"It is hard to fathom the level of brutality of Tatmadaw operations, its total disregard for civilian life," Marzuki Darusman, who heads a fact-finding mission into violations in Myanmar, told the UN Human Rights Council, referring to the nation's military. He presented the mission's 444-page report which lays out in horrifying detail a vast array of violations committed by Myanmar's powerful military, especially against the Rohingya Muslims. A brutal military crackdown last year forced more than 700,000 Rohingyas to flee over the border to Bangladesh. The longer version, presented Tuesday, also called for Myanmar's military, which dominates the Buddhist-majority nation - holding a quarter of all seats in parliament and controlling three ministries - to be completely removed from politics. "In this regard, the democratic transition in Myanmar had barely begun and now it has come to a standstill."

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 18, 2018 12:56 UTC