Human rights organizations and Rakhine affairs observers say that both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) must be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity committed against the Rohingya in Rakhine State. Their remarks came in response to statements made by junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun.
According to Zaw Min Tun, in May 2024, the AA massacred more than 600 Rohingya in the Thandaw Khun village tract of Buthidaung Township, after which the group burned homes and carried out drone bomb attacks. He described these acts as serious violations of human rights and crimes against humanity.
Zaw Min Tun further alleged that “The AA, motivated by ethnic hatred, deliberately carried out mass killings, including women and children, which is clear evidence of grave crimes.” He also claimed that on August 5, 2024, the AA killed more than 200 Rohingya IDPs in Maungdaw Township using drone strikes, which he said amounted to war crimes.
AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha, however, rejected the allegations, saying: “The AA has never committed genocide. The photos prove that the bodies shown were those of junta soldiers killed in battles with us, not Rohingya civilians.”
The AA maintains that it launched attacks on junta bases in Buthidaung Township beginning on March 22, 2024, and that fighting around Thandaw Khun village intensified only after junta forces withdrew.
The UN Security Council has expressed deep concern, stating that it does not accept any atrocities resulting from the fighting and shifting territorial control, while urging all parties to respect the Rohingya population’s aspirations for peace.
Meanwhile, the Myanmar military itself stands accused of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya during its crackdowns in 2016 and 2017. These atrocities are currently under examination at international courts, and ICC prosecutors have even sought an arrest warrant against junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.
Human rights groups stress that both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army must take responsibility, cease violence, and ensure the protection of Rohingya and other civilians. Calls for greater international and domestic pressure to guarantee justice and security for the Rohingya are growing stronger.