Myanmar’s military has launched an internal probe into the conduct of soldiers during a counteroffensive that has sent more than half a million Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh, many saying they witnessed killings, rape and arson by troops. According to a statement posted on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s Facebook page, the panel will ask: “Did they follow the military code of conduct? Coordinated Rohingya insurgent attacks on 30 security posts on August 25 sparked a ferocious military response in the Muslim-majority northern part of Rakhine state that the United Nations has said was ethnic cleansing. Aid agencies now estimate that 536,000 people have now arrived in Cox’s Bazar, straining scarce resources of aid groups and local communities. About 200,000 Rohingya were already in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Myanmar, where they have long been denied citizenship and faced restrictions on their movements and access to basic services.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 13, 2017 12:56 UTC