Caught between the two sides, Rohingya civilians are facing killings, arrests, displacement, movement restrictions, forced recruitment and violence.

The UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar is investigating allegations of serious violations by various parties to the conflict, including night raids, mass arrests, killings, restrictions on access to medical and humanitarian assistance, sexual violence, executions, recruitment and use of children, and the destruction of mosques. The mechanism says it has collected evidence from more than 1,600 sources.

Reports have also emerged of forced recruitment of Rohingya by Myanmar military authorities, with pressure reportedly extending to neighborhoods and displacement camps.

On August 10, reports also emerged of a Myanmar military airstrike on a village in Thandwe Township. According to figures cited from the Arakan Army, the attack killed 14 civilians and injured 11 others, although the casualty figures have not been independently verified.

The developments demonstrate that a transfer of territorial control from one armed group to another does not necessarily guarantee the safety of Rohingya civilians.

Safe return requires more than simply returning to their homeland; it requires an end to violence and forced recruitment, access to humanitarian assistance, protection for women and children, continued documentation of abuses, and accountability for those responsible.

Source: Rohingya News