Thousands of Rohingya Refugees Flee to Bangladesh as Senior UN Official Calls For Investigation into Allegations of Abuse, Torture, Rape and Killings

Burma security forces crackdown on “terrorists’ in the western Rakhine State have forced at least 10,000 Rohingya to take refuge in Bangladesh in recent weeks, according to the United Nations.

Vivian Tan, a spokeswoman for the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugee’s Bangkok office said in AFP report.

“Based on reports by various humanitarian agencies, we estimate that there could be 10,000 new arrivals in recent weeks.”

Ms Tan said that the situation is changing fast and the actual number of refugees could be much higher.

A report released in June by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar said that “Many of the acts described would suggest a widespread or systematic attack against the Rohingya, in turn suggesting the possible commission of crimes against humanity.”

The Burma government have denied reports by human rights that abuses have taken place and said that the allegations are not based on the real situation on the ground.

The UN’s spokeswoman, Ms Tan was reported as saying that the UN are ready to support the government to provide effective humanitarian assistance for individuals in need of international protection.

In a statement, released on 29 November 2016, Mr Adama Dieng, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, , “expressed alarm at reports of the deteriorating security, human rights and humanitarian situation in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Mr Dieng in the UN statement stressed that reports of excessive force and “other serious human rights violations against civilian population, particularly the Rohingya Muslim population, including allegations of extrajudicial executions, torture, rape and the destruction of religious property” by the government’s military needed to be investigated immediately.

“These allegations must be verified as a matter of urgency”, stated Adama Dieng. “If they are true, the lives of thousands of people are at risk. The reputation of Myanmar, its new Government and its military forces is also at stake in this matter.”