US holds off on sanctions, barring proof

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday said he is not keen to propose broad-based economic sanctions against Myanmar despite expressing concern about “credible reports” of alleged human rights abuses committed by the Tatmadaw during the recent violence in northern Rakhine State, reports The Myanmar Times.

“We’re deeply concerned by credible reports of widespread atrocities committed by Myanmar’s security forces and by vigilantes who were unrestrained by security forces during the recent violence in Rakhine State,” Tillerson said during a joint press conference with Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after their meeting in Nay Pyi Taw.

He called for a credible and impartial investigation and urged the government to bring to justice those responsible.

“The recent serious allegations of abuses in Rakhine State demand a credible and impartial investigation, and those who commit human rights abuses or violations must be held accountable,” he said.

“In all my meetings, I have called on the Myanmar civilian government to lead a full and effective independent investigation and for the military to facilitate full access and cooperation,” he added.

While shunning broad range sanctions, Tillerson said he would consider proposing sanctions against specific individuals found to be involved in “certain acts” during the violence, which killed hundreds of people and forced over 600,000 Muslims to seek refuge in Bangladesh.

“All of that has to be evidence-based,” Tillerson said in a joint news conference with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw.

“If we have credible information that we believe to be very reliable that certain individuals were responsible for certain acts that we find unacceptable, then targeted sanctions on individuals very well may be appropriate,” he added.

Tillerson, who arrived earlier in the day in Yangon for a one-day visit, also met with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Defence Services and chief of the Tatmadaw.

During his meetings with the State Counsellor and Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, he expressed Washington’s deep concern about atrocities allegedly committed by the Tatmadaw during military actions in Rakhine.

Late Monday, the Tatmadaw’s True News Information Team released the findings of its investigation of the actions by security forces in Rakhine, saying its forces “strictly abided by orders and directives of their superiors, especially the rules of engagement.”

It said that civilians in the area, including Muslims interviewed by the investigating team, testified that “security forces did not shoot innocent villagers, commit sexual violence or rape women.”

“They [the troops] did not arrest, beat or kill villagers. They did not destroy, rob or take property, gold and silver, vehicles or animals from villagers or displaced villagers,” the report said.

It added some 6000 to 10,000 ARSA terrorists and their supporters set fire to the houses in the villages and forced residents to flee to Bangladesh or “they would be considered traitors to Islam” and the terrorists would slit their throats.

Witnesses said ARSA and its supporters told the villagers to run away or be attacked by government troops firing grenade launchers, setting fire to their villages, shooting them with machine guns and bombing them with helicopters.

Tillerson said the United States would work with partners so that those responsible for any atrocities would face consequences, “using all available mechanisms, including those available under US law”.

He said the United States would provide an additional US$47 million (K64.2 billion) in humanitarian aid for refugees, bringing the total to $87 million since the crisis began in August.

Tillerson was encouraged by talks between Myanmar and Bangladesh to agree on refugee repatriation.

At the news conference, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was asked why she had not spoken out more strongly about the plight of the Rohingya, because the Nobel peace prize winner’s perceived failure to do so had damaged her international reputation.

“What I say is not supposed to be exciting,” she said, adding that she had aimed to keep the public informed without setting different ethnic and religious communities against each other.

“It’s important to bring peace and stability to this country, and that can only be done on the basis of rule of law. Everybody should understand that their role is to protect peace and stability, not to punish people.”