370 ARSA terrorists killed: Myanmar

Myanmar said about 370 ARSA terrorists were killed in the clearance operations conducted by Tatmadaw in northern Rakhine while about 40 were captured alive since the aftermath of August 25 attacks.

After declaring the ARSA as terrorist organisation, government has warned local Muslim community not to assist the group or could be prosecuted under the country’s Counter-Terrorism Law.

Last week, police from Buthidaung opened a case against U Shwe Maung, a former USDP lawmaker under the section 50 of the law for he allegedly supported the ARSA terrorists in a video posted on social media.

However, the government statements are far from reality as the UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein slammed Myanmar’s apparent “systematic attack” on the Rohingya minority.

He termed Myanmar action against Rohingyas as “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

He said, “Because Myanmar has refused access to human rights investigators the current situation cannot yet be fully assessed, but the situation seems a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,”

On the other hand, the Unicef said on Thursday, “Up to 400,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August 25, with thousands more arriving every day.”

Myanmar government cancelled citizenship of Rohingya Muslims, a minority group living in Rakhine State, under citizenship law formed in 1982.

Since then, the security forces of the country are persecuting the Rohingyas including children and women, who are being beheaded, killed and burned alive.