Myanmar strikes kill 32, mostly women and children: UN

[bluesky]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/...ll-32-mostly-women-and-children-un-1587182020

Myanmar strikes kill 32, mostly women and children: UN
Published: April 18, 2020 09:53:40 | Updated: April 18, 2020 10:42:42

File photo (collected)

A surge in fighting between the Myanmar military and insurgents has killed at least 32 civilians, mostly women and children, in the restive Rakhine and Chin states, the UN human rights office said on Friday.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also said that the military had destroyed homes and schools in the states.

Myanmar’s military denies targeting civilians and a spokesman on Friday declined to respond to the allegations, reports Reuters.


The Arakan Army, an insurgent group seeking greater autonomy for the region, has been battling government troops for more than a year.

“Myanmar’s military has been carrying out almost daily air strikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority women and children, and they have also been destroying and burning schools and homes,” UN human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told a Geneva news briefing.

He later said that the 32 were civilians.

Colville said it was “very difficult to get precise information from Rakhine”, noting that there had been an internet blackout in the area since June 2019.

“So as to whether the reported casualties are a result of targeting or were caught in the crossfire between the Arakan Army and Myanmar government army, it’s not entirely clear,” he said.

Myanmar army spokesman Major General Tun Tun Nyi told Reuters: “We published news of what happened there. You can find out by reading them. I don’t think I have to give any comment on it.”

After local officials and a resident told Reuters shelling in Rakhine state’s Kyauk Seik village on Monday killed eight people, the army said such reports were fake.

Countries including the United States and Britain have called for an end to fighting in Rakhine amid the coronavirus pandemic. Myanmar has reported 85 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

The Arakan Army declared a month-long ceasefire for April along with two other ethnic armed groups, citing the pandemic.

The military rejected the ceasefire, with a spokesman saying a previous truce declared by the government went unheeded by insurgents.

 

[khansaheeb]

Seems like Myanmar is going to become a new battle ground between China and India.

 

[Kaniska]

Seems like Myanmar is going to become a new battle ground between China and India.

On the Contrary, Myanmar will be an area of convergence with India, China.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/...ll-32-mostly-women-and-children-un-1587182020

Myanmar strikes kill 32, mostly women and children: UN
Published: April 18, 2020 09:53:40 | Updated: April 18, 2020 10:42:42

File photo (collected)

A surge in fighting between the Myanmar military and insurgents has killed at least 32 civilians, mostly women and children, in the restive Rakhine and Chin states, the UN human rights office said on Friday.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also said that the military had destroyed homes and schools in the states.

Myanmar’s military denies targeting civilians and a spokesman on Friday declined to respond to the allegations, reports Reuters.


The Arakan Army, an insurgent group seeking greater autonomy for the region, has been battling government troops for more than a year.

“Myanmar’s military has been carrying out almost daily air strikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority women and children, and they have also been destroying and burning schools and homes,” UN human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told a Geneva news briefing.

He later said that the 32 were civilians.

Colville said it was “very difficult to get precise information from Rakhine”, noting that there had been an internet blackout in the area since June 2019.

“So as to whether the reported casualties are a result of targeting or were caught in the crossfire between the Arakan Army and Myanmar government army, it’s not entirely clear,” he said.

Myanmar army spokesman Major General Tun Tun Nyi told Reuters: “We published news of what happened there. You can find out by reading them. I don’t think I have to give any comment on it.”

After local officials and a resident told Reuters shelling in Rakhine state’s Kyauk Seik village on Monday killed eight people, the army said such reports were fake.

Countries including the United States and Britain have called for an end to fighting in Rakhine amid the coronavirus pandemic. Myanmar has reported 85 cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

The Arakan Army declared a month-long ceasefire for April along with two other ethnic armed groups, citing the pandemic.

The military rejected the ceasefire, with a spokesman saying a previous truce declared by the government went unheeded by insurgents.

Current predicament of Rohingyas and Bangladesh's heavy burden has lot of to do with weak and headless policy of Bangladesh vis a vis with Myanmar. Top leadership of Bangladesh should have read the writing on the wall and taken appropriate measures so that Rohingya fighters could capture Rohingya populated territories in the Northern Rakhine Bordering Bangladesh during 1980s or 1990s. If it were happened then almost entire Rohingyas population had not to flee Bangladesh in later decades and Bangladesh would not have found itself in the mess it is in currently now. Rohingyas themselves could have defend them in their fortified home base. All other ethnic minorities fighting Myanmar has their own controlled territory and they fight or negotiate with Myanmar on equal terms. They get support from China and Thailand.

But Bangladesh took a totally weak and submissive foreign policy vis a vis Myanmar and completely abandoned Rohingyas to their misfortune and even denied any kinship with them. Giving Myanmar a free hand to do what it likes against Rohingyas. Bangladesh should have made it clear that, Rohingyas are ethnic and religious cousin of Bangladesh and atrocities against them will have consequences. Now other ethnic militias and Burmese military are fighting in Rakhine and Rohingya's peaceful repatriation in that restive territory is a distant dream. Policy of appeasement has a cost and Bangladesh is likely have to pay dearly for it in coming years.

 

[UKBengali]

Current predicament of Rohingyas and Bangladesh's unbearable burden has lot of to do with weak and headless policy of Bangladesh vis a vis with Myanmar. Top leadership of Bangladesh should have read the writing on the wall and taken appropriate measures so that Rohingya fighters could capture Rohingya populated territories in the Northern part of Rakhine Bordering Bangladesh during 1980s or 1990s. If it were happened then almost entire Rohingyas population had not to flee Bangladesh in later decades and Bangladesh would not have found the mess it is in currently now. Rohingyas themselves could defend them in their fortified home base. All other ethnic minorities fighting Myanmar has their own controlled territory and they fight or negotiate with Myanmar on equal terms. They get support from China and Thailand.

But Bangladesh took a totally weak and submissive foreign policy vis a vis Myanmar and completely abandoned Rohingyas to their misfortune and even denied any kinship with them. Giving Myanmar a free hand to do what it likes against Rohingyas. Bangladesh should have made it clear that, Rohingyas are ethnic and religious cousin of Bangladesh and atrocities against them will have consequences. Now other ethnic militias and Burmese military are fighting in Rakhine and Rohingya's peaceful repatriation in that restive territory is a distant dream. Appeasement and week knee policies has a cost and Bangladesh is likely have to pay dearly for it in coming years.

While I agree with the main gist of your point that BD foreign policy weakness has caused this catastrophe for the Rohingya, I do not think that BD was strong enough economically in the 1980s and 1990s to support the Rohingya to fight for a homeland for themselves. The garment industry was still tiny and BD relied on aid for more than 50% of it's budget during this time.

The actual marker should have been 2012 mass exodus from Myanmar to BD that left 400,000 Rohingyas in total as refugees in BD.

All that maybe needed to happen was for BD to have made sure that it had clear military superiority over the Burmese(should not have been difficult with a 4-5 times larger economy throughout the last decade) and a warning to Myanmar that any further mass expulsion of Rohingya to BD would invite dire military consequences for a far weaker Myanmar.

BD as the far larger and economically stronger country had the cards to play over Myanmar, but through stupidity and /or other unknown reasons chose not to play it.

 

[nahtanbob]

While I agree with the main gist of your point that BD foreign policy weakness has caused this catastrophe for the Rohingya, I do not think that BD was strong enough economically in the 1980s and 1990s to support the Rohingya to fight for a homeland for themselves. The garment industry was still tiny and BD relied on aid for more than 50% of it's budget during this time.

The actual marker should have been 2012 mass exodus from Myanmar to BD that left 400,000 Rohingyas in total as refugees in BD.

All that maybe needed to happen was for BD to have made sure that it had clear military superiority over the Burmese(should not have been difficult with a 4-5 times larger economy throughout the last decade) and a warning to Myanmar that any further mass expulsion of Rohingya to BD would invite dire military consequences for a far weaker Myanmar.

BD as the far larger and economically stronger country had the cards to play over Myanmar, but through stupidity and /or other unknown reasons chose not to play it.

There is nothing Bangladesh can do to threaten Myanmar. The border with Myanmar is 270 km long. It is mountainous. It is easy to defend the border against numerically superior force.

Wars are expensive. it is not easy to conduct them

 

[UKBengali]

There is nothing Bangladesh can do to threaten Myanmar. The border with Myanmar is 270 km long. It is mountainous. It is easy to defend the border against numerically superior force.

Wars are expensive. it is not easy to conduct them

Bombing campaign with airforce.

Myanmar only did what it did as it knew there would be no consequences.

Remember BD is five times richer than BD and so could have built up a far stronger airforce if it wanted to.

Punitive strikes are not expensive for a far superior military as you go in, do enough damage and then stop. Weaker party is nervous to retaliate as they will suffer even more in a 2nd strike.

 

[nahtanbob]

Bombing campaign with airforce.

Myanmar only did what it did as it knew there would be no consequences.

Remember BD is five times richer than BD and so could have built up a far stronger airforce if it wanted to.

Punitive strikes are not expensive for a far superior military as you go in, do enough damage and then stop. Weaker party is nervous to retaliate as they will suffer enough more in a 2nd strike.

There is not much to damage in Myanmar. Everything of value is spread out.
On the other hand a single strike on Chittagong port can cripple 90% of your EXIM trade

 

[UKBengali]

There is not much to damage in Myanmar. Everything of value is spread out.
On the other hand a single strike on Chittagong port can cripple 90% of your EXIM trade

Are you even reading my posts and then thinking before posting?

Did I not say BD would need a far superior airforce before it could exercise the option?
Cannot an effective SAM system/air defence system not be put in place to protect vital targets like Chittagong port?

There are plenty of targets like power stations that BAF could take out if it had the capability.

Have the capability to make Yangon go dark and the savages would stop - it is only 400 miles from BD and so an airstrike can take out the power station/s that supply it with electricity.

Now please do not reply unless you are prepared to think things through.

 

[nahtanbob]

Are you even reading my posts and then thinking before posting?

Did I not say BD would need a far superior airforce before it could exercise the option?
Cannot an effective SAM system/air defence system not be put in place to protect vital targets like Chittagong port?

There are plenty of targets like power stations that BAF could take out if it had the capability.

Have the capability to make Yangon go dark and the savages would stop - it is only 400 miles from BD and so an airstrike can take out the power station/s that supply it with electricity.

Now please do not reply unless you are prepared to think things through.

building a superior air force takes 5-10 years in peacetime

What prevents naval strike on Chittagong ? Or Myanmar navy hitting merchant marine bound for Bangladesh

 

[UKBengali]

building a superior air force takes 5-10 years in peacetime

What prevents naval strike on Chittagong ? Or Myanmar navy hitting merchant marine bound for Bangladesh

This is my last post to you but for the benefit of other posters.

Yes it will take up to 5 years if there was a crash programme.

I did say it should have started in 2012 and so BAF and air-defences for Chittagong port would have been ready by August 2017 when 800,000 Rohingyas were expelled by the savages.

Naval strike on Chittagong? Are you completely retarded as BN is far superior to the MN.

Myanmar Navy hitting merchant ships for BD? They will be too busy hiding from the two BN subs as they have none.

You clearly are totally and utterly clueless and talking about something you know nothing about dude.

 

[nahtanbob]

This is my last post to you but for the benefit of other posters.

Yes it will take up to 5 years if there was a crash programme.

I did say it should have started in 2012 and so BAF and air-defences for Chittagong port would have been ready by August 2017 when 800,000 Rohingyas were expelled.

Naval strike on Chittagong? Are you completely retarded as BN is far superior to the MN.

Myanmar Navy hitting merchant ships for BD? They will too busy hiding from the two BN subs as they have none.


You clearly are totally and utterly clueless and talking about something you know nothing about dude.

Acquiring 100 4th generation combat aircraft would cost Bangladesh $10 billion with huge annual outlays in operations, training and maintenance. You have a defense budget of $4 billion. Try something in your league

You cannot beat geography

 

[Avicenna]

Acquiring 100 4th generation combat aircraft would cost Bangladesh $10 billion with huge annual outlays in operations, training and maintenance. You have a defense budget of $4 billion. Try something in your league

You cannot beat geography

4 billion at 1.2% GDP.

Bangladesh's priorities are elsewhere.

But there is clearly room to increase it.

 

[nahtanbob]

4 billion at 1.2% GDP.

Bangladesh's priorities are elsewhere.

But there is clearly room to increase it.

there is clear opportunity cost to fighting Myanmar which is why it has not happened

 

[Avicenna]

there is clear opportunity cost to fighting Myanmar which is why it has not happened

Yup.

In all honesty, its unfortunate.

If BD were to engage in an "arms race" with Myanmar, they will both be losers.

Enriching those outside the region at the detriment of the common people in both nations.

But what Myanmar did was undeniably hostile.

And for that Bangladesh needs to address its military at this point unless there is regime change next door.

I guess one thing is clear, Bangladesh's friendship to all malice to none approach should no longer be valid.