UN Human Rights Chief condemns escalating violence in Rakhine state

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed deep concern today over the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine State, where recent reports indicate that hundreds of civilians have been killed while attempting to escape ongoing conflict.

The past four months have seen tens of thousands of people, including many from the Rohingya community, fleeing a significant military offensive by the Arakan Army aimed at seizing control of the towns of Buthidaung and Maungdaw from Myanmar’s military. Among the most severe incidents, an attack along the Naf River on 5 August, reportedly involving armed drones, claimed dozens of lives. The identity of the responsible party remains unclear.

“Thousands of Rohingya have been forced to flee on foot, with the Arakan Army herding them repeatedly into locations that offer scant safe haven,” Türk stated. With the border to Bangladesh closed, these displaced individuals find themselves caught between the military and the Arakan Army, unable to find a path to safety.

Türk emphasized the continued violence as evidence of the impunity and challenges in protecting civilians under international law. This month marks seven years since the military operations in 2017 that drove 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh. Despite global promises of “never again,” the High Commissioner warned that the international community is once again witnessing similar patterns of violence, destruction, and displacement in Rakhine.

Both the military and the Arakan Army, which now controls most of the townships in Rakhine, have been implicated in serious human rights violations against the Rohingya, including extrajudicial killings, abductions, forced recruitment, and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas. These actions are in direct violation of international humanitarian law and the provisional measures set by the International Court of Justice to protect the Rohingya.

The crisis is exacerbated by the closure of hospitals in Buthidaung and Maungdaw, a severe lack of access to clean water, and inadequate living conditions, which have led to a rise in conflict-related injuries and deaths from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea. Food warehouses containing vital supplies have been targeted, looted, and destroyed, further deepening the humanitarian disaster.

Türk called for an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians and the protection of those fleeing the conflict. He also stressed the urgent need for unhindered access to humanitarian aid and the pursuit of justice for those responsible for the atrocities.

“The recurrence of the crimes and horrors of the past must be prevented,” Türk urged, calling on the international community, particularly ASEAN, to take decisive action to protect the Rohingya and other civilians affected by the conflict.