40 more Rohingya villages burned despite refugee deal: HRW

NEW YORK, Dec 18 (APP):At least 40 Rohingya villages in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were burned in October and November, analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Monday, bringing the number of villages destroyed since the military launched a violent crackdown against the Muslim minority in August to 354.
Dozens of Rohingya buildings were burned in the week of November 25 as Myanmar signed a deal with Bangladesh to repatriate some 655,000 minority Rohingya who have fled what the UN said could amount to genocide, a statement released by the New York-based human rights watchdog body said.
“The Burmese army’s destruction of Rohingya villages within days of signing a refugee repatriation agreement with Bangladesh shows that commitments to safe returns were just a public relations stunt,” Asia director at Human Rights Watch Brad Adams said. “The satellite imagery shows what the Burmese army denies: that Rohingya villages continue to be destroyed. Burmese government pledges to ensure the safety of returning Rohingya cannot be taken seriously.”
Human Rights Watch said it has used satellite imagery to assess and monitor over 1,000 villages and towns in the townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathiduang, where the Myanmar military and vigilantes have engaged in attacks on Rohingya.
The HRW said it found that the damage patterns in the 354 affected villages are consistent with burning occurring in the weeks after the military operations began in late August.
The rights watchdog body urged international bodies and states to do more to help the plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya minority.
“The UN Security Council and concerned governments shouldn’t continue to stand by as evidence of continuing attacks on the Rohingya community comes to light,” Adams said.
“Targeted sanctions need to be imposed now against those responsible for ordering and carrying out crimes against humanity.”
On Thursday, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said at least 6,700 Rohingya Muslims were killed in the first month of the army crackdown that began in late August.
The figure is the highest estimated death toll yet of violence that erupted on August 25 and triggered a massive refugee crisis, sending some 647,000 Rohingya fleeing across the border to Bangladesh.
The UN and US have described the military operation as “ethnic cleansing” of the Muslim minority, but have not released specific death tolls.