The Guardian: Accountability Only Way to End Violence in Myanmar

Local and international organizations have reported serious violations and abuses in Myanmar for decades, and sexual violence cases overwhelmingly feature members of Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw. Yanghee Lee and Georgia Drake report for the Guardian: “Myanmar has faced civil war since shortly after independence in 1948, and there are countless instances of its peoples facing serious violations at the hands of the Tatmadaw, including killings, torture and rape.” Systematic campaigns of violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in west Myanmar have been an issue since the 1970s. As Lee and Drake note, “hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have repeatedly been driven out to Bangladesh as a result of brutality inflicted on them.” More than 700,000 people, a majority of the Rohingya, have been, and continue to be, forcibly displaced to Bangladesh. An estimated 6,700 people were killed and many women faced sexual violence as part of the “clearance operations” initiated by security forces beginning in August 2017. The authors urge the international community to take a proactive role to achieve justice for the people of Myanmar. – YaleGlobal