The US expresses its concern over reports of increased violence in Rakhine (Burma)

May 22. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The spokesman for the United States Department of State, Matthew Miller, expressed concern on Tuesday about reports of increased violence, the destruction of private property and the displacement of members of the Rohingya ethnic group in the Burmese state of Rakhine. in the west of the country, which has become the scene of combat between the military junta and the rebels.

“The United States is deeply concerned by reports of increased violence and intercommunal tension in Rakhine State, including reports of villages being burned and their residents, including the Rohingya, being displaced,” it said in a statement.

Likewise, Miller has warned about the forced recruitment of the Rohingya and the spread of disinformation and hate speech, especially due to existing tensions between the Rakhine and Rohingya ethnic groups, which “raise the risks of new atrocities.”

“The military’s past acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity against the Rohingya, as well as its history of stoking communal tensions in Rakhine State and elsewhere in the country, highlight the grave dangers they face. “We ask the Burmese Army, as well as all armed actors, to protect the civilian population and allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid,” he added.

In that sense, it has called on the international community to condemn the increase in violence and take action to ensure that the guilty parties are brought to justice and to offer protection to civilians fleeing violent acts.

Miller has also reaffirmed the US commitment to “promote justice” by imposing future measures against both the military and rebels who commit abuses against the population.

Burma has been under a military dictatorship since February 1, 2021 after a coup d’état that ended up triggering a large-scale conflict throughout the country between the Army and the numerous armed opposition groups, including historical militias that defend the interests of ethnic groups and new “self-defense organizations.”

Although the strategic interest of the conflict is currently focusing on the east of the country, especially on the commercial border crossings with China and Thailand, Rakhine has been the scene of new fighting since November since the breakdown of an informal ceasefire between the junta. military and armed groups in the region.

Since then, 15 of Rakhine’s 17 municipalities have been affected by fighting, where hundreds of people have been killed or injured, and more than 300,000 people have been forcibly displaced.