Myanmar troops are accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Rohingya, nearly 700,000 of whom have fled to Bangladesh since last August. Myanmar denies the allegation, saying it launched a proportionate crackdown on Rohingya rebels, but has blocked reporters and UN investigators from independently accessing the conflict zone. After an inspection of the village, a team of officials, police and locals "refuted the AP report," said the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar. Nineteen "terrorists" were killed in the violence and buried, according to the report, which did not elaborate on the location or nature of the graves. Myanmar has overwhelmingly denied any wrongdoing in the Rakhine crackdown, despite a flood of testimony from refugees describing security forces murdering civilians, committing mass rape and torching Rohingya villages to the ground.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 03, 2018 03:45 UTC