A new report by Kaladan Press gives a detailed account of the Burma Army’s August 2017 “clearance operations” in the large fishing village of Alethankyaw in southern Maungdaw, uncovering new evidence that the operations against the Rohingya were carefully pre-planned, and not a response to “terrorist attacks” on August 25, as claimed by the Burmese government.

“The Killing Fields of Alethankyaw,” based on eyewitness testimony, exposes systematic preparation and execution of the operations by government forces, using military infrastructure built up along the western edge of the Mayu mountain range since 2012.

Fishing boats were seized, Rakhine villagers evacuated, and hundreds of troops moved into the four security camps in Alethankyaw, ready to open fire early on August 25, starting a brutal nine-day attack that left several hundred Rohingya civilians dead, and the village of over 11,000 people empty and in ashes.

No eyewitnesses saw any sign of the thousand “extremist terrorists” alleged by the government to have swarmed up from the beach to attack an Alethankyaw police post early on August 25, and say this was impossible given the tight security – including naval patrols and searchlights over the flat, open terrain, where no one could have hidden.

“Our findings debunk the military’s claims that they were responding to “terrorist attacks.” Their operations were pre-planned from start to finish, with the clear aim of driving out the Rohingya,” said Tin Soe, executive editor of Kaladan Press.

The report contains detailed testimony of killing, rape, and looting by government troops, and includes maps showing the security build-up in and around the village, the direction of attacks on August 25, and sites where bodies were disposed of, including under the telecommunication tower newly built by Norwegian-owned Telenor – from which snipers gunned down fleeing men, women, and children.

The report is the first to expose the deadly use of the Telenor premises by government troops during the August 2017 operations.

“We hope our report will spur foreign investors such as Telenor to take a cold, hard look at their role in aiding the Rohingya genocide,” said Tin Soe.

Contact person:
Tin Soe Tel: +8801714381110, +8801819907683

See the report The Killing Fields of Alethankyaw.

View this original press release HERE.