New footage reveals burnt villages in Rakhine

A new video reveals an eye-witness account of massive destruction in villages in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.

The footage Anadolu Agency obtained from reliable sources in Rakhine, shows that even houses which escaped arson attempts are in rubbles.

The Maungdaw township on the border of Bangladesh has borne the brunt of violence by Myanmar's military and Buddhist mobs, the footage shows.

The Myanmar government does not allow international media to enter Rakhine. The person who recorded the footage said he entered the region after bribing some Myanmar soldiers.

The footage shows the houses have been looted by the military.

International human rights organizations had published many satellite images of the villages in Rakhine and had revealed hundreds of villages destroyed by Myanmar’s military.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, more than 750,000 refugees, mostly children, and women have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.

The refugees are fleeing a military operation in which security forces and Buddhist mobs have killed men, women and children, looted homes and torched Rohingya villages.

At least 9,400 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24 last year, according to Doctors Without Borders.

In a report published recently, the humanitarian group said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.

The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings, and disappearances committed by security personnel.

In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.