it, and described it as a 'legitimate response to insurgents.' Zaw Htay, spokesperson for the Myanmar government, stated on Thursday, prior to the publication of the Reuters report, that 'we do not deny these allegations of human rights violations and are not willing to completely dismiss them all.' He added: 'If there is first-hand and conclusive evidence of human rights violations, the government will investigate.' Since the publication of the Reuters investigative report, the Myanmar government has not yet reacted to it. Since August of last year, 690,000 Rohingya have fled from western Myanmar to Bangladesh. Rosena Allin-Khan, a British Labour MP, stated in an interview with BBC News that the incidents mentioned in the Reuters report align with other evidence she heard a year ago while working as a doctor in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh. She said: 'We were witnesses to genocide. This report is a serious turning point because it is the first time since these events occurred last year that those involved have spoken about it.' Rosena Allin-Khan stated that, in addition to an international investigation, this matter should also be reported to the International Criminal Court. Human Rights Watch also stated on Friday that Myanmar's military leaders must be held accountable for these allegations. Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch, said: 'As more evidence emerges of this program where Myanmar officials knowingly engaged in ethnic cleansing of Rohingya villages, the international community must examine how to hold the military leaders of this country accountable.' David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, also tweeted: 'At the time this report was being prepared and written, two Reuters journalists were arrested by Myanmar police. These two journalists, who are still in custody, must be released.' Yanghee Lee, UN human rights investigator on Myanmar, who has been prevented from entering Rohingya areas, also tweeted: 'To clarify all aspects of this massacre, a credible and independent investigation is needed.' The police arrested 'Wa Lone' and 'Kyaw Soe Oo,' two Reuters journalists, in December of last year. Their charges are related to violating Myanmar's secret documents laws. While they remain in custody, a court in Myanmar is reviewing charges that aim to prosecute them on suspicion of that. Farhan Haq, UN spokesperson, quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as saying: 'We have also raised and are following up on the request for the release of these two journalists.' Amnesty International previously reported on the situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, stating that the ethnic cleansing of this minority continues following the widespread killings and abuses that began in mid-summer, and without effective international action, this disastrous trend will continue.