Arakan News Agency
As international condemnation of alleged human rights abuses against the Rohingya minority in northern Arakan State mounts, the country’s military chief Mr. Min Aung Hlaing has doubled down on his denials, saying on Monday that “Burmese security forces have not committed any human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, rapes, or arson.”
He told Malaysia’s General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri that “if any violations were discovered, the offenders would be prosecuted.” His discussion with his Malaysian counterpart in Naypyidaw came a day after Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak led a protest in Kuala Lumpur against what he called the “genocide” of Burma’s Muslim Rohingya minority.
General Min Aung Hlaing has become increasingly assertive on denials of Burma Army abuses during military “clearance operations” conducted in response to a series of attacks on border guard outposts in Maungdaw Township on Oct. 9.
“[Rohingya] need to enter the national verification process in accordance with the Citizenship Law. The process must be in accordance with the law, not in the name of human rights. They need to follow and respect Burma’s existing laws,” he said.
