“Myanmar Conflict Escalates: 5,000 Buddhist and Hindu homes burned in Rakhine, rebel group captures Buthidaung”, Organiser, May 20, 2024:
“The conflict in Myanmar continues to escalate, with the military-led Junta army and ethnic rebel groups clashing fiercely, particularly in Rakhine State. Recent violence has taken on a communal dimension, with reports indicating that nearly 5,000 houses belonging to Buddhists and Hindus were destroyed in Buthidaung, a town close to the Bangladesh border.
According to sources, these homes were explicitly targeted due to their owners’ religious affiliations. Most residents had fled to safer areas, leaving their houses empty, but those who remained were forcibly removed, and their properties were looted and set on fire in front of them.
The perpetrators are believed to include conscripts from Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. This destruction occurred between April 11 and 21, leaving Buthidaung under the control of the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic rebel group. Reports suggest that local Muslims in Buthidaung and the nearby Maungdaw township have primarily refrained from supporting the communal violence and have, in some cases, sought assistance from ethnic rebels to relocate to safer zones…..”
Read the full article at Organiser.org
