For first time, Myanmar military admits troops murdered Rohingya found in mass grave
It was a rare admission of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine
Myanmar’s military said its soldiers had murdered 10 captured Muslim “terrorists” during insurgent attacks at the beginning of September, after Buddhist villagers had forced the captured men into a grave they had dug.
“Villagers and members of the security forces have confessed that they committed murder,” the military said in a statement on Wednesday.
It was a rare admission of wrongdoing by the Myanmar military during its operations in the western state of Rakhine.
The army launched a sweeping counteroffensive in the north of the state in response to Rohingya militant attacks on August 25, triggering an exodus of more than 650,000 Rohingya Muslim villagers.
The United Nations has condemned the army’s campaign as ethnic cleansing. Myanmar denies that, saying its forces were carrying out legitimate counter-insurgency operations.
The military announced on December 18 that a mass grave containing 10 bodies had been found at the coastal village of Inn Din, about 50km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sittwe. The army appointed a senior officer to investigate.